Florida Gymnastics to Compete in National Semifinals

No. 3 Florida gymnastics is in Fort Worth, Texas, to compete for the program’s fourth national championship and first since 2015. The Gators will compete in the national semifinals on Thursday afternoon for a spot in the Four on the Floor team final on Saturday.

The Gators have advanced from semifinal to team final competition in 17 of Florida’s last 19 NCAA appearances. However, coach Jenny Rowland knows that Fort Worth isn’t a given. 

“Fort Worth is our expectation,” Rowland said. “That’s what we work for every year…and we know that’s not a guarantee. It’s something we have to earn.”

Florida will take on Oklahoma, Alabama and Missouri in the first semifinal and will need to finish in the top two to advance. The second two spots will be determined in the second semifinal between Michigan State, LSU, Utah and UCLA.

Regional Final Results

The three-seeded Gators last competed on April 6 when they won the Tuscaloosa Regional Final. A team score of 197.700 saw Florida narrowly beat Alabama (197.675) and punch its ticket to the national championship semifinals.

The Gators were solid on all four events, but their best performances came on bars and floor. Four scores at 9.9 or above on bars contributed to a 49.55 event score, highlighted by three 9.925s from Skye Blakely, Alyssa Arana and Riley McCusker.

On floor, Victoria Ngueyn and Taylor Clark started and finished the rotation with 9.9s. Leanne Wong pitched in with a huge 9.95, resulting in a 49.5 event score.

WENT TO WORK

◼️@leannewong03 earns a 9.950 on floor!

ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/UmqfIkhiXL

— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) April 6, 2025

While the regional final wasn’t Florida’s best performance of the season, Rowland said the team views every meet as a chance to get better.

“Every meet is an opportunity for us to learn, for us to grow, for us to get stronger,” Rowland said.

Florida has shown it has the potential to take home the national title, having put up the highest score in the country this season (198.625). However, the Gators have been inconsistent at times, falling to LSU, Arkansas and Oklahoma on the road. If the Gators can tune out the noise and compete at their best, they have a shot at bringing another national championship home to Gainesville.

The Gators will start on beam in Thursday’s semifinal, which the team views as a good thing.

“Honestly, I think for all of them they’re like, “Yes! We get beam over with and then we can take a breath and just cruise,”” Rowland said.

Scouting the Opponents

Alabama

The Crimson Tide were the second team to advance from the Tuscaloosa Regional Final. Alabama held third, trailing California, until the final rotation. With a 0.025 lead over the Golden Bears, the Crimson Tide went to floor. They started with a fall but didn’t have to count that score due to solid routines from the next five gymnasts.

Jamison Sears and Paityn Walker posted matching 9.9s before a 9.95 from Lily Hudson. Gabby Gladieux closed out the night with a 9.925, securing Alabama’s spot in the national semifinals.

Her Coleman Curtain Call.

On her final routine inside Coleman Coliseum, senior Lilly Hudson delivered her seventh 9.950-or-higher score of the season on floor, earning a share of the highest individual mark of the Tuscaloosa Regional. #RollTide pic.twitter.com/D75lsKRJ9y

— Alabama Gymnastics (@BamaGymnastics) April 14, 2025

Oklahoma

Oklahoma, the No. 2 seed, enters the semifinal as the champion of the Seattle Regional Final. The Sooners posted their second-highest score of the season (198.450) in the quad meet against Missouri, Auburn and Arizona.

The star of the show was Jordan Bowers. The senior recorded three perfect 10s on vault, bars and floor. This is the second time in her career Bowers has earned three 10s in one meet and her second all-around score of 39.9 or higher. She joins Oregon State’s Jade Carey as the only two to earn a 39.9 or better this season.

make that five perfect 10s for Jo on floor!

| ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/5zHsZDywLM

— Oklahoma Women’s Gym (@OU_WGymnastics) April 7, 2025

With Bowers’ help, Oklahoma posted its second highest floor score in program history and its highest regional event score in program history. With a score of 49.8, the Sooners also tied for the highest floor score in the nation this season (UCLA).

Oklahoma has six national titles, including five in the last 10 years. However, the Sooners know better than anyone that a trip to the team final is never guaranteed. Entering last season’s semifinal, Oklahoma was essentially a sure thing for the Four on the Floor. So, it was a shock to the gymnastics world when the Sooners had three stumbles on vault, resulting in a deficit they just couldn’t come back from.

Missouri

The No. 7 seed Tigers came in second behind Oklahoma in the Seattle Regional Final but still punched their ticket to Fort Worth. Like Oklahoma, Missouri’s best event was floor. Hannah Horton and Amari Celestine pitched in with 9.9s before a 9.925 from Kennedy Griffin. Jocelyn Moore rounded out the rotation with her fifth 9.95 of the season.

Another notable performance was Mara Titarsolej on bars. She put up a 9.95 for the fifth time in the last six meets. Talk about consistency.

For those keeping track at home, Mara Titarsolej’s 9.950 on bars marks her fifth time in the last six meets reaching the score

: https://t.co/1dYTNWgEgi
: https://t.co/fXLhlKk5NM (@ESPN+)#MIZ pic.twitter.com/9D0d8jrqIP

— Mizzou Gymnastics (@MizzouGym) April 7, 2025

A Strong Field

Several teams have what it takes to take home the national title; it’s just a matter of who makes the least mistakes that day. Rowland acknowledged that it’s truly anyone’s game.

“You can compete four nights and probably get four different winners,” Rowland said.

If the Gators advance to the team final on Saturday, it’s safe to say Rowland is hoping it will be Florida’s day. Florida’s national semifinal will air on ESPN2 Thursday at 4:30 EST.