A trio with Gator ties performed well Saturday evening at the U.S. Core Hydration Classic in front of a sold out Hoffman Estates crowd in Chicago.
Rising Gator junior Leanne Wong took second in the all-around at 54.10. Her all-around included taking fourth on floor (13.50) and sharing sixth on uneven bars (13.75). Her 14.15 shared the day’s third highest vault mark.
Simone Biles, in her first elite competition since the Tokyo Olympics, won the all-around at 59.10.
2023 Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year Kayla DiCello took seventh on both balance beam (13.20) and floor exercise (13.15). She tied for 11th with an all-around total of 51.95. DiCello announced in April she was taking a gap year to pursue a spot on the U.S.’s Paris Olympic team.
Gator signee Skye Blakely competed three events Saturday. She took second on uneven bars at 14.35. She also was third on balance beam (14.30) and posted a strong 14.10 for her double twisting Yurchenko vault. Blakely is deferring UF enrollment until fall of 2024 as she pursues a berth on U.S. Olympic team.
Wong’s U.S. Classic Scores
Vault 14.15 (T3rd )
Uneven Bars: 13.75 (T6th)
Balance Beam: 12.70
Floor Exercise: 13.50 (4th)
All-Around: 54.10 (2nd)
DiCello’s Scores
Vault 13.40
Uneven Bars: 12.20
Balance Beam: 13.20 (7th)
Floor Exercise: 13.15 (7th)
All-Around: 51.95 (T11th)
Blakely’s Scores
Vault 14.10 (6th)
Uneven Bars: 14.35 (2nd)
Balance Beam: 14.30 (T3rd)
U.S. Classic Senior Women Session II Results<https://myusagym.com/meets/live/86360/results/210365/>
What’s Next?
Next up for the trio with Gator connections is the U.S. Championships in San Jose, Calif.
The first day of Senior Women’s competition is Friday, Aug. 25 and concludes on Sunday, Aug. 27. NBC airs the final evening of competition live beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Aug. 27.
