The Florida gymnastics team is finding its groove, having won its previous five meets by an average of 0.480 points.
In what was supposed to be a series of perfect back handsprings, senior Alex McMurtry dropped to the floor off the balance beam. It was the first time since the 2017 season that she had competed in every event, a thought that didn’t escape her mind even as she wrapped up her last event of the night. The fall resulted in a 9.325, one point higher than her season-low score of 9.225 against Auburn on Feb. 2.
Before Florida’s meet against Georgia on Friday night, UF freshman Alyssa Baumann danced on the side of the mats while the rest of her teammates warmed up. The energy she entered the Stegeman Coliseum with carried into the Gators’ sixth competition of the regular season, where she placed first on balance beam with a score of 9.900.
At the beginning of its practice on Tuesday, the Florida gymnastics team wasn’t rehearsing its sprints on vault or tweaking its routine on balance beam. It wasn’t even preparing to warm up. Instead, each member of the team had a smile on her face and a lacrosse stick in her hand as the team competed in a small lacrosse scrimmage.
Before the No. 5 Gators walked onto the mats of the O’Connell Center, the team sat down and described its individual goals heading into its meet against No. 9 Alabama on Friday.
Only two weeks have passed since the Gators gymnastics team saw a 10.0 score on the mats of the O’Connell center. This proved too long for Florida, which ended its home match against Alabama on Friday night with a 10.0 on the floor from senior Kennedy Baker, her third perfect score in the routine in the past two years.
Jenny Rowland was all smiles in the Florida gymnastics team’s practice facility Tuesday morning. Her excitement about returning home for the Gators’ sixth match of the season was evident as she laughed and joked with reporters.
Alex McMurtry was more than ready. She had just recorded her first ever 10.0 on balance beam one week prior against No. 1 Oklahoma, making her the second UF gymnast in program history to tally a perfect score in every event.
When a person thinks of the word “doctor,” certain synonyms might come to mind: safety, comfort, healing. From now on, when people think of the name Larry Nassar — a man once admired and renowned by gymnasts around the world — the only image that will appear is one of pain and distrust.
In a sold-out O’Connell Center on Friday night, the Florida gymnastics team put on a show for its home crowd. Its efforts didn’t go to waste as the No. 5 Gators (3-1, 1-1 SEC) overcame No. 1 Oklahoma 198.150-198.125. In addition to two perfect 10.0s in one night, Florida also took first in three of its four events.
Alex McMurtry didn’t hesitate. Facing the long stretch of mat ahead of her, the All-American threw her hands above her head before bringing them in close to her chest and breaking into a full sprint. A sold-out O’Connell Center watched as she spun into the air and touched her feet down to the ground in her first of two perfect 10.0s of the night.
For the second time this season, the UF gymnastics team will host a No. 1 team at home. The No. 5 Gators (2-1, 1-1 SEC) are set to take on No. 1 Oklahoma (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) tonight at 6:45 in the nation’s top gymnastics match of the weekend.
After completing its third meet of the season, the Florida gymnastics team added another win to its record, putting up its first SEC victory of the year.
Kennedy Baker stuck a solid landing, glancing first to the left at her teammates, then to the right at assistant coach Adrian Burde for approval. She smiled at the close of her performance, starting the Gators off with a season-best 9.800 on the uneven bars.
Jenny Rowland was the epitome of positivity on Wednesday. As she led the Florida gymnastic team’s practice, the third-year coach showed no sign of worry, instead displaying confidence in the wake of UF's 197.250-197.125 home loss to LSU on Jan. 12.
The odds were all lined up in favor of the Florida gymnastics team. After coming off a first-meet win that featured a record-breaking 39.575 all-around score from junior Alicia Boren, the Gators were finally back at home. And for the first time ever, they were performing in front of a sold-out O’Connell Center.
Rachel Slocum spit into her hands, once, twice, five times. She prepared her stance and sprinted toward the mat, gaining speed until she stopped just short of it. Among encouraging cheers from her teammates, Slocum positioned herself back to the start of the stretch for her second attempt and finished her vault routine with a score of 8.550.
It’s been seven years since the Florida gymnastics team overcame No. 1 LSU in a regular-season meet. But after opening the 2018 season with a win over West Virginia on Jan. 5, a night that saw junior Alicia Boren register the highest all-around score ever to open a season in program history, No. 7 UF is hoping to end that streak.
The moment junior Alicia Boren’s feet hit the mat at the end of her uneven bars routine, her face transformed into a smile as bright as the sparkles on her uniform.
Solutions by The State News
