No. 7 Kentucky gymnastics (4-2, 2-1 SEC) celebrated its 50th anniversary with a program record 197.950-195.650 victory over No. 18 Georgia (1-3, 0-3 SEC) for Excite Night in Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center.
Junior Makenzie Wilson and fifth-year senior Raena Worley of Christiansburg recorded their first career 10.000’s, the first since Jenny Hansen competed for the Cats 1993-1996. The perfect marks were the first ever recorded in Rupp Arena.
Joined by over 100 Kentucky gymnastics alumni and 10,302 members of Big Blue Nation, the Wildcats showed off and showed out for the 40th Excite Night. Competing in Olympic order, Kentucky began the night with a bang tying its program best on vault, 49.550. Followed by a 49.325 on the uneven bars, the combined 98.875 was the highest ever two-event score in the month of January.
At the conclusion of the third rotation, the balance beam, Kentucky tallied 148.300. The combined score was the highest ever in a home meet. The floor exercise was not an exception as the Cats tied its program best on the event, which was set in 2014, with a 49.650 resulting in an overall new record to kick off the 2024 homestand.
On vault, Wilson executed perfection with a front handspring pike half twist which she drilled into the mat to stick her landing. The 10.000 set a new career and season best for the Tennessee native who previously held a personal best of 9.975 proving why she is the anchor on the event.
Senior Isabella Magnelli posted the second highest score on the first apparatus with a 9.925 while Worley recorded a 9.900. Arianna Patterson earned a 9.875 from the judges with the event rounded ouT by Cecily Rizo’s 9.850 and Delaynee Rodriguez’s 9.725.
Junior Jillian Procasky held the top mark on the uneven bars for the night with a 9.900. Senior Bailey Bunn was not far behind with a 9.875-worthy routine. Three Kentucky gymnasts tallied an 9.850 (Rodriguez, Annie Riegert and Worley) while Rizo scored a 9.775.
Next, it was time for the Beam Queens to shine in the third rotation. Magnelli held the top score of Excite Night with a beautiful routine earning her a 9.925. Freshman leadoff, Rodriguez, recorded a 9.800, but after a judges’ inquiry, the score was elevated to a 9.900. Bunn stayed balanced with a 9.900 of her own. Freshman Creslyn Brose made her beam debut with a 9.850. The same mark was earned by Worley while Patterson saw a 9.825 flashed from the judges’ table.
To finish out the historic evening, the Wildcats headed to the floor exercise where Worley earned a long-awaited perfect score – the first of her five-season career at UK. Set up for perfection in the anchor position by her teammates, the Virginia native ended the first home meet of the season in the best way possible. The 10.000 topped her previous career and season best 9.975 on the event.
Worley was not the only one to bring the house down on the floor exercise as Brose set a new career and season best of her own with a 9.975. Hailey Davis rocked out with a 9.900 while Patterson was in her Renaissance Era with a Beyonce-inspired routine that earned her a 9.925. Both Magnelli and Rodriguez scored 9.850.
University of Kentucky Athletics
