No. 4 Florida Gymnastics Fourth at SEC Championship Meet

NEW ORLEANS, La. – It wasn’t the result the Gators were looking for on this trip to the Crescent City.

Florida finished fourth at the 2024 Southeastern Conference meet Saturday in front of a Smoothie King Center crowd of 9,878. The finish is Florida’s lowest since 2005.

LSU won the meet at 198.075 – the Tigers fifth SEC meet title and first since the event was last contested in the Big Easy in 2019. Alabama was second at 197.75, followed by Kentucky (197.60), Florida (197.30), Missouri (197.275), Arkansas (197.05), Auburn (196.775) and Georgia (196.075).

The competition was sure to be tight, with each of the SEC Championship meet’s second session teams bringing a top-7 national ranking. Entering the final rotation, Kentucky held a slight 0.025 lead but LSU’s meet-high 49.675 on floor exercise propelled the Tigers to the title.

GATORS IN TONIGHT’S MEET:
Just 0.075 separated the top four seeded teams after the opening rotation of the meet’s second session. Two Gator juniors turned in balance beam marks of 9.9 or better – Sloane Blakely (9.925) and Leanne Wong (9.90). Florida posted a 49.40 to stand fourth after the first event.

Florida didn’t make up any ground on floor exercise, posting a season low 49.175. Wong anchored Florida’s floor set with a team-high 9.90. Florida trailed the mid-point leaders LSU and Kentucky by 0.35.

On vault, steps on landing dinged several Gator marks as the team tallied a 49.275. Freshman Anya Pilgrim led with a 9.90.

Florida’s 49.45 on uneven bars shared the high bars team total for the day. Two Gators turned in 9.925s – Wong and Victoria Nguyen – to finish among a seven-way tie for third on the event. Pilgrim also posted a 9.90.

LSU’s Haleigh Bryant won all-around at 39.80. Wong tied for fourth at 39.60 and Nguyen shared sixth at 39.525.

Apparatus Winners:
Vault: Haleigh Bryant, LSU 9.975
Bars: Ashley Cowan, LSU 9.950
Mara Titarsolej, Missouri 9.950
Beam Konnor McClain, LSU 10.00
Floor: Raena Worley, UK 9.975
KJ Johnson, LSU 9.975
Kiya Johnson, LSU 9.975
AA: Haleigh Bryant, LSU 39.80

COACH ROWLAND SAID:

“The Gators really came out strong tonight on beam so really proud of their performance. Really just tried to keep that momentum solid through all four events. We had some peaks and we had some valleys tonight. We had too many mistakes tonight. It was a solid performance but not a performance I know the Gators are capable of. At the same time, it isn’t an end all, be all. We have two weeks to get prepared for our regional championships, which is in Gainesville. We are going to keep going into the gym day in and day out and getting a little bit better.” – Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland

UP NEXT:
NCAA Regional fields are announced Monday, March 25 at noon ET on NCAA.com.

2024 Regional Sites

April 3, 4 & 6

April 4, 5 & 7

Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan)

Gainesville, Fla. (Florida)

Fayetteville, Ark. (Arkansas)

Berkeley, Calif. (California)

Tickets for the Gainesville Regional are on sale now. Visit the Gators Tickets site to make your selection.<https://floridagators.com/sports/2015/12/10/_tickets_gymnastics_.aspx>

No. 4 Florida at Southeastern Conference Championships
Final Team Totals

March 23, 2024 ● Smoothie King Arena (9,878)

Team

Vault

Bars

Beam

Floor

Total

LSU

49.475

49.450

49.475