No. 1 Gator Gymnastics Team Faces No. 22 Auburn Friday in Florida's Home Finale
Wednesday, February 16, 2011 | Gymnastics
The No. 1 University of Florida gymnastics team (7-0, 4-0 SEC) plays host to No. 22 Auburn (2-4, 2-3 SEC) in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center for the Gators' last home meet of the season. Meet time is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18.
| Friday's Meet Info: | ||
| No. 1 Florida (7-0, 4-0 SEC) versus No. 22 Auburn (2-4, 2-3 SEC) Date & Time: Feb. 18, 2011 @ 7 p.m. ET Television: meets airs tape-delayed on Sun Sports Sunday, Feb. 27 at 8:30 a.m. Series Records (all-time): UF leads 57-11. Last meeting, Florida won the 2010 NCAA North Central Regional at 197.675 and Auburn was sixth at 194.925. Internet: audio and streaming video for Florida-Auburn meet available on http://www.gatorvision.tv/; live stats available on www.GatorZone.com Tickets: $4 for adults; children 17 & under and UF students with Gator 1 cards are admitted free. For more information,contact the UAA Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683, ext. 6800 or 1-800-34GATOR, ext. 6800 (state of Florida only) and on-line. Parking Shuttle: Free parking shuttle available starting at 5 p.m. – video – map – story.
Promotions: Senior Night – Three Gators will be honored in a post-meet ceremony (All-Americans Alicia Goodwin and Maranda Smith plus manager Stacey Abbott); Cinch Bag Giveaway - First 500 fans receive drawstring backpacks courtesy of Gatorade; Verizon Ticket Promotion – Stop by a Verizon store in Gainesville and Ocala to pick-up free admission passes to the meet (Feb. 1- Feb. 18) ; Buy One, Get One Free General Admission – will be available on www.GatorZone.com/gymnastics, on the Florida Gators Facebook page - www.facebook.com/FloridaGators and at the Gator Sportshop locations in the O'Connell Center and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium; School Supplies Drive – Fans are encouraged to bring $5 worth of school supplies and receive free admission. The school that brings the highest percentage of attendees to the meet will receive the supplies. For a complete list of promotions for Friday's meet, please check out the Gator Outlook. |
The first 500 fans through the doors will receive a drawstring backpack courtesy of Gatorade. Complimentary passes can be picked up at any Gainesville/ Ocala Verizon store. Buy one, get one free admission passes are available through www.GatorZone,com/gymnastics, the Florida Gators Facebook page – www.facebook.com/FloridaGators, and at the Gator Sportshop locations in the O'Connell Center and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Be sure to stay around after the meet as Florida honors All-American seniors Maranda Smith and Alicia Goodwin in a Senior Night ceremony.
In last week's meet in Athens, Ga., the Gators posted the nation's highest total of the 2011 season (197.725) to beat the No. 4 GymDogs (196.60). This is the third consecutive week that Florida has upped its season-best team total.
Florida's trio of Alaina Johnson, Ashan?e Dickerson and Mackenzie Caquatto each took a share of the top three spots in the all-around event. Johnson, who set the nation's top total of 39.60 in the Jan. 28 Gators Link to Pink meet, raised her total to 39.675 to claim her second all-around win of the season. She used a score of 9.975 to share her fourth bar win with UGA's Kat Ding. The freshman also shared the vault title (9.90) with Dickerson and Smith. Johnson picked up the Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Week award on Tuesday after her performance at Georgia.
Dickerson was runner-up in the all-around with a season-best 39.575. She matched her collegiate-best for floor for the third time this season with a 9.95 and shared her balance beam win (9.90) with Georgia's Hilary Mauro. Caquatto finished third in the all-around (39.475) along with UGA's Cassidy McComb.
Auburn meets its second consecutive top-10 conference rival in road action, as the Tigers lost 197.075-194.85 at No. 7 Alabama on Feb. 11. Sophomore Petrina Yokay is the only Tiger to compete as an all-arounder this season, which she has done in each of Auburn's six meets. She turned in her season-high of 38.825 versus Arkansas on Jan. 28. The Tigers also turned in their high team score of 195.15 in its loss to Arkansas. Jeff Graba is in his first year as Auburn's head coach after serving five years as assistant coach at perennial power Utah.
Tickets to this Friday's meet are $4.00 for adults, while children 17 and under and UF students with Gator1 cards are admitted free. Live scores and streaming video can be found at www.GatorZone.com.
Friday's meet will air tape-delayed on Sun Sports (Gainesville/Ocala Cox cable channel 48 or 748) Feb. 27 at 8:30 a.m.
