Call them world-beaters, overachievers or giant killers. Whatever you call them, make no doubt about it – Arkansas gymnastics has made huge strides this year, and the Gym Dogs are squarely in their sights.

When Georgia makes the trip to Fayetteville today, it will take on a team from Arkansas, heretofore an SEC also-ran, that has already slain two juggernauts this season in Alabama and Florida.

And the Gym ‘Backs will be looking to add another upset to their steadily-improving resume.

“[Arkansas co-head coaches Mark and Rene Cook] make a great team,” Georgia coach Suzanne Yoculan said. “They did at Stanford, and when they moved to Arkansas we knew that if anybody could get it done in Arkansas it was going to be them.”

Since the program began competing in 2003, Arkansas gymnastics has made great strides, and none greater than this season. But Mark Cook, one half of the Razorbacks’ coaching tandem, downplayed any illusions of grandeur.

“I just think our team has been able to stay focused and on task with their routines, and it’s just been another team has made a couple of mistakes . The team that makes the least number of mistakes prevails,” Cook said. “So our team has just done a good job of focusing on their jobs and it’s turned out our way a couple of times.”

The Cooks made the transition from Stanford following the 2001 season, spending an entire year prepping the program in Arkansas before launching their inaugural campaign. Their team made an NCAA Regional appearance in just its second year of existence, made it to the NCAA championships in 2006, and barely missed another trip last season.

“Our team is going into its seventh competitive season since starting the team from scratch,” Cook said. “So it’s been a maturation process as far as growing more confident, growing maturity within the teams. Each team each year has made big steps, and this team this year is obviously taking some big steps as well.”

The second-ranked Gym Dogs (8-0) are coming off of one of their most solid strings of back-to-back meets this season, posting a nation-best 197.250 and a 196.975 in consecutive weeks. They’ll also have junior Courtney McCool back in the lineup on bars.

Arkansas is coming off a disappointing loss to Auburn, but it’s clear that they compete up to the level of their competition – so are they a threat to the Gym Dogs?

“No,” said senior Courtney Kupets. “Our threat is ourselves. We need to make sure that we stay within ourselves and we improve.”

In its short history, Arkansas has yet to finish in the top three in the SEC Championships. But it has already knocked off two of the league’s perennial frontrunners, with a third on its way to Fayetteville.

“They’re lurking around down there,” Yoculan said.