No. 2 Florida gymnasts at No. 8 Arkansas Friday
Wednesday, February 4, 2015 | Gymnastics
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida opens the month of February with a road meet at No. 8 Arkansas on Friday, Feb. 6. The meet will stream live on the SEC Network+ and airs tape-delayed on the SEC Network on Feb. 9 at 9 p.m.
| Friday's Meet Info: | |
| No. 2 Florida (3-1, 2-1 SEC) at No. 8 Arkansas (2-4, 1-2 SEC)
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| @UFCoachRhonda (Rhonda Faehn) | |
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Last Florida-Arkansas dual meet:
When the two teams met on Valentine's Day in 2014, Florida turned in a 197.525-196.025 win over then No. 11 Arkansas in front of a Stephen C. O'Connell Center crowd of 6,124. Kytra Hunter became the third Gator to earn a 10.0 on vault. Bridget Sloan won her fifth consecutive all-around title with the then nation's leading total of 39.75. She also won beam (9.90) and floor (9.975). Then seniors Mackenzie Caquatto and Alaina Johnson shared the uneven bars win (9.95)
Gators in their last meet:
Florida finished the opening month of the 2015 campaign by posting its season-high Jan. 30 in its 197.60-196.95 win versus No. 11 Georgia in front of a Stephen C. O'Connell Center crowd of 7,116. The competition was tight through the midway point of the meet, as the Gators led by 0.225 after two rotations. But season-best event totals on balance beam (49.375) and floor exercise (49.55) pushed out the Gators' lead to give them the win.
Hunter continued her all-around win streak, opening her senior season with four straight wins. Her winning total of 39.675 is the nation's second-highest total of 2015. Taking second in the all-around was Gator freshman Kennedy Baker, who turned in a collegiate-best 39.55 – which also stands among the nation's top 10 of 2015 and is the highest among the nation's freshmen. Hunter used a season-best 9.975 for the second consecutive meet to take the vault win. That same mark by both Hunter and Baker shared the floor exercise title. Baker was second with her collegiate balance beam best of 9.925. Fellow freshman Alex McMurtry matched her collegiate uneven bars best of 9.925 to share the event title.
SEC weekly honors go to a pair of Gators:
For their performances versus Georgia, both Hunter and Baker picked up weekly honors from the SEC on Feb. 3. Hunter is the SEC Gymnast of the Week, her sixth such honor as a Gator. Baker claimed her second SEC Freshman of the Week honor, as she also claimed the Week II honor.
Florida will be without Baker Friday, as she is sidelined with a concussion she suffered in Monday's practice.
Arkansas' last competition:
Arkansas took third Saturday at the 2015 Metroplex Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. The Razorbacks turned in a 196.25. The meet was won by No. 1 Oklahoma (197.70), No. 2 LSU was second (197.425) while Iowa State took fourth (193.40). Freshman Paige Zaziski posted a collegiate-best 39.35 to take third in the all-around.
Friday's competition is the Razorback's second home meet of 2015. In their home opener on Jan. 16, Arkansas upset then No. 6 Alabama 196.325-196.175.
National Rank:
Florida – Florida is No. 2 in the Feb. 2 GymInfo rankings. The current rankings are based on total season average.
Arkansas – The Razorbacks are No. 8 in the GymInfo rankings.
