GAINESVILLE, Fla. – There are two top-12 gymnastics duals across the nation this weekend and both are within the Southeastern Conference.
No. 4 Florida at No. 11 Missouri is the first and kicks off SEC Network’s Friday Night Heights coverage from the Hearnes Center<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__mutigers.com_facilities_hearnes-2Dcenter-2Dgym-2D_23&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=6J8_2mlyTidarsVSOL2y_pZjcFilCXUu_mSNpPY8urfgCICWSNnghndMzK2lVRt4&s=_V1LpDGu_CDN6dyNFXy9SMJYw-GtUoxBdWuL1du_hBQ&e= > at 7 p.m. ET. The second top dual of the weekend is Saturday’s No. 6 Auburn at No. 8 LSU meet.
How to Follow the Gators:
Florida at Missouri is the first of a SEC Network Friday Night Heights double-header. Olympians John Roethlisberger and Alicia Sacramone Quinn call the action.
On the go Friday? Follow the action on SEC Network<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3D4ec7143e-2D099d-2D4840-2D9582-2De87e1d7231d3&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=6J8_2mlyTidarsVSOL2y_pZjcFilCXUu_mSNpPY8urfgCICWSNnghndMzK2lVRt4&s=qLfIr5GgREQOT1qPMWQOYUpZeMKuvuGUZcqZNb7p_98&e= > or follow the scores<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__stats.statbroadcast.com_statmonitr_-3Fid-3D381910&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=6J8_2mlyTidarsVSOL2y_pZjcFilCXUu_mSNpPY8urfgCICWSNnghndMzK2lVRt4&s=bfNIKQAjHSDb2HkC-TFFUzeZVm6EqwCMZBHOKwaxhBk&e= >.
In the Gators’ Last Meet:
Team high totals on the first three events along with a pair of 10.0s by Trinity Thomas and Leanne Wong boosted Florida to the nation’s leading total (198.25) for 2022 in its win Friday over No. 13 Arkansas. Arkansas, coming off a week off due to COVID protocol, posted a 196.475. Friday’s Gators Link to Pink meet sponsored by UF Health was held in front of a sellout Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center crowd of 9,173. It was Florida’s second consecutive sellout.
Florida opened the evening with season-high totals for both vault (49.55) and uneven bars (49.725). The bars total equals the program’s record set in 2019. It was a Gator vault and uneven bars sweep. Trinity Thomas won vault with her near perfect 9.975. She was followed by fellow seniors Savannah Schoenherr (9.95) and Nya Reed (9.90). Leanne Wong anchored the uneven bars lineup with the nation’s first and only 10.0 on the event this season. Schoenherr equaled her collegiate best to take second at 9.975. Freshman Riley McCusker and Thomas shared third at 9.925.
The nation’s first balance beam 10.0 of 2022 was posted by Thomas. It was her third on the event and first since 2020. Fellow senior Leah Clapper was runner-up with her near-perfect 9.975 and the beam total of 49.70 equaled UF’s record. Reed used a 9.95 to earn her second floor exercise win of 2022. Wong won her first all-around with a team season best 39.625. Arkansas’ Kennedy Hambrick was runner-up (39.475) and UF senior Megan Skaggs took third at 39.40.
SEC Award for Trinity Thomas:
Her beam 10.0 along with win on vault (9.975) earned Thomas her third consecutive SEC Specialist of the Week honor.<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2022_2_1_gymnastics-2Dtrinity-2Dthomas-2Dis-2Dsec-2Dspecialist-2Dgymnast-2Dof-2Dthe-2Dweek.aspx&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=6J8_2mlyTidarsVSOL2y_pZjcFilCXUu_mSNpPY8urfgCICWSNnghndMzK2lVRt4&s=oNFw74HL3m5fiRtZn9fVT4gL32U5Pbt1y9Ehr2fyF8I&e= > Thomas is the nation’s only gymnast with 10.0s in multiple events this season (vault, beam, floor).
About the Missouri Tigers:
Missouri dropped its first meet of 2022 Saturday at then No 12 Kentucky, 197.45 – 196.875. The Tigers turned in their season high in the 197.45 – 196.875 loss in Lexington. Junior Sienna Schreiber set MU’s season all-around high of 39.50 to win the quad meet at North Carolina.
Series History:
Florida leads 28-1. .
Last meeting: UF was third(196.975) at 2021 SEC Championships and Missouri was sixth (196.125).
Rankings:
Florida: No. 4 on the Week 4 Road to Nationals site<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__roadtonationals.com_results_standings_season_2022_4_0_5&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=6J8_2mlyTidarsVSOL2y_pZjcFilCXUu_mSNpPY8urfgCICWSNnghndMzK2lVRt4&s=4NqgzVgbKi6LlynJLkqZ17D_RDpn_zEKU1lK3SEAlKo&e= >
Missouri: No. 11
