A tight meet though the entire competition eventually swayed in favor of the No. 16 Auburn Tigers (3-3, 2-3 SEC), as AU nipped the No. T5 Gator gymnasts (8-4, 2-2 SEC) 197.00-196.90 Friday evening in front of a Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum crowd of 2,214.
The Gators, the nation's second-ranked uneven bar team, began the meet on that event. Florida hit every routine of its bars set, turning in a team total of 49.275. Junior Kristen Stucky led the Gators on the event, breaking her three-meet string of 9.875 bar marks with a season-best 9.925. She shared first in the final bar standings with AU's Natica Johnson. Senior Erin Pendleton posted a 9.875 to tie for third overall, while junior Orley Szmuch turned in a 9.85.
Florida held a slender .075 lead over the Tigers at the midway point of the meet after turning in a 49.025 on the vault. Szmuch claimed her second consecutive vault crown with her mark of 9.875. Freshman Chantelle Tousek also turned in a 9.825 Friday evening.
UF boosted its season-best team total on the floor exercise by a tenth with its total of 49.325 Friday evening. Four Gators turned in season-best floor marks at Auburn. Freshman Katie Rue, who celebrated her 19th birthday on Friday, led the Gators on the event with her collegiate-best mark of 9.90. Junior Erinn Dooley and freshman Savannah Evans equaled their season-best floor marks of 9.875. Freshman Samantha Lutz turned in a 9.85, just off her season-best of 9.875 set a week ago and Tousek turned in her top collegiate floor mark of 9.825.
Entering the final rotation, the Gators' advantage over the Tigers was just .225. Both were finishing on strong scoring events for each team, as Florida moved to balance beam and Auburn rotated to floor. The final five Gators were pressured to hit as the opening UF performer fell, but the team responded with five consecutive "hit" routines. Florida placed three on the top spot of the awards stand with the evening's high beam mark of 9.875 – Stucky, Dooley and freshman Breanne King. But while Florida was turning in a final team total of 49.275 on beam, the Tigers were turning in a school-record team total on floor of 49.60 – which ties for the third-highest floor score this season. The Tigers swept the floor event with Courtney Puckett taking top honors at 9.95.
In the all-around, Johnson won the title for AU with a 39.525. Dooley was second at 39.375.
"We turned in a great road score, especially considering that we still don't have Bre (Breanne King) in the all-around. We tried different things tonight also, as Savannah (Evans) tried a brand-new vault," UF Head Coach Rhonda Faehn said. "Orley (Szmuch) has been really struggling with her ankle and it was really obvious on floor and beam that her mistakes came that injury. More than likely, she will be sitting out some events next week as we try to get that ankle stronger for the end of the season. But that will be fine because Bre will be back next week in the all-around.
"But I am so proud of them. The scores don't reflect it, but this is the best road competition we've had this season. The fight that they showed was very promising for the rest of the year. They were a different team out there tonight as they really stayed with it and fought the whole time."
The Gators continue SEC action on Friday, Feb. 20 when they play host to No. 15 Arkansas. Meet time is set for 7:00 p.m. in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Tickets are $4.00 for adults, while children 17 and under plus UF students with ID are admitted free.
| No. T5 Florida at No. 16 Auburn |
| Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum (2,214) – Auburn, Ala. – Feb. 13, 2004 |
| | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Rank | Total |
| Auburn | 49.025 | 49.200 | 49.175 | 49.600 | 1 | 197.00 |
| Florida | 49.025 | 49.275 | 49.275 | 49.325 | 2 | 196.90 |
