Arizona women’s gymnastics is back and ready for the upcoming season, as the team started mandatory practices this past week.
Leading the team this year is the senior trio of Allison Flores, Kristin Klarenbach and Amber Wobma, who will each play a vital part as role models for the rest of the squad.
“This senior class, if you look at the history of the program, has done quite a bit of scoring,” UA head coach Bill Ryden said. “They have been major players ever since they walked on campus, and I wouldn’t expect anything less this year.”
Flores was named team MVP last season, playing the captain-like role in meets with her calm and collected aura. She competed in every meet last year and in the all-around in nine meets, posting a career high of 39.425 with career highs on all four of her events.
“Arizona is such a good legacy, and it’s an honor to lead that legacy,” Flores said. “Obviously, we didn’t do as well as we wanted to [last] year, and I’m looking forward to putting a name out for ourselves and this team. I know that we have worked really hard, so hopefully we are able to make a name for ourselves this year.”
Flores was also named Pac-12 Conference Vault Co-Champion and earned personal records of 9.900 on floor, 9.900 on bars, 9.950 on vault and 9.850 on beam.
Adding to the senior lineup is Klarenbach, who earned second-team All-American and second-team All-Conference honors on floor. She competed in every meet on vault and floor, earning nine scores of 9.900 or above on floor.
Finishing out the trio is Wobma, who last season tied her career high on vault and competed in every beam and floor lineup.
Additionally, she was a Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention and named Wildcat Student Athlete of the month in May.
“We have such a great group this year and I think we can really go far,” Wobma said. “Leading by example and being a good role models is what a leader and a senior is supposed to do.”
Even though it is their last year, all three said they are determined to make it to nationals for the first time in 12 years. After their disappointing sixth-place finish at the Baton Rouge Regional, these GymCat seniors are ready to push it to the next level.
Whether that means being a role model in the lineup or in the classroom, the senior trio knows what it takes to be successful and bring three additional years of experience to the table, especially having been competing since their freshman years.
“What I really want from them is to still in that fourth year, try to up their game a little more,” Ryden said. “It is what we are asking of all of these athletes. Even though they have done amazing things and honors, I still want them to dig deep and up their game.”
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