No. 7 Florida Gymnastics Opens SEC Action with Win at No. 12 Auburn

AUBURN, Ala. – No. 7 Florida gymnastics opened 2024 Southeastern Conference action with a win Friday at No. 12 Auburn in front of a sellout Neville Arena crowd of 9,121.

Florida posted a season-high 197.325 Friday while Auburn turned in a 197.025.

Florida junior All-American Leanne Wong won three events Friday. Wong won her all-around debut (39.625) and also used a season-high 9.95 to claim the uneven bars win. She turned in a 9.95 to win her first floor exercise performance of 2024.

TONIGHT’S MEET
Florida opened with a season-high 49.40 on uneven bars. Two marks from the Gators who competed in the 2023 World Championships – Leanne Wong (9.95) and Anya Pilgrim (9.90) – took the meet’s top two spots. In addition to Pilgrim, freshman Gabby Disidore opened UF’s bars lineup with a collegiate best 9.875 to share third with AU’s Gabby McLaughlin and Cassie Stevens.

Florida was led on vault by its opening (Bri Edwards) and anchor (Pilgrim) performers. Both turned in collegiate bests of 9.875 to share second overall with Auburn’s Stevens. Sophia Groth opened Auburn’s lineup with a 9.90 for her Yurchenko full to win the vault title.

The Gators led by 0.350 at the meet’s midway point.

Florida’s floor lineup opened with 9.9s from both Lori Brubach and Victoria Nguyen. The mark reset Brubach’s collegiate best for the second consecutive week. Wong was one of three Gators making their 2024 floor debut tonight, anchoring the lineup with her winning mark of 9.95.

Sloane Blakely and Wong tied for third at 9.875 on balance beam to close the meet. Auburn’s Gabby McLaughlin won the beam title at 9.95 and Stevens took second at 9.90.

In her first appearance in all events this season, Wong claimed her 10th career all-around win at 39.625.

GATOR PERFORMANCE NOTES:

* Leanne Wong is the 14th in Florida gymnastics 52 season history with 10 or more all-around wins.
* Three Gators made their 2024 floor exercise debuts Friday – Ellie Lazzari (9.85), Sloane Blakely (9.825) and Wong (9.95). It was Lazzari’s first floor performance since injuring her Achilles warming up floor at Georgia in January of 2022.
* Edwards upped her collegiate vault best to 9.875 tonight. She turned her previous high of 9.85 three times – including in last Friday’s opener.
* For the second consecutive week, Brubach led off Florida’s floor lineup with a collegiate best. In Florida’s Jan. 12 opener, Brubach raised her floor best to 9.875. Tonight she upped mark to 9.90.

* Five Gators equaled or set collegiate bests Friday:
* Lori Brubach – 9.90 (floor)
* Gabby Disidore – 9.875 (bars)
* Skylar Draser – 9.775 (bars)
* Morgan Hurd – 9.825 (beam), 9.875 (floor)
* Anya Pilgrim – 9.875 (vault), 9.90 (bars)

RECORDS: Florida (4-0, 1-0 SEC), Auburn (1-4, 0-2 SEC)

THE SERIES: Florida leads Auburn 93-10-1.

NATIONAL RANK:
Florida – No. 7 in the Jan. 15 Road to Nationals standings<https://roadtonationals.com/results/standings/season/2024/2/0/5>
Auburn – No. 12

UP NEXT:
Florida welcomes back Gators spanning from the program’s first season to 2023 next Friday for Alumni Night presented by GFL. Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC) closed a two-meet SEC homestand Friday with a 197.525 tie with No. 4 Arkansas.

When: Friday, Jan. 26 at 6:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center<https://www.oconnellcenter.ufl.edu/events/gymnastics-vs-alabama-alumni-night/>
TV: ESPN2<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/f2b237de-9485-4333-9595-fd40836b1dcc> with Gator Great Bridget Sloan<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-gymnastics/roster/bridget-sloan/5091> providing the color commentary
Live Stats: StatBroadcast<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=497230>
Promotions: First 500 fans get a Gator gymnastics hair clip
Tickets: Sold out. Shop for tickets by verified resellers<https://www.ticketmaster.com/florida-gators-gymnastics-vs-alabama-crimson-gainesville-florida-01-26-2024/event/22005F3DDA210E23>

No. 7 Florida at No. 12 Auburn
Final Team Totals

Jan. 19, 2024 ● Neville Arena (9,121 – sellout)

Team

Vault

Bars

Beam

Floor

Total

Florida

49.225

49.400