The Gators were untouched all season.
Unblemished and undefeated as they flew into Fayetteville, Ark., for their final Southeastern Conference meet of the year, the team left hog country stained and stunned.
The No. 15 Razorbacks ended No. 1 Florida’s perfect season, beating UF 196.70 to 196.10.
“It was truly a disappointment,” Florida coach Rhonda Faehn said. “It was an off night for just about everyone.”
Faehn said it all began with a rocky warm-up, which her gymnasts carried over into the competition.
After a slew of mistakes, including out-of-bounds violations and falls on beam, it was clear the Gators (11-1, 5-1 SEC) didn’t have their usual form.
“There were so many mistakes here and there,” Faehn said. “They’re very upset, as they should be.”
Ashanée Dickerson and Alaina Johnson, both all-arounders who have captured SEC Gymnast of the Week titles, struggled against Arkansas (5-3, 5-1 SEC).
On beam, Johnson posted the lowest score of the meet, a 9.050, while Dickerson posted the third lowest, a 9.275.
“We got a little bit lazy,” Faehn said.
Johnson and Dickerson fell for the first time in their collegiate careers on beam in Barnhill Arena.
Florida also lost to Arkansas in the floor routine, and the teams tied on the bars. Led by Dickerson, the Gators’ lone win came in the vault.
Dickerson tied for first in that event and the floor exercise. Freshman Mackenzie Caquatto clinched uneven parallel bars for the third time in a row.
Faehn said the team’s collective off performance could be attributed to a combination of things, including the shortened week of training in the gym.
Due to the Gators’ back-to-back meets last weekend, the team only practiced twice before competing Friday. The squad usually pumps in four practices a week.
Looking toward next week, Faehn said her squad would watch the video footage from the meet before getting into the gym to start training.
“We need to not let it snowball,” Faehn said “We just need to go back and refocus.”
