sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

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.

Sports

Russell Westbrook: normalizing the abnormal

By Kyle Wood | Jan. 29, 2019

Russell Westbrook plays basketball like he’s mad at the world. In return, the world is mad at him.

Florida guard Delicia Washington is expected to return for Thursday's game against Tennessee. She took a hit to the head against Mississippi State on Jan. 24 that forced her to sit out a game as she went through concussion protocol.

Sports

Undersized UF hindered by Moore's injury

By Dylan Rudolph | Jan. 29, 2019

The Gators tried to get one last shot off before the buzzer sounded. They had an excellent opening quarter on Sunday against Arkansas and were up by 12.

UF women's tennis coach Roland Thornqvist said Monday's 4-3 loss to North Carolina State will make his team better in the future. “This is the first time competing at a level like this for a lot of them and it is going to take getting used to,” he said.

Sports

Florida loses heartbreaker in ITA Kickoff Championship

By Victor Prieto | Jan. 28, 2019

Almost.

Sophomore Oliver Crawford has a 13-7 record in singles play this season.

Sports

Florida wins ITA Kickoff Weekend after lengthy rain delay

By Victor Prieto | Jan. 28, 2019

The clock struck 10:26 p.m. on Sunday, and the Gators men’s tennis team had finally clinched a 4-1 victory over Florida Atlantic University to claim the ITA Kickoff Weekend title and earn a spot in the ITA National Indoor Championships in Chicago.

The Florida men's and women's swimming and diving times compete in Austin, Texas, this weekend in an event hosted by the Texas Longhorns. The UF men enter the meet ranked No. 8, while the women have a national rank of No. 19.

Sports

Men prevail while women fall against Auburn

By Evan Lepak | Jan. 28, 2019

Florida's men's and women's swim teams went head-to-head with the Auburn Tigers at the James E. Martin Aquatic Center in Auburn, Alabama on Saturday.

Florida sprinter, jumper and hurdler Grant Holloway finished first in both the 60-meter hurdles and the 200-meter sprint. His time of 7.49 seconds in the hurdles was the fifth fastest in collegiate history.

Sports

Gators take home nine national top-10 marks in Arkansas

By Kyle Wood | Jan. 28, 2019

Grant Holloway is quite literally on top of the world. His time of 6.51 seconds in the 60 meters broke a seven-year-old school record, was good for the world lead and put him in the top 10 on the all-time collegiate list for the event. Holloway also holds the national lead in the 60-meter hurdles and the No. 2 marks in the long jump and 200 meters.

Sports

Will “Sweet Victory” be played at the Super Bowl? It definitely should

By Jake Dreilinger | Jan. 28, 2019

You all know the words and phrases to this all-time classic.

Guard Kiara Smith pitched in a double-double (16 points and 10 rebounds) in Florida’s 83-73 home loss to Arkansas on Sunday. She also recorded a team-high five assists.

Sports

UF falls to Arkansas at O’Dome for third-straight loss

By Dylan Rudolph | Jan. 28, 2019

It was the pace.

UF gymnast Trinity Thomas performs her beam routine against Missouri on Jan. 11. She scored a 9.850 for her performance.

Sports

UF gymnastics still has room for improvement despite hot start

By River Wells | Jan. 27, 2019

The Florida gymnastics team remains unconquered after a convincing win over the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats.

Second baseman Blake Reese powered a grand slam to right field in UF's 9-3 home win over the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday.

Sports

Florida begins spring practices ahead of season opener against Long Beach State

By Kyle Wood | Jan. 27, 2019

Coach Kevin O’Sullivan fielded questions Friday afternoon at McKethan Stadium about the high expectations for his team and the underclassmen he is counting on to meet those expectations.

Sophomore McCartney Kessler defeated UC Santa Barbara's Elizaveta Volodko in straight sets (6-1, 7-5) during the Gators' ITA Kickoff Weekend Saturday.

Sports

Gators singles play secures first win of season

By Victor Prieto | Jan. 26, 2019

The Gators women’s tennis team began the ITA Kickoff Weekend Saturday afternoon against UC Santa Barbara at the Ring Tennis Complex.

Senior Alicia Boren scored a 9.950 on the uneven bars and a 9.925 on her floor routine in the No. 3 Gator's win over Kentucky on Friday.

Sports

Gators defeat Kentucky with record-setting bars routine

By River Wells | Jan. 25, 2019

The high scores came rapid fire when the Gators’ gymnastics team hit the bars: 9.950. 9.900. 9.950. 9.975.

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 look to remain undefeated in the SEC

By Bryan Matamoros Sports Writer | Jan. 24, 2019

Florida’s swimming and diving teams travel to Alabama this Saturday to face Auburn at the James E. Martin Aquatic Center, looking to remain undefeated in conference play.

UF track and field coach Mike Holloway. The Gators had 10 athletes bring home hardware from the SEC Outdoor Championships.

Sports

Gators track teams look to continue success in Arkansas

By Kyle Wood | Jan. 24, 2019

Florida’s track and field teams will travel to Arkansas this weekend for the first of two times this season to face off against some of the top teams in the nation.

Senior McClain Kessler fell in the second round of singles play at the ITA All-American Championships as well as in the second round of doubles play with partner Sam Riffice.

Sports

Gators men’s and women’s teams host ITA Kickoff Weekend

By Victor Prieto | Jan. 24, 2019

Both the Gators women’s and men’s tennis teams are back in action for the opening weekend of the spring season at home in the ITA Kickoff Weekend. The men’s team will open its 2019 campaign against William & Mary at 11 a.m., while the women’s team will take on UC Santa Barbara at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

UF gymnast Rachel Gowey scored a meet-high 9.925 on the beam against LSU.

Sports

UF set to face off against Kentucky in third SEC meet of the season

By River Wells | Jan. 24, 2019

The Florida gymnastics team faced two Tigers to start the season and felled them both. It’ll be facing off against yet another feline opponent in its return to the O’Connell Center.

UF guard Funda Nakkasoglu scored 14 points in Florida’s 90-42 loss to Mississippi State on Thursday night. She was the only Gator to score in the first quarter.

Sports

Florida embarrassed by Mississippi State at O’Dome

By Sam Campisano | Jan. 24, 2019

If you told Florida women’s basketball coach Cam Newbauer that the Gators out-rebounded No. 7 Mississippi State and held its leading scorer, Teaira McCowan, to just two points, he probably wouldn’t have expected his team to get blown out.

UF coach Roland Thornqvist was pleased with how freshman Marlee Zein played in Las Vegas. “She played really well from both a physical and a mental perspective,” he said.

Sports

Cal comeback shocks Florida in home opener

By Victor Prieto | Jan. 23, 2019

Cheers echoed all night long through the Ring Tennis Complex. After backhand winners. After decisive break points. And after the final match point.

Sports

Zein impresses during Florida’s spring debut in Vegas

By Victor Prieto | Jan. 22, 2019

It took just three days for freshman Marlee Zein to make an immediate impact for the Florida Gators tennis team.