GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A big win for Florida gymnastics Friday enlarged to a league title about an hour and half after the final roar of the sellout Exactech Arena crowd of 8,884.
With No. 5 Florida’s upset tonight over No. 2 LSU combined with No. 16 Arkansas’ win over No. 6 Kentucky, the Gators are guaranteed at least a share of the 2024 Southeastern Conference regular-season title. It is Florida’s sixth consecutive SEC regular-season title.
Florida pushed its season best to 198.15 to take the win over LSU (197.95). The Tigers’ total was their 2024 road high.
The win was hard-earned, as Florida headed into the final rotation trailing by 0.15.
Florida’s finish on floor exercise included collegiate or season bests from its first four competitors. Then UF’s fifth performer, Super Senior Payton Richards, opened her floor routine with a hit double layout but stopped the routine due to injury. Florida needed a solid routine from its final performer to earn the win.
Junior All-American Leanne Wong’s walk-off floor 10.0 not only elevated her team to the win, it finished off Wong’s ‘Gym Slam’ [a 10.0 in each apparatus].
Floor was one of four event titles Wong won at least a share of Friday. She set the nation’s 2024 high of 39.875 to win her fourth all-around title of her junior season.
TONIGHT’S MEET
Five consecutive 9.9 or better marks tallied to Florida’s season-best vault total (49.60). The two Gators who competed at the 2023 World Championships – Anya Pilgrim and Wong – led UF with season-bests of 9.95.
Some execution deductions dinged the Gators uneven bars scores as Florida tallied its second-lowest total (49.225) of the season. Wong anchored the bars lineup with the evening’s winning mark of 9.95.
Two near-perfect 9.975s from Pilgrim and Wong led Florida on balance beam as UF posted its season-high of 49.625. Junior Victoria Nguyen set her collegiate beam best of 9.95.
Nguyen and Pilgrim opened Florida’s floor lineup by matching their collegiate bests of 9.925. Freshman Kaylee Bluffstone, making her first lineup appearance in front of the home crowd, equaled her best of 9.875 for the second consecutive week. Junior Sloane Blakely posted a season high of a near-perfect 9.975 before Richards’ shortened routine due to injury. A hit routine was needed from UF’s anchor and Wong delivered with her first collegiate floor 10.0. The 49.70 for floor was Florida third season-best team total of the evening.
In addition to Wong’s all-around win, Pilgrim was third with the nation’s top 2024 freshman total of 39.65. Florida’s other two all-arounders – Blakely (39.60 – season best) and Victoria Nguyen (39.55 – collegiate best) also turned in impressive all-around performances among an evening with some of the nation’s best all-around totals. LSU’s Haleigh Bryant was second at 39.75 and Kiya Johnson turned in a 39.55.
Apparatus winners:
Amari Drayton, LSU 9.975 Vault
Leanne Wong, UF 9.950 Uneven Bars
Anya Pilgrim, UF 9.975 Balance Beam
Leanne Wong, UF 9.975 Balance Beam
Leanne Wong, UF 10.0 Floor Exercise
Aleah Finnegan, LSU 10.0 Floor Exercise
SEC TITLE:
* Florida claims at least a share of its 16th SEC gymnastics title and sixth consecutive (1982, ’83, ’84, ’85, ’89, ’07, ’10, ’12, ’13, 16, ’19, ’20, ’21, ’22, ’23, ‘24). This is the eighth year for the awarding of a regular-season SEC gymnastics title. From 1981-2016, the winner at the SEC Championship meet was considered the league champion.
* Tonight’s win ups Florida athletics overall SEC total to a league-high 263 titles. <https://floridagators.com/sports/2015/12/10/_overview_.aspx> Add in lacrosse’s 11 league titles, the Gator program has claimed 274 conference titles.
* Gymnastics claims Florida athletics second SEC title of 2023-24, joining women’s cross country. Florida’s picked up at least one SEC team title for 46 consecutive seasons – the league’s longest current streak
SEC Standings (as of Feb. 23, 2024)
School
SEC Record
Overall
Florida
5-1
10-1
Kentucky
4-2
7-3
LSU
4-2
7-3
Alabama
3-2-1
9-2-1
Arkansas
3-2-1
6-5-1
Missouri
2-4
8-4
Auburn
2-4
6-6
Georgia
0-6
1-6
2024 SEC regular-season action closes next weekend.
Friday, March 1
Alabama at LSU
Auburn at Georgia
Sunday, March 3
Florida at Kentucky
Arkansas at Missouri
LEANNE WONG COMPLETES GYM SLAM:
With her 10.0 on floor exercise, Leanne Wong joins the “Gym Slam” club.
She is the 15th overall in the nation to finish a Gym Slam and second of the season. Haleigh Bryant became LSU’s first in the club with her balance beam 10.0 on Feb. 9 at Georgia.
The Gators now have four with a Gym Slam (Bridget Sloan, Alex McMurtry, Trinity Thomas) to lead the nation.
Wong has eight 10.0s – four uneven bars, two balance beam, one each vault and floor exercise.
Gym Slam Gymnasts
(10.0 in each apparatus during collegiate career)
Name
School
Career
Event/Date Final
10.0 Accomplished
Leanne Wong
Florida
2022-present
FX, 2-23-24
Haleigh Bryant
LSU
2021-present
BB, 2-9-24
Jade Carey
Oregon State
2022-present
BB, 3/4/2023
Trinity Thomas
Florida
2019-present
V, 1-16-22
Kyla Ross
UCLA
2017-20
FX, 3-16-19
Alex McMurtry
Florida
2015-18
BB, 1-26-18
Maggie Nichols
Oklahoma
2017-20
UB, 3-4-17
Bridget Sloan
Florida
2013-16
UB, 3-13-15
Courtney Kupets
Georgia
2006-09
V, 4-4-09
Ashley Kelly
Arizona State
2003-06
BB, 3-5-04
Kristen Maloney
UCLA
2001-05
UB, 3-6-05
Karin Lichey
Georgia
1996-99
FX, 2-23-96
Kristen Kenoyer
Utah
1990-93
UB, 3-20-93
Heather Stepp
Georgia
1990-93
UB, 2-12-93
Missy Marlowe
Utah
1989-92
FX, 3-9-92
GATOR PERFORMANCE NOTES:
* Florida’s 198.15 is its 2024 high. The Gators are the nation’s only program to improve their team score each meet this season.
* Three season-best team totals for the Gators Friday: vault (49.60), balance beam (49.625) and floor exercise (49.70). The vault total ties for No. 7 and floor tally ties for No. 10 in program history.
* Leanne Wong claimed at least a share of four event titles Friday, making her the 13th in UF history with 50 or more career event wins. She is tied for 12th at 52 with Alicia Boren (2016-19).
* The all-around win was her fourth of the 2024 and 13th of her career. She is tied for 11th with Boren on UF’s career all-around victories list.
* Anya Pilgrim’s all-around of 39.65 is the nation’s leader for 2024 freshmen. Only Pilgrim has more than two totals among the nation’s 2024 freshmen leading all-around performances. Here’s how her all-around totals rank among 2024 freshmen:
* No. 1 39.65 (2-23-24)
* No. T2 39.60 (2-9-24)
* No. T4 39.55 (2-2-24)
* No. T7 39.525 (1-12-24 & 1-26-24)
* Pilgrim is the seventh Gator freshmen in program history with a near-perfect 9.975 on balance beam.
* This was UF’s 13th consecutive home sellout. The Gators had 20 sellouts in a 23-meet span.
* Four Gators equaled or set collegiate bests Friday:
* Kaylee Bluffstone – 9.875 (floor)
* Victoria Nguyen – 9.95 (beam), 9.925 (floor), 39.55 (all-around)
* Anya Pilgrim – 9.95 (vault), 9.975 (beam), 9.925 (floor), 39.65 (all-around)
* Leanne Wong – 10.0 (floor), 39.875 (all-around)
RECORDS:
Florida (10-1, 5-1 SEC)
LSU (7-3, 4-2 SEC)
THE SERIES:
Florida leads LSU 78-44
NATIONAL RANK:
Florida – No. 5 in the Feb. 19 Road to Nationals standings<https://roadtonationals.com/results/standings/season/2024/2/0/5>
LSU – No. 2
UP NEXT:
Competition versus top-10 teams continues when No. 5 Florida closes Southeastern Conference regular-season action Sunday, March 3 at No. 6 Kentucky.
Kentucky (7-3, 4-2 SEC) lost 197.40 – 197.15 at No. 16 Arkansas (6-5-1, 3-2-1 SEC ) in Fayetteville, Ark., Friday night.
Meet: No. 5 Florida at No. 6 Kentucky
When: Sunday, March 3 at 2 p.m. ET
Venue: Rupp Arena in Central Bank Center
TV: ESPN2
Stream: ESPN2 <https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/88e52862-e97b-4756-a155-32c00310e6e6>
Tickets: $12-$5<https://ukathletics.com/ticketing/gymnastics/>
No. 5 Florida vs. No. 2 LSU
Final Team Totals
Feb. 23, 2024 ● Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center (8,884 – sellout)
Team
Vault
Bars
Beam
Floor
Total
Florida
49.600
49.225
49.625
49.700
198.150
LSU
49.550
49.275
49.350
49.725
197.950
