Florida Gators
Arizona
No. 7 UF Gymnasts Set School Record w/ Win vs. No. 9 Arizona
Saturday, March 6, 2004 | Gymnastics
The No. 7 University of Florida gymnasts (13-5, 3-3 SEC) set the Gator All-Time Best team score of 198.025 to win the Mardi Gras Madness meet vs. No. 9 Arizona (7-5-1, 2-3-1 Pac-10) Friday in front of a Stephen C. O'Connell Center crowd of 1,536. The Wildcats posted its seventh consecutive team total of 196 or better with Friday's total of 196.65.
Florida used four event totals that rank among the top three in school history to tally the school and O'Connell Center record total of 198.025. The previous school record of 197.475 was set Feb. 14, 2003. The Gators have turned in four of the top five totals in UF history this season.
Junior All-American Erinn Dooley, the reigning Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Week, claimed her third all-around title of the last four meets with a collegiate and Florida season-best total of 39.60. Sharing runner-up honors was freshman Breanne King and junior Orley Szmuch, who each turned in season-best totals of 39.55. King's total is the highest ever by a Gator freshman.
A Gator claimed every event title Friday. Freshman Savannah Evans won her first collegiate event title when she turned in a Florida season-best vault mark of 9.95. Evans wasn't originally slated to be a part of the vault lineup, but was added when the coaching staff decided to hold freshman Samantha Lutz out of the vault competition.
"I wasn't in the vault lineup originally but I guess Sam (Samantha Lutz) hurt her ankle so they sort of threw me in there," Evans said. "When I landed I knew I had nailed it."
Two Gators - Szmuch and Dooley - shared second in the final vault standings at 9.875. Florida turned in a team total of 49.375 Friday, the third-highest vault total in school history.
Florida threw out a 9.90 score as the Gators posted the second highest uneven bars total ever of 49.60. Every member of the Gator bar lineup stepped up on the awards stand, as two Gators - Kristen Stucky and Erin Pendleton - shared top honors with UF's 2004 best bar mark of 9.95. The remainder of the UF bar lineup shared third at 9.90 - Lutz, Dooley, King, and Szmuch.
A week ago, Florida set the school balance beam record of 49.525 at Kentucky. The Gators equaled that total Friday as Stucky claimed her seventh balance beam crown of the season with a 9.95. Szmuch, who sat out the last three beam competitions due to a sore ankle and illness, turned in her collegiate-best mark of 9.925 to share second with Arizona's Monica Bisordi.
Dooley turned in a collegiate-best mark of 9.95 to claim her third floor exercise title in the last four competitions. Two Gator freshmen - Evans and King - each turned in collegiate-best scores of 9.925 to share second in the final floor standings. Florida matched its school-record floor total of 49.525 Friday.
"I knew we were going to break the school record but I had no idea we would get a 198.00. We just wanted Erinn (Dooley) to hit her routine," UF Head Coach Rhonda Faehn said. "We made some changes in the lineup to work toward the scores we think we should be at. We believe, as a coaching staff, that our lineup is pretty close to where we want it going into the championship season. I told them (the team) several times that they are 198.00 caliber team. All of our all-arounders did a phenomenal job. A score like this really helps your confidence."
Dooley was unaware that the Gators were going to set the school record when she stepped onto the floor as Florida's final competitor.
"Honestly, I didn't have any idea. We were just amazing in every event. To drop a 9.9 on bars is amazing. I really had no clue we were close to a 198.00," Dooley said. "To get a 198.00 is anyone's goal. That is such an accomplishment. We still have areas we can improve on and that is exciting."
Florida finishes the 2004 regular season on Friday, March 12 when it plays host to defending NCAA champion and current No. 1 UCLA. 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 identification are admitted free. Live streaming video of the Florida-UCLA dual meet is also available – log onto the official web site of the Florida Gators at www.GatorZone.com for more information.
| No. 7 Florida vs. No. 9 Arizona | ||||||
| Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | rank | Total | |
| Florida | 49.375 | 49.600 | 49.525 | 49.525 | 1 | 198.025 |
| Arizona | 48.950 | 49.200 | 49.150 | 49.350 | 2 | 196.65 |
