No. 1 Florida Gymnastics Team Faces No. 24 LSU in First Road Meet of Season
Thursday, January 20, 2011 | Gymnastics
The No. 1 University of Florida gymnastics team (2-0, 1-0 SEC) heads to Baton Rouge, La., for its first road meet of the season. The Gators face No. 24 LSU (0-2, 0-1 SEC) at 8 p.m. (ET) Friday, Jan. 21 in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Meets between these two teams are traditionally close contests. Since 1995, 22 of the UF-LSU meetings have been decided by less than half a point. The last time UF visited LSU in 2009, the Tigers claimed their first win over UF since 2005 with 196.80-195.825 result. Florida took each of the three meetings between the two teams in 2010, including the last at the Southeastern Conference Championships when UF claimed the title and LSU was fourth.
In last week's Southeastern Conference opener, Florida swept all four events plus the all-around as the Gators claimed a 196.775-192.90 win over the then-No. 16 Kentucky Wildcats. Freshman Alaina Johnson opened the meet with wins on vault (9.95) and uneven bars (9.925). Her score makes her one of five Gator freshmen all-time to earn a vault mark of 9.95. Johnson equaled her score set in the season opener to earn her second consecutive bar win. After her performance versus Kentucky, Johnson picked up her second consecutive SEC Freshman Gymnast of the Week honor.
| Friday's Meet Information |
| No. 1 Florida (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at No. 24 LSU (0-2, 0-1 SEC) Date & Time: Jan. 30, 2011 @ 8 p.m. ET Television: Meet airs tape-delayed on Jan. 21 at 8:30 a.m. on Sun Sports (Gainesville/Ocala Cox cable channel 48 or 748) Internet: audio and streaming video for UF-LSU meet available on www.GatorVision.tv; live stats available on www.GatorZone.com Tickets: $5 for adults and $3 for youth ages 3-12). For more information, contact the LSU Ticket Office at 800-960-8587. |
Sophomores Liz Green and Marissa King shared their first balance beam title of the season versus Kentucky with identical marks of 9.825. King added her second title of the evening when she shared the floor exercise win with Ashan?e Dickerson at 9.875. Dickerson collected her second consecutive all-around and ninth overall with her total of 39.225.
LSU posted a record of 15-13-1 in 2010 and took ninth in the NCAA Championships. The Tigers were led in 2010 by Susan Jackson, who won the 2010 NCAA all-around crown. As a senior in 2010, Jackson also claimed the SEC Gymnast of the Year award and was named the SEC Female Athlete of the Year. In 2011, LSU has lost in both of it road meets, opening the season with a 195.40-193.35 loss at Oregon State and dropping a 194.775-194.475 decision at Auburn last Friday.
The UF-LSU meet airs tape-delayed on Sun Sports (Gainesville/Ocala cable channel 48 or 748) on Jan. 30 at 8:30 a.m.
