Gators Gymnastics Third at SEC Championship Despite Three 10.0s

No. 3 Gators gymnastics came in third at the SEC Championship Saturday night in Birmingham, Alabama, despite scoring three perfect 10.0s and an NCAA record on bars. With a final score of 197.825, Florida came in behind No. 2 LSU (198.200) and No. 1 Oklahoma (197.925). 

Despite not going home with the trophy, there were plenty of bright spots for the Gators. In a repeat of last week’s performance against Kentucky, Florida recorded three perfect scores in the meet. Gators coach Jenny Rowland commented on her team’s first postseason performance of the season.

Slow Start

The Gators began the competition on the floor exercise. Florida is ranked No. 4 in the country on the event, but they didn’t see their usual high scores this Saturday. The highlight of the rotation came from two 9.9s from Taylor Clark and reigning SEC Gymnast of the Week Selena Harris-Miranda. 

After scoring a perfect 10.0 against Kentucky last week, Leanne Wong put up a 9.85. The Gators put themselves in a bit of a hole after one rotation, 0.225 behind the lead.

Florida Perfection

Moving to vault, Anya Pilgrim started strong with a 9.925. Danie Ferris scored a perfect 10.0 on vault last week, earning her the title of SEC Specialist of the Week. However, a big step on the landing resulted in a 9.825.

Ly Bui made her return to the lineup, posting a solid 9.85. Then, perfection. Harris-Miranda anchored the rotation with a perfect 10.0, her second of the season and sixth of her career on the apparatus. It was also the first perfect score of the championship. 

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Harris-Miranda helped the Gators close the gap, only 0.175 behind the lead halfway through the meet.

The momentum certainly carried over to bars, as the Gators set a new season and nation high of 49.85. Want another crazy stat? That’s the highest bars score in NCAA gymnastics history. 

Pilgrim led off with a 9.9 before freshman Skye Blakely posted a huge career-high 9.95. Wong then saw her first perfect 10.0 on bars this season, Florida’s first on the apparatus this season as well. The perfect score was also the first from the SEC on bars this season. 

Harris-Miranda continued her dominance with a massive 9.95 to follow Wong. Alyssa Arana also matched her career-high 9.95, which she set last week. 

New to the anchor position, Riley McCusker scored her first career perfect 10.0. She fell on bars last week during senior night, so this was the perfect redemption. McCusker and her teammates were crying tears of joy, celebrating the perfect end to an incredible rotation. The Gators’ stellar performance on bars saw them jump to a 0.05 lead with one rotation left. 

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McCusker said it’s been a goal of hers to get a perfect 10.0 in collegiate gymnastics.

Unfortunately, costly balance corrections and broken connections on beam cost Florida the conference title. The Gators’ record-setting performance on bars didn’t translate to the final event. Skylar Draser and Victoria Nguyen had the high score of the rotation with a 9.85.

Now on the road to the national championship, Wong said there is always room for improvement.

Tigers Come Back for the Win

The reigning national champions, LSU, took a huge lead after the first rotation with a 49.6 on bars. The Tigers counted all scores at 9.9 or above. Aleah Finnegan and nine-time SEC Freshman of the Week Kailin Chio posted matching 9.95s. Ashley Cowan, Konnor McClain and Haleigh Bryant followed with 9.9s.

The Tigers were solid on beam, but three 9.85s opened the door for Oklahoma. The 2024 SEC beam champion, McClain had a 9.9 before two 9.925s from Finnegan and Bryant. LSU then rebounded on floor with three 9.95s from Amari Drayton, Chio and Bryant. 

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Trailing the Gators by just 0.05, the Tigers did just enough on vault to take advantage of Florida’s missteps on beam. They counted three 9.9s (Lexi Zeiss, Finnegan, Chio) before a 9.95 from Bryant.

This is LSU’s second consecutive SEC Championship title. The Tigers also shared the regular-season title with Oklahoma. 

Sooners Second

Oklahoma placed second after the first rotation, scoring a 49.425 on vault. Elle Mueller had the Sooners’ first stick of the night, posting a huge 9.95. Keira Wells came close behind with a 9.9.

They were then rock solid on bars and ate away at LSU’s lead. Addison Fatta had a 9.95 before a near-perfect 9.975 from the No. 2 bar worker in the country, Audrey Davis. Two more scores at 9.9 or above saw Oklahoma 0.075 behind the Tigers before mounting the beam.

Davis and Lily Pederson both recorded 9.9s shortly before a rotation-high 9.925 from Faith Torrez. Finally, floor.

The Sooners started out somewhat slow despite being ranked No. 1 in the country on the event. They didn’t see a score at 9.9 until their final two performances. After a 9.95 from Jordan Bowers, Torrez just needed a 9.9 to tie Florida for second place. She did one better and scored a 10.0 to secure a solo second-place finish for Oklahoma. 

In their first season in the SEC, the Sooners shared the regular-season title with LSU and placed second in the championship.

Mizzou Finishes Strong

Missouri had a slow start on beam. The Tigers had to count a 9.75, which saw them half a point behind LSU after the first rotation. They only saw one score at 9.9 or above – a 9.925 from beam queen Helen Hu. 

The Tigers picked up momentum on floor, proving why they’re tied with Florida for fourth in the country on the event. Kennedy Griffin and Jocelyn Moore had matching 9.95s shortly after a 9.925 from Amari Celestine. Missouri still held fourth place halfway through but cut the deficit to 0.325.

However, they didn’t help themselves on vault. The highest score of the rotation was a 9.875 from Moore. As a result, Alabama sat in the fourth spot despite competing in the earlier session. 

But the Tigers were determined to bounce back. They did just that on bars. Moore posted a strong 9.925, and in their final performance of the night, Mara Titarsolej scored a perfect 10.0. Although it wasn’t enough to boost Missouri into the top three, the Tigers had an admirable finish.

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Early Session

The SEC Championship, with eight teams competing for the conference title, is split into two sessions. The four highest-seeded teams compete in the evening session, while the bottom four compete in the earlier session. However, all eight scores count toward the title.

This year, the early session consisted of Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky and Georgia. Despite having the highest score of the early session, Alabama placed fifth overall with a score of 197.100. Kentucky came sixth, while Auburn and Georgia tied for last.

Up Next

Now officially in the postseason, the Gators are now on the road to the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics National Championship. The championship teams, all-around competitors and individual event specialists will be announced on Monday, March 24, before regional competition begins. The selection show will air on ESPNU at noon.

Event Titles

Vault – Selena Harris-Miranda (10)
Bars – Leanne Wong, Riley McCusker, Mara Titarsolej (10)
Beam – Helen Hu, Haleigh Bryant, Aleah Finnegan, Faith Torrez (9.925)
Floor – Faith Torrez (10)
All-Around – Haleigh Bryant (39.725)