After a season debut that saw it jump to No. 1 in the Road to Nationals rankings, Florida women’s gymnastics looked to continue its momentum from the season in its Southeastern Conference opener against No. 4 Alabama.
However, the start of Friday night's meet wasn’t up to UF’s usual standards. After a shaky vault rotation that only saw one gymnast score over a 9.825 (Selena Harris-Miranda’s 9.925), the Gators trailed the Crimson Tide by 0.375 points.
“It was nice to see the O’Dome filled again, and it was nice to have the team really be so excited,” Harris-Miranda said.
But from there, Florida bounced back. The Gators rode strong performances on the beam and the bars to a 197.425-197.275 victory over the Crimson Tide.
“Really, really proud of this team. We showed a lot of heart, a lot of grit, made some mistakes and remained calm and confident,” coach Jenny Rowland said.
The meet was also notable as it marked the first time since 2013 that Florida did not have an all-around performer.
For the first rotation of competition, Florida’s 49.175 score put it behind the Tide, which scored a solid 49.550 on the uneven bars. However, Harris-Miranda’s 9.925 from the anchor helped put UF within striking distance.
Florida made its comeback during the second rotation as junior Anya Pilgrim and senior Riley McCusker recorded a 9.925 on bars, and no Gator scored below a 9.900. It also marked the second meet in a row where McCusker scored at least a 9.900 on bars.
In the third rotation, Harris-Miranda kept her momentum going by scoring a team-leading 9.950 on beam. This marked back-to-back outings where Harris-Miranda recorded at least a 9.950.
Entering the final rotation of competition, both teams had little margin for error as the Gators held a slim lead over the Crimson Tide. Alabama’s Jasmine Cawley slipped on her beam routine, scoring a 9.075 and giving UF an advantage.
However, Danie Ferris uncharacteristically stumbled during her floor routine, scoring an 8.900 that opened the door back up for the Tide.
However, Florida held on to its lead as Amelia Disidore and Taylor Clark both recorded 9.900 scores. Ultimately, Skye Blakely’s 9.725 was just enough for the Gators to seal the victory.
The Gators will head on the road to face No. 6 Auburn next Friday at 8:45 p.m. in Neville Arena.
Contact Seth Haber at shaber@alligator.org. Follow him on X @shaber05.
Seth is a junior sports journalism student in his first semester with the Alligator covering gymnastics. He has prior experience covering beats for highschool football during his time at WRUF. During his free time you can see him walking around Gainesville or binge-watching the latest and greatest shows on TV.
