The No. 1 University of Florida gymnastics team (3-0, 2-0 SEC) collected a 196.425-194.00 win Friday evening at No. 24 LSU (0-3, 0-2 SEC) in front of Pete Maravich Assembly Center crowd of 3,590.
Sophomore All-American Ashanée Dickerson led the Gators Friday, claiming at least a share of each of the evening’s five event titles, including using a 39.475 to claim her 10th all-around title. Dickerson becomes the first Gator since former All-American Chrissy Van Fleet in the 2000 season to sweep a meet’s event titles.
Dickerson claimed sole possession of the floor exercise (9.95), vault (9.90) and balance beam (9.825) wins and shared the uneven bars title (9.80).
“I just focused on what needed to be done,” Dickerson said. “I tried to focus on the mistakes I made last week and tried to improve those routines this week. Tonight I focused on taking one thing at a time.”
Her coach was amazed once again by another stellar performance by the sophomore All-American.
“Again, so amazing,” UF Head Coach Rhonda Faehn said. “Ashanée’s floor routine just topped it all off. That is one of the best routines I've ever seen her do. She was great everywhere, so solid. She shows tremendous maturity and she's only a sophomore.”
Friday’s meet was the first time Florida ventured out for a road competition this season. It was a solid team score earned by Florida, but Faehn knows that this team can perform better.
“We had trouble with landings tonight - out of the 24 opportunities we had, we must of only had three or four stuck landings,” she said. “I think it was a great experience for our freshmen. They were a little tight tonight so we want them to learn from this experience and be better the next time we are on the road. But they know the mistakes that they made and they know they can be much better as far as presentation, performance and being cleaner. That is something we will definitely work on.
Small steps on landings and slight form breaks dinged the Gators’ opening event score – the uneven bars. The first four Florida competitors – Nicole Ellis, Dickerson, Alicia Goodwin and Elizabeth Mahlich – all turned in marks of 9.80 to lead UF on the event. The four Gators and LSU’s Sarie Morrison shared first in the final bar standings.
The Gators came back strong on their next event, the vault, as the team posted a 49.30 – just off their season-high of 49.375 set last Friday versus Kentucky. Dickerson used a mark of 9.90 to claim her second vault win of the season while senior Maranda Smith equaled her season-high of 9.875 to share second with LSU’s Ashley Lee and Sarie Morrison.
Florida was solid throughout its floor exercise lineup, posting a 49.20. Florida’s sophomore pair which advanced to the 2010 NCAA floor exercise final led the team on the event. Marissa King matched her 2011 high of 9.875 to take second overall. Dickerson nailed her opening pass, an Arabian double front, without the slightest waiver and was rewarded with a 9.95. It is the fifth time Dickerson earned her collegiate-best on floor and it also was her 10th floor victory of her collegiate career. Freshman Alaina Johnson and junior Amy Ferguson shared third in the final floor standings at 9.80.
Balance beam was the finishing event for the Gators and the six member lineup swept the top three spots in the event standings. Mahlich was second at 9.80 behind Dickerson’s 9.825. Randy Stageberg, Johnson, King and Mackenzie Caquatto shared third at 9.775.
The Gators return home to play host to North Carolina State and Penn State on Friday, Jan. 28 for the popular Gators Link to Pink meet. Meet time is set for 7 p.m. in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Next Friday’s meet is part of a Southeastern Conference initiative to raise awareness about breast cancer and all of the league’s teams will participate in a “pink” meet this season. Team colors are set aside as each team will wear pink (but in different shades). Information aimed to raise awareness about breast cancer prevention and treatment will be included at meet.
