Sports - The Independent Florida Alligator

Sophomore guard Riley Kugel celebrates the Gators’ win against Mississippi State on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Florida men’s basketball honors Black History Month

By Max Tucker | Feb. 12

Florida has a rich history of elite athletic programs. Although there are more than 500 student athletes at UF, only 133 of them identify as Black or African American. This Black History Month, the Florida Gators men’s basketball program is bringing awareness to the sacrifices and contributions Black athletes have endured in historically adverse situations.

Freshman Anya Pilgrim performs her floor routine in the Gators' annual Link to Pink meet on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024.

SPORTS | GYMNASTICS

Florida gymnasts embrace Black identity through aspects of the sport

By Krisha Sanghavi | Feb. 12

Black gymnasts use floor routine, hair as an opportunity to infuse their identity into the sport.

Florida softball lines up before its 13-4 win over the Georgia Bulldogs Friday, April 14, 2023.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Olivia Miller shines for Gators softball in two Sunday wins

By Hailey Hurst | Feb. 11

Olivia Miller became the first freshman in Florida softball history to throw a perfect game. Miller was the highlight of two wins on Sunday.

Florida forward Faith Dut (25) and the Gators take on FSU Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. in Tallahassee, Florida.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators women’s basketball gets revenge on Mississippi State

By Jack Meyer | Feb. 11

After suffering a bitter loss at the hands of the Mississippi State Bulldogs less than three weeks earlier, the Florida Gators women’s basketball team came into their Sunday afternoon rematch hungrier than ever before.

Florida softball huddles up during the Gators' 8-7 win over Georgia Saturday, April 15, 2023.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Gators split Saturday doubleheader at USF-Rawlings Invitational

By Hailey Hurst | Feb. 10

The Gators softball team split its doubleheader on Saturday. The team fell to Michigan but bounced back and dominated Illinois State.

UF track and field athlete Alissa Braxton competes in Eugene, Oregon, June 11, 2022. Photo provided by Isabella Marley // UAA Communications.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TRACK

Gators track closes out regular season with 24 new personal records

By Emma DiNicola | Feb. 10

The Gators track and field teams traveled back to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for the Tyson Invitational, their fourth and final regular season meet of the indoor season. Part of the team headed north for the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University.

Jeremy Jin (left) and Aidan Kim (right) deliver a 6-1 rout in a doubles match against Citadel, Jan. 19, 2024.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Gators fall in tight match to No. 3 Texas

By Chandler Hawkes | Feb. 10

The Florida Gators men’s tennis team (3-4) took on the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns (6-1) in Austin, Texas on Saturday.

Gators men's basketball guard Zyon Pullin calls the offense in the team's win over the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, February 10, 2024.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators men's basketball earns second win over ranked opponent

By Max Tucker | Feb. 10

The Gators men's basketball team upset the No. 12 Auburn Tigers at home on Saturday.

The Florida lacrosse team celebrates a goal in the Gators' 17-8 win against the Michigan Wolverines Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS LACROSSE

No. 10 Florida lacrosse falls in home opener against No. 8 Loyola

By Lacey Rogers | Feb. 10

The No. 10 Florida Gators (0-1) lacrosse team lost to the No. 8 Loyola Greyhounds (1-0) home opener 18-10 after being outscored 10-2 in the second half, turning a cloudy day in Baltimore into a sunny one for the Greyhounds.

Junior Leanne Wong competes in her uneven bars routine in the Gators gymnastics Annual Link to Pink meet on Friday, February 9, 2023.

SPORTS | GYMNASTICS

No. 6 Gators gymnastics edges No. 13 Arkansas in Friday night thriller

By Alyssa Britton-Harr | Feb. 9

The Gators gymnastics team beat the Arkansas Razorbacks Friday in its Annual Link to Pink meet for breast cancer.

Florida shortstop Skylar Wallace runs toward home plate after her first of three home runs during the Gators' 13-4 win over the Georgia Bulldogs Friday, April 14, 2023.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Skylar Wallace home run propels Florida softball over Oregon State

By Hailey Hurst | Feb. 9

A Skylar Wallace solo home run in the third inning was the difference in Florida softball's season opening win against Oregon State.

Florida senior Carly Briggs stands on the court during the Gators' match against the Pepperdine Waves Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Gators women’s tennis suffers opening round loss in first round of ITA National Indoor Championships

By Max Bernstein | Feb. 9

The No. 8 Gators women’s tennis was bested by the No. 2 Stanford Cardinal 4-0 in the first round of the ITA National Indoor Championships.

Gators senior guard Leilani Correa maintains possession of the ball while being blocked by a Razorback defender against Arkansas on Thursday, February 8, 2024.

SPORTS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators come away with last-second victory in thriller against Razorbacks

By Jack Meyer | Feb. 8

The Gators (12-9, 3-6 SEC) secured their third SEC win of the season in a tightly contested 84-81 victory over the Razorbacks (17-8, 5-5 SEC) on Thursday night. Florida led by as many as nine points and trailed by as many as 10 on the evening, but the team emerged from the dust triumphant following a strong fourth quarter showing.

UF shortstop Skylar Wallace rounds the bases in the Gators' 8-7 win against the Georgia Bulldogs Saturday, April 15, 2023.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Gators Softball set to open season on Friday

By Hailey Hurst | Feb. 8

The Florida softball team opens its season on Friday against the Oregon State Beavers. The team comes into the season with a new pitching staff, a talented freshman class and multiple returning position players.

UF head coach Billy Napier and the Gators prepare to enter Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Florida's 24-15 loss to the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Florida football gains no new-signees, looks ahead toward spring

By Bennett Solomon | Feb. 7

The Florida football program welcomed 30 new players and has the 14th-ranked recruiting class in the country. Billy Napier spoke to the media Wednesday afternoon.

Florida’s pair of freshmen Malwina Rowinska (left) and Qavia Lopez (right) celebrate winning a doubles point in the Gators women’s tennis match against Baylor on Tuesday, February, 6, 2024.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS TENNIS

Gators women’s tennis suffer first defeat of season against Michigan

By Max Bernstein | Feb. 6

The No. 8 Gators women’s tennis team (4-1) had been on a heater to start the season. That was until it stepped into Ann Arbor Tuesday evening to face the No. 5 Michigan Wolverines (5-1). In their first top-10 matchup of the season, the Gators fell short against the Wolverines 4-1.

UF golfer Maisie Filler on Monday, February 22, 2021 at the Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, FL / UAA Communications photo by Isabella Marley.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

Gators women’s golf finishes third in spring opener

By Hannah Getman | Feb. 5

After a rain-filled weekend, Florida women’s golf finished third in its first tournament of the spring.

Junior guard Walter Clayton Jr. drives in for a layup in Florida’s 79-70 win against Mississippi State on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.

SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL

Gators men’s basketball is a tournament team, but might be one-and-done

By Bennett Solomon | Feb. 5

On Jan. 31, the Gators men’s basketball team earned its most important win of the season and its biggest in the Todd Golden era. The team took on a hostile Rupp Arena environment and came back from a double-digit deficit to defeat the then-No.10 Kentucky Wildcats in overtime. But Feb. 3, Florida’s win streak came to an end in College Station, Texas, against the unranked Texas A&M Aggies. In a game where the Gators led for the majority of the contest, second-half struggles caused the team to blow a 13-point lead and lose by one point.

Freshman outside hitter Kennedy Martin tips the ball in the Gators' 3-0 win against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023.

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

Kennedy Martin’s success fueled by support from family, teammates

By Alyssa Britton-Harr | Feb. 5

Freshman outside hitter Kennedy Martin strutted in orange and blue as she ran out onto the court for the Gators’ first home match of the season Sept. 3, 2023, against the then-No. 5 Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Florida fans line up outside of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for Gator Walk Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. The game welcomed the largest season-opener crowd in UF history as 90,799 fans filled the stands.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Remembering Bill Carr, former athletic director and All-American center

By Krisha Sanghavi | Feb. 4

Former Florida athletic director and All-American center Bill Carr died Saturday night at age 78. He is survived by his wife, Janice; sons Jason, Scott, Jordan and Curtis; and daughter Julie.