No. 4 Florida Gymnastics at No. 12 Kentucky Friday
Thursday, January 21, 2010 | Gymnastics
The No. 4 University of Florida gymnastics team (1-1, 1-0 SEC) visits No. 12 Kentucky (3-1, 1-0 SEC) on Friday, Jan. 22. Meet time is set for 7 p.m. at the Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Ky.
Kentucky is the third straight top-12 team faced by Florida to start the season (Jan. 8 – then No. 9 Oklahoma, 196.25-195.275 loss; Jan. 15 - then No. 7 Arkansas, 196.575-195.925 win). Kentucky and Florida last met in the 2009 Southeastern Conference Championships competition with Florida taking third with a 196.75 and Kentucky finishing seventh at 195.00. In 2009 dual meet action between these two teams, Florida took a 195.925-193.85 win in Gainesville, Fla.
Last week, Florida used a season-best 196.575 to win against then No. 7 Arkansas (195.925). Led by SEC Freshman of the Week Ashan?e Dickerson, Florida again relied heavily on its freshman class, with 13 of the 24 competitive routines being performed by Gator newcomers. Dickerson made it two-for-two for all-around wins in 2010, posting a 39.475 which ranks as the nation's second highest total for the season. In addition to her all-around victory, Dickerson also claimed meet victories and Florida season-highs in vault, with a mark of 9.925, and floor exercise with a 9.90. Senior Maranda Smith claimed her first uneven bars title of her collegiate career when she earned a Florida season-high bar mark of 9.875
Kentucky (3-1, 1-0 SEC) is off to a good start to their 2010 season. On Jan. 8, they took home a 194.85-187.25 win versus Texas Woman's University. Last weekend at the Lady Luck Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev., Kentucky took second in the quad meet with a 195.525. They finished a tenth behind meet winner, then No. 15 Missouri. At the meet, the Wildcats finished ahead of then No. 16 LSU, which was their first win versus the Tigers in 15 years - a span which included 31 meets.
