The No. 6 University of Florida gymnastics team (8-2, 3-1 SEC) extended its dual-team meet winning streak to four Friday after a 196.525-194.00 defeat of No. 15 Auburn University (2-4, 1-4 SEC) at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Florida performed well in every event, taking at least a share of every apparatus title.
Freshman Ashley Reed competed in top form in front of a crowd of 2,746, claiming one title and sharing two. Reed earned the all-around title with a UF season-best score of 39.375—the first time a freshman Gator has done won the all-around since sophomore Samantha Lutz claimed 2004 Florida-Georgia dual meet title.
"It was really exciting, I wasn't expecting anything," Reed said. "I was glad I could help the team out. It's such a good feeling when we all did so well tonight. It was a lot of fun - I enjoyed it. I just wanted to hit my routines the best that I could because I felt like I let the team down last week (Reed fell on her beam dismount last Friday at Georgia). Going out there and sticking the landing was probably the best feeling for me."
Reed also scored a personal best 9.85 on balance beam, sharing the event title with fellow Gator Lutz and Auburn's Julie Dwyer. Reed shared the uneven bars title with another fellow Gator, senior Orley Szmuch, with a score of 9.85. The mark was Szmuch's season best and also was her first bars title of 2005.
Making her O'Connell Center debut of her new floor exercise routine, Reed placed third with a score of 9.825, behind Gator sophomore Savannah Evans and Auburn's Rachael Tarantino, both with scores of 9.875. This marked Evans' second floor title of the season—she also won the event in the Alabama dual meet.
"It's really starting to show that Ashley is coming into her own and getting more comfortable with competing in college and the atmosphere," UF Head Coach Rhonda Faehn said. "Her personality came out tonight and she's starting to shine. She's starting to stick her landings and enjoy it. You can tell she's starting to really love what she's doing as opposed to just going out there and competing. I'm really proud of Ashley."
Three different Gators shared the title for the vault this evening. Sophomores Katie Rue and Breanne King, and senior Szmuch, each earned a score of 9.875. It was the first vault win of the season for both Szmuch and King and the second for Rue.
No falls were recorded in the Gators team total Friday and Faehn said that having a strong performance was the team's focus this week.
"The biggest thing tonight was that the team wanted to focus in on not making excuses for falling. It's not okay. Last year, there was a fall every once in awhile, but that's not how we're going to win a SEC or a national championship," Faehn said. "They haven't been able to experience the feeling of having everyone put it together and just having so much fun together. That was our goal tonight and they did that. In the huddle at the end, Chantelle (Tousek) said, 'This is what it feels like, this is what it's suppose to feel like every time.' The excitement, having fun and performing without feeling so much pressure."
The Gators did suffer a loss Friday as Szmuch sprained her right ankle on her beam dismount. Her injury forced her out of the team's floor line-up, and she will be evaluated this weekend by UF team doctors.
Florida continues Southeastern Conference dual meet action next Friday when it meets No. 12 Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark.
