Florida graduate student Trinity Thomas had an impressive performance against the No. 11 Alabama Crimson Tide. She scored an all-around score of 39.650. Her performance helped lead the Florida Gators’ gymnastics team to victory.
The No. 2 Florida Gators (5-0, 2-0 SEC) hit the road Friday to take on Alabama (2-1, 1-1 SEC) inside Coleman Coliseum after their exhilarating finish against the No. 5 Auburn Tigers. Florida came into the meet heavily favored, and the team lived up to its lofty expectations.
The Gators finished with a score of 197.325, edging out the Crimson Tide, which finished with a score of 196.450. UF won two of the four events and put on a show for the crowd in Tuscaloosa. It upheld its No. 2 ranking against the 2022 Southeastern Conference runner-up team.
Florida dominated on the uneven bars in the first rotation. Graduate student Trinity Thomas and freshman Kayla DiCello finished with back-to-back 9.925 scores.
The Gators gained momentum heading into the second rotation, the vault. Thomas scored a 9.900, tying Alabama’s Jordyn Paradise for the event’s highest score.
Florida continued to dominate as it moved to the floor in rotation three. Thomas shined — a week removed from her perfect 10 against Auburn — and scored a 9.950.
The Gators finished out on the balance beam, securing first and third place. DiCello scored a 9.925, and Florida sophomore Leanne Wong followed closely behind with a 9.875.
DiCello excelled in the beam and bars, scoring 9.925 in both events. Her performance highlighted the depth of UF’s roster. She carries experience as a 2021 World Championships all-around bronze medalist. DiCello earned an all-around score of 39.500, behind only Thomas.
The Gators witnessed the return of graduate student Rachel Baumann. She pulled out of the meet against Auburn when she popped her elbow in warmups. She earned a 9.825 on the floor.
Florida’s next meet will be against the Georgia Bulldogs. The teams will face off at 5:45 p.m. Jan. 27 in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida. The match will be broadcast on SEC Network.
Contact Jori Rzepecki at jrzepecki@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @jorirzepecki.
Jori Rzepecki is a first-year journalism major and the Gymnastics reporter for The Alligator. In her free time, she enjoys binge-watching television shows and reading books.
