While one young Gymback career continued to build and flourish, another came to an end on Thursday night as Maddie Jones and Joscelyn Roberson competed at the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth. Roberson has been nothing short of stellar in her rookie campaign and did not disappoint in her first-ever nationals. She posted a score of 39.425, which came in at 10th of the evening session and 13th overall. The mark was also the highest-ever freshman all-around score at NCAAs in program history. Roberson earned matching 9.900s on her first two events of the night, beam and floor. With an…

Nationals Await Arkansas Gymnasts Roberson and Jones

Senior Maddie Jones and freshman Joscelyn Roberson will represent Arkansasgymnastics at the NCAA Championships on Thursday. Roberson, making her national debut, is the first Arkansas freshman all-around qualifier since 2017 and has notably set the freshman all-around record thrice this season. Jones is concluding her illustrious career with one last bars routine, having excelled with multiple high scores throughout her senior season. Both athletes aim to extend Arkansas’ All-American accolades, with Roberson targeting top-eight placement for a freshman honor since 2012 and Jones seeking to repeat her success on bars.

By the Numbers

• Joscelyn Roberson earned a season high of 39.625, breaking the Arkansas freshman all-around record three times.
• Maddie Jones scored back-to-back 9.950s at regionals, achieving an NQS of 9.905, ranking her 25th nationally among bars qualifiers.

State of Play

• Roberson will compete on beam in the evening semifinal session on April 17, rotating with Utah.
• Jones will also participate in the evening session, starting in the second rotation with Michigan State.

What’s Next

As the two Razorbacks compete, they will look to secure individual All-American honors, which could reshape the program’s record and further establish their legacies. Results from the semifinal sessions will determine if they achieve these honors on a national stage.

Bottom Line

Both Jones and Roberson are poised to make history for Arkansas gymnastics, with potential All-American honors on the line. Their performances at the championships could significantly impact the program’s reputation and future opportunities for aspiring gymnasts.