In last week’s meet in Athens, Ga., the Gators posted the nation’s highest total of the 2011 season (197.725) to beat the No. 4 GymDogs (196.60). This is the third consecutive week that Florida has upped its season-best team total.
Florida’s trio of Alaina Johnson, Ashanée Dickerson and Mackenzie Caquatto each took a share of the top three spots in the all-around event. Johnson, who set the nation’s top total of 39.60 in the Jan. 28 Gators Link to Pink meet, raised her total to 39.675 to claim her second all-around win of the season. She used a score of 9.975 to share her fourth bar win with UGA’s Kat Ding. The freshman also shared the vault title (9.90) with Dickerson and Smith. Johnson picked up the Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Week award on Tuesday after her performance at Georgia.
Dickerson was runner-up in the all-around with a season-best 39.575. She matched her collegiate-best for floor for the third time this season with a 9.95 and shared her balance beam win (9.90) with Georgia’s Hilary Mauro. Caquatto finished third in the all-around (39.475) along with UGA’s Cassidy McComb.
Auburn meets its second consecutive top-10 conference rival in road action, as the Tigers lost 197.075-194.85 at No. 7 Alabama on Feb. 11. Sophomore Petrina Yokay is the only Tiger to compete as an all-arounder this season, which she has done in each of Auburn’s six meets. She turned in her season-high of 38.825 versus Arkansas on Jan. 28. The Tigers also turned in their high team score of 195.15 in its loss to Arkansas. Jeff Graba is in his first year as Auburn’s head coach after serving five years as assistant coach at perennial power Utah.
