Arkansas sophomore Scarlett Williams (shown above), along with All-American Jaime Pisani, helps anchor a Razorback gymnastics team that is ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history. Photo by Logan Webster.

Arkansas gymnastics travels Gainesville, Fla.,  to take on the No. 8 ranked Florida Gators on Friday night.

Last season the top ranked Gators came to Fayetteville, but were ultimately upset by the No. 15 Razorbacks at the time. This year the roles are reversed as the Gators are looking to upset the visiting top ranked Razorbacks

“We addressed that we need to go in there and be mentally tough.” co-coach Mark Cook said. “We don’t want them to pull on us what we did to them last year.”

Last year Arkansas took down No. 1 Florida 196.70 to 196.10, spurred by the performance of All-American Jamie Pisani who won the all around title with a career best 39.60. The win was the second in three years against Florida and for Pisani it was her career-high performance on beam with a 9.875.

To avoid an upset this year co-coach Mark Cook is expecting the Razorbacks to get better and stay out in front.

“We want to keep knocking on that 197door, as far as team score, stay in the rankings as high as possible and to really push hard through the season.” Cook said.

Arkansas is coming off of a record setting performance against LSU in front of a record crowd and hoping to carry that momentum down to Florida. The record crowd that was in Barnhill last Friday is going benefit the Razorbacks as they are expecting a similar atmosphere and attendance down in Gainesville.

“I think the energy at Florida is going to be really high.” co-coach Rene Cook said. “They wont be for us but the energy will be a very high level of energy and we are very good at being able to use that and make it our own energy. I think that is a real advantage for us. “Rene Cook said “We’ve had a meet like that already this year.”

Sophomore Scarlett Williams said she understands what’s at stake against Florida and thinks they will be ready for payback.

“I think they’ll definitely find us as a threat, being that we’re No. 1.” Williams said. “But I think that we’ll definitely come out on top and stay consistent.”

Consistency is what the coaches have been preaching since the LSU meet. They average a score of 196.775 and want to continue on the road. Consistency from gymnasts like Williams, who tied her career best 9.80 and 9.75 on vault and beam against LSU, is a key she said.

“Consistency, we’re going on the road and we’re going to Florida.” Rene Cook said. “Which is a great opportunity for us to just kind of keep the momentum going and make another statement that we are for real, we’re definitely in the hunt.”

“There is a psychological cycle as far as coming down from such a high.” Said Co-Coach Mark Cook

Fundamentals are a key that Arkansas can control itself Rene Cook said.

“I think we really went back on Sunday, at the beginning of the week, focusing on a lot of the fundamental things that have made us be successful thus far.” Rene Cook said.