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Arkansas Razorbacks gymnastics

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arkansas Razorbacks gymnastics
Founded2003; 23 years ago (2003)
UniversityUniversity of Arkansas
Head coachChris Brooks (1st season)
ConferenceSEC
LocationFayetteville, Arkansas
Home arenaBud Walton Arena (Capacity: 19,200)
NicknameGym'Backs
ColorsCardinal and white[1]
   
Super Six appearances
2009, 2012
NCAA Regional championships
2009, 2011
NCAA Tournament appearances
2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2024, 2026

The Arkansas Razorbacks gymnastics team represents the University of Arkansas and competes in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).[2] The team was founded in 2003 and is currently coached by Chris Brooks, after he assumed the position in April 2026.

History

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The gymnastics team was founded in 2003 by Mark Cook, who started building the team in 2001.[3] Cook had previously coached the Stanford gymnastics and UCLA Bruins teams, as the head coach and assistant coach respectively. The first team competed in the 2003, with an all-freshman roster, and finished the regular season ranked 41st.

The team made their first appearance at the NCAA National Championship finals ('Super Six') in 2009, finishing in 5th place with a score of 196.475 - their best placement to date.[4] The Razorbacks made their second appearance in 2012, finishing in 6th place with a score of 196.300.[5]

The retirement of Mark Cook as head coach was announced on April 9, 2019.[6] The new head coach for the 2019-2020 season was announced to be the 2011 World Champion Jordyn Wieber on April 24 - the first Olympic champion to be the head coach of an NCAA gymnastics team.[7] Wieber was previously a volunteer assistant coach at UCLA, at which she coached floor, which UCLA finished the 2018 and 2019 regular seasons ranked No. 1 in the country.[8][9]

In 2024, the Razorbacks qualified to the national championships, finishing in 7th place; Reese Drotar was awarded first-team All-American honours on the uneven bars, and Leah Smith earned second team All-American honours on vault.[10]

At the conclusion of the 2026 season, Wieber announced that she was stepping down as head coach in order "to focus on [her] family and other passions". Her husband, Chris Brooks, took over the head coach position after serving as an assistant coach during her tenure.[11][12]

Championships

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Super Six Appearances

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Arkansas Razorbacks Super Six Appearances
Year Finish
2009 5th
2012 6th

Individual champions

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NCAA: Arkansas Individual Champions
Name Year Event
Katherine Grable 2014 VT
Katherine Grable 2014 FX
SEC: Arkansas Individual Champions
Name Year Event
Casey Jo Magee 2009 BB
Jaime Pisani 2012 FX

Current roster

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Name Height Year Hometown
Addison Bare FR Lancaster, PA
Bradley Burton FR Houston, TX
Avalon Campbell FR Oceanside, CA
Allison Cucci FR Rochester, NY
Grace Drexler SO Stratford, WI
Reese Drotar 5-8 SR Los Gatos, CA
Madison Gustitus SO Chicago, IL
Riley Jandorf FR Bentonville, AR
Avery King FR Dallas, TX
Hailey Klein 5-2 JR Lake Forest, IL
Ja'Leigh Lang SO East Palo Alto, CA
Priscilla Park 5-3 JR Atlanta, GA
Frankie Price 5-0 R-SR Lebanon, TN
Morgan Price SR Lebanon, TN
Joscelyn Roberson 4-8 SO Texarkana, TX
Leah Smith 5-1 GR Spring, TX
Cally Swaney 5-2 SR Gastonia, NC
Cami Weaver 5-1 R-SR Pelham, AL
Julianna Weeks SO Charlotte, NC
Lauren Williams 5-3 R-JR Rogers, AR

Coaches

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Head coaches

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Name Years Record Win %
Mark Cook 2003 – 2019 205–270–5 .432
Jordyn Wieber 2020 – 2026 62–101–2 .382
Chris Brooks 2027 – present

Coaches for the current season

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Name Position
Chris Brooks Head coach [11]
Kyla Ross Assistant coach [13]
Catelyn Branson Assistant Coach [14]

Past Olympians

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References

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  1. ^ "Color Palette & Fonts". Arkansas Razorbacks Brand Style Guide (PDF). June 16, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  2. ^ "University of Arkansas - Latest Headlines, Scores, and Schedules". www.secsports.com. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
  3. ^ "Mark Cook". Arkansas Razorbacks. 2015-04-28. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  4. ^ "2009 National Championship Record Book" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  5. ^ "2012 National Championship Record Book" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  6. ^ "Built From Scratch: By Mark Cook". Arkansas Razorbacks. 2019-04-09. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  7. ^ "At Age 23, Jordyn Wieber Takes Over As Arkansas Women's Gymnastics Coach". Team USA. Archived from the original on April 25, 2019. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  8. ^ "Standings". roadtonationals.com. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  9. ^ "Standings". roadtonationals.com. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  10. ^ Minehart, Emily (2024-04-18). "Projected 2024 NCAA Nationals All-Americans". College Gym News. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  11. ^ a b "Arkansas Gymnastics Announces Transition in Leadership". Arkansas Razorbacks. April 28, 2026.
  12. ^ "Artistic gymnastics: Jordyn Wieber stepping down as Arkansas head coach; Chris Brooks to take over". International Olympic Committee. April 28, 2026.
  13. ^ "Kyla Ross Promoted To Gymnastics Assistant Coach". Arkansas Razorbacks. July 13, 2022.
  14. ^ "Arkansas Gymnastics Welcomes Catelyn Branson Back to Coaching Staff". Arkansas Razorbacks. May 28, 2024.