Florida sophomore Sloane Blakely shined in the Gators’ quad meet. Blakely earned a career-best score of 9.975 in vault.
Multiple Florida gymnasts posted high all-around scores in their final regular-season meet.
Florida sophomore Leanne Wong finished the afternoon with a 39.650. Graduate student Trinity Thomas and freshman Kayla DiCello tied with 39.625-point totals. Their performances led the Gators to victory in their final regular-season meet of the season.
The No. 3 Gators (12-2, 6-1 SEC) competed in a four-team meet against the No. 25 Washington Huskies (6-11, 0-6 Pac-12), North Carolina State Wolfpack (12-8, 8-4 ACC) and Texas Woman’s Owls (8-12, 0-0).
Florida came into the meet favored despite its devastating loss to the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners.
The Gators finished with a score of 198.175, almost two points higher than the next-best team. UF won each event and earned its second-highest team score of the season in Denton, Texas.
The Gators dominated on uneven bars to start the meet. Wong earned a meet-high score of 9.950. Florida sophomore Riley McCusker and DiCello followed closely behind with 9.925s.
UF finished with a total of 49.475 in the event; NC State trailed behind with 49.225 points.
The Gators gained momentum going into the second rotation — balance beam. McCusker earned first place and a career-high score of 9.950. Florida junior Ellie Lazzari tied her season-best score with a 9.925.
UF’s score of 49.600 set it ahead of Washington, which ended with a score of 49.300.
Florida continued to dominate as it moved to the third rotation — floor. The Gators earned the top four places. Thomas earned the highest score of 9.975.
Florida secured a score of 49.600 to surpass NC State’s 49.300.
The Gators finished their afternoon on the vault, and Blakely earned first place. Thomas ended in second place with a score of 9.900, tying Texas Woman’s senior Daisy Woodring.
UF’s score of 49.500 helped them secure first place; Washington fell close behind with 49.175.
The Gators are heavily favored to win coming off their Southeastern Conference regular-season title.
Florida’s next meet is the SEC championship. The meet begins at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Duluth, Georgia. 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.
