GAINESVILLE, Fla. – For the second consecutive Friday, Florida's gymnastics team is involved in the nation's top dual meet of the weekend. This Friday, that meet brings No. 9 Georgia to Gainesville to face No. 3 Florida. Meet time is set for 6:45 p.m. ET in Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
This is the Gators' second consecutive meet versus a 2016 NCAA Super Six team. Florida took fourth in 2016 NCAA Super Six action and Georgia was sixth.
Friday's Promotions:
- Gator Shades – 1,500 Gators Gymnastics sunglasses & case
- Alumni Night – Welcome back Gators Gymnastics Alumni! Be there to see all your favorite Gator Greats back together in the O'Dome
- Social Contest – Post a photo, video, or custom GIF from the meet on Instagram or Twitter with #GoGatorsGym for the chance to win Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones
- Dance Marathon Check-In – DM Participants can check in at the meet to earn spirit points
- Rowdy Reptile Check-In – Students can check in at the meet via the Rowdy Reptile app from 6-7PM to earn 3 points towards great prizes! Visit the app store or Google Play to download the free app.
To get tickets for Friday's meet, visit the
FloridaGators.com ticket site or stop by the Gator Ticket Office (open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.).
Complete list of Florida's 2017 home promotions
Parking Update & Parking shuttle:
A change to the O'Connell Center parking lot access starts with Friday's meet.
Fans with the season parking pass can access the lot from either:
- Gale Lemerand Drive
- SW 2nd Avenue
No parking pass? No problem. Those fans can access the lot at:
Complete information about new parking access
Another efficient option is the complimentary parking shuttle. It transport fans from the UF Commuter Lot on Gale Lemerand Drive to the O'Connell Center. For more information, visit
FloridaGators.com.
How to Follow the Gators:
Friday is the third of a six-meet stretch of live SEC Network appearances for the Gators. Calling the action are Olympic medalist Kathy Johnson Clarke and Gator grad Laura Rutledge with Laura Davis reporting from the sideline.
The meet can also be found on
SEC Network +. New to the SEC Network + coverage this season is all the pre-meet pageantry and festivities will be part of the on-line production. Tune in beginning at 6:145 p.m. to see the pre-meet show.
A tape-delay replay of the Georgia at Florida meet airs Feb. 13 on ESPN2 at 11:30 p.m. ET.
Last Friday at Alabama:
No. 6 Alabama handed Florida (4-1, 2-1 SEC) its first loss of the season on Feb. 3 in front of a Coleman Coliseum crowd of 14,423. The Tide turned in a season-best 197.825 and Florida's total of 197.425 is the team's road season high.
It was a close meet through the opening three rotations, as the Tide owned a 0.075 heading into the final event. The Gators went six-for-six on their finishing event (balance beam) but couldn't keep up with the Tide's scoring on floor exercise. The Tide posted its season-high floor total of 49.625 to take the win.
Junior
Rachel Slocum shared the evening's vault title at 9.925 with Alabama's Nickie Guerrero.
Kennedy Baker's 9.95 on floor exercise was the Gators' high mark of the evening, but was edged for the event title by Alabama's Kiana Winston's 10.0. Freshman
Amelia Hundley equaled her collegiate beam best of 9.90 to share second on the event. A 9.90 by junior
Alex McMurtry shared third in the evening's bars standings.
Gator Quick Hits:
- Each of Florida's five team totals this season are among the nation's top 20 – No. 6 197.70 (Jan. 27), No. 9 197.60 (Jan. 13), No. T13 197.425 (Feb. 3), No. T16 197.325 (Jan. 20) and No. 22 197.10 (Jan. 8).
- The season highs for three Gators – Alicia Boren (39.625/T8th), Kennedy Baker (39.575/T16th) and Amelia Hundley (39.55/T23) all rank among the nation's top 25 all-around totals of 2017. Florida is the only school with three different gymnasts represented among the nation's top 25 all-around totals. The season-best (39.475/No. T37) for another Gator all-arounder, Rachel Gowey, sits just beyond the top 30 scores.
- Six gymnasts across the nation have turned in 10.0 scores this season, including Baker who is one of three in the nation to claim a 10.0 on floor this season. Another Gator also posted a perfect mark this season as Alex McMurtry received a 9.95 for a Yurchenko full vault on Jan. 20. The start value for that vault is a 9.95.
About the Gymdogs:
Georgia (5-1, 4-1 SEC) comes off four straight home meets to begin a three meet road stretch at Florida. The Gymdogs have won their last five meets, setting their season high of 197.075 in their Jan. 27 win versus Missouri.
Last season when the two teams met in Athens for dual meet action, the Gymdogs snapped a 17-meet Florida win streak in meetings versus UGA. Georgia took that win 196.40-196.35, marking the 10
th time in the two team's all-time history that a tenth or less decided the meet (including a 2007 dual meet tie).
National Rank:
Florida – Florida is No. 3 in the fifth
Road to Nationals poll.
UGA – The Gymdogs are No. 9 in the Road to Nationals poll.
