UK punches ticket to 2023 NCAA Nationwide Championships

NORMAN, Okla. – No. 9 Kentucky gymnastics punched its ticket to the 2023 NCAA Nationwide Championships, advancing out of the Norman, Okla. Regional on Saturday night.

The 197.850 scored by the Cats did the trick to ship this system to its second ever nationals look after first seeing the large stage in 2018. Kentucky completed sixth total that 12 months.

Kentucky’s total meet rating Saturday was the second highest in program historical past and highest ever in regional competitors. Along with the general meet rating, the Cats set a brand new document on the stability beam with 49.575. UK discovered top-10 marks in each equipment besides the ground train.

Starting the Street to Nationals on the stability beam, the Wildcats stayed calm and picked up. This system document break was no simple feat because the struggle started. Senior Raena Worley held the highest rating for UK on the occasion with a 9.950. Her near-perfect tally tied her for second for the meet total. Juniors Bailey Bunn and Isabella Magnelli positioned within the top-five total scoring 9.925 every. Bunn’s 9.925 tied her private profession and season bests whereas sophomore Jillian Procasky did the identical along with her rating of 9.900. Rounding out the rotation, Arianna Patterson earned a 9.875 with leadoff Shealyn Luksik scoring a 9.825.

The ground train, the second rotation of the night time, was Kentucky’s weakest occasion. Nevertheless, its was nonetheless sufficient to proceed the momentum for the Cats as they neared the midway level of the meet. In a seven-way tie for first place total, Worley discovered herself among the many high performers with a 9.950. Simply shy of her profession and season greatest, the senior delivered as anchor on the occasion the place she has scored a 9.900 or higher in each meet this season. Junior Hailey Davis rocked her routine with an electrical 9.925 for the fifth time this season. Each Magnelli and Makenzie Wilson tallied 9.850 whereas Patterson and Procasky every recorded 9.800. With a mixed whole of 49.375 on the ground train, the Cats moved on to the third rotation – vault.

On vault, Kentucky’s struggle continued because the Cats tied its fourth-best whole on the occasion with a mixed 49.450. Patterson caught an enormous entrance handspring entrance pike half which earned her a 9.950 from the judges. Her high mark tied her private profession and season bests on vault. The fifth-year senior was preceded by Procasky (9.900) and Wilson (9.850) as the primary two athletes within the lineup. Magnelli scored a 9.900 for the second time within the final three meets whereas Worley tallied a 9.850 and freshman Bridget Bourque scored a 9.825.

To shut out the meet, the Wildcats had another rotation to battle by way of to find out its destiny. Tying its tenth greatest program rating on the uneven bars, the Cats rallied to a 49.450. Procasky and senior Kaitlin DeGuzman led the workforce incomes 9.925 every from the judges. Each gymnasts carried out enormous routines executing their dismounts with sticky ft. The 2 Wildcats scored inside the high 5 for the meet total on the equipment. Bunn and Worley every have been awarded 9.900 to proceed the push to nationals for UK. Previous Worley, the anchor, have been Davis (9.800) and Luksik (9.600).

Within the all-around, Worley was tied second total with Oklahoma’s Audrey David because the pair held a mixed whole of 39.650. The Christiansburg, Va. native has tallied a 39.600 or increased six instances this season. Fellow all-around competitor Procasky discovered herself sixth total with a 39.525 which set a brand new profession document for the gymnast.

Kentucky competed in opposition to host No. 1 Oklahoma, Southeastern Convention opponent No. 8 Alabama and Ohio State in Saturday’s regional closing. The Sooners and Wildcats have been the highest two groups of the meet, advancing the applications to the nationwide championships. The punched tickets secured a spot within the subsequent spherical of competitors which will likely be held at Dickies Enviornment in Fort Value, Texas, April 13-15.