Florida Gymnastics Team Falls at No. 7 Penn State 196.75-193.50

Saturday, January 30

State College, PA

7:00 PM

Florida Gators

Penn State

Florida Gymnastics Team Falls at No. 7 Penn State 196.75-193.50

Saturday, January 30, 1999 | Gymnastics

By: UF Communications

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The No. 18 University of Florida gymnastics team fell to No. 7 Penn State 196.75-193.50 in front of a Recreation Building crowd of 3,845. The Gators fall to 2-3 this season, while PSU ups its record of 5-0. PSU's all-time best team score set Saturday ranks as the third-best team score in the nation this season. Saturday's loss was the first time in four meetings that UF had fallen the PSU since Gator head coach Judi Markell came to Gainesville for the 1993 season. Prior to coming to UF, Markell led the PSU gymnastics team for 18 seasons.

"This was an improvement from last week," Markell said, "but we need to find a way to believe in ourselves. This week, we are going to work hard and prove to ourselves that we can be successful. We are a much better gymnastics team than we have shown so far this season."
Things looked promising for the Gators, as freshman Liz Hodges opened the meet with a collegiate-best uneven bars mark of 9.80. But UF experienced some problems in the other spots in the bars lineup, as it was forced to count a fall and a brush on a landing toward its bars team total. PSU's Nikki Smith won the bars title with a 9.925.

Florida posted its season-best vault team score of 48.85 Saturday with only five vaulters in its lineup, as every Gator gymnast posted a collegiate- or season-best vault score. Junior All-American Chrissy Van Fleet shared first on vault Penn State's Heather Duggan at 9.90 – a season-best mark for both gymnasts.

Florida, which listed just five gymnasts in its floor lineup, turned in a solid performance on that event. UF's team total of 48.825 was less than a tenth away from its season-best. The Gators were led on the event by freshman Lisa Geckle, who posted a 9.85. PSU's Ellen Casey, who also won the all-around at 39.575, and Gemma Cuff shared the floor title at 9.95.

Junior Maryann Esposito and freshman Hilary Thompson, who each placed fourth overall at 9.75, led the Gators on the balance beam. Esposito also took second in the all-around with a collegiate-best total of 38.80. PSU's Missy Leopoldus, who posted the first 10.0 mark in any event in PSU history, claimed the evening's beam crown.

Next up, the Gators return home to play host to the Subway Challenge featuring No. 1 Alabama on Friday, Feb. 5. Meet time is set for 7 p.m. in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Two-for-one admission coupons for Friday's meet are available with purchase at any Gainesville Subway sandwich shop.