Going into Friday night’s semifinal, the Gators had advanced to the NCAA Super Six in five consecutive seasons.
Behind a record-breaking meet from junior Alex McMurtry, Florida made it six.
The No. 3 Gators advanced with a second place finish and a team score of 197.8125, finishing behind LSU (198.275) and ahead of Alabama (197.6), who both also advanced to the NCAA Championship.
"The SEC is the best in the country,'' Florida coach Jenny Rowland said. "It says a lot about our conference. I'm really proud to be a part of it and look forward to battling it out again [Saturday]."
McMurtry claimed the the NCAA all-around title with a score of 39.8125, the third highest all-around score in UF history. It also set a NCAA semifinals record.
A Gator has taken the title five out of the last six years. (Kytra Hunter: 2012, 2015. Bridget Sloan: 2013, 2016)
With a 9.95 on bars, McMurtry also shared the individual National Championship title in the event.
The Gators posted seven scores over a 9.9, and besides an uncharacteristic fall on bars from junior Kennedy Baker, they nailed all of their routines.
The Super Six field consists of Florida, LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma, Utah and UCLA.
Florida will be searching for its fourth national title in the last five seasons when the championship kicks off today at 8 p.m. on ESPNU.
An article posted to FloridaGators.com contributed to this article. (just the quote)
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UF gymnast Alex McMurtry performs a routine during the NCAA Gainesville Regional on April 1, 2017, in the O'Connell Center.
