The
No. 2 Florida gymnastics team (8-1, 4-1 SEC) used the nation’s sixth-highest
score of the season to finish its Southeastern Conference road schedule with a
win at No. 17 Auburn (3-9, 0-5 SEC) Friday in front of an Auburn Arena crowd of
4,626. The Gators posted a 197.50 while the Tigers turned in a season-best
196.875.
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Gator Event
Winners Friday
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Vault
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Kytra Hunter
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9.95
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Alaina Johnson
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9.95
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Uneven Bars
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Mackenzie
Caquatto
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9.925
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Balance Beam
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Marissa King
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9.95
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All-Around
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Alaina Johnson
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39.625
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There
were some changes in the lineup Friday as the Gator coaching staff wanted to
give some gymnasts a break and also wanted to see how other routines would
score. Florida Head Coach Rhonda Faehn liked what she saw Friday.
“I
was very pleased with the team’s performance tonight. It was wonderful to see
everyone compete so aggressively and confidently especially knowing that we
changed up the lineups quite a bit, especially on floor. They all responded
really well,” Faehn said. “They just did a great job overall.
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Pair of Gators
Performing Again
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A
pair of Gators made their first appearance of the season on events where they
had suffered an injury which put sidelined them. Junior Dali Lemezan
tore her left anterior cruciate ligament in 2011 NCAA Championships’ team
semifinal vault competition. In September, sophomore Mackenzie Caquatto
sprained both ankles on a balance beam dismount at the U.S. National Team’s
final selection camp for the 2011 World Championships’ roster.
Both
performed exhibition routines Friday at Auburn. Lemezan earned a 9.70 for her
vault and Caquatto posted a 9.80 on balance beam.
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Only
one Gator competed as an all-arounder Friday and that gymnast picked up the
win. Florida sophomore All-American Alaina Johnson picked up her first
all-around title of 2012 and the fourth of her career with a Gator season-high
total of 39.625. That total stands as the second-highest of her career.
Friday’s
crowd included 14 members of Johnson’s family. She performed well for them,
just as she did a year ago when a large Johnson cheering section was in the
crowd at the Florida-Georgia dual in Athens, Ga. That day, Johnson took the
all-around win with her collegiate-best total of 39.675 and tonight’s total was
just a fraction behind.
“It
just felt good that I was able to get out there and do it for my team. It was
so much fun. We always have so much fun out there together,” Johnson said. “It
was another great road meet and I’m just glad we did as well as did.”
The
Gators opened Friday’s meet with a strong set on the uneven bars. Florida was
six-for-six for stuck landings (seven-for-seven counting the exhibition
performer) as the Gators tallied a 49.40 for their third-highest bars total of
the season. Florida’s last half of the lineup all turned in marks of 9.90 or
better. Sophomore Mackenzie Caquatto picked up a share of her fourth
consecutive bar win with her mark of 9.925. Auburn’s llyson Sandusky and Kylie
Shields also shared the bar title at 9.925.Marissa King and Alaina
Johnson also posted 9.90s.
On
vault, the Gators turned in a season-best 49.575, which also stands as the
second-highest vault total in school history. Four Gators posted marks of 9.90
or better, led by collegiate-best mark of 9.95 from UF’s final two vaulters
Johnson and Kytra Hunter. The vault win is the second consecutive for
Johnson and the second of the season for Hunter. Junior Ashanée Dickerson
took third with her season-best 9.925 while Nicole Ellis also turned in
a season-best of 9.90.
Florida’s
floor lineup had some new faces as the Gator coaches decided to hold out a pair
of floor All-Americans - Dickerson and King - as well as Hunter (currently
ranked No. 3 nationally on floor) to give them a well-deserved break from the
pounding of the event. The Gators turned in a 49.05 and were led by Johnson’s
9.875 which tied for second overall with AU’s Toi Garcia. Senior Amy
Ferguson opened up the floor set with a 9.85. The evening’s floor title was
claimed by AU’s Brianna Guy at 9.90.
Floor
wasn’t as clean as the team had wanted, with an out-of-bounds and some steps on
landings holding the score back. Faehn challenged the Gators to finish the meet
strong on their next event, the balance beam.
“After
we finished floor, I told them that’s not how I wanted them to finish the meet.
They were challenge d to go over to the balance beam and attack that event so we
can finish on an extremely high note,” Faehn said. “It was nice to see how they
remained calm, yet competed aggressively, and were able to finish strong.”
With
the challenge from Faehn to finish the meet strong, the Gators did just that as
the team matched their season-best total of 49.475. That total ties for the
eighth-best in school history and matches the team’s season high on beam. King
anchored the set by matching her collegiate-best of 9.95 for the second time
this season. The mark gave King her fourth beam win of 2012 and she shared the
title with AU’s Guy. Johnson turned in her second consecutive 9.90 for beam Friday
to take third.
Tonight’s meet airs on CSS Feb. 26 at 1 p.m.
and CST on March 1 at 4 p.m. (Gainesville/Ocala Cox Cable channel 259).
