A crocheted chainsaw. Hair braids which spelled out NCAA. A Gator plushie. All four teams brought out their favorite talismans and charms to bless them with enough luck to clinch a place in the semifinals.
Despite a messier performance than in the second round of regionals, No. 3 Florida won the Tuscaloosa Regional Championship with 197.700 points and guaranteed itself a spot at the National Championships for the 41st time in program history.
No. 11 Alabama also upset No. 6 California and No. 14 Oregon State to clinch the second-place spot with a total score of 197.675. Driven by the hometown crowd, the Crimson Tide’s gymnasts took advantage of a drop on beam by Cal senior Ella Cesario. As the official scores were announced, Florida joined Alabama in celebrations with shouts of “S-E-C.”
Only one Gator finished on the podium for the all-around score: Leanne Wong. Despite her struggles on beam, the senior clinched third place, behind Cal senior Madelyn Williams and fellow 2024 Team USA Olympian, OSU senior Jade Carery.
Sunday’s meet was an exhibition of continuous internal turmoil for the Gators. With small struggles in power and balance, Florida’s lead on its competitors was weaker than on Friday. It wasn’t a step back, though, more of a step sideways.
Pushing the team forward, freshmen Skye Blakely and Taylor Clark helped UF stay on top with clean routines on the uneven bars and floor.
In her last appearance, Blakley earned a meager 9.825 that was eventually dropped from the total. This time, she tied with two other Gators for the highest score, a 9.925. The freshman, who stuck her landing, turned to the judges. A small smile crept across her face. Her teammates, in the stands and on the sidelines, jumped up and down.
Similarly, Clark’s happiness with her floor performance could be felt from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Gainesville. She twisted and turned across the mats with a beaming smile. The freshman ran over to high-five her teammates while her score of 9.900 flashed across the arena’s screens.
“Yeah, baby,” sophomore Skylar Draser screamed. “Girl, that was perfect.”
Though quieter, head coach Jenny Rowland expressed a similar sentiment, wrapping the freshman into a tight hug, murmuring, “Great job. Great, great job.”
Florida struggled to maintain balance on the beam, especially compared to its second-round performance. All but one UF gymnast clinched at least a 9.900 on Friday. This time, only junior Selena Harris Miranda snagged a 9.900. The rest landed somewhere between 9.800 and 9.875.
Wong, who normally tops the teams’ scores, struggled to keep up with her teammates. She wobbled during her transition between her acrobatics and kicked a leg out to ensure she stayed on the bar. This cost her a deduction by the judges, and she ended with a 9.825. Her score tied with sophomore Anya Pilgrim (who struggled with her own teeters) for the lowest score of the event.
The 2024 Olympic alternative didn’t let the beam performance stick for too long. She redeemed herself in the next rotation with a 9.950 on floor. Wong executed both the acrobatics and dance elements of her routine with precision.
The Gators’ vault scores, which totaled 49.350, cemented the team’s victory. Its scores were binary: either a 9.900 or a 9.850. Harris-Miranda was deducted points for the small hop for her landing, an abnormal miscue for the SEC Newcomer of the Year.
Though the Gators overcame their stability issues well enough to secure a first-place win, it's an area of improvement Florida needs to fix as the competition gets closer. Judging might differ based on the location, but shoulder tilts and wobbles always result in deductions – ones that might determine the fate of UF’s postseason dreams.
Florida has some time to correct any outstanding errors before it travels to the National Championship.
“The next goal is to go home and get some well-needed rest,” Rowland said to ESPN after celebrating. “This is such an emotional weekend, not just physically, but mentally. So, really take some time to recover and get back in and keep on grinding.”
Florida and Alabama advanced to the National Championship semifinals in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 17. The team still awaits the news of who it’ll face.
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.
