Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – It's the longest rivalry in Gators gymnastics 47-year history – No. 3 Florida versus No. 7 Georgia.
 
Friday's action begins at 6:45 p.m. in the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. The GymDogs are the fourth top-10 opponent for Florida and the first to compete in the Exactech Arena this season.
 
Friday's meet is the 54^th of the last 58 meetings that both teams bring a top-10 ranking.
 
Arrive Early to Cheer Your Gators
The Gators return to the Exactech Arena this Friday. You'll want to be in your seat at 6:45 p.m. to see gymnastics' floor projection and to welcome the Gators for another Southeastern Conference dual.
 
It's a busy campus Friday evening, as No. 3 Florida baseball plays host to in-state rival Miami at 6:30 p.m. Make your trip to the Exactech Arena as smooth as a Gator floor routine. Here's some tips to expedite your trip:
 
Getting TO the Arena:

• Season parking holders can enter the O'Connell Center lot off Lemerand Drive OR SW 2^nd Avenue.
• Public parking is available in the O'Connell Center parking garage on first-come basis. Those wishing to park in the garage must enter lot off SW 2^nd Avenue.
• Public parking is also available in the north end of Percy Beard Track (enter off SW 2^nd Avenue), tennis stadium lot or fraternity row.
• A complimentary parking bus transports fans from Commuter Lot Garage IX to the O'Connell Center. For more information, visit FloridaGators.com.

Parking map for Gator Gymnastics

• NEW this season: Use the Waze app to provide the best route to Garage IX.

Getting IN the Arena:

• To get tickets ahead of 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.).
• The O'Connell Center ticket windows open at 5 p.m., with the gates opening at 5:30 p.m. Gates 1, 2 and 3 will be open for each gymnastics meet.

Entry Gates for Gymnastics

• Bags are checked before entering the building. Everyone will go through the O'Connell Center metal detectors when entering. When using the metal detectors fans need to empty their pockets prior to screening, then walk through the detector. After that, tickets will be scanned and then you are ready to cheer your Gators!

 
Friday's Promotions:

• It is Gator Alumna Night and many past Florida gymnasts will be back in the Exactech Arena.
• The first 1,500 fans get a free Gators Gymnastics wristband.

 
How to Follow the Gators:
This rivalry meet kicks off a SEC Network double-header of Friday Night Heights action. Olympic medalists Bart Conner and Kathy Johnson-Clarke call the action Friday.
 
On the go Friday? Follow the action on WatchESPN.
 
Gators in Last Friday's Meet:
The Gators' Southeastern Conference record remains perfect after a rare win at No. 9 Alabama in front of a Coleman Coliseum crowd of 12,828. The Gators' 197.325-196.475 dual meet win is their first in Tuscaloosa in 40 years and only Florida's second road dual meet victory in UF-UA history.
 
Florida's scoring Friday was muted on the two events UF ranks in the nation's top two – uneven bars and balance beam. Amelia Hundley's 9.875 led UF on bars while Megan Skaggs and Trinity Thomas' 9.9s were the Gators' leading beam marks. The Gators' scoring on the power events – vault and floor exercise – were among its season bests. Florida's floor total of 49.725 ties the program's second-highest and equals its highest recorded on the road. That floor total included five marks of 9.9 or better, including a pair of nearly-perfect 9.975s from Alicia Boren and Thomas. Florida's vault tally of 49.30 is its second highest of 2019. Thomas won her first collegiate vault title with a 9.9 and Alyssa Baumann posted a collegiate-best of 9.875 in the debut of her Yurchenko one and a half. Thomas claimed her second consecutive all-around (39.525).
 
SEC Award for Thomas:
After her third all-around win, Thomas claimed her fourth SEC Freshman of the Week honor. Thomas has been honored each of the last six weeks, as she twice was the SEC Gymnast of the Week. She matched her collegiate best of 9.90 to take her first vault win at Alabama and earned a nearly-perfect floor mark of 9.975 for the second consecutive week.
 
About the GymDogs:
Georgia is 5-3 this season, which includes a couple meets decided by narrow margins. Alabama won 196.90-196.875 when the two teams met in Stegeman Coliseum on Jan. 18. Last Friday, Georgia took a 197.30-197.225 win over No. 13 Kentucky in Georgia's Flip for a Cause meet.
 
Junior Rachel Dickson and senior Sydney Snead each have a Georgia season-high all-around total of 39.60 in 2019. The current SEC Specialist Gymnast of the Week is junior Bulldog Sabrina Vega after her 9.975 on floor in the win over Kentucky.
 
The GymDogs are led by 2004 Olympic medalist Courtney Kupets Carter. During her Georgia career, Kupets Carter claimed a record nine NCAA individual titles.

Florida Looks to Clinch Share of SEC Title:
A Gator win clinches at least a share of the Southeastern Conference regular-season gymnastics title. Florida enters Friday's meet with a 5-0 SEC record with two league meets remaining (also March 1 at Arkansas).
 
Auburn currently stands second with a 5-1 SEC record. The Tigers complete their regular-season league schedule March 1 at Alabama.
 
This is the third year for the awarding of a regular-season SEC gymnastics title. From 1981-2016, the winner at the SEC Championships was considered the league champion.
LSU claimed the first two SEC regular-season titles (2017 & 2018).
 
Florida-Georgia Rivalry Extends to Baumann Sisters:
Florida sophomore All-American Alyssa Baumann and Georgia freshman Rachel Baumann will be with their teams Friday for the annual dual between these longtime Southeastern Conference rivals.
 
Both trained at WOGA in Dallas, Texas, but were always at different levels during their club careers. Now both are collegiate gymnasts for top-10 teams.
 
As the pair planned for their post-club careers, they thought there would be only one year they both would compete in college. But an elbow injury suffered while preparing for the 2016 Olympic Trials led to Alyssa's decision to defer enrollment at Florida until the fall of 2017. Rachel decided to accelerate her high school classes to enroll a year early at Georgia. Now their collegiate careers will overlap for three seasons.
 
Florida last had a pair of sisters on competing teams in 2004 and 2005. In 2004 NCAA Championships' action, Gator freshman Katie Rue and her older sister Annie Rue of Iowa were both in the first semifinal. The two teams also opened the 2005 season competing in the Super 6 Challenge in Gainesville.
 
National Rank:
Florida – Florida is No. 3 in the Road to Nationals standings.
UGA – The GymDogs are No. 7 in the Road to Nationals standings.