Season High Score Gives Gator Gymnastics SEC Title

Florida claims sole possession of the 2024 SEC championship in gymnastics with a 198.225 to 198.10 victory in Lexington.

It was senior night for Kentucky. They were looking to take a share of their first ever SEC title with third ranked senior star Raena Worley. Sounds familiar? As last week #2 LSU and #1 gymnast Haleigh Bryant wanted the crown. Well, Leanne Wong and the young Gators were not going to just roll over. Back-to-back weeks was the hype was on another gymnast. Leanne kept up a phenomenal run of four straight all-around titles with a 39.775.

This team just keeps improving. After hitting the 198 score (an average of 9.9 over the whole meet), they set another season high score. Sux gymnasts competed, with Florida having the road rotation of Uneven Bars, Vault, Floor Exercise and Beam. The five highest scores counting. The recap:

Anya Pilgrim’s reaction to getting a 10 on Floor. (UAA photo)

Uneven Bars: (Last week: 49.225, Average: 49.350, 9th in the nation)

-Sloane Blakely: Slight leg separations, nice hand stands, backflip landing with slight hop- 9.80

-Victoria Nguyen: Like separate, a little off on the low bar. Front flip landing, stuck- 9.85

-Gabby Disidore: Feet stuck together. Forward flip landing, hop. Strong routine- 9.9

-Ellie Lazzari: Springboard high bar start. High twist double back landing and falls forward or would have been a high score- 9.50 (The dropped score)

-Anya Pilgrim: legs glued together, a little off on one hand stand. Double twist landing- 9.9

-Leanne Wong: Legs together, great handstands! Double layout landing, stuck. Perfect? – 9.975

Score: 49.425 Florida trails after one rotation by .075

Vault: (Last week: 49.60, National High, Average: 49.355, 4th in the nation)

-Skylar Drasser: Yurchenko 1 ½ Great distance and stuck!- 9.95

-Sloane Blakely: Yurchenko 1 ½ Slight hop- 9.9

-Victoria Nguyen: Yurchenko 1 ½ Fell at the end but she’s ok- 9.5 (The dropped score)

-Anya Pilgrim: Yurchenko 1 ½ Off to the side, hop- 9.825

-Dannie Ferris: Yurchenko 1 ½ Big distance and stuck landing.- 9.95

-Leanne Wong: Half turn with twist. Landing facing the table. Hop- 9.875

Score: 49.50 Florida trails by .025 after two rotations.

Floor Exercise: (Last week: 49.70, season high. Average: 49.430, 14th in the nation)

-Lori Brubach- First pass (The long runs from corner to corner) Front flip twist, steps out of bounds. Second pass: tuck double back flip, stuck dash 9.750 (The dropped score)

-Victoria Nguyen: First pass: front double twist. Highly difficult. Great leaps and turns to classical music. Second pass: backflip twist dash 9.9

-Morgan Hurd: First pass: backed up or flip. Nailed it! Second pass: front layout to flip, stuck. Wonderful routine great to see her crush this floor routine- 9.95

-Anya Pilgrim: First pass: back double twist flip. Great flexibility. Second pass: high back double tuck flip, wow!- 10.0

What a wonderful reaction to getting a perfect score. The look on her face was priceless. Anya puts up the only perfect ten on the floor by a freshman this year in the country.

-Sloane Blakely: First pass: flip to back flip twist. Second pass: back 1 ½ twist to flip. Great leaps- 9.925

-Leanne Wong: First pass: Back double layout. Nice leaps and twists. Second pass: Back whip to flip. Stuck- 9.95

Score: 49.725 New season high. Florida leads by .300 after three rotations.

Beam: (Last week: 49.625, season high. Average: 49.425, 5th in the nation)

-Skylar Draser: Double back flip, balance check. 1 1/2 twist dismount, stick- 9.85

-Sloane Blakely: Front flip to back flip, perfect. Side twist dismount, stuck- 9.9

- Anya Pilgrim: Springboard mount. Back double flip, perfect. Front flip, so smooth. Back hand spring, twist dismount, stuck- 9.95

- Ellie Lazzari: Triple series backflip, balance check. Big leaps. Side dismount, twist flip, stuck- 9.9

-Victoria Nguyen: Springboard mount. Back flip twist. Double leaps. Back handspring flip dismoun, hop- 9.825 (The dropped score)

-Leanne Wong: Back Double flip. Front flip, flawless. Double twist dismount, stuck- 9.975

Where’s the Ten?

Score: 49.575 Florida wins the Meet by .125

Exciting comeback after trailing midway for consecutive weeks. Florida continues to be at its best on Beam. 49.55, 49.625 and 49.575 the last three weeks. The surprise has been the huge improvement in the Floor Exercise. 49.6, 49.7 and 49.725. LSU and Kentucky's lowest score on Floor the last two meets was a 9.925, just incredibly high. Florida has turned this weakness into a strength. With a combination of surprising freshmen, Anya Pilgrim, Sloane Blakely’s turn around 9.925, 9.975 and 9.9 her last three routines and Leanne Wong’s constant flirtation with perfection.

This team, without megastars Trinity Thomas and Kayla DiCello? just might have a shot at winning it all. The 198.225 today would have been high enough to win a national championship in 2022 (OU-198.20) and right behind the 2023 second place score Florida scored in the finals with a 198.2375,peeking at the end of the season, like most sports is what counts.

Florida faces Nebraska, Eastern Michigan and Lindenwood in Lincoln Nebraska next. Will Florida keep up the 198 pace?

Regardless, the Gators win the SEC regular season title outright for the sixth consecutive year. Spoiling Kentucky and LSU’s bid for at a share..