Florida Gators

FORT WORTH, Texas – The Gators' three years at the top of the women's collegiate gymnastics world has come to an end. Oklahoma ended Florida's reign with its win Saturday evening in front of 8,338 fans at the Fort Worth Convention Center Arena.
 
Oklahoma claimed its second NCAA title – and first outright – with a team total of 197.675. Following the Sooners were three Southeastern Conference schools. LSU posted its highest NCAA finish of second at 197.45, followed by Alabama (197.4375) and Florida (197.35). UCLA (196.825) and Georgia (196.8125) rounded out the NCAA Super Six team results.
 
No falls were counted toward Florida's team scores, but mistakes kept the Gators from reaching their maximum score potential on each event.
 
Florida drew the same rotation it used to win its third consecutive NCAA team title in 2015, opening the meet on balance beam. Florida was led on the event with a 9.90 from senior Bridget Sloan and a 9.875 from Alex McMurtry. Sloan again led the Gators on floor exercise with her 9.925. Another Gator senior, Bridgette Caquatto, turned in a 9.90.
 
At the midway point of the meet, just 0.2375 separated the top five teams. Alabama led the meet by just 0.025 over Oklahoma. Florida was third, followed by Georgia and LSU.
 
A pair of sophomores led Florida on its next event with vault marks of 9.90 – Kennedy Baker and McMurtry. Florida finished competition by posting a meet-high 49.45 on uneven bars. Sloan and McMurtry anchored with bars lineup with marks of 9.9375 and 9.925, respectively.
 
SLOAN WINS ALL-AROUND – AGAIN
Senior Bridget Sloan, who claimed her second NCAA all-around title last night, also topped the all-around competitors in Saturday's Super Six competition. She turned in a total of 39.65.
 
Sloan has led all gymnasts in NCAA Super Six competition three of her four seasons (2013, 2014, 2016). She was just 0.05 out of the all-around win in the 2015 Super Six final, taking third overall.
 
The two all-around wins this weekend moves Sloan to the top of Florida's career all-around victories chart. She now shares the record at 27 wins with former Gator All-America Elfi Schlegel (1983-86).
 
GATOR NOTES:

• This was Florida's fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Super Six and 14^th in the program's history.
• Sophomore Alex McMurtry, who was making her fifth collegiate all-around appearance Saturday, took third among Saturday's competitors at 39.5625.
• Sloan led all competitors on bars Saturday with her mark of 9.9375. She claimed a share of the NCAA Event Titles for bars and beam in Friday's NCAA Semifinal competition.
• The 0.325 margin between first and fourth is the slenderest in the 35-year history of the NCAA Championships. The previous slightest margin between first and fourth of 0.35 came in 2012.

QUOTES
Jenny Rowland
On tonight's meet:
"It was not the outcome we were looking for tonight. We left several tenths out there on the floor. Other than that, the performances were very strong. We didn't have any major problems tonight, but there was just enough little issues to keep us from challenging for the win.
 
"Oklahoma was the best team tonight. Congratulations to them for taking the win in a very competitive Super Six competition." – Florida head coach Jenny Rowland
 
On the four Gator seniors:
"I'm very proud of the seniors. They left on a high note individually. I couldn't be more proud of Bridget [Sloan], Morgan [Frazier], Bianca [Dancose-Giambattisto] and Bridgey [Caquatto]. They put their heart and soul into every role and position they've been put in this season. They've just been amazing." – Florida head coach Jenny Rowland
 
NEXT SEASON:
The NCAA Super Six team final signals the end of the 2016 women's collegiate season. The NCAA Gymnastics Championships begin a two-year stand in the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Mo. The next NCAA Championships are set for April 14-15, 2017.

 

Florida at NCAA Championships - Super Six team final Final Team Totals
April 16, 2016 - Fort Worth Convention Center Arena (8,338)
Team	Vault	Bars	Beam	Floor	Total
Oklahoma	49.2250	49.4500	49.4250	49.5750	197.6750
LSU	49.5250	49.1250	49.3375	49.4625	197.4500
Alabama	49.3250	49.2875	49.4500	49.3750	197.4375
Florida	49.3250	49.4500	49.2125	49.3625	197.3500
UCLA	49.0875	49.1000	49.4375	49.2000	196.8250
Georgia	49.2125	49.1875	49.3625	49.0500	196.8125