GYMNASTICS
Arkansas loses at Georgia
The University of Arkansas lost 197.475-196.125 to Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Friday night.
Georgia took all four events, winning the vault 49.400-49.175; uneven bars 49.275-48.750; balance beam 49.325-48.925; and floor exercise 49.475-49.275.
Arkansas' Sophia Carter tied Georgia's Rachel Dickson and Sabrina Vega for the highest score in the floor exercise with a 9.950.
Arkansas' top individuals were Amanda Elswick on the vault (9.875), Kennedy Hambrick on the bars (9.850), Carter, Hambrick and Jessica Yamzon (9.825) on the beam, and Carter on the floor exercise (9.950).
Dickson and her teammate Sydney Snead tied for the all-around title at 39.575. Yamzon was Arkansas' best finisher in the all-around at 39.250.
SOCCER
LR Rangers to play in US Open Cup
The Little Rock Rangers will play in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the Rangers announced in a news release Thursday.
The Rangers' first-round match will be played May 7 or 8. A home team for the match has not been determined. Rangers President Jonathan Wardlaw said in the release that the team cannot play the match at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock because the field is too narrow, but the team is attempting to use the Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
After the Rangers' 2018 season in which it advanced to the NPSL South Region semifinals, they finished nationally ranked in the top eight, which led to the US Open qualification.
CYCLING
Fayetteville to host Cyclo-Cross World Championships
Fayetteville has been selected as the host site for the 2022 Cyclo-Cross World Championships, it was announced Friday by Union Cycliste Internationale.
The event will be held Jan. 29-30 at Millsaps Mountain, a world-class cycling facility that is being built in Fayetteville. The facility, funded in part by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, will be developed with state-of-the-art cyclo-cross and mountain bike features. The development of Millsaps Mountain is a part of a larger strategic plan of connectivity to the town's 42 miles of established natural-surface trails as well as to a larger, regional trail network that will total more than 400 miles by 2022, according to a release by BikeNWA.
The world championships weekend will be part of a multiday festival. Champions will be crowned in six categories during the two days of racing: Elite Men, Elite Women, Under-23 Men, Under-23 Women, Junior Men, and Junior Women.
BASEBALL
UAPB picked third in division
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff landed four players on the Southwestern Athletic Conference's preseason all-conference baseball teams, the league announced Friday.
Sophomore infielder Jarficur Parker and outfielder Sergio Esparza were named to the first team. Senior second baseman Ryan Mallison and catcher Richard Sanchez were each named to the second team.
UAPB was selected to finish third in the SWAC's Western Division.
Texas Southern was selected by the league's head coaches and sports information directors as the SWAC's Western Division preseason favorite. Alabama State was tabbed as the Eastern Division favorite.
Eastern Division (First place votes)
Alabama State, 73 points (9)
Jackson State, 69 points (6)
Alcorn State, 40 points (1)
Alabama A&M, 33 points (0)
Mississippi Valley State, 25 points (0)
Western Division (First place votes)
Texas Southern, 72 points (9)
Grambling State, 67 points (6)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 42 points (1)
Prairie View A&M, 34 points (0)
Southern, 25 points (0)
Sports on 02/02/2019