When Arkansas Gymback and Bentonville native Lauren Williams is on the floor her energy is unmatched.
“I also really came out of my shell freshman year,” said Williams. “I enjoy going out there and performing floor and just like getting to flirt with the crowd a little bit.”
Williams opened 2024 on a high note with high scores on the floor and vault in the win over Georgia.
“She's every coach's dream,” said head coach Jordyn Wieber. “She is one of those athletes that comes in every day with a great attitude, works her butt off and does everything that we asked her to do.”
Williams has one thing motivating her this season: getting back to nationals.
"It was pretty nerve wracking as a freshman but it was also a really cool experience,” said Williams. “It was really cool to go in there and to say that I was an individual qualifier from Arkansas as a freshman, not only representing the University, but also my team”
Last season, she qualified for nationals on vault becoming the first Gymback to do so since 2014 and the first Arkansas freshman since 2017.
“I see that she's taken away from that experience more than anything gymnastics related, it was just being at the national championship, watching all of the teams,” said Wieber. “They're getting to kind of soak in that whole experience.”
An experience the coaching staff has noticed has helped her step up as a leader.
“I love just learning what I learned last year at nationals,” said Williams. “I feel like that is something I have that I can bring back to the team to help them learn and understand and to guide them.”
With Williams's energy leading the way, great things are coming in the future.
“I think she just continues on the same path,” said Wieber. “She's going to make history for this program and continue to do awesome things.”
Williams and the rest of Arkansas gymnastics will be on the road taking on Alabama Jan. 19th. The Gymbacks return to Barnhill Arena Jan. 26 to host Auburn.