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 general that yr.

Kentucky’s general 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 steadiness beam with 49.575. UK discovered top-10 marks in each equipment besides the ground train.

Starting the Street to Nationals on the steadiness 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 general. Juniors Bailey Bunn and Isabella Magnelli positioned within the top-five general 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 general, Worley discovered herself among the many prime 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 complete 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 complete on the occasion with a mixed 49.450. Patterson caught a large entrance handspring entrance pike half which earned her a 9.950 from the judges. Her prime 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 yet another rotation to battle by 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 group incomes 9.925 every from the judges. Each gymnasts carried out large routines executing their dismounts with sticky ft. The 2 Wildcats scored inside the prime 5 for the meet general on the equipment. Bunn and Worley every had been awarded 9.900 to proceed the push to nationals for UK. Previous Worley, the anchor, had been Davis (9.800) and Luksik (9.600).

Within the all-around, Worley was tied second general with Oklahoma’s Audrey David because the pair held a mixed complete of 39.650. The Christiansburg, Va. native has tallied a 39.600 or greater six instances this season. Fellow all-around competitor Procasky discovered herself sixth general 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 ultimate. The Sooners and Wildcats had 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 probably be held at Dickies Area in Fort Price, Texas, April 13-15.