With creamsicle orange and cherry reds blending together with sky blue, it was a smattering of sunset colors on leotards for Florida competing on the mats in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Fitting as it was the dusk of some collegiate careers and the dawn of others.
“Making it to the regional championships is a really exciting moment and something that is not given,” UF head coach Jenny Rowland said ahead of the meet. “This team has earned their spot here and has worked really hard.”
From the first routine of the first rotation, No. 3 Florida established its dominance that culminated with a 198.225 total score, the team’s second-highest across the regular and postseason so far.
The Gators lapped third-place North Carolina State University (196.275) and Clemson (195.875). No. 14 Oregon State finished more than a point behind in second with a 197.050. Both Florida and OSU advanced to the regional final on Sunday.
Oregon State senior Jade Carey (39.850) pulled away in the all-around competition with a perfect 10.000 in her last routine of the night on the floor. Two Gators, senior Leanne Wong (39.775) and junior Selena Harris-Miranda (39.700), finished in the top 3.
Junior Selena Harris-Miranda and Wong competed in conjunction with each other, leading the Gators’ scoring in three of the four events. When Wong nailed a 9.950 on the uneven bars, Harris-Miranda added a 9.925.
On vault, Harris-Miranda followed up her perfect 10.000 in the SEC Championship with a 9.925. She stuck the landing after a solid rotation in the air with what former-Gator-turned-ESPN-commentator Trinity Thomas described as cat-like reflexes.
Donning a blue and white bow, Wong tallied the Gators' highest vault score with a 9.950 routine. She landed on the mats with the tiniest movements to the excitement of associate head coach Adrian Burde, who flashed 10.000s with his hands in the air.
Throughout the four rotations, the two kept the Gators’ out of the reach from their competitors. What started as a contest for two spots at the regional finals morphed into a race for second place. No one was beating the Gators. It couldn’t have been clearer than when Florida shifted into its final rotation, ahead of the other schools by 1.125 points.
As Wong and Harris-Miranda fought for the all-around title, the more specialized Gators held the team steady. On floor, graduate student Victoria Nguyen tied three other Gators with a 9.900. Sophomore Alyssa Arana tied Harris-Miranda for the second-highest score on the uneven bars with a 9.925.
However, freshman Taylor Clark outshined the rest of her teammates during her first NCAA postseason appearance on the floor. She captivated the audience with her slick movements and well-rotated launches, ending her night with a 9.950, the Gators' top score on floor.
“Taylor has just been a grinder and it’s been so enjoyable to see her go through this process as a freshman and really embrace it,” Rowland said. “She’s made the most of everything.”
For other freshmen like Ly Bui and Skye Blakely, their nights — while still successful — showed room for improvement. Blakely’s score was discounted as the lowest on the uneven bars. Bui’s score on vault, on the other hand, counted as sophomore Anya Pilgrim looked unsteady in her routine. For all of the freshmen, the battle was external with routines and internal with competition nerves.
“Though I’ve competed in a regional developmental program, it’s kind of the same, but a little different because I have a bigger team,” Clark said before the meet. “It’s really exciting and a little nerve-wracking too, but I’m excited for whatever comes.”
The Gators, especially those with their first taste of NCAA postseason success, will need to aim for more consistency on their dismounts and continue to stick their landings as the competition gets stiffer.
Florida and Oregon State compete on Sunday at the regional finals at 6 p.m. UF will face No. 6 California and No. 11 Alabama there as well.
Contact Liana Handler at lhandler@alligator.org. Follow her on X @handlerliana
Liana is the Gators gymnastic beat reporter for the Alligator and a junior sports journalism major. In her free time, she likes to play dominos and listen to Celia Cruz.
