GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 2 Florida gymnastics begins February with a trip west to face No. 18 Arkansas.
This will be first in the 11 trips to Fayetteville for dual meet action the Gators face Arkansas in Bud Walton Arena<https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/bud-walton-arena/>. Friday’s meet is one of two that will be contested in Bud Walton Arena (March 10 versus Minnesota) this season. Friday’s meet begins at 7:45 p.m. ET.
How to Follow the Gators:
Follow the action live:
* SEC Network +<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/0ccfae71-e81b-44ea-b95e-428d3ebc210c> with Brett Dolan and Sydney McGlone calling the action.
* Live scores<http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=441821>
* Tickets<https://arkansasrazorbacks.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=G&linkID=arkansas&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode=&utm_source=tickets-dropdown&utm_medium=gym-tickets&utm_campaign=AR.com&_ga=2.94947934.336383195.1675270230-2133176421.1675110069>
Last Week:
Florida tallied a season-high 197.90 to close January with a win over Georgia (196.45) in front of a sold-out Exactech Arena crowd of 9,586.<https://floridagators.com/news/2023/1/27/gymnastics-season-best-gives-no-2-florida-win-versus-no-17-georgia.aspx> The win moves UF to 24-0-1 in Southeastern Conference regular-season action to set the league record. For the third time in January, a Gator found perfection as Trinity Thomas led off with a 10.0 vault. It was her fourth perfect vault mark, distinguishing her as the only gymnast in NCAA history with at least four 10.0s on each event (4x GymSlam). For the second consecutive season, Thomas and Leanne Wong shared the Georgia dual uneven bars win at a near-perfect 9.975. The floor exercise title was shared by Thomas and Victoria Nguyen. Nguyen’s first event title as a Gator came against her former team, as the 9.925 set her collegiate best. Wong anchored the balance beam lineup with her winning mark of 9.925. She claimed her second all-around win of the season (39.65) and fifth of Wong’s career.
Arkansas used a program-best 197.475 to upset then No. 8 Louisiana State in front of Barnhill Arena crowd of 7,147 – the first sellout in program history.<https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/hogs-get-new-barnhill-attendance-program-score-records-in-friday-sellout/> The Gymbacks overcame a two-tenths deficit on the final rotation to claim the win. Norah Flatley, who joined Arkansas after competing at UCLA for four seasons, won uneven bars (9.925). Sophomore Leah Smith’s collegiate-best 9.95 was one of five Gymback floor exercise marks. It was Smith’s first floor win of her career.
Pair of SEC Weekly Honorees in Walton Arena Friday
Friday’s meet includes two who picked up the SEC weekly awards<https://www.secsports.com/article/35563221/gymnastics-athletes-week> – Florida’s Trinity Thomas (Specialist) and Arkansas’ Lauren Williams (Freshman).
Last UF-UA Dual Meet:
When these two teams last met, Florida won 198.25 – 196.475 in front of a sellout Exactech Arena crowd of 9,173<https://floridagators.com/news/2022/1/28/gymnastics-no-4-gators-used-nations-2022-leading-total-for-win-over-no-13-arkansas.aspx>. Trinity Thomas won vault with her near perfect 9.975. Leanne Wong anchored with the nation’s first uneven bars 10.0 of the season. Thomas posted 2022’s first balance beam 10.0 on the next rotation. Nya Reed won floor exercise at 9.95 and Wong claimed her first all-around win (39.625).
End of report
