Special report on the Florida Gators gymnastics team
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The nation’s fifth-highest total of 2016 gave the University of Florida gymnastics team a 197.75 – 196.65 win over Missouri Friday evening in front of a Hearnes Center crowd of 1,830.
Florida Event Winners Friday
Vault:
Bridget Sloan
9.925
Uneven Bars:
Bridgette Caquatto
9.950
Balance Beam:
Alex McMurtry
9.950
Floor Exercise
Bridget Sloan
9.975
All-Around
Kennedy Baker
39.575
Florida now has the nation’s No. 1 (198.175), No. 5 (197.75) and No. 6 (197.675) scores of 2016. Tonight’s score is Florida’s top road total of 2016.
The Gators swept Friday’s event titles. Senior Bridgette Caquatto opened her competition Friday by equaling her collegiate-best of 9.95 to take her first uneven bars win of the season. Another Gator senior also turned in season-bests on the next two rotations to take the vault and floor win. Bridget Sloan used a 9.925 for her first vault win of 2016 and also won floor exercise with the evening’s high mark on any event (9.975).
Sophomore Alex McMurtry finished the meet by equaling her collegiate best of 9.95 to claim the balance beam win.
The Gators went one-two in the evening’s all-around competition. Sophomore Kennedy Baker won her first collegiate all-around title at 39.575. Freshman Alicia Boren took second at 39.45. Missouri’s Morgan Porter took third at 39.425.
GATOR PERFORMANCE NOTES
* Baker’s win marks the second consecutive meet a Gator won her first all-around title. Boren won her first title last week in home action versus Arkansas. The three Gators who have competed as all-arounders this season (Baker, Boren, Sloan) have combined to win the event title in six of Florida’s seven meets of 2016.
* Sloan used a season-best 9.925 to win her first vault title of the season. She also matched her season-best of 9.975 for the second time in the last four meets to win floor.
* Caquatto took her first uneven bars title of season by matching her collegiate-best of 9.95 for the seventh time of her career.
* McMurtry set her collegiate beam best of 9.95 in last Friday’s win versus Arkansas and used that mark again to take her second straight and third overall win on the event.
* Sloan’s two wins tonight gives her 82 for her collegiate career. She is currently fourth on the Gators All-Time Career Wins chart and is one away from tying Kytra Hunter’s third-place total.
RECORDS: Florida (6-1, 4-1 SEC); Missouri (5-7, 1-4, SEC).
THE SERIES: Florida leads 17-0.
This was the Gators’ fifth visit to Columbia since 1984 and second since the Tigers joined the SEC in the 2012-13 academic year.
TUNE IN TO WATCH AGAIN:
The Florida at Missouri meet re-airs on the following dates/times:
Date
Time (ET)
Network
Feb. 20
5 a.m.
SEC Network
Feb. 21
7 p.m.
SEC Network
Feb. 22
Noon
SEC Network
Feb. 23
10 a.m.
SEC Network
Feb. 23
1 p.m.
ESPNU
The meet is also available on WatchESPN<http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/2725766/Florida-vs-Missouri> for 30 days.
HEAR FROM THE GATORS
Opening Statement:
“Very happy with the team’s performance. We’ve been working on a lot of little details in the gym. I noticed some of them carried out to the competition floor and some of them did not. And you know what? That is expected and that’s normal. We’re taking baby steps. There is still a lot we can improve upon and work on, but overall this team supports each other. They had each other’s back and they did a great job from start to finish.” – Gator head coach Jenny Rowland
A lot of strong performances from individual Gators tonight, including the first all-around win for Kennedy Baker.
Kennedy did a great job today. For each road meet, Kennedy starts us off on the first and final events. We can always count on her to get up there and do her best. Today, she is one that I noticed carried what we’ve been working on in the gym onto the competition floor. Her beam performance was actually a little more aggressive than I’ve seen her do, which is a good thing. And now it is time to control those landings and continue to be a little more aggressive in the gym so we can carry that over to competition.” – Gator head coach Jenny Rowland
How does it feel to claim your first all-around win?
It feels amazing. I just went out there and did my best. That resulted in the win, so that was cool.
“I think I had better landings and also was a bit calmer when competing than I have previously.” – sophomore All-American Kennedy Baker
You won bars and had a season-best on vault. How did the meet go tonight?
“Tonight was really exciting. The whole team did super well – that’s a great road score for us. For me individually, it felt good to get out there, feel like my normal self and contribute to the team this meet.” – senior All-American Bridgette Caquatto
Your assessment on the team’s performance tonight?
“I think the team was amazing tonight. That is our best road score of the season. The energy was great and we did really well.” – sophomore Kennedy Baker
What led to the change in freshman Peyton Ernst’s beam routine tonight?
“Peyton was one of my highlights tonight. She did a brand-new beam routine and actually put her hands down on the beam during her series. That is actually a big deal for her as she had [shoulder] surgery nine months ago. We constructed her previous routine to not have her hands on the beam at any point other than her mount.
She was released this week by the doctor and did a fantastic job on beam tonight. You could see a smile light up her face when she landed that series. We are looking forward to improving on that and moving forward.” – Gator head coach Jenny Rowland
There was a good turnout of Gator fans here in the Show Me State.
‘It was a lot of fun to have such a good turnout of Gator fans. We definitely fed off of them as there was lots of energy from them.” – senior All-American Bridgette Caquatto
Looking forward to finishing February with a home meet?
“It is always really exciting to compete in the O’Connell Center especially against a top team like LSU. I know the team is super pumped and it’s going to be a great meet.” – Gator head coach Jenny Rowland
National Rank:
Florida – Florida is No. 2 in the Feb. 15 Road to Nationals<http://roadtonationals.com/results/standings.php#pages/national.php?nat=1> rankings.
Missouri – Tigers No. 19 in Feb. 15 rankings
UP NEXT:
The Gators return home on Feb. 26 to play host to their fourth top-10 team of 2015 – No. 6 Louisiana State. Meet time is set for 6:45 p.m. ET in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center