Florida Gators

The No. 7 University of Florida gymnasts (13-6, 3-3 SEC) set the Gator All-Time Best team score for the second consecutive meet, but it wasn't quite enough as defending NCAA champion and current No. 1 UCLA (9-4, 5-1 Pac 10) claimed the dual meet title Friday in front of a Stephen C. O'Connell Center crowd of 3,459. The Bruins edged the Gators by the narrowest margin possible, 198.25-198.225, to win the meet.

The evening saw the Gators set or match three team event records plus one individual record. Freshman Savannah Evans (Destin, Fla.) matched the Florida vault record with her 10.0 mark for the perfect execution of her Yurchenko half off, front layout vault. Evans becomes the second Gator to earn a 10.0 for vault, joining two-time NCAA vault champion Susan Hines as the event record holders. Hines turned in four 10.0 vaults during her Gator career (once in 1996, three times in 1998). Evans is the second Gator to turn in a 10.0 this season, as junior Kristen Stucky set the UF balance beam record with her 10.0 at Kentucky on Feb. 27. Evans becomes the eighth Gator to earn a 10.0 score during her collegiate career.

Florida set school event records for vault (49.65) and floor exercise (49.625) plus equaled the balance beam record of 49.525 for the third time in the last four meets. The previous school scoring record of 198.025 was set March 5 vs. Arizona. The 10 best totals in UF history have been turned in since the arrival of Gator Head Coach Rhonda Faehn for the 2003 season. Faehn said the team's performance is a boost as UF heads into the March 20 Southeastern Conference Championships.

"It's obvious that we are starting to peak at the right time. Everyone is becoming more comfortable with their body position on landings and their spot in the lineup," Faehn said. "We are definitely in the right frame of mind going into SECs. Everyone being healthy and strong has really been a blessing for us. For us to go out there and break records is huge motivator going into the SEC."

Junior All-American Erinn Dooley used the third-highest all-around total (39.75) in school history to claim her fourth title of the last five meets. She edged UCLA's Jeanette Antolin and Kate Richardson, the nation's current No. 1 and No. 2 ranked all-arounders, who shared second at 39.70.

"It was fun, I didn't even think about the all-around during the meet," Dooley said. "You just take one event at a time and worry about the team score. To win the all-around is always just icing on the cake."

A Gator claimed at least a share of three event titles Friday. Evans shared her second consecutive vault title with UCLA's Antolin at 10.0. Antolin is the nation's top-ranked vaulter as she turned in her seventh 10.0 vault mark of the season Friday. Evans was thrilled to share the title and have her name join the other 10.0 sunbursts that decorate the Ted Crom Gymnastics Studio (UF practice gym) wall.

"I was having trouble in warm-ups but (Assistant Coach) Louis (Robinson) told me I was going to get a 10. I was like 'Yeah right Louis.' After I hit it, I heard (Assistant Coach) Randy (Lane) say, 'That's a ten,'" Evans said. "When I walked into the practice gym for the first time and saw the sunbursts hanging for all the 10.0 scores, I thought 'Wow, how amazing it would be to get a 10.' I think Susan Hines is the only one who had a 10 in vault so to get a sunburst makes my day."

Evans' performance Friday was impressive to Faehn.

"It's amazing. She is here on a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, so she is a walk-on. Savannah is a coach's dream. She looks at you with wide eyes, soaks everything up and it is paying off for her," Faehn said. "She is becoming a crowd favorite but also a judge's favorite as well. To see her come in as a freshman and perform that well is really exciting."

Florida's 49.65 on vault erased the oldest event mark in the Gator record books of 49.525 set at the 1995 NCAA Southeast Region Championships.

Dooley shared two event titles Friday. She turned in a collegiate-best 9.95 to share the evening's balance beam crown with UCLA's Kate Richardson and Yvonne Tousek. Richardson is the nation's top-ranked performer in beam. Two other Gators turned in collegiate-best beam marks Friday - freshmen Katie Rue (9.925/T4th) and Breanne King (9.90/T6th).

Dooley and Evans shared the evening's floor exercise title, as each turned in collegiate-best marks of 9.95. Freshman Samantha Lutz used a collegiate-best 9.925 to share third with UCLA's Antolin and Richardson. Florida turned in a team floor total of 49.625 Friday, resetting the previous record of 49.525 first set Feb. 14, 2003 and equaled March 5, 2004.

UCLA's Antolin and Jaime Dantzscher shared the uneven bars title at 9.95. Three gymnasts shared third-place overall at 9.925 - Florida's Kristen Stucky and Dooley plus UCLA's Tousek.

Florida now travels to Duluth, Ga., for the SEC Championships, set for March 20 in the Gwinnett Center. Live results from the league championships will be available at http://www.secsports.com. The meet will also show tape-delayed March 27 at 8 p.m. on the Sunshine Network.