The top-ranked Gator gymnastics team opens SEC action Friday at No. 8 Auburn.
No. 1 Gators open SEC action Friday at No. 8 Auburn
Wednesday, January 20, 2016 | Gymnastics
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Another top-10 matchup is next for the Gator gymnastics team as Florida opens Southeastern Conference action Friday at Auburn. Meet time is set for 8:30 p.m. ET in the Auburn Arena.
This is the Gators' second consecutive meet versus a team that advanced to the 2015 NCAA Championships and first two straight meetings facing 2015 NCAA Super Six teams.
Friday's is Auburn's Flip for A Cure, the program's annual breast cancer awareness meet. These meets are part of a Southeastern Conference initiative and all of the league's teams will participate in a "pink" meet this season.
How to Follow the Gators:
Friday's meet is also the Gators' 2016 debut on the SEC Network (Gainesville/Ocala Cox cable 1068). Olympians Bart Conner and Kathy Johnson Clarke will call the action with Gator alum Laura Rutledge providing insight from the sideline.
You can also follow the action on SEC Network +.
In the Gators' Home Opener:
The nation's top dual meet of last weekend was in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, as the then No. 3 Gators opened home action with a 197.675-196.925 win over then No. 5 UCLA. UF's three all-arounders all posted totals ranking among the nation's best. Bridget Sloan national high of 39.65 won her second consecutive and 20th overall all-around title. Two Gators – Kennedy Baker and Alicia Boren - tied for second with collegiate-best totals of 39.575. The total by Boren equals the highest for a Gator in all-around debut. Baker and Alex McMurtry tied for the vault win at 9.925. Baker also won her second consecutive floor exercise title with a season-best 9.95. Sloan upped her uneven bars 2016 best to 9.975 – the nation's high on the event - to take her second consecutive win for the event.
SEC Honors for Sloan & Boren:
Florida's Sloan and Boren picked up SEC weekly honors on Tuesday for their performances versus UCLA. Sloan claimed her second consecutive SEC Gymnast of the Week honor while Boren is the SEC Freshman of the Week.
The Gator pair currently top the nation's all-around rankings with their season average of 39.575 per meet.
About the Tigers:
Auburn opened the season with meets in three different venue types – road, home and neutral. The Tigers traveled to Oregon State to open the season with a 196.175-195.425 on Jan. 10. SEC action started last Friday with a 196.275-195.175 home win over No. 21 Kentucky. Then AU met then No. 6 Alabama in Birmingham on Sunday, with the Tide taking a 196.875-196.075 win.
The Tigers are coming off a 2015 NCAA Super Six appearance – their first since 1993. Senior Caitlin Atkinson earned All-America first-team honors for all-around and balance beam at the 2015 NCAA Championships.
Return for Coach Rowland:
Jenny Rowland spent the last five season at Auburn before accepting Florida's head coaching position in May.
UF quickly zeroed in on Rowland as a top candidate to replace Rhonda Faehn, who resigned after 13 seasons with the Gators to become Senior Vice President of USA Gymnastics. Sixteen days after Faehn's announcement, Rowland was named the seventh head coach in the program's 43-year history. Rowland was with Auburn for five seasons, serving as associate head coach since March of 2013. She shared the 2015 National Assistant Coach of the Year honor after helping the Tigers reach their first NCAA Super Six team final in 22 years.
During her gymnastics career, Rowland was a USA National Team member from 1985-90 and part of the U.S.'s 1989 World Championships team. As a collegiate, she earned uneven bars All-America honors in 1993 for Arizona State. Rowland is also a Category 3 International Brevet level judge and was on the judging panel for the past two U.S. Olympic Trials.
National Rank:
Florida – Florida is No. 1 in the second Road to Nationals poll.
Auburn – The Tigers are No. 8 in the Road to National poll.
| Friday's Meet Info: |
|---|
| No. 1 Florida (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at No. 8 Auburn (2-1, 1-1 SEC) |
| Date & Time: Friday, Jan. 22 at 8:30 p.m. ET |
| Site: Auburn Arena (7,424) |
| Television: live on SEC Network (Gainesville/Ocala Cox cable 1068) |
| Series Record (all-time): Florida leads 69-11. Last meeting, Florida won the 2015 NCAA Super Six (197.85) and Auburn was sixth (195.625) on April 18, 2015 . |
Streaming Video: live video stream available at SEC Network + |
| Internet: live stats available on FloridaGators.com |
Tickets: $8-6 for adults. Check the Auburn Ticket Office site for more information |
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| Florida Gators |
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| @FloridaGators |
| @JennyRowlandUF |
Friday's is Auburn's Flip for A Cure, the program's annual breast cancer awareness meet. These meets are part of a Southeastern Conference initiative and all of the league's teams will participate in a "pink" meet this season.
How to Follow the Gators:
Friday's meet is also the Gators' 2016 debut on the SEC Network (Gainesville/Ocala Cox cable 1068). Olympians Bart Conner and Kathy Johnson Clarke will call the action with Gator alum Laura Rutledge providing insight from the sideline.
You can also follow the action on SEC Network +.
In the Gators' Home Opener:
The nation's top dual meet of last weekend was in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, as the then No. 3 Gators opened home action with a 197.675-196.925 win over then No. 5 UCLA. UF's three all-arounders all posted totals ranking among the nation's best. Bridget Sloan national high of 39.65 won her second consecutive and 20th overall all-around title. Two Gators – Kennedy Baker and Alicia Boren - tied for second with collegiate-best totals of 39.575. The total by Boren equals the highest for a Gator in all-around debut. Baker and Alex McMurtry tied for the vault win at 9.925. Baker also won her second consecutive floor exercise title with a season-best 9.95. Sloan upped her uneven bars 2016 best to 9.975 – the nation's high on the event - to take her second consecutive win for the event.
SEC Honors for Sloan & Boren:
Florida's Sloan and Boren picked up SEC weekly honors on Tuesday for their performances versus UCLA. Sloan claimed her second consecutive SEC Gymnast of the Week honor while Boren is the SEC Freshman of the Week.
The Gator pair currently top the nation's all-around rankings with their season average of 39.575 per meet.
About the Tigers:
Auburn opened the season with meets in three different venue types – road, home and neutral. The Tigers traveled to Oregon State to open the season with a 196.175-195.425 on Jan. 10. SEC action started last Friday with a 196.275-195.175 home win over No. 21 Kentucky. Then AU met then No. 6 Alabama in Birmingham on Sunday, with the Tide taking a 196.875-196.075 win.
The Tigers are coming off a 2015 NCAA Super Six appearance – their first since 1993. Senior Caitlin Atkinson earned All-America first-team honors for all-around and balance beam at the 2015 NCAA Championships.
Return for Coach Rowland:
Jenny Rowland spent the last five season at Auburn before accepting Florida's head coaching position in May.
UF quickly zeroed in on Rowland as a top candidate to replace Rhonda Faehn, who resigned after 13 seasons with the Gators to become Senior Vice President of USA Gymnastics. Sixteen days after Faehn's announcement, Rowland was named the seventh head coach in the program's 43-year history. Rowland was with Auburn for five seasons, serving as associate head coach since March of 2013. She shared the 2015 National Assistant Coach of the Year honor after helping the Tigers reach their first NCAA Super Six team final in 22 years.
During her gymnastics career, Rowland was a USA National Team member from 1985-90 and part of the U.S.'s 1989 World Championships team. As a collegiate, she earned uneven bars All-America honors in 1993 for Arizona State. Rowland is also a Category 3 International Brevet level judge and was on the judging panel for the past two U.S. Olympic Trials.
National Rank:
Florida – Florida is No. 1 in the second Road to Nationals poll.
Auburn – The Tigers are No. 8 in the Road to National poll.
Players Mentioned
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