Special report on the Florida Gators gymnastics team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – It’s the nation’s top dual meet of the season – No. 1 Florida gymnastics at No. 2 Louisiana State. Action begins at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.lsugym.com_maravich-2Dcenter&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=bon9cshuBdxnkwoUwTTORmwgoZ_l2GkjTIymP-7rXLc&s=OOBSUUxOCpOZoNm7fVV0wicffjihpFa0xZUena6Cm5w&e= >.
This is the 25th consecutive meeting both teams bring top-10 rankings. Meetings between these two teams are traditionally close. Of the 23 meetings since 2013, less than a half a point was the deciding margin 17 times. Less than two-tenths separated four of the last six UF-LSU meetings.
How to Follow the Gators:
The Florida-LSU dual is the middle of a SEC Network Friday Night Heights triple-header. Olympic medalists Bart Conner and Kathy Johnson Clarke 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-3D6f31b843-2D155a-2D4eba-2Dab49-2De5136bdba41e&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=bon9cshuBdxnkwoUwTTORmwgoZ_l2GkjTIymP-7rXLc&s=eP5gNWj5mejdB2mBTIN3Huqh0Gu7C30JkLYQlZYNN3Q&e= >.
In the Gators’ Last Meet:
The Gators posted the nation’s season high of 197.85 in their Jan. 29 win over then No. 24 Missouri (194.80). Florida took all event titles, with Megan Skaggs taking the uneven bars win after equaling her collegiate-best of 9.95. Trinity Thomas took the other event titles – vault (9.925), balance beam and floor exercise (9.95) and matched her national leading all-around total (39.75). Of the nation’s top 10 team totals of 2021, four belong to the Gators.
SEC Awards for the Gators:
The first SEC Weekly honors of February were claimed by a pair of Gators.<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2021_2_2_gymnastics-2Dpair-2Dof-2Dgator-2Dgymnasts-2Dclaim-2Dsec-2Dweekly-2Dhonors.aspx&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=bon9cshuBdxnkwoUwTTORmwgoZ_l2GkjTIymP-7rXLc&s=C5z34a7tIDhKQEyMASTKIVclhV6xTG569P3OtZErciY&e= > Thomas claimed her second SEC Gymnast of the Week honor of 2021 after her national leading all-around total.
Gabrielle Gallentine picked up the SEC Freshman of the Week after posting a collegiate bars best of 9.925.
About the LSU Tigers:
No. 2 LSU is coming off its season-high total (197.55) at No. 22 Auburn. That total is the nation’s No. 3 total behind Florida (197.85) and Oklahoma (197.80). The Tiger duo that went one-two in the LSU at Auburn dual – Haleigh Bryant (39.55) and Alyona Shchennikova (39.525) – claimed SEC weekly honors on Feb. 9. Shchennikova is the SEC Gymnast of the Week and Bryant pick up her third SEC Freshman of the Week honor.