Kentucky is the SEC’s perennial bubble team, holding steady at No. 5 while the other programs have risen and fallen around it. This year, however, the Wildcats have made waves, beating out Alabama and Auburn to rank fourth in the conference and snag a coveted spot in the evening session of the SEC championship for the first time since 2019.
“When we jumped [Alabama] and made it to the afternoon session, we were so high! It was so exciting,” said graduate student Arianna Patterson.
After sitting out her freshman season due to injury, Patterson has been a fixture in the Wildcats’ vault lineup since 2020, making occasional appearances on beam and floor. This season is different, though: Patterson isn’t just plugging holes, she’s an essential contributor on all three events. In addition to newfound consistency, she’s notched 9.950 or higher on each in 2023.
“I’ve been working on my mentality because physically, I feel like I’ve always had it in me,” said Patterson. “It was just I needed to get mentally strong.”
She attributes that mental strength in part to journaling. She’s found the practice so beneficial that she’s even published a version specifically for gymnasts.
“I made what I wanted for myself, but I knew it…
