The No. 4 Florida Gators gymnastics team will compete in the second round of the NCAA Semifinals Thursday in a quad meet against No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 8 Alabama and No. 5 Utah. Florida will need to place in the top-four to move onto the finals. The first round teams will compete Thursday at 4:30 p.m. and includes: No. 2 Louisiana State, No. 19 Stanford, No. 12 Arkansas and No. 3 California.
This year's competition marks Florida's 40th NCAA Championships appearance in the event's 42-year history. The Gators have previously won the 2013, 2014 and 2015 NCAA Titles.
Postseason remarks showcase two prominent Florida gymnasts who earned three 10s in the 2024 season. Freshman Anya Pilgrim scored her first collegiate 10 on her floor routine against the Kentucky Wildcats. Since then, she has stood out in every apparatus, especially on the floor, where she’s showcased her Barbados culture and performed routines featuring Rihanna's music.
UF junior Leanne Wong earned her fourth 10 on the uneven parallel bars against then No. 6 Arkansas. In a nail-biting final apparatus on the floor against the then No. 2 LSU Tigers on Feb. 23, Wong earned a 10 to clinch the Gators' victory.
Out of the eight teams that have advanced to the NCAA Championships, 19 gymnasts who advanced to the individual all-around will compete in Thursday's semifinal action.
Oregon State 2020 Olympic floor gold medalist Jade Carey will join Florida to compete in the individual all-arounder. Wong and Carey were on the U.S. gold-medalist team at the 2022 International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Championships.
In a season filled with triumphs, the Gators have truly stood out. Among the 38 gymnasts across the nation who have earned 148 all-around totals of 39.625 or more, UF has a commanding presence with five gymnasts on the list.
The list includes junior Sloane Blakley, who earned a 39.625 season-high; senior Ellie Lazzari, who earned a 39.65; senior Victoria Nguyen, who claimed a 39.625; Pilgrim, who scored a 39.675; and Wong, who scored a 39.875.
The Gators have defeated two of the top opponents in the SEC against LSU and No. 6 Kentucky. However, Florida fell to LSU in the SEC Championship and placed fourth. Oklahoma will look to win their third-straight national championship.
UF looks to advance to the NCAA Championship finals on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Contact Alyssa Britton-Harr at abritton-harr@alligator.org. Follow her on X @abrittonharr.
Alyssa Britton-Harr is a second-year journalism major and a sports reporter for The Alligator. In her free time, she enjoys cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spending time with her friends.
