NEW ORLEANS, La. – It wasn't the result the Gators were looking for on this trip to the Crescent City.
Florida finished fourth at the 2024 Southeastern Conference meet Saturday in front of a Smoothie King Center crowd of 9,878. The finish is Florida's lowest since 2005.
LSU won the meet at 198.075 – the Tigers fifth SEC meet title and first since the event was last contested in the Big Easy in 2019. Alabama was second at 197.75, followed by Kentucky (197.60),
Florida (197.30), Missouri (197.275), Arkansas (197.05), Auburn (196.775) and Georgia (196.075).
The competition was sure to be tight, with each of the SEC Championship meet's second session teams bringing a top-7 national ranking. Entering the final rotation, Kentucky held a slight 0.025 lead but LSU's meet-high 49.675 on floor exercise propelled the Tigers to the title.
GATORS IN TONIGHT'S MEET:
Just 0.075 separated the top four seeded teams after the opening rotation of the meet's second session. Two Gator juniors turned in balance beam marks of 9.9 or better –
Sloane Blakely (9.925) and
Leanne Wong (9.90). Blakely's mark equals her season best for the fourth time and also for the second consecutive meet. Florida posted a 49.40 to stand fourth after the first event.
Florida didn't make up any ground on floor exercise, posting a season low 49.175. Wong anchored Florida's floor set with a team-high 9.90. Florida trailed the mid-point leaders LSU and Kentucky by 0.35.
On vault, steps on landing dinged several Gator marks as the team tallied a 49.275.
Victoria Nguyen and
Anya Pilgrim led with a 9.90, which tied for fourth overall.
Florida's 49.45 on uneven bars shared the high bars team total for the day. Two Gators turned in 9.925s – Wong and Nguyen – to finish among a seven-way tie for third on the event. Pilgrim also posted a 9.90. It was a season-best mark for Nguyen, who set her collegiate bars high of 9.95 at the 2023 SEC Championship meet.
LSU's Haleigh Bryant won all-around at 39.80. Wong tied for fourth at 39.60 and Nguyen shared sixth at 39.525.
Apparatus Winners:
Vault: Haleigh Bryant, LSU 9.975
Bars: Ashley Cowan, LSU 9.950
Mara Titarsolej, Missouri 9.950
Beam Konnor McClain, LSU 10.00
Floor: Raena Worley, UK 9.975
KJ Johnson, LSU 9.975
Kiya Johnson, LSU 9.975
AA: Haleigh Bryant, LSU 39.80
COACH ROWLAND SAID:
"The Gators really came out strong tonight on beam so really proud of their performance. Really just tried to keep that momentum solid through all four events. We had some peaks and we had some valleys tonight. We had too many mistakes tonight. It was a solid performance but not a performance I know the Gators are capable of. At the same time, it isn't an end all, be all. We have two weeks to get prepared for our regional championships, which is in Gainesville. We are going to keep going into the gym day in and day out and getting a little bit better." – Florida Head Coach
Jenny Rowland
UP NEXT:
NCAA Regional fields are announced Monday, March 25 at noon ET on NCAA.com.
| 2024 Regional Sites |
|
| April 3, 4 & 6 |
April 4, 5 & 7 |
| Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan) |
Gainesville, Fla. (Florida) |
| Fayetteville, Ark. (Arkansas) |
Berkeley, Calif. (California) |
|
|
Tickets for the Gainesville Regional are on sale now.
Visit the Gators Tickets site to make your selection.
No. 4 Florida at Southeastern Conference Championships
Final Team Totals |
| March 23, 2024 ● Smoothie King Arena (9,878) |
| Team |
Vault |
Bars |
Beam |
Floor |
Total |
| LSU |
49.475 |
49.450 |
49.475 |
49.675 |
198.075 |
| Alabama |
49.300 |
49.425 |
49.550 |
49.475 |
197.750 |
| Kentucky |
49.175 |
49.425 |
49.500 |
49.500 |
197.600 |
| Florida |
49.275 |
49.450 |
49.400 |
49.175 |
197.300 |
| Missouri |
49.250 |
49.325 |
49.300 |
49.400 |
197.275 |
| Arkansas |
49.050 |
49.250 |
49.450 |
49.300 |
197.050 |
| Auburn |
49.075 |
49.400 |
49.150 |
49.150 |
196.775 |
| Georgia |
48.400 |
49.450 |
49.350 |
48.875 |
196.075 |
