Gators Take Over Mizzou On The Lou Quad

The No. 6 Florida Gators gymnastics team scored a season-high 197.625 Friday to win the Mizzou on the Lou quad meet in St. Charles, Missouri.

Florida outperformed No.14 Missouri, No. 27 Illinois and Lindenwood in front of a crowd of 5,995 at the Family Arena.

It was the Gators’ first podium competition of the season. Florida (9-1, 4-1 SEC) added another conference win to its resume by beating the Tigers (8-3, 3-2). The Tigers placed second in the quad meet with 197.475, followed by the Illinois Fighting Illini (7-6, 1-3 Big Ten) scoring 196.55 and the Lindenwood Lions (7-5) finishing last with 194.825.

The Gators led in three of the four apparatus, finishing on top on the vault, balance beam and floor exercise. Missouri’s Mara Titarsolej took over the uneven bars, as she scored the Tigers first perfect 10 on the event.

Season Highs

Members of the Gator squad also claimed their own personal bests. Florida opened the meet on the uneven bars, where, for the second consecutive week, freshman Gabby Disidore claimed her collegiate best, a 9.925. Disidore’s 9.925 also set the highest Gator score of the night on the bars.

https://twitter.com/GatorsGym/status/1758648787776504281

This week’s SEC freshman of the week, Anya Pilgrim, backed up her title with a 9.9 performance on the bars for the Gators.

On the balance beam, the Gators earned the team’s season-high on the rotation with a 49.55. Leading the Gators was junior Leanne Wong, scoring a near-perfect 9.975 and her season-best on the rotation. Wong claimed Florida’s first 10 on the season with her uneven bars performance against the Arizona Razorbacks on Feb. 9.

Florida’s lineup on the beam factored into the lead, as three Gators individually scored 9.9s. Freshman Skylar Draser earned herself a collegiate-best of 9.9, as Pilgrim and Ellie Lazzari amounted to the same.

The Gators continued on the floor, ranking another season-high on a rotation, with a 49.60. Each Gator on the floor’s lineup managed to reel in a score of 9.875 or higher. Pilgrim and Victoria Nguyen each scored 9.9, while Sloane Blakely and Payton Richards turned in season-highs of 9.925. Wong lead Florida, and the rotation, earning a 9.950.

Rotation Score!

Meet Standings:
Florida | 148.575
Mizzou | 147.95
Illinois | 147.32
Lindenwood | 146.475#GoGators | #WeChomp pic.twitter.com/8vuQPAwosI

— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) February 17, 2024

To end the meet, Florida was on the vault for the final event. Blakely led, and won the event with a season-best of 9.925

In the all-around, Wong won the title for the third time this season by matching her season-best of 39.725 for the second consecutive week. Blakely posted a season-high 39.55 to claim second in the all-around.

Debuts

Aside from reaching “bests,” the Gators also welcomed some fresh faces to the season Friday. In her season debut, graduate student Payton Richards earned a 9.925 on the floor. Richards has been with the Gators since 2020, when she claimed the third highest Gator all-around debut with 39.50 vs. LSU.

Making her Gator and collegiate debut, freshman Kaylee Bluffstone marked a 9.875 on the floor. With Bluffstone on the lineup, the Gators tie with the Georgia Bulldogs for the most freshman competitors among the SEC programs in 2024 (6).

Up Next

The Gators will host the No. 2 LSU Tigers  (7-2, 4-1) on Friday at a sold-out Exactech Arena at 6:45 p.m. on ESPN2.