By Kyle Arensdorf | @KyKernelSports

[email protected]

The UK gymnastics team will compete Saturday in the NCAA Morgantown Regional in Morgantown, W.Va.

The NCAA announced on March 25 that No. 19 UK earned a National Women’s Gymnastics Championship bid for the ninth-consecutive season.

Fourth-seeded UK is slotted into a regional that includes top-seeded Michigan and second-seeded Nebraska. Third-seeded Illinois is also in the regional.

Despite four consecutive meets of scoring more than 196 points leading up to the SEC tournament, the Cats fell to last place after session one of the tournament.

UK head coach Tim Garrison acknowledged his team’s shortcomings in the SEC tournament.

“After a disappointing performance at the SEC Championships we are looking forward to our next opportunity to compete,” Garrison said in a UK Athletics press release. “The Morgantown regional will be a tough competition, but the team will be ready.”

UK has broken many school records this season, beginning with the No. 19 RQS (Regional Qualifying Score) in the nation, a school-record 196.060.

The Cats have also broken the total team score school-record twice this season, most recently with a 196.775 points haul at Penn State on March 16.

After coming out strong in the SEC tournament, junior Kayla Hartley and sophomore Alexis Gross were named to the All-SEC gymnastics team.

Junior Audrey Harrison has earned seven individual all-around titles. Six of Harrison’s titles came in SEC play, which leads the conference.

Harrison also has the second-most individual all-around wins in Division I this season.

The Cats begin competition in the Morgantown Regional at 6 p.m. Saturday.

All four events will be streamed live on wvusports.com.