Friday, January 16
Gainesville, FL
6:45 p.m.
Florida Gators
197.425
vs
197.275
Alabama
Top-ranked Florida cheers its league-opening win over No. 4 Alabama, 197.425 - 197.275, Friday in the Exactech Arena.
Top-Ranked Florida Kicks Off SEC Action by Taking Down No. 4 Alabama
Friday, January 16, 2026 | Gymnastics
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Top-ranked Florida edged No. 4 Alabama 197.425–197.275 on Friday night at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, opening Southeastern Conference action in front of 7,524 fans.
With SEC programs holding eight of the top 10 spots in the national rankings, every league meet is expected to be highly competitive. Friday's conference opener featured the nation's top dual of the weekend in a meet that came down to the final routine.
Florida won or shared three event titles. Senior All-American Selena Harris-Miranda captured her second consecutive balance beam title with a 9.95 and shared the vault win with Alabama's Azaraya Ra-Akbar at 9.925. Florida's Taylor Clark and Amelia Disidore shared the floor exercise title at 9.90 with Ra-Akbar and Jamison Sears of Alabama.
Ra-Akbar won the all-around at 39.60, while Alabama's Chloe LaCoursiere posted the meet's highest score, a 9.975, to win the uneven bars.
TONIGHT'S MEET
Florida opened the meet on vault, where minor steps on landings limited scores. Harris-Miranda anchored the lineup with a stuck landing and a team-high 9.925.
The Gators rebounded on uneven bars, posting a season-high 49.55. All five counting routines scored 9.90 or higher, led by 9.925s from All-Americans Riley McCusker and Anya Pilgrim.
Alabama led Florida by 0.025 at the midway point.
Balance beam proved decisive for the Gators. Junior Skylar Draser matched her collegiate-best 9.90 in the leadoff spot, followed by a 9.925 from senior All-American eMjae Frazier. Harris-Miranda added a 9.95 and All-American Alyssa Arana anchored with a 9.875 in her season debut.
Florida carried a one-tenth lead into the final rotation. Freshman Jayla Booker opened floor exercise with a 9.875, and Disidore followed with a 9.90 in her collegiate debut. Clark also turned in a 9.90 Friday. Despite counting an out-of-bounds routine, Florida's floor scores were enough to secure the victory.
EVENT WINNERS:
Vault: Selena Harris-Miranda, UF | Azaraya Ra-Akbar, ALA 9.925
Bars: Chloe LaCoursiere, ALA 9.975
Beam: Selena Harris-Miranda, UF 9.95
Floor: Taylor Clark, UF | Amelia Disidore, UF | Jamison Sears, ALA | Azaraya Ra-Akbar, ALA 9.90
All-Around: Azaraya Ra-Akbar, ALA 39.60
CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF ERNESTINE RUSSELL CARTER (WEAVER):
Ernestine Russell Carter (Weaver), who led the Florida gymnastics team from 1980 to 1992, passed away Wednesday.
Coach Weaver served as the University of Florida head gymnastics coach for 13 seasons. During her remarkable tenure, she led the Gators to the 1982 AIAW National Championship and five Southeastern Conference titles. Equally important to Weaver was success beyond the mat, as she took great pride in seeing her student-athletes earn their University of Florida degrees.
Beyond Florida, her impact on the sport was extraordinary — a Canadian Olympian, the 1980 U.S. Olympic coach and an internationally respected Brevet judge.
Coach Weaver was also a visionary, helping to market collegiate gymnastics in a way that transformed fan engagement. The electric Gator crowds of the 1980s inspired programs across the country.
There's no doubt she would have loved to be here tonight, pumping her fist to celebrate Gator performances.
More on Coach Weaver's impact in Scott Carter/FloridaGators.com Senior Writer's story.
THEY SAID:
On Gators' performance:
"Welcome to the SEC competition. Grateful that Gator Nation came and showed out for our team. We're extremely grateful for all of their support and the energy that they bring. I know our athletes thrive off of the energy that is brought to the arena. That was a lot of fun tonight. Really, really proud of this team. We showed a lot of heart, a lot of grit. Made some mistakes and remained calm and confident throughout the rest of whatever it is they were doing. If it was that individual performance or the next person up, they were ready to reset and continue doing gymnastics, just like we do in the gym. So really proud of them." – Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland
On competing after a fall on floor:
"I'm gonna be honest, I did not see the fall, but I definitely told myself that I know my training. I train day in and day out during practice, and I just told myself to do exactly what I do in practice, because that's the best version of myself." – sophomore Taylor Clark
On anchoring lineup with a strong performance in her season beam debut:
"Well, I actually didn't really watch any of the routines, so I wasn't sure what was going on. But coming into this meet, I was just focusing on staying present and doing my normal. And for me, that's just focusing on my breathing and my keywords and such. That is what I was going through while everyone else was going and so once I was up, it was time for just my normal, which is what I do at practice."- junior All-American Alyssa Arana
After earning the SEC Specialist of the Week honor on Tuesday, how did you prepare for tonight's performance?
"Nothing really changed. I still worked just as hard as my teammates, and really just focused on moving as one as a team. That's really where my focus was this week - making sure everyone was prepared. and everyone knew that we could trust each other and have each other's backs. Think it just motivating as [the honor] could be anyone on our team." – senior All-American Selena Harris-Miranda
GATOR PERFORMANCE NOTES:
CHOMPING ON THE BEAM:
Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland explained the evolution of Gators chomps in the balance beam routines:
"Selena [Harris-Miranda] started that last year, being a transfer. She said 'I want to chomp in my beam routine'. And then Riley added a chomp because she was not able to do floor anymore, so she wanted to chomp in her beam routine. And then eMjae [Frazier] came along, and she also said 'I need a chomp in my beam routine too'.
"So you know what? Everybody's chomping in their beam routines. It just kind of elevates the moment and brings a smile to their face and a sense of peace. And it's fun for the crowd."
RECORDS: Florida (4-0, 1-0 SEC), Alabama (1-1, 0-1 SEC)
THE SERIES: Alabama leads 77-58-2
NATIONAL RANK:
Florida – Florida is No. 1 in the Jan. 12 Road to National rankings
Alabama – No. 4
UP NEXT:
Florida starts Southeastern Conference road action next Friday at No. 6 Auburn. The Tigers are among the eight league teams among the Jan. 12 Road to Nationals top 10. The meet airs on the SEC Network.
Auburn is at No. 10 Arkansas on Sunday, Jan. 18. The Tigers opened the season Jan. 9 with a 197.15 – 196.075 win over North Carolina State.
When: Friday, Jan. 23 at 8:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Neville Arena
TV: SEC Network
Tickets: $15 - $25 (Almost sold out)
With SEC programs holding eight of the top 10 spots in the national rankings, every league meet is expected to be highly competitive. Friday's conference opener featured the nation's top dual of the weekend in a meet that came down to the final routine.
Florida won or shared three event titles. Senior All-American Selena Harris-Miranda captured her second consecutive balance beam title with a 9.95 and shared the vault win with Alabama's Azaraya Ra-Akbar at 9.925. Florida's Taylor Clark and Amelia Disidore shared the floor exercise title at 9.90 with Ra-Akbar and Jamison Sears of Alabama.
Ra-Akbar won the all-around at 39.60, while Alabama's Chloe LaCoursiere posted the meet's highest score, a 9.975, to win the uneven bars.
TONIGHT'S MEET
Florida opened the meet on vault, where minor steps on landings limited scores. Harris-Miranda anchored the lineup with a stuck landing and a team-high 9.925.
That's a 9.925 for Selena 💅 pic.twitter.com/BJDiZ0iXA4
— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) January 17, 2026
The Gators rebounded on uneven bars, posting a season-high 49.55. All five counting routines scored 9.90 or higher, led by 9.925s from All-Americans Riley McCusker and Anya Pilgrim.
Anyone else an Anya fan 😏that'll be a 9.925! pic.twitter.com/GNg7pOGqz0
— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) January 17, 2026
Alabama led Florida by 0.025 at the midway point.
Balance beam proved decisive for the Gators. Junior Skylar Draser matched her collegiate-best 9.90 in the leadoff spot, followed by a 9.925 from senior All-American eMjae Frazier. Harris-Miranda added a 9.95 and All-American Alyssa Arana anchored with a 9.875 in her season debut.
Florida carried a one-tenth lead into the final rotation. Freshman Jayla Booker opened floor exercise with a 9.875, and Disidore followed with a 9.90 in her collegiate debut. Clark also turned in a 9.90 Friday. Despite counting an out-of-bounds routine, Florida's floor scores were enough to secure the victory.
EVENT WINNERS:
Vault: Selena Harris-Miranda, UF | Azaraya Ra-Akbar, ALA 9.925
Bars: Chloe LaCoursiere, ALA 9.975
Beam: Selena Harris-Miranda, UF 9.95
Floor: Taylor Clark, UF | Amelia Disidore, UF | Jamison Sears, ALA | Azaraya Ra-Akbar, ALA 9.90
All-Around: Azaraya Ra-Akbar, ALA 39.60
CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF ERNESTINE RUSSELL CARTER (WEAVER):
Ernestine Russell Carter (Weaver), who led the Florida gymnastics team from 1980 to 1992, passed away Wednesday.
Coach Weaver served as the University of Florida head gymnastics coach for 13 seasons. During her remarkable tenure, she led the Gators to the 1982 AIAW National Championship and five Southeastern Conference titles. Equally important to Weaver was success beyond the mat, as she took great pride in seeing her student-athletes earn their University of Florida degrees.
Beyond Florida, her impact on the sport was extraordinary — a Canadian Olympian, the 1980 U.S. Olympic coach and an internationally respected Brevet judge.
Coach Weaver was also a visionary, helping to market collegiate gymnastics in a way that transformed fan engagement. The electric Gator crowds of the 1980s inspired programs across the country.
There's no doubt she would have loved to be here tonight, pumping her fist to celebrate Gator performances.
More on Coach Weaver's impact in Scott Carter/FloridaGators.com Senior Writer's story.
THEY SAID:
On Gators' performance:
"Welcome to the SEC competition. Grateful that Gator Nation came and showed out for our team. We're extremely grateful for all of their support and the energy that they bring. I know our athletes thrive off of the energy that is brought to the arena. That was a lot of fun tonight. Really, really proud of this team. We showed a lot of heart, a lot of grit. Made some mistakes and remained calm and confident throughout the rest of whatever it is they were doing. If it was that individual performance or the next person up, they were ready to reset and continue doing gymnastics, just like we do in the gym. So really proud of them." – Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland
On competing after a fall on floor:
"I'm gonna be honest, I did not see the fall, but I definitely told myself that I know my training. I train day in and day out during practice, and I just told myself to do exactly what I do in practice, because that's the best version of myself." – sophomore Taylor Clark
On anchoring lineup with a strong performance in her season beam debut:
"Well, I actually didn't really watch any of the routines, so I wasn't sure what was going on. But coming into this meet, I was just focusing on staying present and doing my normal. And for me, that's just focusing on my breathing and my keywords and such. That is what I was going through while everyone else was going and so once I was up, it was time for just my normal, which is what I do at practice."- junior All-American Alyssa Arana
After earning the SEC Specialist of the Week honor on Tuesday, how did you prepare for tonight's performance?
"Nothing really changed. I still worked just as hard as my teammates, and really just focused on moving as one as a team. That's really where my focus was this week - making sure everyone was prepared. and everyone knew that we could trust each other and have each other's backs. Think it just motivating as [the honor] could be anyone on our team." – senior All-American Selena Harris-Miranda
GATOR PERFORMANCE NOTES:
- Amelia Disidore's first collegiate floor exercise appearance earned a 9.90 and shared the event win. Her older sister/teammate, All-American Gabby Disidore, also earned a 9.90 in her first collegiate floor appearance last season on the final day of February. The last Gator to earn win in her collegiate floor debut was Anya Pilgrim in 2024.
- Tonight was the 10th time Skylar Draser posted her collegiate-best balance beam mark of 9.90. Each of those 9.90s came in the lead-off position.
- Taylor Clark claimed a share of her second collegiate floor title Friday, with the first coming last season at Arkansas.
- Last week, Selena Harris-Miranda opened with the nation's leading balance beam mark of 9.975. Tonight, she posted the second-highest beam score (9.95) for her second consecutive win for the event. She claimed a share of the evening's vault title with a season-best 9.925.
- Florida did not have an all-arounder compete tonight for the first time since Feb. 22, 2013.
- Collegiate bests:
- Amelia Disidore 9.90 (floor debut)
- Skylar Draser 9.90 (beam)
CHOMPING ON THE BEAM:
Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland explained the evolution of Gators chomps in the balance beam routines:
"Selena [Harris-Miranda] started that last year, being a transfer. She said 'I want to chomp in my beam routine'. And then Riley added a chomp because she was not able to do floor anymore, so she wanted to chomp in her beam routine. And then eMjae [Frazier] came along, and she also said 'I need a chomp in my beam routine too'.
"So you know what? Everybody's chomping in their beam routines. It just kind of elevates the moment and brings a smile to their face and a sense of peace. And it's fun for the crowd."
RECORDS: Florida (4-0, 1-0 SEC), Alabama (1-1, 0-1 SEC)
THE SERIES: Alabama leads 77-58-2
NATIONAL RANK:
Florida – Florida is No. 1 in the Jan. 12 Road to National rankings
Alabama – No. 4
UP NEXT:
Florida starts Southeastern Conference road action next Friday at No. 6 Auburn. The Tigers are among the eight league teams among the Jan. 12 Road to Nationals top 10. The meet airs on the SEC Network.
Auburn is at No. 10 Arkansas on Sunday, Jan. 18. The Tigers opened the season Jan. 9 with a 197.15 – 196.075 win over North Carolina State.
When: Friday, Jan. 23 at 8:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Neville Arena
TV: SEC Network
Tickets: $15 - $25 (Almost sold out)
| No. 1 Florida versus No. 4 Alabama Final Team Totals |
|||||
| Jan. 16, 2026 ● Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center (7,524) | |||||
| Team | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Total |
| Florida | 49.175 | 49.550 | 49.475 | 49.225 | 197.425 |
| Alabama | 49.200 | 49.550 | 49.175 | 49.350 | 197.275 |
Players Mentioned
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ Gymnastics
AA
/ GymnasticsGymnastics Post-Meet Press Conference
Friday, January 16
Trust Your Training | Unbreakable
Thursday, January 15
Florida Gymnastics | Ly Bui Media Availability
Wednesday, January 14
Ly Bui Media Availability
Wednesday, January 14
