No. 1 Florida defeated No. 4 UCLA on Saturday — but just barely.
Florida’s total score of 196.65 points topped UCLA’s 196.625 with the smallest possible margin, but the Gators are aware that they need to improve if they want to repeat as national champions.
"We had numerous mistakes and areas that we are going to work on, but that is what it is — a starting point," coach Rhonda Faehn said in a release.
"They know where we have to go from here."
Junior Kytra Hunter, sophomore Bridget Sloan and senior Mackenzie Caquatto competed in all four events. Junior Rachel Spicer competed in vault, balance beam and floor. Senior Alaina Johnson competed in vault, bars and balance beam.
Bridgette Caquatto debuted her season in vault (9.75), uneven bars (9.90) and floor (9.75).
After a limited freshman season due to foot surgery, sophomore Bianca Dancose-Giambattisto competed in uneven bars (9.875) and performed an exhibition balance beam routine (9.775) at UCLA.
Florida had falls in three of its four events. Although none were counted against the Gators, one more mistake could have easily landed the Gators in a losing spot.
"Personally, I don’t want to start out the season with a 198 score" Sloan said.
"We had some errors here and there."
Hunter’s first-place wins in all-around (39.375) and floor (9.925), as well as Bridgette Caquatto’s uneven bars win (9.90) contributed to the team win.
"As a team we were able to pull it together," Sloan said. "We didn’t have the best score as a team, but in the end, we had a decent enough of a one to get the win."
In her first collegiate gymnastics competition, Silvia Colussi-Pelaez performed two exhibition routines on bars and floor, while UF’s only other freshman, Claire Boyce, competed in two events.
"I feel we could see her on the other events later this season, knowing that she is such an aggressive competitor," Faehn said of Boyce, who scored 9.85 on beam and 9.825 on floor.
Faehn said she thought Colussi-Pelaez was "pretty solid" even though she suffered a fall on the uneven bars, resulting in an exhibition score of 9.125. She scored a 9.60 for her floor exhibition routine.
With the UCLA meet in the books, the Gators return to Gainesville to continue their packed spring schedule, which includes a meet a week for the next 11 weeks.
"We knew they weren’t going to be 100 percent like we would be at the end of the season," Faehn said. "We have to pace our athletes and make sure they aren’t going to break down early in the season."
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Junior Kytra Hunter performs her beam routine in a dual meet against Ball State on Jan. 4, 2013, in the O’Connell Center. Hunter claimed first place in all-around and floor in the Gators’ season-opening meet against UCLA in the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles on Saturday.
