FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas gymnastics concludes the regular season Friday against No. 7 Missouri at Bud Walton Arena, and there is a lot on the line for the Razorbacks.
The meet begins at 7 p.m. and can be streamed on SEC Network+.
Arkansas is ranked No. 16 nationally and No. 9 in the SEC in National Qualifying Score. Only the top eight teams will make it to the SEC Championships on March 22 in Birmingham, Ala.
The Razorbacks do not control their own destiny but can improve their chances with a high score.
Arkansas needs a score of at least 197.15 Friday to have a chance at making the championship meet, but it would also need the teams around it to miss their target marks.
According to Balance Beam Situation, which covers college gymnastics nationally, Arkansas is among five teams that could finish last in the conference standings along with Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama and Auburn.
If any one of those teams fails to meet a particular score and Arkansas can get to 197.15 or higher, the door would be open for the Razorbacks. The target scores for the other teams to clinch their spots in the championship meet: Georgia (197.1), Kentucky (196.95), Alabama (197.05), Auburn (197.500).
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Making it to SECs isn’t all-important, but it would give the Razorbacks another chance to increase its NQS before NCAA Regionals. The conference meet can count as a road score toward a team’s NQS. Plus, the top two performers in each event earn All-SEC honors.
“It is another road opportunity, and so being able to make that competition does give us the opportunity to replace our lowest road score right now, which is a 196.4,” Arkansas coach Jordyn Wieber said. “I really hope we have the opportunity to go compete next weekend. If we continue to do our job this weekend, I think anything can happen.”
The Razorbacks still have a good chance at a national seed for NCAAs. The top 36 teams in the country compete in NCAA Regionals, with the top 16 teams earning national seeds.
Teams ranked Nos. 1, 8, 9 and 16 are seeded into one regional, followed by Nos. 2, 7, 10 and 15; Nos. 3, 6, 11 and 14; and Nos. 4, 5, 12 and 13.
With Arkansas now at No. 16, the Razorbacks are on the cusp of a national seed. Wieber said she has used NQS as a motivator for this year’s team, updating them each week on how their most recent performance affected their score and showing them what they need to achieve next to keep improving.
“They look at this weekend’s opportunity and I see their eyes light up and I see them get fired up,” Wieber said. “They know if we can go another mid-197, that's going to impact our NQS quite a bit. They know they’re capable of that, they believe in their team, and that gets them fired up and motivated to continue to work hard throughout the week.
“One of the best superpowers that this team has in particular is their ability to fight….Right here at the end of the season, having some of our best performances and peaking at the right time, they're fighting for each opportunity. That is our superpower, and I hope that we can see that superpower in effect tomorrow night.”