Cook, Shaffer Tabbed As League's Best

BIRMINGHAM, Ala- The Southeastern Conference announced its annual gymnastics awards Thursday morning, naming Arkansas head coach Mark Cook the league’s Coach of the Year, while freshman standout Sarah Shaffer was tabbed as Freshman of the Year. The awards were voted on by the league’s head coaches following last weekend’s SEC Championship.

Mark Cook | Coach of the Year

In his 16th season as the head coach at Arkansas, Cook led the Razorbacks to a record season that was capped by a first place finish in the first session at the SEC Championship and a fifth place finish overall, its highest since 2011. It was also just the third time in program history that the Razorbacks have scored over 196 or higher at the event.

At the SEC Championship last week, Cook’s Razorbacks led the first session with 10 All-SEC performances from six athletes, along with three All Freshman Team performances.

Cook led Arkansas to the largest turnaround in the Southeastern Conference this season. From this point last season, Arkansas has improved its RQS (Regional Qualifying Score) by 1.245 points, and its season average by 2.045 points. No other school in the conference has improved its RQS by more than 0.33 from this point last season. The team was ranked No. 27 heading into regionals last season, compared to No. 10 this year.

Under Cook’s leadership, the Razorbacks set multiple records this season while dependent on six underclassmen competing 15 routines. This season, Arkansas posted scores of 197 or higher in three meets for the first time in program history, including breaking its program record score against Arizona with a 197.275, and then again in Arkansas’ Tri meet against Denver and Iowa State with a 197.300. The Team has set a record high RQS three times this season, including its final score of 196.820.

Coming in at No. 10 in this week’s ranking, the Razorbacks hold its highest ranking heading into regional competition since 2012. Cook was previously named SEC Co-Coach of the year in 2008 and 2016, making 2018 the first time he’s the sole owner of the award.

Sarah Shaffer | Freshman of the Year

Shaffer ranks as the highest ranked freshman in the conference on floor, coming in at 26th-nationally and seventh overall in the SEC. She has competed in the all-around in 9-of-12 meets this season, and is the only nationally-ranked freshman from the conference in the all-around, coming in at 40th nationally. She ranks in the top-100 on two more events, coming in at 53rd nationally on vault and 67th on bars.

The Tyler, Texas native has recorded scores of 9.900 or higher 10 times this season, and leads the league’s freshmen with six scores of 9.900 or higher on the floor. Her score of 9.950 on floor in Arkansas’ Tri meet against Denver and Iowa State marks the highest score on the floor among the league’s freshmen. In that meet, she posted a season high 39.500 in the all-around, tied for the highest all-around score among freshmen in the conference.

In five meets she has recorded an all-around score of 39.300 or higher which is tops among the conference’s freshmen. In four meets she has recorded multiple 9.900’s and was named the Freshman of the Week three times this season to lead the league.

Shaffer is the third Razorback in program history to be named Freshman of the Year, joining Amanda Wellick, who won the award in 2014, and Paige Zaziski who took the honor in 2015.

For more information on Arkansas gymnastics, including in-meet updates, follow @RazorbackGym on Twitter.