The Gators started off with a pumped up routine on the beam in Saturday night's Super Six. (Photo: Michael Erdelyi/For UAA Communications)
Quick Recap: Oklahoma, LSU, Florida finish 1-2-3
Saturday, April 15, 2017 | Gymnastics, Scott Carter
Florida improves a spot from last season's NCAA Championships and with a veteran team returning, expect the Gators to be back.
ST. LOUIS -- Oklahoma proved it is the best college gymnastics team in the country in 2017 with a record-setting performance on Saturday night.
Meanwhile, Florida challenged LSU for Southeastern Conference supremacy until the final routine, but the Tigers edged the Gators to finish national runner-up as UF placed third for the third time in school history at the Super Six.
"This team did a tremendous job of fighting,'' Gators head coach Jenny Rowland said. "We had a few mistakes, but everybody came back to cover each other and really, that's what this team has been about all year long. I'm extremely proud."
The Sooners posted a NCAA Finals-record score of 198.3875 to easily cruise to their second consecutive national championship. LSU was second with a score of 197.737, followed by the Gators (197.000) in front of 6,057 fans at Chaifetz Arena.
The Gators finished in the top four at the Super Six for the sixth consecutive year, a span that includes three consecutive national championships from 2013-15.
UCLA finished fourth, followed by Utah and Alabama.
Here is a closer look at Florida's performance on Saturday night in the Super Six:
*****
WHAT IT MEANS: The Gators appeared on their way to a national runner-up finish until LSU's Ashley Gnat posted a 9.950 on beam to move the Tigers into second place on their final routine of the night. The Gators finished third for the third time in school history at the event, matching their 1985 and 2007 performances.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Florida junior Alex McMurtry was once again spectacular, posting a perfect 10 on her uneven bars routine and a 9.950 on floor.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Sooners and Gators have six national titles between them over the past five years The schools shared the national title in 2014 and have won three each over that span. The last school to win the title other than Florida or Oklahoma is Alabama in 2012.
SUBPLOT: The Gators understood Saturday night was going to be a challenge to knock off No. 1-ranked Oklahoma despite both LSU and Florida posting a higher team score than the Sooners in Friday's semifinals. Florida did enough to win most of the time, but the Sooners, led by All-American Maggie Nichols and her scores on beam (10.0) and vault (9.9625), were better than any team ever at the Super Six.
UP NEXT: The Gators return a loaded roster next season in head coach Rowland's third season, including NCAA all-around champion McMurtry. Florida's only loss is senior Claire Boyce, who retired at midseason due to a chronic hip condition that required major surgery and plagued her throughout the 2017 campaign.
Meanwhile, Florida challenged LSU for Southeastern Conference supremacy until the final routine, but the Tigers edged the Gators to finish national runner-up as UF placed third for the third time in school history at the Super Six.
"This team did a tremendous job of fighting,'' Gators head coach Jenny Rowland said. "We had a few mistakes, but everybody came back to cover each other and really, that's what this team has been about all year long. I'm extremely proud."
The Sooners posted a NCAA Finals-record score of 198.3875 to easily cruise to their second consecutive national championship. LSU was second with a score of 197.737, followed by the Gators (197.000) in front of 6,057 fans at Chaifetz Arena.
The Gators finished in the top four at the Super Six for the sixth consecutive year, a span that includes three consecutive national championships from 2013-15.
UCLA finished fourth, followed by Utah and Alabama.
Here is a closer look at Florida's performance on Saturday night in the Super Six:
*****
WHAT IT MEANS: The Gators appeared on their way to a national runner-up finish until LSU's Ashley Gnat posted a 9.950 on beam to move the Tigers into second place on their final routine of the night. The Gators finished third for the third time in school history at the event, matching their 1985 and 2007 performances.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Florida junior Alex McMurtry was once again spectacular, posting a perfect 10 on her uneven bars routine and a 9.950 on floor.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Sooners and Gators have six national titles between them over the past five years The schools shared the national title in 2014 and have won three each over that span. The last school to win the title other than Florida or Oklahoma is Alabama in 2012.
SUBPLOT: The Gators understood Saturday night was going to be a challenge to knock off No. 1-ranked Oklahoma despite both LSU and Florida posting a higher team score than the Sooners in Friday's semifinals. Florida did enough to win most of the time, but the Sooners, led by All-American Maggie Nichols and her scores on beam (10.0) and vault (9.9625), were better than any team ever at the Super Six.
UP NEXT: The Gators return a loaded roster next season in head coach Rowland's third season, including NCAA all-around champion McMurtry. Florida's only loss is senior Claire Boyce, who retired at midseason due to a chronic hip condition that required major surgery and plagued her throughout the 2017 campaign.
Players Mentioned
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