Florida Gators
Alabama
No. 1 Alabama Edges Gator Gymnastics Team
Friday, February 5, 1999 | Gymnastics
The No. 16 University of Florida gymnastics team improved its season-best score by over a point and a half Friday evening, but it wasn't enough to pass No. 1 Alabama in the Subway Challenge. The Tide won the meet 195.875-195.225, upping its record to 4-1. The Gators fall to 2-4 for the 1999 campaign.
Each team won two event titles and shared one Friday evening in front of an O'Connell Center crowd of 3,798. UF junior Chrissy Van Fleet won her third all-around title of the season, posting a season-best 39.40 – just a tenth away from her collegiate-best total set in 1998 NCAA Super Six competition. Van Fleet also won the floor title with a collegiate-best 9.925. Alabama freshman Andree Pickens was second in the all-around at 39.375. She also won the vault (9.90) and shared the uneven bars crown with Van Fleet at 9.90. UF's Betsy Hamm, making her first all-around appearance of 1999, was third at 38.80. Hamm was not entered in the evening's vault competition, but Maryann Esposito's sore left ankle took her out of the vault lineup, opening the door for Hamm. Alabama's Lissy Smith claimed the balance beam title with a mark of 9.825.
The Gators now take a week off before embarking on a difficult three-meet road stint – No. 10 UCLA (Feb. 20), No. 3 Utah (Feb. 22) and No. 4 Louisiana State (Feb. 26).
