Special report on the Florida Gators gymnastics team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida returns to league action for a Valentine’s Day dual at No. 17 Auburn. The dual airs live on the SEC Network with Olympic medalists Bart Conner and Kathy Johnson Clarke calling the action from the Auburn Arena<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__auburntigers.com_facilities_auburn-2Darena_1&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=Rbmb_hoU5GL_bXQghNpcuyHJkXEbqS-D850OPJ4m0j8&s=ITTFtIsMU8Vypp4ye_omhpxdL5rIZH7v2jD6c4TjZ2s&e= >. The Gators head into the back half of regular-season action by facing its seventh top-20 opponent.
Florida is 6-2 all-time in Valentine’s Day meets. Friday’s competition at Auburn is Florida’s first on Valentine’s Day since 2014.
How to Follow the Gators:
Follow the action live:
* SEC Network<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch-3Fid-3D36a27260-2D8d2d-2D478b-2Dab94-2Dcc7379918719&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=Rbmb_hoU5GL_bXQghNpcuyHJkXEbqS-D850OPJ4m0j8&s=EVPebkyB8U7QxgEUehZK9_SQUjwkOVeiEevyvaZvvGk&e= >
* Live scores<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__stats.statbroadcast.com_statmonitr_-3Fid-3D289882&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=Rbmb_hoU5GL_bXQghNpcuyHJkXEbqS-D850OPJ4m0j8&s=imRHX3EWrHb2pqItCFuJ9bX3MVnmISpwbK7M9B3UUME&e= >
The Gators Last Meet:
Florida used the nation’s No. 5 total of the season (197.875) last Friday for a tri-meet win over then No. 4 Denver (197.25) and No. 18 Iowa State (196.80). The Florida-Denver meeting was the only top-10 pairing in last weekend’s action.
The multi-team meet gave a post-season feel to the competition and that touch showed in some of the performances. Two 10.0 marks were earned as Gator sophomore Trinity Thomas posted her first perfect mark on balance beam. She earned her first collegiate 10.0 on the uneven bars in the Jan. 24 dual win versus LSU and is the nation’s only gymnast with perfect marks on multiple events in 2020. Denver senior Maddie Karr equaled her collegiate-best with her 10.0 vault. Thomas shared the floor exercise win with junior teammate Alyssa Baumann as they closed the Florida lineup with a pair of nearly perfect 9.975s. Sophomore Savannah Schoenherr anchored the Gators lineup with a 9.95 to share the event title with Iowa State’s Natalia Ros Vaquer.
Thomas equaled her collegiate best of 39.775 – the nation’s third-highest of 2020 – to win her fourth all-around title of the season.
SEC Gymnast of the Week Honors for Trinity Thomas:
After posting the nation’s top all-around of the week (39.775) and earning her second collegiate 10.0, Gator sophomore Trinity Thomas claims her third consecutive SEC Gymnast of the Week<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2020_2_11_gymnastics-2Dtrinity-2Dthomas-2Dis-2Dsec-2Dgymnast-2Dof-2Dthe-2Dweek.aspx&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=Rbmb_hoU5GL_bXQghNpcuyHJkXEbqS-D850OPJ4m0j8&s=4M4BSQKSdSrBSayHMP0yIGl23AyB8z17xtk774B5HbA&e= > honor.
It is her fourth honor the season and seventh of her career.
About Auburn:
Auburn is 3-5 in 2020 and is coming off its first home loss of 2020 as No. 13 Kentucky claimed a 197.275-196.25 win last Friday. The Tigers did open 2020 home action with a win over then No. 10 Alabama in front of a sellout crowd at the Auburn Arena. Junior Drew Watson turned in the Tigers’ top all-around of 39.425 in that rivalry win.
This is the third time Jenny Rowland brings her Gator team to Auburn since taking over Florida’s program for the 2016 season. Prior to joining the UF program, Rowland was at Auburn for five seasons, serving as associate head coach in her final two seasons. She shared the 2015 National Assistant Coach of the Year honor after helping the Tigers reach their first NCAA Super Six team final in 22 years.
National Rank:
Florida – Florida is No. 2 in the Road to Nationals<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__roadtonationals.com_results_standings_season_2020_6_0_5&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=Rbmb_hoU5GL_bXQghNpcuyHJkXEbqS-D850OPJ4m0j8&s=DTi5E_8FxoGrzoW7D6rWy4I_q_Kw70X_FbBqM9M1ivQ&e= > standings.
Auburn – The Tigers are No. 17 in the Road to Nationals rankings.