The Gators competed Friday night at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis. (Photo: Michael Erdelyi/For UAA Communications)
Quick Recap: Gators Advance to Super Six
Friday, April 14, 2017 | Gymnastics, Scott Carter
The UF gymnastics team is in the hunt for a national title for the sixth consecutive season.
ST. LOUIS – The Gators gymnastics team made sure it didn't get locked out of the Southeastern Conference block party here at Chaifetz Arena on Friday night.
Florida joined conference rivals LSU and Alabama in advancing to Saturday night's Super Six for a shot at the national championship. Defending national champion Oklahoma, UCLA and Utah advanced from Friday's first semifinal.
"The SEC is the best in the country,'' Gators coach Jenny Rowland said. "It says a lot about our conference. I'm really proud to be a part of it and look forward to battling it out again [Saturday]."
In the evening session, it was an all-SEC affair at the top of the standings as LSU finished with a score of 198.2750, followed by Florida (197.8125) and Alabama (197.6000). Michigan, Nebraska and Georgia failed to advance.
Here is a quick recap from Florida's performance Friday in Semifinal II at the NCAA Championships:
*****
WHAT IT MEANS: The No. 3-ranked Gators return to the Super Six for a sixth consecutive year. Florida last failed to advance in the national semifinals in 2011.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Florida junior Alex McMurtry made history, winning the all-around title with a score of 39.8125, breaking the previous NCAA semifinals record set by Georgia's Courtney Kupets (39.800) in 2009.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: A Gator has won five of the last six NCAA all-around competitions (Kytra Hunter: 2012, 2015; Bridget Sloan: 2013, 2016, Alex McMurtry: 2017).
SUBPLOT: The Gators got off to a good start with a score of 49.5125 on vault, which helped set the tone. They ran into trouble when junior Kennedy Baker fell on bars, but freshman Amelia Hundley followed with a strong score (9.8625) to prevent the mishap from doing serious damage.
UP NEXT: The Gators will have to be at their best, but a fourth national title in five years is not out of question. LSU was exceptional on Friday night and both the Tigers' and Gators' team scores would have defeated Oklahoma (197.725) in the first semifinal.
Florida joined conference rivals LSU and Alabama in advancing to Saturday night's Super Six for a shot at the national championship. Defending national champion Oklahoma, UCLA and Utah advanced from Friday's first semifinal.
"The SEC is the best in the country,'' Gators coach Jenny Rowland said. "It says a lot about our conference. I'm really proud to be a part of it and look forward to battling it out again [Saturday]."
In the evening session, it was an all-SEC affair at the top of the standings as LSU finished with a score of 198.2750, followed by Florida (197.8125) and Alabama (197.6000). Michigan, Nebraska and Georgia failed to advance.
Here is a quick recap from Florida's performance Friday in Semifinal II at the NCAA Championships:
*****
WHAT IT MEANS: The No. 3-ranked Gators return to the Super Six for a sixth consecutive year. Florida last failed to advance in the national semifinals in 2011.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Florida junior Alex McMurtry made history, winning the all-around title with a score of 39.8125, breaking the previous NCAA semifinals record set by Georgia's Courtney Kupets (39.800) in 2009.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: A Gator has won five of the last six NCAA all-around competitions (Kytra Hunter: 2012, 2015; Bridget Sloan: 2013, 2016, Alex McMurtry: 2017).
SUBPLOT: The Gators got off to a good start with a score of 49.5125 on vault, which helped set the tone. They ran into trouble when junior Kennedy Baker fell on bars, but freshman Amelia Hundley followed with a strong score (9.8625) to prevent the mishap from doing serious damage.
UP NEXT: The Gators will have to be at their best, but a fourth national title in five years is not out of question. LSU was exceptional on Friday night and both the Tigers' and Gators' team scores would have defeated Oklahoma (197.725) in the first semifinal.
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