UF freshman Skylar Draser stole the show as she debuted in her first regional championship. She kept the energy at an all-time high throughout, bursting with excitement as her teammates and the crowd cheered her on.
She excelled in every apparatus from start to finish. Draser closed the meet on the uneven parallel bars, delivering consistent landings which had her coaches up in arms with excitement.
She shined on the vault, remaining calm and collected which allowed her to make a defined landing.
“She comes in on a daily basis and is the most consistent young woman,” Florida head coach Jenny Rowland said. “There is no doubt if she gets put in first, or if she gets put in sixth, that she is going to hit.”
The No. 4 Florida Gators (24-4, 6-1) defeated the No. 5 Utah Utes (14-4, 6-1 PAC 12), No. 10 Michigan State Spartans (29-4, 9-0 BIG 10) and the No. 13 Missouri Tigers (13-6, 2-5 SEC) Sunday evening the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in the NCAA Gainesville Regional Championship.
“I am extremely proud of this team for leaving everything on the floor tonight,” Rowland said.
Florida placed first with an overall score of 198.325, Utah finished second with a score of 197.575, Missouri came in third with a score of 197.325 and Michigan State placed fourth with an overall score of 196.625.
Draser opened up for the Gators on the balance beam and elegantly swept across, keeping herself poised while shifting between turns and spins. However, it was her landing that brought the O’Dome to its feet. Draser felt the crowd's uplifting emotions and ran into the arms of coach Rowland, earning a 9.9.
Junior Sloane Blakely kept the fiery momentum high with her routine, managing to deliver a spinoff landing that left the crowd mesmerized. Her performance scored her a 9.925.
Junior Victoria Nguyen matched Blakely’s score after her almost-perfect landing. Senior Ellie Lazzari had one of her best performances of the season on the beam, keeping her composure and delivering a clean routine. She topped the apparatus amongst her teammates with a 9.950.
Florida finished the first apparatus in the lead with a 49.600 score.
Nguyen shined on the floor, earning a 9.925. Lazzari once again impressed the crowd as she dazzled across the floor shifting between spins and turns. Her performance earned her a 9.9.
Freshman Anya Pilgrim earned a 9.950 on her routine as she delivered clean landings and beamed with joy, leaping into the air while representing her Barbados culture with Rihanna’s music.
Blakely showed out in her routine with all smiles, waving at the crowd and her teammates earning a 9.9. Junior Leanne Wong had the crowd chanting as she elegantly glided across the floor to classical music to match Pilgrim’s score.
Florida remained in the lead with 99.250 points heading to the third apparatus on vault.
Draser flew through her vault routine as she plunged into the air and landed with both her feet steadily planted, recording a 9.925. Nguyen had the crowd erupting in cheers on her routine when she stuck her landing, scoring a 9.9.
Pilgrim executed a clean and well-structured routine which earned her a 9.975. Wong gave all of her energy into her vault routine as she delivered a close-to-perfect landing that earned her a 9.925.
Florida continued to remain in the lead at 148.825 as it headed to its final rotation on the uneven parallel bars.
Blakely excelled on the bars, scoring a 9.875 fuming the crowd with utter excitement in the final apparatus. Nguyen beamed after her performance as she leaped from bar-to-bar, allowing herself to make a definite landing in which she earned a 9.850.
Lazzari left all her fears on the floor, switching in between bars where she curated split leaps matching Blakely.
Pilgrim worked her magic on the bars, placing second in the apparatus with a 9.925. Draser kept the crowd impressed as she had all of her coaches jumping with excitement after her landing which earned her a 9.9.
Wong closed out the apparatus with an impressive routine which earned her a 9.925. Florida eclipsed its best season total with an overall score of 198.325.
UF will now advance to the NCAA Championships, set for April 18-20 in Fort. Worth, Texas.
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.
