Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 19 University of Florida gymnastics team took second in the Fifth Annual Subway Challenge, held Friday evening in front of a Stephen C. O'Connell Center crowd of 2,725. No. 8 Penn State took the meet title with a season-best total of 194.925, while Florida was runner-up with a season-best total of 194.05. Massachusetts took third at 188.75.
 
Gator senior Chrissy Van Fleet claimed her second consecutive all-around title Friday, posting a season-best 39.375. Penn State's Gemma Cuff and Katie Rowland followed with totals of 39.30 and 39.275, respectively. Van Fleet also won her first uneven bars title of the season, posting her top mark of the 2000 campaign at 9.95. Junior Teal Chiabotti claimed the evening's balance beam crown with a season-best 9.80. Florida, which posted a season-best floor team total of 49.40 Friday, was led on the event by sophomore Hilary Thompson. She claimed the evening's floor title with a collegiate-best mark of 9.95. Rowland kept the Gators from sweeping the meet's individual titles, claiming the vault title with a mark of 9.85.
 
"This team knows they are good on floor," UF Head Coach Judi Markell said. "The sad thing is we are that good on balance beam also, but we aren't showing it right now. We can't have those breaks and beat the best teams in the nation. We are not consistent on bars and beam and that has got to be fixed."
 
Next, Florida meets Southeastern Conference rival Auburn on Friday, Feb. 4 in Auburn, Ala. Meet time is set for 8 p.m. (ET).