GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 4 Florida gymnastics closes regular-season action Friday by playing host to Iowa State, Long Island University and No. 18 North Carolina State for Senior Night presented by Auto ER.
Gators Senior Night:
The careers of Florida’s four seniors – Chloi Clark, Ellie Lazzari, Michala Magee and Victoria Nguyen – plus graduate Payton Richards will be celebrated in a post-meet ceremony.
Florida Gators Seniors Class Notes:
* Advanced to NCAA team final in 2021 (4th), 2022 (2nd) and 2023 (2nd)
* Won 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024 Southeastern Conference regular-season trophies
* Swept 2022 & 2023 Southeastern Conference regular-season and Championship meet titles
* Earned three All-America honors (Lazzari, Nguyen & Richards)
* One SEC event title (2021: Lazzari – beam)
* Each earned Academic All-Southeastern Conference honors during their collegiate careers
Arrive Early to Cheer Your Gators
Be in your Exactech Arena seat by 6:45 p.m. to take in the season’s final projection show which leads into the Gators entrance. Get ready to raise your phone with Gator Lights during the floor projection.
Here’s some tips to expedite your trip to the Exactech Arena Friday:
Getting TO the Arena:
* Season parking holders can enter the O’Connell Center lot off Lemerand Drive OR SW 2nd Avenue.
* A complimentary parking shuttle transports fans from which originates at Garage 109 (located at corner of Archer Road and Lemerand Drive to the O’Connell Center. The parking shuttle begins at 5 p.m. Parking map for Gator Gymnastics<https://floridagators.com/sports/2015/12/10/_facilities_parking_gymnastics_.aspx>.
* Use the Waze app<https://www.waze.com/live-map/directions?to=ll.29.6517704%2C-82.3508596> to provide the best route to parking shuttle.
* For 5-10 minutes following Gator gymnastics meets, Lemerand Drive will close for north and south bound traffic from University Avenue to Stadium Road to provide pedestrians a safe exit.
* More information at 2024 Meet Guide<https://floridagators.com/sports/2015/12/10/_gameday_gymnastics_.aspx>
Getting IN the Arena:
* Limited general admission tickets for Friday’s meet still available<https://floridagators.com/sports/2015/12/10/_tickets_gymnastics_.aspx>.
* Gates 1 and 2 will be open for each gymnastics meet. UF students should enter at Gate 3.
* All Gator Athletics tickets are mobile. Visit Mobile Ticketing Guide<https://spark.adobe.com/page/0oiC6OLlbeGQN/> to help expediate your entrance into the arena. To help zip through the entrance, be sure to add your tickets to your digital wallet in case of possible connectivity issues outside the gate. Then have tickets up on device to present for scanning.
* Bags are checked before entering the building. Everyone will go through the O’Connell Center metal detectors when entering. When using the metal detectors fans need to empty their pockets prior to screening, then walk through the detector. After that, tickets will be scanned and then you are ready to cheer your Gators!
Friday’s Promotions:
* Gators Senior Night: The careers of Florida’s four seniors – Chloi Clark, Ellie Lazzari, Michala Magee and Victoria Nguyen – plus graduate Payton Richards and manager Shea Wheeler will be celebrated in a post-meet ceremony.
* Be a Sock Star: – First 1,000 fans get a pair of Gators Gymnastics socks!
* Gate 1 Giveaways – Be sure to pick up 2024 Gators Gymnastics season poster, schedule magnet and 10.0 fan cards when you enter at O’Connell Center Gate 1
* O2B Kid’s Corner – Located on the Practice Courts near Gate 4, kids can get free giveaways, temporary tattoos, play games, photo/video booth, make posters, meet the mascots & Dazzlers, and more!
How to Follow the Gators:
Follow the action live:
* SEC Network +<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/74d778b4-35e9-476f-8d47-5eaeccc4c4eb> – with Kyle Crooks and two-time Honda Award winner Trinity Thomas<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-gymnastics/roster/trinity-thomas/15416> calling the action
* Live scores<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=497233>
Gators Take Ameritas Master’s Classic Quad Title:
No. 4 Florida continued road action Saturday with a win at the Ameritas Master’s Classic in Lincoln, Neb. Florida posted a 197.70, followed by No. 27 Nebraska at 197.15, Lindenwood (196.325) and Eastern Michigan (193.600).
Senior Victoria Nguyen is the third different Gator to win all-around this season, using a collegiate-best 39.625 to take the title in Lincoln. It was her first all-around win since claiming the Jan. 8, 2021 season opening title as a Georgia freshman. Skylar Draser made her collegiate all-around debut, tying for third at 39.45 with fellow freshman Anya Pilgrim.
A Gator picked up three of the four event titles, including Pilgrim matching her collegiate best of 9.95 to win the vault. Nguyen’s winning 9.95 balance beam mark is the second time in the last three meets she’s earned her collegiate high. Leanne Wong’s near-perfect 9.975 on uneven bars was the high individual mark posted in the Ameritas Master’s Classic.
About the Senior Night Quad Opponents:
Iowa State (7-10, 2-2 Big 12) is coming off a March 8 196.45 – 196.175 home loss to Iowa. The Cyclones high of 196.90 came in a home win versus BYU on Jan. 19. Junior Hannah Loyim is the only Cyclone to compete all-around in 2024, which she’s done in every meet. Her season best of 39.425 won the BUY dual.
LIU’s (8-15, 0-3 EAGL) season high of 195.875 came in a narrow home loss to Kent State on Feb. 25. Sophomore Syd Morris set LIU’s season-best all-around total of 39.425 Sunday to win the March 10 Temple quad. This is the fourth season for LIU gymnastics. The Sharks head coach Randy Lane will be a familiar face to long-time Gators gymnastics fans as he was an UF assistant coach for the 2003-06 seasons.
Friday’s meet is No. 18 North Carolina State’s (14-5, 6-0 ACC) fourth consecutive quad. The Wolfpack won their March 10 home quad at 197.375. NC State set its season-best of 197.575 in a home win versus Clemson on Feb. 17. Senior Emily Shepard claimed her seventh consecutive ACC Gymnast of the Week honor after winning the March 10 home quad all-around at 39.60. She set NC State’s all-around record of 39.75 on Feb. 17 versus Clemson. Freshman Katie Harper is the reigning ACC Newcomer of the Week.
