No. 2 Florida remains undefeated in SEC with win versus No. 12 Auburn
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The No. 2 Florida Gators gymnastics team became the only unbeaten SEC team Friday night. The Gators hosted No. 12 Auburn, beating the Tigers 197.85-196.70 at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Records, Records, Records
Returning to the win column came easy for Florida, with the loss to No. 1 Oklahoma last Friday not stopping UF from breaking a few records along the way.
The sixth-highest total score in the country now belongs to UF. The fans also packed the arena, with 9,055 being a season-high and the ninth largest in program history.
It did not end there, with the Gators coming into the 13th Annual “Link to Pink” meet and putting up their season-best vault total of 49.35. Senior Alicia Boren also recorded her season-best performance on the vault (9.925).
However, Auburn stayed competitive, leading by 0.025 heading into the second rotation. The Tigers were not short of confidence, with their resume including impressive wins so far this season.
Despite this, the Gators would rally with an outstanding performance on the bars. SEC Freshman of the Week Trinity Thomas won her third bars title of the season, scoring a 9.95 to continue a streak of 9.925 or better in 2019. Rachel Gowey (9.825), Amelia Hundley (9.9), Savannah Schoenherr (9.85), Megan Skaggs (9.875) and Boren (9.85) also contributed to the 0.475 lead before the midway point.
The Gators were able to build momentum heading into the beam as Tigers gymnast Gracie Day scored a mere 9.225 on the vault. Alyssa Baumann, Boren and Gowey spearheaded the Gators beam rotation by each earning a 9.9. Abby Milliet and Day each scored a 9.925 on the floor to help Auburn exceed Florida’s score for the rotation, but UF still led 148.200-147.775.
The crowd full of pink elevated their game the same way the Florida gymnasts started in the last two rotations. The fans were off their feet, Gator chomping or finding the nearest fan to high-five as they chanted for the home team. It looked like a paint bucket full of pink paint fell all over the blue seats of the O’Dome.
Head Coach Jenny Rowland emphasized before the meet how special the “Link to Pink” meet is. She kept that same energy, approaching her team and saying a few words before the final rotation.
The last records of the night came during the floor exercise. The Gators season-best 49.65 included Thomas’ collegiate-best score of 9.975. Boren’s bootleg-song routine earned her a 9.95, while Baumann and Nya Reed finished with a pair of 9.925s.
All in all, Auburn had no chance of a comeback, with a 9.1 from Taylor Krippner on the beam.
Thomas reached an all-around score of 39.70 for the second time this season, while Boren finished with a season-best 39.625. Schoenherr, who made the floor lineup for the first time this season, said she would love to do it again.
"I was super excited. I've been working really hard in the gym trying to make floor lineup. It's the event I really wanted to compete. It's the most fun and the one everyone loves to watch the most. So I've just been working hard and trying to make my passes the best that I can in practice to be able to make the lineup so I can prove myself. Competing tonight was a lot of fun and I can't wait to hopefully be in the lineup again."
Rowland said her team was focused on staying calm after recording their best score on the vault. She was happy to be able to give breast cancer survivors and fans a win for Florida.
What’s Next?
Florida will continue its tough schedule with a road meet versus No. 8 Alabama on Friday, Feb. 15. The Alabama Crimson Tide (8-2, 3-2 SEC) beat Arkansas 196.70-195.80 Friday night.
The meet airs on SEC Network at 8:30 p.m. and is also available on WatchESPN.