It was visible on Leanne Wong’s face even before the senior’s season concluded quietly Thursday night in Fort Worth, Texas: her small grimace as she flew through the air, too explosive on the flooron the floor for her own good.
On the biggest night of the Florida Gators’ 2025 campaign, the CEO and the rest of her team went home empty-handed, a stunning conclusion for the team’s graduating class.
Florida’s record-breaking season ended quietly in the final rotation on its arguably best event: bars. A month prior, the Gators set an NCAA record with two perfect performances and a total score of 49.850 in the SEC Championships.
But, in the national championship semifinals, the team’s season concluded with less than a tenth of a point differential. The Gators lost to No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 7 Missouri, a team they previously beat by .4000 in February. They’ll join Alabama in the long trip back home across the South.
“At the end of the day, it's Gators against Gators, and we just need to stay in our Gator bubble and focus on our routines,” Wong said a week ago during the team’s availability.
Even between events, Wong wasn’t happy. She barely fist-bumped her head coach Jenny Rowland as Wong scurried off away from the cameras. Her lips were pressed in a tight line.
She struggled with the first two events: beam and floor. Her scores on both were eventually dropped, but it seemed like the Gators had enough of a lead to edge their way into the National Championships.
After all, junior Selena Harris-Miranda dominated the beam with a large smile and great acrobatics, scoring a 9.9500. She followed it up by tying the team’s highest score of 9.8875 on floor with sophomore Gabby Disidore.
Freshmen Skye Blakely and Ly Bui were also hot in their respective events. Blakely’s performance on bars, though finishing with an out-of-place half-hop-half-stumble, tied for the third-highest score: a 9.8625.
Earlier, Bui, who enrolled at the University of Florida at just 16 years old, scored a 9.8250. On an event where multiple athletes either fell or took large leaps, her small hop was a win for Florida.
“It really is anybody's competition,'' Rowland said. "You could compete four different nights, and you would probably get four different winners. It comes down, really, to a stick-fest.
Through the year, Florida had all the makings of a top-ranked team. The Gators notched a perfect 10.000 on every event this season, displaying their well-rounded nature.
They also earned numerous SEC honors: Harris-Miranda, Newcomer of the Year; Leanne Wong, All-SEC team; Taylor Clark, All-SEC freshman team. Additionally, in NCAA regionals, Florida tied the second-highest collegiate regular season and postseason score.
However, one thing lurked in the shadows: Florida’s notoriously bad away meet scores. During the regular season, UF was 5-3 away from Gainesville, with all of the losses coming at the hands of SEC opponents.
So, with harsh judging throughout the night on vault, Florida couldn’t be too comfortable. Across all of its performances in the rotation, the team couldn’t find a rhythm. Sophomore Danie Ferris was the only Gator to stick her routine, earning a 9.9000. The rest landed with a step or small hop. In a night where every deduction was critical, the Gators fell behind.
Their saving grace of the bars – or at least what would have been – was the Gators' final rotation. Wong and sophomore Alyssa Arana both scored in the 9.900s. However, Missouri, which had overtaken Florida in the third rotation, was on fire.
It all came down to the last athletes in the final rotation: Florida senior Riley McCusker v. Mizzou redshirt senior Helen Hu. One team advances. The other goes home.
Hu took to the balance beam first, executing her acrobatics with poise. It seemed almost destined, considering her miraculous recovery from a debilitating back injury and a mental and physical health recovery backpacking across the world, that she would finish the evening. She navigated the four-inch block with ease, landing perfectly with the screams of her teammates in the background. A near-perfect 9.9875.
McCusker went next, but it was clear she was fighting an uphill battle. The senior swung gracefully through the air with distinct transitions and well-executed handstands. It wasn’t perfect, but the Gators didn’t need that. They just needed a good dismount. She swung around the bars and landed with a small hop. And then the longest minute in the world unfolded, concluding with a flashing 9.8625.
In the end, Florida’s season concluded with a slightly imperfect landing.
Contact Liana Handler at lhandler@alligator.org. Follow her on X @handlerliana
Liana is the Gators gymnastic beat reporter for the Alligator and a junior sports journalism major. In her free time, she likes to play dominos and listen to Celia Cruz.
