Holding back a wide array of emotions as she stepped towards the floor, Florida senior Leanne Wong had the Stephen C. O’Connell Center watching her every move with intense eyes. Fans clapped and cheered along during her routine, gradually getting louder with each move. When her routine finished, the crowd was on their feet as Wong was mobbed by her teammates and coaches.
Moments later, when the scoreboard lit up a perfect 10, the crowd erupted to a fever pitch. After her teammates swarmed her with affection, Wong acknowledged the Gator fans who have supported her throughout her collegiate career.
“I didn’t think about perfection tonight, but I just really wanted to enjoy the moment,” Wong said. “Tonight still doesn’t feel real, maybe it will sink in later.”
However, Wong’s 10 wasn't the first or second time the Gators had been perfect on the night — it was Florida’s third of the evening. Sophomore Danie Ferris was the first to reach perfection after landing her vault to the tune of thousands of screaming fans. It was the first ever 10.000 of her collegiate career, after scoring four 10s in her Level 10 career.
Two rotations later, junior Selena Harris-Miranda, nearly perfect in her first two routines, stepped up to the balance beam to continue her excellence. This time, no numbers followed the decimal point as she scored her first career 10 on the beam. She went on to set the mark of the highest all-around score of any gymnast this season with a 39.875.
The No. 3 Gators dominated No. 10 Kentucky on Senior Night, winning 198.625-197.725 behind their three perfect 10s. Florida’s score marked the highest by any team in the country this year, as well as the second-best score in UF history. The Gators honored six gymnasts post-match — graduate students Ellie Lazzari and Victoria Nguyen, and seniors Sloane Blakely, Bri Edwards, Riley McCusker and Wong. The latter finished second on the day all-around, as her 39.725 score only trailed Harris-Miranda.
“It was a spectacular evening to send off our seniors,” Florida head coach Jenny Rowland said. “What a way for them to finish off their careers in the O’Dome.”
Meanwhile, Nguyen scored a 9.925 on floor, finishing the routine with tears in her eyes as she embraced her teammates. She also posted a 9.950 score on the vault. Lazzari was scheduled to compete, but an injury in warmups took her out of the lineup. Sophomore Anya Pilgrim competed on vault in her place.
In the first rotation, Florida started strong, scoring 49.700 for its top score on vault this season and a 0.400 lead. Nguyen set the Gator pace with her 9.950 score, nearly matching her season-best of 9.975. Ferris then scored her first-ever perfect 10.000. Harris-Miranda anchored the rotation, scoring a 9.975, almost equaling the 10.000 she scored on Feb. 28 against Missouri.
Ferris said when she stuck the landing on her vault, she instantly knew it was going to earn her the perfect score.
“I felt very confident in myself,” Ferris said. “I’ve been trying too hard, but this time, I just did my normal, and made it work.”
Florida continued rolling on the uneven bars, extending its lead to 0.575. Despite McCusker falling, her teammates stepped up to help maintain the lead. Harris-Miranda was on top of her game, scoring a 9.950, her second-highest score of the season. Arana served as the anchor, recording a career-best 9.950 score to finish the rotation while earning the joint bar title.
On the third rotation, the gap between the two teams continued to grow. Kentucky, who set a program record with a 49.725 in floor on Mar. 7, recorded a 49.475 score. Meanwhile, the Gators excelled on the balance beam. Wong scored a 9.950, which was followed up by Harris-Miranda’s 10.000. Ultimately, the Gators scored a 49.650 to carry a sizable 0.750 lead into the final rotation.
Harris-Miranda’s first-ever perfect beam routine ranked up there in terms of her career accomplishments, she said.
“When I started training here over the summer, my one goal was to get a 10 on beam, because it's my favorite,” Harris-Miranda said. “I just had the utmost confidence this week.”
In the ultimate rotation, both teams were in excellent form, as the Gators set their season high on the floor with a 49.725 while Kentucky put together a 49.475. UF freshman Taylor Clark set her career-high on floor with a 9.950 score. Wong then scored her 10.000, followed immediately by Harris-Miranda’s 9.950 to finish off the day strong for Florida.
“This team just keeps getting better, and I’m extremely proud of them,” Rowland said. “This should give them a lot of confidence heading into the postseason.”
Florida will now head to Birmingham, Alabama, for the SEC Championships on Saturday, Mar. 22.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is in his fourth semester at The Alligator, and he is the Spring 2025 lacrosse reporter and a second-year journalism sports & media major. He is a big South Florida sports fan, and likes to go to concerts with his friends and family.
