Special report on the Florida Gators gymnastics team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The nation’s top gymnastics dual meet of the weekend is No. 4 Florida versus No. 5 Louisiana State.
That is nothing new for this conference rivalry.
This is the fourth consecutive season that the Florida-LSU dual is the nation’s top meet of weekend. Including Friday’s meet, seven of the 10 meetings since 2013 stood as the nation’s top dual of the weekend.
Friday’s meet starts at 5:45 p.m. in the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center<https://www.oconnellcenter.ufl.edu/events/gymnastics-vs-lsu-alumni-night/>.
Gators Gymnastics Alumna Night:
Friday’s meet is Alumna Night. Many of the gymnasts who competed for UF will be back to celebrate Gator gymnastics and UF women’s athletics 50-year anniversary. Gymnastics is one of the five sports part of UF women’s athletics (golf, gymnastics, swimming, tennis, track & field) since the program’s start for the 1972-73 season. The Gators will wear Florida Women’s Athletics 50th Anniversary shirts to warm-up for Friday’s meet.
Florida vs LSU Rivalry:
Of the last 25 meetings between these league rivals, less than a half a point decided 17 contests, including three of the last three dual meetings:
* Florida 0.1 win at LSU (2021)
* Florida 0.075 win in dual at LSU (2019)
* LSU 0.125 win at UF (2018)
A tenth or less decided seven of the last 18 meetings.
Friday is the 26th consecutive meeting both teams bring top-10 rankings.
The meet is a big draw, as four of the top nine attendance totals for the Gators and three of Tigers’ top nine were UF-LSU duals. The last two times these two teams met in Gainesville were sellouts. The 2018 meeting was the first sellout for a Gator gymnastics meet.
Arrive Early to Cheer Your Gators
Be in your Exactech Arena seat by 5:45 p.m. to see the floor projection show which leads into Friday’s action.
Here’s some tips to expedite your trip to the Exactech Arena Friday:
Getting TO the Arena:
* Season parking holders can enter the O’Connell Center lot off Lemerand Drive OR SW 2nd Avenue.
* Public parking is available in the O’Connell Center parking garage on first-come basis. Those wishing to park in the garage must enter lot off SW 2nd Avenue.
* A complimentary parking shuttle transports fans from which originates at Garage 109 (located at corner of Archer Road and Lemerand Drive). Parking shuttle begins at 4:15 p.m. and runs 30 minutes post-meet. Parking map for Gator Gymnastics<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_documents_2021_12_15_2022-5FGYM-5FParking-5FMap.pdf&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=BBWVFhJyoViP80BrW5lGkphXuvTenzfu69Whdo7doyiJTJnQJcy4UIAP8gwri9sf&s=wb2XvXzCCuudCbg14zmVAat848JGEXaY2oKIdMxIC3k&e= >
* Use the Waze app<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.waze.com_live-2Dmap_directions-3Fto-3Dll.29.6517704-252C-2D82.3508596&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=BBWVFhJyoViP80BrW5lGkphXuvTenzfu69Whdo7doyiJTJnQJcy4UIAP8gwri9sf&s=bYwCVuqyRl_cbzg8QzKHoj8s8uT-dDLXGXn96cNllCI&e= > to provide the best route to parking shuttle.
* For 5-10 minutes following Gator gymnastics meets, Lemerand Drive will close for north and south bound traffic from University Avenue to Stadium Road to provide pedestrians a safe exit.
* More information at 2022 Meet Guide<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_sports_2015_12_10_-5Fgameday-5Fgymnastics-5F.aspx&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=BBWVFhJyoViP80BrW5lGkphXuvTenzfu69Whdo7doyiJTJnQJcy4UIAP8gwri9sf&s=0Et0lKl-irDKGI7lCSeJZp2eK8E-Fn0vPWgJuV9npjY&e= >
Getting IN the Arena:
* To get tickets ahead of Friday’s meet, visit the FloridaGators.com ticket site<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_sports_2015_12_10_-5Ftickets-5Fgymnastics-5F.aspx&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=BBWVFhJyoViP80BrW5lGkphXuvTenzfu69Whdo7doyiJTJnQJcy4UIAP8gwri9sf&s=OoHXIbmzDxREuS0eI8eB5biD6SAMVh9Ga-ezURSiPGM&e= > or stop by the Gator Ticket Office (open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.).
* The O’Connell Center ticket windows open at 4 p.m., with the gates opening at 4:30 p.m. Gates 1 and 2 will be open for each gymnastics meet. UF students should enter at Gate 3.
* All Gator Athletics tickets are mobile. Visit Mobile Ticketing Guide<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__spark.adobe.com_page_0oiC6OLlbeGQN_&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=BBWVFhJyoViP80BrW5lGkphXuvTenzfu69Whdo7doyiJTJnQJcy4UIAP8gwri9sf&s=JLUZuf3XM6sZBKilPWeM710f2gmbXQ1i5MypXQKg_5k&e= > to help expediate your entrance into the arena. To help zip through the entrance, be sure to add your tickets to your digital wallet in case of possible connectivity issues outside the gate. Then have tickets up on device to present for scanning.
* Bags are checked before entering the building. Everyone will go through the O’Connell Center metal detectors when entering. When using the metal detectors fans need to empty their pockets prior to screening, then walk through the detector. After that, tickets will be scanned and then you are ready to cheer your Gators!
Friday’s Promotions:
* Florida Women’s Athletics 50th Anniversary: Hair scrunchies with the UF Women’s 50th Anniversary logo given to first 2,000 fans.
* Student Tailgate – Arrive early at Gate 3 to enjoy free food, great music from GHQ, games, cornhole and more!
* Kid’s Corner – Located on the Practice Courts near Gate 4, kids can get temporary Gators tattoos, play games, make posters, take a photo with the 2021 SEC gymnastics trophy, meet the mascots & Dazzlers, and more!
How to Follow the Gators:
Follow the action live:
* SEC Network<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3D2fa7094a-2D3278-2D47ed-2D97a9-2D20b7a2c46f39&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=BBWVFhJyoViP80BrW5lGkphXuvTenzfu69Whdo7doyiJTJnQJcy4UIAP8gwri9sf&s=yfTtHOYu9FL1o42tg-nkq9GoNZiXxpw6AMmJay1BfE8&e= > with Olympians John Roethlisberger and Alicia Sacramone Quinn calling the action
* Scores<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__stats.statbroadcast.com_statmonitr_-3Fid-3D381440&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=BBWVFhJyoViP80BrW5lGkphXuvTenzfu69Whdo7doyiJTJnQJcy4UIAP8gwri9sf&s=_nZzhoawpF5VULatzFSR-Z2A-MoW8eoC3BYPGug6AEo&e= >
National Rank:
Florida – Florida is No. 4 in the Week 5 Road to Nationals rankings<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__roadtonationals.com_results_standings_season_2022_5_0_5&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=BBWVFhJyoViP80BrW5lGkphXuvTenzfu69Whdo7doyiJTJnQJcy4UIAP8gwri9sf&s=OI9Tmg39HiBdx4uJ3SjZsr8USB_mwywdPwKMO3yHn5w&e= >.
Louisiana State – LSU is No. 5
The Gators in last Friday’s Win at No. 11 Missouri:
Florida used its high road total of the season to take a 197.775 – 197.625 win at No. 11 Missouri. A Gator won at least a share of four event titles Friday. Freshman Leanne Wong used a 9.95 to win her third consecutive uneven bars title. That same score put her in a four-way tie for the floor title that included senior teammate Trinity Thomas.
Two more event titles were claimed by Thomas. She won her third consecutive balance beam title with a near perfect 9.975 and in her first all-around performance of 2022, took the 19th title of her career at 39.75 (the nation’s T5th highest total of 2022).
LSU in 2022:
This is LSU’s fourth meet of the season as COVID protocols postponed its first two SEC meets (Jan. 14 at Missouri and Jan. 21 vs Arkansas). The Tigers turned in the nation’s sixth-highest total of 2022 in its 197.975 – 197.75 home win over then No. 6 Auburn on Saturday.
Two Tigers earned 10.0s versus Auburn – Haleigh Bryant (vault) and Kiya Johnson (floor exercise). There will be five gymnasts competing Friday with seven perfect marks this season – vault (Trinity Thomas/UF, Haleigh Bryant/LSU), bars (Leanne Wong/UF), beam (Thomas/UF) and floor (Nya Reed/UF, Thomas/UF, Kiya Johnson/LSU