Florida Gators

The No. 6 Florida gymnastics team (10-6, 3-3 SEC) finished third at the 29^th edition of the Southeastern Conference Championships, held in front of a Sommet Center crowd of 5,045.

Alabama stunned previously undefeated No. 1 Georgia to claim its sixth SEC title and first since 2003. Alabama won the meet title at 197.30. Georgia couldn't overcome the falls on balance beam by its first two performers Saturday and finished with a total of 196.925. Florida turned its highest road score of the season, 196.75, to claim its fourth consecutive top three SEC finish. Other team results Saturday included LSU (196.55), Auburn (196.35), Arkansas (195.65) and Kentucky (195.10).

Florida's finish Saturday was perhaps surprising to all but the members of the team. The 2009 Gators have been hit hard by injuries, as five of the team's 12 members were sidelined for SECs. Just in the last week, Florida lost the services of junior All-American Amanda Castillo, the two-time defending SEC floor exercise champion, with a partial tear of her left Achilles tendon and of sophomore Alicia Goodwin, who sprained her left knee in Wednesday's practice.

“It was absolutely phenomenal. I told the team that as a coaching staff this is the proudest we've ever been of any team we've ever coached. They just put everything out there. They showed so much heart and so much fight. After so many injuries, everyone was counting us out and had no expectations,” UF Head Coach Rhonda Faehn said. “But the team competed with such passion – it was just awesome.”

“We are short some athletes on some of the events, but everyone supported each other. I don't even have the words to describe how happy I am for the fight and desire this team showed,” she continued. “Those injuries would have devastated any other team but not this team. They are not giving up.”

Senior All-American Corey Hartung, who was held out for the last two meets and was limited to just bars and beam at the Feb. 28 dual at Georgia due to a third-degree strain of her left soleus muscle, led UF with her season-best all-around total of 39.50. She finished fourth in the all-around competition and teammate junior All-American Melanie Sinclair was fifth at 39.45.

“I am so happy for Corey. Her performance tonight just showed her passion and her fight,” Faehn said. “She willed herself to do as well as she did despite the limited training she had.”

Florida drew the Olympic rotation for the meet and opened competition on the vault. The Gators were solid on the event, posting a 49.20 team total. Hartung, performing her first vault since the Feb. 20 dual versus Alabama, led UF on the event with a season-best mark of 9.90, which tied for third overall. Florida also received vault marks of 9.85 from Sinclair and junior Maranda Smith.

The Gators' uneven bars lineup consisted of only five gymnasts, so clean routines were vital. Each of the Gators hit their routines and the final three performers all turned in marks of 9.90 or better. Sinclair and Hartung each posted marks of 9.95 to share second overall. Smith tied for sixth with her mark of 9.90. The score is a collegiate-best for Hartung, who twice turned in a 9.925 as a sophomore and once earlier this season. UF turned in a 49.375 on the event – its highest bars total in seven meets.

Cautious, but solid, performances on the balance beam resulted in a 48.825 team score on the event. Sinclair and junior Courtney Gladys led UF with marks of 9.80 to tie for seventh overall while freshman Elizabeth Mahlich earned a 9.775.

Florida finished the meet with its second-highest floor exercise total of the season (49.35). Four Gators turned in floor marks of 9.85 or higher. Hartung led UF on the event with her fourth-place mark of 9.925, while Smith shared sixth at 9.90. Sinclair and freshman Amy Ferguson both turned in marks of 9.85.

Georgia senior Courtney Kupets, the 2009 SEC Gymnast of the Year, won the all-around at 39.775. She also earned at least a share of each of the event titles. Kupets collected the uneven bars (9.975) title. She shared the vault title with Alabama's Morgan Dennis at 9.95 and also shared the beam win at 9.90 with LSU's Susan Jackson and Arkansas' Casey Jo Magee. Dennis and LSU's Ashleigh Clare-Kearney shared the floor title with her at 9.95.

The SEC Championship meet airs tape-delayed on March 29 at noon on SUN Sports.

Next up, the Gators await Monday's announcement by the NCAA of team assignments for the six NCAA Regional sites. The NCAA Regional Championships are set for April 4. The top two teams at each of the six sites will advance to the NCAA Championships, set for April 16-18 in Lincoln, Neb.