sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

Sophomore gymnast Alyssa Baumann earned SEC Specialist of the Week for her performance against Oklahoma on Friday.

Sports

Florida to host Auburn in “Link to Pink” Meet

By River Wells | Feb. 7, 2019

There are only two SEC gymnastics teams unbeaten in conference play. Come tonight, there will only be one.

Sports

Gators lock down three four-star recruits on NSD

By Mark Stine | Feb. 6, 2019

Gordon Neale finished the Sea Best Invitational tied for second.

Sports

Florida men falter in final round, women descend on leaderboard

By Victor Prieto | Feb. 5, 2019

The Gators men’s golf team entered Tuesday leading the field in Jacksonville at the Sea Best Invitational. It finished the day in third place, shooting 9-over par in the final round and stumbling to finish 8-over for the tournament.

Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, home of the UF softball team, will finish construction ahead of an exhibition game against Japan on Tuesday.

Sports

Three observations ahead of the beginning of UF’s season

By Brendan Farrell | Feb. 5, 2019

The month of February ushers in a new season of Florida softball, and there’s a lot about coach Tim Walton’s program that’s new.

Senior gymnast Alicia Boren has competed in three "Link to Pink" meets during her time at UF. "Take a chance and enjoy competing for someone else...take a second to go speak to them and thank them," she said.

Sports

What the “Link to Pink” meet means to Florida

By River Wells | Feb. 5, 2019

The Gators’ gymnastics team may be competing in a regular season meet against Auburn on Friday, but there’s nothing regular about it.

Redshirt senior thrower AJ McFarland set a personal indoor record for this second time this season at the Virginia Tech Elite Invitational. McFarland's 22.58-meter throw was also his sixth time breaking the school record.

Sports

McFarland makes UF history for sixth time

By Graham Marsh | Feb. 5, 2019

The record books for UF throwing events seemingly change every time the page is refreshed.

Junior Sierra Brooks (17-under) took home the individual title during a shortened opening weekend at the Cougar Classic in Hanahan, South Carolina. Florida won the tournament by three strokes.

Sports

Gators women’s golf team struggles through first round of spring season

By Victor Prieto | Feb. 4, 2019

The No. 3 Gators women’s golf team labored through a two-hour weather delay in Palos Verdes, California, where its 2019 spring season began at the Northrop Gumman Regional Challenge.

Bryan Shelton was modest after earning his 100th career win as Florida's coach. “I don't hit a single ball in these matches so the players are the ones that should get the credit,” he said.

Sports

Gators overcome rain delay, defeat Florida State

By Noah Ram | Feb. 3, 2019

Not even the weather could prevent the Florida Gators from beating their in-state rivals.

Amanda Lorenz scorched another home run on Thursday against Alabama.

Sports

UF softball is reloaded and highly dangerous

By Mark Stine | Feb. 3, 2019

Four seniors left the Florida softball program at the end of last season, each one of them critical to a Women’s College World Series appearance.

Senior Lindsey Ronbeck was named the American Athletic Conference’s Preseason Attacker of the Year. She’s fourth on UF’s career goals list with 159.

Sports

Gators embrace change of conference heading into 2019

By Bryan Matamoros | Feb. 3, 2019

Players leaving, coaching changes and evolving tactics all affect the preparation of a team and how it performs from season to season.

Florida gymnast Alyssa Baumann equaled two collegiate-best scores on Friday against Oklahoma. Her 9.975 on the beam and her 9.950 on floor were tied for the best scores of her career.

Sports

Florida shows why it’s a top team despite loss

By River Wells | Feb. 3, 2019

It counts as a loss in the books. The Gators walked into the Lloyd Noble Center and walked out with their first defeat.

Guard Danielle Rainey paced the Gators offensively against the Wildcats. She had 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the Gators’ 62-51 loss at Rupp Arena.

Sports

Florida comes up short in Kentucky upset bid

By Sam Campisano | Feb. 3, 2019

Fans of the Florida women’s basketball team could dream for the first three quarters on Sunday.

UF gymnast Trinity Thomas earned her second-straight SEC Freshman of the Week honors following her performance at LSU. She recorded an all-around score of 39.650, including  a 9.950 on her floor routine.

Sports

Oklahoma defeats UF, hands Gators first loss

By River Wells | Feb. 1, 2019

Senior Alicia Boren was ready for her beam routine. The Gators were neck and neck with the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners heading into the last rotation.

Florida sophomore Taylor Ault notched two second-place finishes in both the 500 free (4:48.38) and the 1,650 free (16:29.57) in her last meet.

Sports

Gators set to compete on Senior Day

By Evan Lepak | Jan. 31, 2019

The Florida Gators swimming and diving teams will be in the O'Connell Center Natatorium this weekend, looking to send 12 seniors out the right way by winning their final home meet of the season.

Junior Grant Holloway started the season with a national No. 2 long-jump ranking at 8.02 meters, a national first place 60 meter hurdle time of 7.49 seconds and a national fourth-place 200 meter dash ranking with a time of 20.69 seconds.

Sports

UF to compete at Virginia Tech Elite

By Graham Marsh | Jan. 31, 2019

The field eventers will bring their sprinters with them this time around when they head to Blacksburg, Virginia, for the second time in two weeks.

UF men’s tennis player Johannes Ingildsen won his match against UCF’s Trey Hilderbrand 6-4, 7-5 on Friday night.

Sports

Riffice leads Gators in rout of Knights

By Brendan Farrell | Jan. 31, 2019

The doubles tandem of freshman Sam Riffice and sophomore Oliver Crawford walked into the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Florida, fresh off a couple of wins at the ITA Kickoff event where it dropped just one point.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks to the media after an NFL owners meeting, Tuesday, May 23, 2017, in Chicago.

Sports

Goodell, stop painting the NFL as one, big, happy family

By Alanis Thames | Jan. 31, 2019

Maybe Roger Goodell is delusional.

Florida guard Funda Nakkasoglu dropped a team-high 18 points in UF’s 67-50 loss to Tennessee on Thursday in Knoxville.

Sports

Florida drops to Tennessee in Knoxville for fourth straight loss

By Dylan Rudolph | Jan. 31, 2019

The Gators walked into the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, without one of the most important elements in the game of basketball: height. The team was down its starting 6-foot-1 forward, Kristina Moore, after she injured her arm Sunday against Arkansas, and her absence was evident from the first whistle to the last.

UF gymnast Trinity Thomas earned SEC Gymnast of the Week for her performance against Kentucky. She scored a 9.975 on the bars against the Wildcats.

Sports

Clash of the Titans: No. 2 Gators face off with No. 1 Oklahoma

By River Wells | Jan. 31, 2019

It’s a paradox as old as time: What happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object? For the centuries the phrase has existed, it has never had an answer.

UF men’s tennis sophomore Oliver Crawford is the No. 9-ranked collegiate player. He is one of three Gators ranked in the top 50.

Sports

Same goal, different start for Gators men’s and women’s teams

By Victor Prieto | Jan. 29, 2019

Florida’s women’s tennis team hasn’t had an ideal start to the season.