When the Gators needed her most, freshman Ashanée Dickerson came through for them Friday night against rival Georgia.
Needing a 9.85 or better on her floor routine to beat the five-time defending national champions in a meet for the first time since 2005, Dickerson dazzled the home crowd, and the judges, to record a 9.925 to hold off No. 7 Georgia (3-4, 2-3 Southeastern Conference), 197.250 – 197.150.
The win marked the first time since 1990 – before the majority of this year’s team was born – that UF has defeated Georgia in Gainesville.
That streak almost didn’t come to an end Friday night, though.
Maintaining a .175-point lead after two rotations, No. 4 Florida (5-2, 4-1 SEC) had some close calls on the balance beam.
Freshman Randy Stageberg fell during her routine, which scored a 9.15, and there were noticeable wobbles throughout the lineup.
That is, until Dickerson came through in a big way.
As the last competitor in UF’s lineup, Dickerson tallied a 9.95 on the beam, which helped the team maintain a .100-point advantage heading into the final rotation.
When Georgia got to the beam in the last event of the night, three of its gymnasts scored a 9.9 or better, including a meet-high 9.975 from Courtney McCool in the Bulldogs’ final routine.
With the meet’s outcome depending on her floor exercise, Dickerson pulled through for the Gators.
Her score secured both the team’s victory and her fourth all-around title of the season (39.625) in front of an O’Connell Center crowd of 6,421 fans, the 15th largest in school history.
When Dickerson’s score of 9.925 was announced, the crowd broke out in a loud cheer, because they knew the Gators had finally halted Georgia’s winning streak in Gainesville.
