Special report on the Florida Gators gymnastics team
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Big scores through all rotations led to a tremendous final score Friday as the Florida gymnastics team took the win versus Georgia. The Gators’ 197.975 is the second-highest total in the nation so far this season. Georgia posted a total of 196.525 in their second loss of 2017.
Florida Event Winners Friday
Vault:
Rachel Slocum
9.975
Bars:
Alex McMurtry
10.0
Beam:
Alex McMurtry
9.95
Floor:
Alicia Boren
9.95
All-Around:
Alicia Boren
39.725
Friday’s crowd of 8,355 at the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center is the eighth largest in program history.
The Gator Event Winners:
Three Gators set or equaled their collegiate bests Friday to give Florida a sweep of the event titles.
Junior Alex McMurtry’s 10.0 on uneven bars is her first perfect mark of 2017 and the fourth of her career. She was the nation’s only gymnast to turn in multiple 10.0 bar marks in 2016 and her score Friday gives her three for her career. She also scored a vault 10.0 in 2015.
McMurtry took her second event title of the evening on balance beam, equaling her collegiate-high of 9.95 for the second time of 2017 and the seventh time of her career.
Junior Rachel Slocum got the Gator crowd revved up for big scores Friday with her performance on Florida’s first event. She stuck her handspring pike-front half vault and the crowd’s anticipation was raised when they caught a glimpse of a 10.0 from one judge. The other judge posted a 9.95 and that average gave Slocum a collegiate-best 9.975.
Sophomore Alicia Boren’s collegiate-bests on vault (9.95), bars (9.90) and floor (9.95) plus a season-best on bars (9.925) pushed her all-around total to a collegiate and team-season high of 39.725. It is her second all-around win of the season, with both coming in the last four meets. That total equals the nation’s fifth-highest total of 2017. She anchored the floor lineup to take her second event win of the evening.
10.0 NOTES:
· McMurtry equals Florida career record of uneven bars perfect marks with Melanie Sinclair (2007-09) who also had three 10.0s on the event.
· Seven Gators have now earned a total of 12 10.0s on bars. Four of them were in the arena Friday (Kristen Guise/1996; Erin Pendleton/2003; Mackenzie Caquatto/2013 & McMurtry/2016 & 2017) as it was Gator Alumni Night
· Florida is the first school in nation to have two different gymnasts (Kennedy Baker – floor; McMurtry – bars) earn 10.0s in 2017.
· The mark was the second 10.0 on bars in the nation this season. The other was by UCLA’s Kyla Ross on Jan. 28.
GATOR PERFORMANCE NOTES:
· Boren’s 39.725 raises her collegiate and team-season best total by a tenth. She set her previous high (39.625) in her win at North Carolina on Jan. 20. She’s won two all-around titles this season and three for her career.
· Of the last 15 meets (spanning back to 2016 season), McMurtry has turned in a collegiate-best 9.95 on beam seven times
· The Gators entered the week as the nation’s top vaulting team. Slocum’s 9.975 is Florida’s season high on the event. Three Gators (Boren, McMurtry – 9.95; Slocum – 9.975) have posted vault marks of 9.95 or better in 2017.
· Boren equaled her collegiate floor best of 9.95 for the third time in the last four meets. It was her second win on the event of the season.
· Florida’s balance beam total of 49.525 equals the eighth highest in program history.
· A stomach flu went through the majority of the Gator team over the week. One of the last to get it was junior All-America Kennedy Baker and she appeared in just the bars lineup Friday.
· Two Gators who stepped into the open lineup spots turned in collegiate-best – Sierra Alexander (vault/9.8) and Amanda Cheney (beam/9.875).
· Florida’s 197.975 is the nation’s No. 2 total of 2017, behind the 198.025 posted by Oklahoma on Jan. 15.
RECORDS: Florida (5-1, 3-1 SEC); Georgia (5-2, 4-2 SEC).
THE SERIES: Georgia leads the series 92-52-1.
HEAR FROM THE GATORS:
Opening statement:
“It’s awesome. I really look at the performance over the score and really the performance was fabulous tonight. I kept telling the girls I don’t know what stomach bug we had this week but I’m okay with it. I think it’s a testament to our hard work this preseason. We had a light week this week and it’s okay. Sometimes rest is just as good as hard work and it paid off.” – Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland
On Hundley/McMurtry on bars:
“Very pleased. I was super happy because I finally saw from those two what I see in the gym every day. They were able to bring it out onto the competition floor and I’m looking forward to seeing them continue to do so this year.” – Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland
On getting a perfect 10.0 on bars:
“I was really excited with how I did this week. I know we all struggled at the beginning of the week, but I’m really proud of my team and myself for hitting that bar routine. I’m excited for what is to come.
“I know I’m capable of a 10 on almost every event, and doing my best at a competition is the best feeling ever. Everybody knows how good we are in practice, and it’s just amazing when we can come out and show that to thousands of people. I was so excited with the 10 and everyone’s performance tonight.” – junior All-American Alex McMurtry
Did Alex McMurtry’s performance surprise you?
“I could lie and say yes but Alex never surprises me. I know she can go out there and this team can depend on her whether she’s sick or not. And she knows that we know she’s got everybody’s back.” – Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland
On her 9.975 vault score:
“I’ve just been competing it really consistently. I’ve been practicing, and Adrian (Burde)’s been giving me all these corrections in the gym. I just go out there and do my best, and I keep sticking them, so I guess that’s a good thing I’m going to continue to do. I was so close to getting that 10.0 tonight, and I’m really hoping to get it soon.” – junior Rachel Slocum
On how the possibility of getting a 10 motivates her throughout training:
“It gives me a lot of energy that I’m getting closer and closer every time. I just think about running faster every time, getting down the vault runway quicker, dragging my heels and all those corrections and seeing the landing and sticking it and having all that energy around you explode when you finish. Every time, I’m trying to do better.” – junior Rachel Slocum
On Rachel Slocum:
“I think Rachel sets the tone for the team in general. If you haven’t met Rachel Slocum you’re missing out in life. That’s what I love about this team. Everybody is their own unique person and they are who they are and it’s what makes this team amazing.” – Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland
On the team’s tone on the competition floor:
“Being normal is amazing. Seeing them have fun, having fun with each other, making memories, it means so much more to me than anything else. And the gymnastics, I know it’s going to be great. We work hard in the gym day in and day out and I know the performance is going to be fabulous. But being able to sit back and let them enjoy being with each other and putting on a performance and making the most of every moment, it means a lot.” – Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland
On the Gators performance tonight:
“We were so close to that 198 tonight and it just makes us hungrier. We want to go out there and have the highest all-around score possible. Each and every one of us has little things to improve and that just builds on the team score.” – junior All-American Alex McMurtry
On how it feels to have the second highest score in the nation and overall performance:
“It was really exciting. It’s been awhile since I have put a full meet together so it was nice to be able to experience that.” – sophomore All-American Alicia Boren
On if team score is peaked:
“I don’t think there is a ceiling. If you make a ceiling than you’re limiting yourself so I think you just have to keep working and keep improving because you really can’t be perfect.” – sophomore All-American Alicia Boren
On if she thought she got a 10 on bars:
“I don’t know. I knew I had a few little mistakes so it was depending on the judges but I was more than happy with the scores I got.” – freshman Amelia Hundley
On Claire Boyce’s floor performance, scoring a season-best 9.875 after a year off due to hip surgery:
“She did a fabulous job. She is getting stronger and better in the gym every day. I know on the competition floor she hasn’t been pleased with her performance but we know there’s going to be bumps in the road and I think we’ve passed that hurdle today.” – Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland
National Rank:
Florida – Florida is No. 3 in the fifth Road to Nationals poll<http://roadtonationals.com/results/standings.php#pages/national.php?nat=1>.
UGA – The Gymdogs are No. 9 in the Road to National poll.
UP NEXT:
Florida hits the road next weekend to face No. 23 Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., on Friday, Feb. 17. The meet airs live on the SEC Network from Barnhill Arena beginning at 7 p.m. ET. You can also find the meet on SEC Network +<http://es.pn/2jepnjZ>.
No. 3 Florida versus No. 9 Georgia
Final Team Totals
Feb. 10, 2017 – Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center (8,355)
Team
Vault
Bars
Beam
Floor
Total
Florida
49.450
49.575
49.525
49.425
197.975
Georgia
49.100
49.100
49.175
49.150
196.525