Williams Tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week

After a stellar start to her rookie season and a record-breaking weekend, the Gymbacks’ Lauren Williams has been named SEC Freshman of the Week.

The honor is the first for Arkansas since 2021 and the team’s first Freshman of the Week in nearly five years, the last being Sarah Shaffer on March 20, 2018.

The Rogers, native posted career highs on both vault (9.925) and floor (9.925) in the team’s victory over LSU on Jan. 27, the first for the Hogs against the Tigers since 2012 and their first SEC victory since 2021. Williams’ scores were both good for podium finishes: a tie for third on vault and tie for second on floor.

Williams’ 9.925 on floor contributed to a 49.575 event score, the second-highest in program history, and she also helped propel Arkansas to a new program high score of 197.475 in front of the team’s first-ever sellout crowd of 7,147, a new Barnhill Arena record.

Williams is currently ranked No. 43 on vault, 12th among SEC competitors and first among SEC freshmen, with an average score of 9.856. On floor, she checks in at No. 23, sixth among SEC competitors and first among SEC freshmen, with an average score of 9.900. She has yet to score below a 9.800 on vault or below a 9.875 on floor and is currently on a three-meet streak of 9.900 or above on floor.

Williams and the No. 18 Gymbacks return to action on Friday as the team takes on No. 2 Florida at Bud Walton Arena at 6:45 p.m.

This story also appeared in the University of Arkansas News publication.