Florida’s Leanne Wong & Anya Pilgrim Claim SEC Weekly Gymnastics Honors
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A pair of national high all-around performances earned Southeastern Conference weekly gymnastics honor for a Gator duo.
Junior Leanne Wong claims her first 2024 SEC Gymnast of the Week honor after setting the nation’s high all-around total of 39.875 to win the Feb. 23 dual versus No. 2 LSU. It is the fourth SEC Gymnast of the Week honor of her career.
Upping her nation’s high freshman all-around total to 39.65 earned Anya Pilgrim’s third consecutive and fourth overall SEC Freshman of the Week award. Pilgrim now has half of this season’s top-12 freshmen all-around totals.
Also picking up Feb. 27 SEC weekly honor is:
Specialist: Shania Adams (Alabama)
Leanne Wong – SEC Gymnast of the Week:
Set nation’s 2024 high (39.875) to win third consecutive all-around title of season.
* Total also equals collegiate high
* 13th all-around win of career and fourth of 2024
Finished Gym Slam
* 10.0 floor exercise routine completed Gym Slam. 15th in NCAA history with a Gym Slam and fourth Gator.
* Floor performance sealed team win versus LSU
* Second consecutive 9.975 on beam for third straight win on event
* Third win of season on both bars and floor
* Four event wins versus LSU pushed her career event wins total past 50. Now tied for 12th among Gators with 52 career wins
Leads Florida with 15 event titles in 2024
Gym Slam Gymnasts (10.0 in each apparatus during collegiate career)
Name
School
Career
Final 10
# of 10.0 to Earn GymSlam
Leanne Wong
Florida
2022-present
FX, 2-23-24
8
Haleigh Bryant
LSU
2021-present
BB, 2-9-24
13
Jade Carey
Oregon State
2022-present
BB, 3/4/2023
10
Trinity Thomas
Florida
2019-23
V, 1-16-22
9
Kyla Ross
UCLA
2017-20
FX, 3-16-19
14
Alex McMurtry
Florida
2015-18
BB, 1-26-18
8
Maggie Nichols
Oklahoma
2017-20
UB, 3-4-17
5
Bridget Sloan
Florida
2013-16
UB, 3-13-15
4
Courtney Kupets
Georgia
2006-09
V, 4-4-09
4
Ashley Kelly
Arizona State
2003-06
BB, 3-5-04
5
Kristen Maloney
UCLA
2001-05
UB, 3-6-05
4
Karin Lichey
Georgia
1996-99
FX, 2-23-96
5
Kristen Kenoyer
Utah
1990-93
UB, 3-20-93
8
Heather Stepp
Georgia
1990-93
UB, 2-12-93
5
Missy Marlowe
Utah
1989-92
FX, 3-9-92
5
Anya Pilgrim – SEC Freshman of the Week:
Third with a collegiate-high 39.65 vs No. 2 LSU. Highest all-around among nation’s freshmen in 2024.
Competed six times as an all-arounder this season.
* Only freshman with more than two appearances among nation’s top 100 all-around totals for 2024.
Three apparatus highs on Friday
* Set or matched collegiate best for vault (9.95), balance beam (9.975) and floor exercise (9.925)
* Shared beam win with a near-perfect 9.975 with Leanne Wong
* Among a three-way tie for second on vault with a collegiate high of 9.95
* Equaled floor high of 9.925
* Thru seven meets of Gator career, owns collegiate-bests of 9.9 or better for each apparatus.
Second among Gators with six event titles.
Nation’s Top Freshmen All-Around Totals – 2024
Name
School
YR
Date
Opponent
AA
Site
1
Anya Pilgrim
Florida
FR
2/23
LSU
39.650
H
2
Anya Pilgrim
Florida
FR
2/9
Arkansas
39.600
H
Lily Smith
Georgia
FR
2/2
Florida
39.600
H
4
Anya Pilgrim
Florida
FR
2/2
Georgia
39.550
A
Madison Ulrich
Denver
FR
2/11
Iowa St, SEM
39.550
H
Madison Ulrich
Denver
FR
1/26
Oklahoma
39.550
A
7
Anya Pilgrim
Florida
FR
2/16
Mizzou to the Lou Quad
39.525
N
Anya Pilgrim
Florida
FR
1/26
Alabama
39.525
H
Anya Pilgrim
Florida
FR
1/12
Home Quad
39.525
H
Katelyn Rosen
UCLA
FR
2/25
California
39.525
H
Sophia Esposito
Oregon St
FR
2/9
UCLA
39.525
H
Lily Smith
Georgia
FR
2/9
LSU
39.525
H
Both Wong (U.S. – team gold) and Pilgrim (Barbados) competed at the 2023 FIG World Championships.
UP NEXT:
No. 5 Florida at No. 6 Kentucky is the final of a season-high four top-10 dual meet weekend across the nation. For the third consecutive year, the SEC regular-season title is part of this dual’s storyline.
No. 5 Florida enters its regular-season league finale with a 5-1 record and will own at least a share of the 2024 SEC title – its sixth consecutive. Both No. 2 LSU and No. 6 Kentucky bring a 4-2 record into the league’s final weekend. Wins by both this weekend would have Florida, Kentucky and LSU sharing the 2024 SEC regular-season title with 5-2 records.
Meet: No. 5 Florida at No. 6 Kentucky
When: Sunday, March 3 at 2 p.m. ET
Venue: Rupp Arena
TV: ESPN2 with Olympians John Roethlisberger and Kathy Johnson-Clarke calling the action; Taylor Davis providing sideline reports
Stream: ESPN2 <https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/88e52862-e97b-4756-a155-32c00310e6e6>
Tickets: $12-$5<https://ukathletics.com/ticketing/gymnastics/>
