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Diggs '100% cleared' for big return to Arkansas lineup

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Diggs '100% cleared' for big return to Arkansas lineup


Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn gave a long-awaited update Wednesday on the status of senior outfielder Kendall Diggs, who suffered a torn labrum during the 2024 season.

Diggs, who exited a game against McNeese State in March with the injury, was hitting .357 at the time before finishing the year with a lowly .229 batting average.

It seems, after an offseason of recovery, the SEC veteran is on track for a major return for the Diamond Hogs.

“He’s 100% cleared to do everything now,” Van Horn said Wednesday. “Now, it’s all about timing at the plate. Getting that bat speed back that he’s had in the past. Seeing live pitching and just feeling confident…now it’s not about him being part of the team, because he’s going to be a big part of the team. It’s just a matter of how soon. We know what he can do when he’s full-go.”

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A 6-foot-0, 210-pound lefty hitter from Olathe, Kansas, Diggs was named to the All-SEC Second Team in 2023 after slashing .299/.436/.547 with 12 home runs and a team-high 63 RBIs.

“You look at what (Kendall) has done in the past, he played 50-some games last year with major tears,” Van Horn said. “He’s swinging the bat, he’s going to hit live pitching tomorrow. When I say live pitching, not just batting practice, we’re talking live pitching. So, we’ll see how that goes. He’s a little bit behind, but he’ll get there.”

Even after his 2024 injury, many expected Diggs to be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft, and his return gave Arkansas another competitive piece in a loaded outfield full of transfer portal additions.

“He’s stronger than ever, even with the shoulder injury,” Van Horn said. “He’s had a chance to work on his lower half and he’s a full-grown man now. It’s time to go, and I think he’s excited about being out there.”

The Razorbacks will open their season Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

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No. 6 GymDogs, No. 10 Arkansas Clash Friday in Fayetteville – University of Georgia Athletics

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No. 6 GymDogs, No. 10 Arkansas Clash Friday in Fayetteville – University of Georgia Athletics


No. 6 Georgia (6-1, 2-1)

at No. 10 Arkansas (2-2, 1-1)

Date: Friday, Feb.6
Start Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Fayetteville, Ark.
Arena: Bud Walton Arena
 
Media Information
TV: SEC Network
   Play-by-play: Alex Perlman
   Analyst: Anastasia Webb
Streaming: ESPN app
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter/X: @UGAGymnastics
  
The Warm-Up Period
No. 6 Georgia Gymnastics travels to Fayetteville, Arkansas for a top-10 matchup against No. 10 Arkansas on Friday, Feb. 6. Friday’s meet will air on SEC Network and will begin at 7 p.m. ET live from Bud Walton Arena.
 
Follow the Bulldogs
– Friday’s meet will air live on SEC Network. Alex Perlman (play-by-play) and Anastasia Webb (analysis) will be on the call.
– Friday’s meet can be streamed live on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
– Live results links, provided by Virtius, can be found on the gymnastics schedule on GeorgiaDogs.com.
– Twitter/X updates will be available all season long on the official page of the Bulldogs, @UGAgymnastics.
 
BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series History
Arkansas
– Georgia leads the all-time series 38-12-1
– The GymDogs are 6-4 in Fayetteville in the series
– Georgia’s 197.125-197.050 win in Athens last season snapped a six-loss streak to Arkansas in the head-to-head
– The last win Georgia had in Fayetteville was Feb. 25, 2022 (196.975-196.100); before that, it was Jan. 15, 2016
 
A Look at What’s Ahead
The GymDogs travel to Fort Worth, Texas for the Metroplex Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 14. Georgia will take on No. 9 Stanford, No. 20 Cal, and Air Force at the Fort Worth Convention Center beginning at 8:15 p.m. ET.
 
Recapping the Last Meet
Georgia earned a 197.550-196.050 victory over No. 11 Auburn on Sunday at Stegeman Coliseum, highlighted by multiple season highs and event titles across all four rotations. Freshman CaMarah Williams was the highlight of the meet, winning the event titles on vault (9.950), beam (9.950), and a share of the floor title with Lily Smith (9.975), who claimed the bars title in the competition (9.950). In total, the GymDogs recorded a season-best nine scores of 9.900 or better and season high event scores on vault (49.475) and floor (49.600) en route to the Bulldogs’ second SEC win of the season.
 
CaMarah Williams Earns SEC Freshman of the Week Status
Freshman gymnast CaMarah Williams was selected as the SEC Freshman of the Week on Tuesday, Feb. 3. Williams delivered strong performances for the Bulldogs last weekend at Stegeman Coliseum, helping Georgia earn victories over four opponents. Williams claimed four event titles across the two meets, three of them coming on Sunday against No. 11 Auburn. She posted season highs on vault (9.950), beam (9.950), and floor (9.975), sweeping the event crowns. In Friday’s Quad Meet, Williams earned a 9.875 on vault to capture the title, added a 9.900 on beam to tie for third and recorded a 9.950 on floor to finish second.
 
Smith Scores First Perfect 10 on Floor
Junior Lily Smith scored her first perfect 10 on floor on Jan. 30 in the Georgia Quad Meet. She is the first GymDog to score a perfect 10 this season and the first since her perfect 10 on bars on Jan. 20, 2024. Her performance is the 60th perfect 10 on floor in Georgia history, the first since Rachel Baumann on Jan. 21, 2002, and the 174th perfect 10 in Georgia gymnastics history. Her 10.0 came after setting a new career-best 9.975 on beam.
 
Williams Clicking Early
Despite just arriving on campus in December, freshman CaMarah Williams is already a huge contributor to the GymDog lineup. She’s scored a 9.900 or better in all five floor routines, has improved week-to-week on vault, and owns a 9.900 and 9.950 in two beam routines. The Kansas City native holds five event titles to her name this season, three of which were won in the meet against Auburn on Feb. 1, and ranks third nationally with a floor average of 9.975 and seventh on beam with a 9.950 average. She’s has the second-most scores of 9.900 or better on the team with eight.
 
GymDogs in the Rankings
The GymDogs check in at No. 6 in the country in the Week 5 Road to Nationals rankings with a 197.675 team average. Georgia holds the top spot in the nation on floor (49.530) and is seventh on bars (49.295) and vault (49.225) and 11th on beam (49.210). The Bulldogs have risen in the rankings each week on vault, bars, and floor. Individually, a pair of Bulldogs appear in the top five nationally on floor (Lily Smith, CaMarah Williams) while Williams and Holly Snyder are seventh on beam.
 
The Sky’s the Limit on the Floor
The GymDogs hold the nation’s top spot on the floor exercise with a 49.530 event average. In 36 routines this season, Georgia has 14 scores of 9.900 or better. Lily Smith ranks first nationally with an average of 9.965 and has won the event in every meet, while CaMarah Williams ranks third (9.940). Georgia has not recorded a score below 9.800 on floor this season.
 
Defending Our Home Floor
Georgia holds a 9-1 record at Stegeman Coliseum in the Canqueteau-Landi/Roberts era. The GymDogs went 4-1 at home in 2025 and opened the home schedule in 2026 with an upset of No. 2 LSU. In eight home meets, Georgia has averaged a team score of 197.316 in front of an average of 8,828 fans. Georgia’s home score average in 2026 is 197.475.
 
 



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Severe to extreme drought grips much of Arkansas as growing season nears

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Severe to extreme drought grips much of Arkansas as growing season nears


It might seem hard to believe but much of Arkansas is dealing with severe to extreme drought conditions.

It is especially problematic as the growing season approaches.

Large portions of the state are experiencing dry conditions… creating added stress for farmers in a challenging agricultural economy.

Those challenges were front and center today in Harrisburg at the annual Arkansas Rice Meeting, where farmers, lawmakers, and industry leaders gathered to discuss solutions.

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Governor Sanders told the crowd her administration is working hard to help farmers through hard times.

“I know that the last year was one of the most difficult in recent memory for our entire ag industry,” said Sanders.

“I know many of you are talking with lenders right now, trying to figure out how you are going to get seed in the ground for the next year. I’m here today to let you know you are not forgotten.”

During the speech, she spoke about the income tax exemption for farmers.

Disaster relief payments were approved late last year in The Natural State along with other national aid.

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Woman pleads guilty to murdering Arkansas woman, cutting out her unborn baby

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Woman pleads guilty to murdering Arkansas woman, cutting out her unborn baby


A Missouri woman pleaded guilty to state charges in the murder of a Benton County woman and her unborn child on Wednesday.

Judge Brad Karren accepted Waterman’s plea of guilty on two counts of capital murder during a court hearing, our ABC affiliate 40/29 News reported.

As part of her plea agreement, Waterman was required to provide more information to prosecutors and investigators to fill in the gaps with their investigation.

Law enforcement says Waterman lured 33-year-old Ashley Bush to a fake job interview in October 2022, where she shot her, cut the baby from her womb, and tried to burn her body in Missouri. The Department of Justice said Waterman planned to claim Bush’s baby as her own.

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Waterman has been sentenced to two counts of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The sentences will be served consecutively, after her federal sentence.

Bush’s family read impact statements during the hearing, 40/29 News reported.

“We are showing Amber Waterman the mercy she never showed Ashley or Valkyrie”, Bush’s cousin, Lainey Boone, said. Waterman chose not to speak during the hearing.



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