Gators women’s gymnastics kicked off its season by competing against No. 24 North Carolina, Temple and West Virginia. The Stephen C. O’Connell Center was rowdy for the opening night, ready to cheer on their beloved Florida team.
No. 3 UF enters this season coming fresh off a loss in the NCAA Gymnastics Semifinals, and is seeking a victory this time around.
The Gators started hot out of the gate by winning the first rotation with a score of 49.425, doing so on vault. Sophomore Ly Bui led the way, kicking off the scoring with a 9.925, her joint-collegiate best on the event.
In the second rotation, Florida continued to raise the bar as it won the section with senior Selena Harris-Meranda scoring a 9.95. She was followed by junior Kayla DiCello and senior Riley McCusker, each recording a 9.90.
To start the final rotation, the Gators held a slim lead in the competition over North Carolina but held strong throughout. As a unit, the Gators recorded their second-highest season-opening score in program history, amounting an impressive 197.725.
Additionally, Florida won in the bars, beam, and floor competitions. Behind them, North Carolina scored a 196.675, Temple logged a 193.875 and West Virginia came in fourth at 193.450.
Seniors Emjae Frazier and Harris-Miranda had phenomenal outings in the floor and beam competitions. Frazier recorded a score of 9.925 in her first floor routine as Gator, while Harris-Miranda put up 9.975 on beam.
There was not a single gymnast who recorded less than a 9.50 across all events,truly showing the total team dominance.
To complement the team’s talent, the Gators are bolstered by strong leadership. While she did not see the floor Friday, junior Skylar Draser has embraced a leadership role on Florida’s seasoned squad.
“Growing up in the college world and listening to the leaders before me I think I create a safe space where I want people to come up to me if they need help,” Draser said.
The Gators will look to continue their winning start to the season as they host SEC foe Alabama on Jan. 16 at 6:45.
Contact Seth Haber at shaber@alligator.org. Follow him on X @shaber05.
