Gymdogs Face Arkansas In Final SEC Meet

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Gymdogs Face Arkansas In Final SEC Meet

Sarah Persinger is happy with her bar routne.
(Photo by John Kelley)
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Tenth-ranked Georgia returns home for its final SEC meet of the regular season Saturday at 6 p.m. ET against No. 18 Arkansas. Saturday will also serve as Georgia’s annual Alumni Meet, where previous Gymdogs will be recognized before the competition.


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The meet will air live on SEC Network +, which is available at ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia-Arkansas History
This is the 30th meeting between Georgia and Arkansas, with the Gymdogs holding a 26-2-1 all-time advantage, including an 11-1 edge in dual meets. In Athens, Georgia is 6-0 against the Razorbacks.
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Arkansas is returning to Stegeman Coliseum for the second straight year. In last year’s matchup, Georgia won 197.650-195.675, which was a season-high score for the Gymdogs. Highlighting the meet was Georgia’s 49.675 on bars, the highest bars score since 1999 at the time. It also tied for the seventh-highest bars score in program history. Georgia topped that mark at the 2014 SEC Championship with a 49.700 on bars.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Last Time Out
Georgia traveled to Auburn for the second time in as many years, falling 197.750-196.775 to the Tigers. However, the Gymdogs recorded their highest beam score of the season for the second straight week, a 49.350, behind career highs of 9.9 from Kiera Brown and 9.875 from Natalie Vaculik, in addition to Mary Beth Box’s 9.925. Brown also posted a 9.9 on bars, marking the first time in her career to register multiple scores of 9.9 or higher in a single meet.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Noteworthy
» Georgia’s top event last week was the balance beam, where the Gymdogs turned in a season-high score of 49.350. This marks the first time since the 2013 NCAA Super Six in Los Angeles that Georgia’s highest event score in a meet came on the beam.
[su_spacer size=”20″] » Mary Beth Box catapulted herself into the national rankings for the first time this season, landing at No. 11 on beam. Georgia also has four other gymnasts with national recognition: Brandie Jay at No. 12 on vault, Chelsea Davis at No. 14 and Brittany Rogers at No. 23 on bars and Ashlyn Broussard at No. 15 on beam.
[su_spacer size=”20″] » Seven different Gymdogs have taken top honors on an event this season. Ashlyn Broussard leads the team with six event titles, two on beam and four on vault. Brandie Jay and Mary Beth Box have four top finishes, while Chelsea Davis and Brittany Rogers have claimed three event titles apiece. Kiera Brown has two, and Rachel Schick has placed first on bars once this season.
[su_spacer size=”20″] » Georgia has either already competed against or will compete later this season against five of the top six teams in the country. The Gymdogs faced current No. 5 Michigan, No. 3 Florida, No. 2 LSU and No. 6 Alabama in January and February. Georgia will battle No. 4 Utah on March 14.
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Rankings
Georgia dropped one spot in this week’s top-25 to a No. 10 national ranking, but its RQS improved to 196.720. The Gymdogs are also ranked in the top-eight on three events. Georgia is eighth on vault, sixth on bars, eighth on beam and No. 17 on floor.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Up Next
The Gymdogs will host No. 4 Utah next Saturday, March 14, at 4 p.m. ET for their regular season finale. Utah is No. 1 in the country on vault, third on bars, sixth on beam and fifth on floor.

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