GAINESVILLE, Fla. – For the second consecutive Friday, No. 2 Florida faces a 2022 Southeastern Conference runner-up team in the nation’s top dual meet of the day.
Last week, the Gators opened league action with a home win versus then No. 5 Auburn – the No. 2 team in 2022 SEC regular-season standings. This Friday, Florida opens road action at No. 11 Alabama, the 2022 SEC Championship meet runner-up.
The meet starts at 7:30 p.m. ET in the Coleman Coliseum<https://rolltide.com/sports/2016/6/10/facilities-gymnastics-facility-html.aspx>.
The final routine decided the meet when these two teams met to open 2022 SEC action.<https://floridagators.com/news/2022/1/16/late-dramatics-seal-no-2-florida-gymnastics-win-over-no-11-alabama.aspx> Florida took the 197.00-196.925 win over then No. 11 Alabama in front of a sellout Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center crowd. It was the first-ever dual meet aired live on ABC.
Florida trailed by 0.350 heading into the last rotation and used back-to-back 10.0s by Nya Reed and Trinity Thomas to move into the lead for the only time in the meet. The 10.0 was Thomas’ second of the meet, as she also anchored vault with her first 10.0. That mark completed her “Gym Slam” (a 10.0 on every event during collegiate career). The 0.075 gap was the narrowest margin of victory in a Florida-Alabama dual meet since the first meeting in 1979.
How to Follow the Gators:
Follow the action live:
* ESPNU<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/a9541785-630b-44bc-a10b-0e31aa929a1c> – action called by Olympic medalists Bart Conner, Kathy Johnson-Clarke and Sam Peszek
* Live scores<http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=438472&vislive=fla>
* Tickets<https://rolltide.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventInfo?ticketCode=GS%3AIBM%3AG23%3AG02%3A&linkID=ubama&shopperContext=&pc=&caller=&appCode=&groupCode=&cgc=>
Last Week:
A trio of 10.0s boosted Florida’s season-best total to 197.825 in its SEC opening win versus then No. 5 Auburn (197.20) in front of a sold-out Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on Jan. 13.<https://floridagators.com/news/2023/1/13/gymnastics-trio-of-10-0s-boost-no-2-florida-in-win-versus-no-5-auburn.aspx> Sophomore Leanne Wong and Super Senior Trinity Thomas combined for their second trio of 10.0s of the last five meets. The first was in the 2022 NCAA Auburn Regional Final when both Thomas and Wong scored vault 10.0s and Thomas added another on floor. Last Friday, it was Wong doubling up, scoring the nation’s only uneven bars 10.0 of 2023 and then earning her first perfect balance beam mark. Thomas closed her evening with her fifth consecutive floor exercise 10.0. She also won vault again at 9.925. The duo also went 1-2 in the all-around, with Wong’s 39.825 setting the nation’s 2023 high. Thomas’ 39.725 shares No. 4 among the nation’s leaders.
The Crimson Tide won by a point (196.55-195.55) at then No. 16 Arkansas to open 2023 SEC action last Friday<https://rolltide.com/news/2023/1/13/no-8-alabama-gymnastics-defeats-arkansas-in-first-away-meet-of-season.aspx>. Senior Luisa Blanco, the 2021 SEC Gymnast of the Year, shared the Arkansas bars title at 9.9. Alabama set its season high of 196.975 to open 2023 with a home win over Michigan State.
Trio of SEC Weekly Honorees
Friday’s meet includes the trio who picked up the SEC weekly awards<https://www.secsports.com/article/35465994/gymnastics-athletes-week> – Florida’s Leanne Wong (Gymnast of Week), Kayla DiCello (Specialist) and Alabama’s Gabby Gladieux (Freshman).
