Alaina Johnson outdid herself in her final meet in the O’Connell Center on Friday.
The senior beat or tied all of her previous personal best records. She also broke UF’s all around record, which was set by Kytra Hunter in 2013 (39.800), with her score of 39.825.
Johnson and her fellow Gators stepped up their game. Fresh off its first loss of the year, No. 2 Florida (8-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) rallied to win its last home meet of the season 198.325-194.925 against No. 36 West Virginia (6-8, 0-2 Big 12).
“Our athletes weren’t particularly thrilled with last weekend’s result and knew that they could do better,” coach Rhonda Faehn said.
Beyond her all around win, Johnson won event titles on vault (9.950) and uneven bars (9.975). Hunter won an event title on floor with her fifth 10 of the season. She has now scored a 10 in all five of Florida’s 2014 home meets.
“Even though I’ve gotten a 10 five times it still pushes me in the gym,” Hunter said.
The junior plans on maintaining and extending her consistently perfect performances.
“Trying to get a 10 away, that’s really hard. So getting a 10 at Mizzou and then 10 at SECs, regionals and nationals—that’ll be a very good goal to have and that’s a goal that I do have,” Hunter said. “But I know that I have to keep working hard because not every judge wants to give you that perfect 10.”
Florida’s overall score is the third highest in Gator history as well as the highest so far this season.
“They just really from top to bottom put it together,” Faehn said. “So much consistency on all four events, it was very well balanced.”
It was the last home meet of their careers for Florida seniors Mackenzie Caquatto, Lauren Rose and Johnson.
Johnson and Caquatto competed all around for the Gators while Rose exhibitioned on vault (9.875). All three were honored with a ceremony after Florida’s win. Rose last competed during her sophomore year but she has exhibitoned vault twice this season.
Jamie Shisler made it into the vault lineup for the first time this year. She opened the meet for the Gators with a 9.825 on vault. The junior exhibitioned vault (9.80) against Alabama on Feb. 28.
“It really just comes down to complete consistency in training but also in warm ups and what not,” Faehn said as to why she chose Shisler over Rose for the vault lineup. “Any given time it could be either of them.”
For the first time this season, Bridget Sloan did not compete all around. The sophomore sat out on vault and floor but she secured an event win on beam and 9.95 on uneven bars.
Sloan will return to the all around lineup for the rest of the year’s meets. She said she’s feeling fine and her missing presence from the all around lineup was to rest her mind and body equally.
“I definitely needed the rest. I walked in this week and I could tell my body was struggling,” Sloan said. “I think my mind needed a little bit of a break. You know I have a lot of fun out there but when I have to focus in I definitely focus in really hard.”
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Alaina Johnson performs a beam routine during Florida’s win against Oklahoma on Jan. 31 in the O’Connell Center.
