Following the same formula used in the 1990s to produce Southeastern Conference champion and NCAA qualifying teams, Arkansas gives the Cooks a full year to put the program in place, including an inaugural recruiting class. With the support in the Women's Athletics Department and the community, we hope that Arkansas gymnastics will be successful and exciting. It's a big task but we can get it done. Under the Cooks' tutelage, the Cardinal had its first national champion gymnast, Larissa Fontaine in the vault in 1997. The Cooks' have sent athletes to the NCAA Championships all four seasons including two team appearances, and have had athletes reach the awards stand all four seasons.
Safety is a major concern, and building it from the ground up is the only way to insure that.
Starting a program in the SEC lends us the opportunity to raise the level of gymnastics in this country. We hope to give gymnastics across the state a boost by the development of this program. It may motivate people to start new clubs and young athletes to find a way to college. We plan to recruit nationwide. The Cooks produced Stanford's only NCAA Regional champions as well, picking up four in their four seasons with the Cardinal.