The
No. 1 Florida gymnastics team (11-1, 5-1 SEC) used the nation’s second-highest
total of 2012 to finish its regular-season schedule with a win versus No. 7
Utah (7-3, 3-1 Pac 12) Friday evening in front of a Stephen C. O’Connell Center
crowd of 5,762. The Gators posted a 197.90, which also stands as the
fourth-highest in school history, and the Utes finished with a 196.475.
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Gator Event Winners Sunday
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Vault
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Alaina Johnson
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9.90
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Uneven Bars
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Ashanée Dickerson
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9.95
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Alaina Johnson
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9.95
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Balance Beam
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Alaina Johnson
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9.925
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Marissa King
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9.925
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Floor Exercise
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Kytra Hunter
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9.95
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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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39.675
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Florida’s
score is second only this season to the 198.05 turned in by UCLA on Feb. 26.
The
all-around performances Friday of three Gator All-Americans rank among the
nation’s best of the season. Sophomore Alaina Johnson equaled her
collegiate-best of 39.675 to take her second win of the season. Also turning in
a collegiate-best was junior Marissa King, who was second 39.65. Fellow
junior Ashanée Dickerson was third with her season-best total of 39.625.
Johnson’s
total matches the nation’s third-highest of the season, while King’s checks in
at the No. 6 spot and Dickerson’s holds the No. 7 position. It was the first
time in Florida history that three Gator gymnasts posted all-around totals of
39.625 or above in the same meet.
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Attendance Average is Third-Highest in School History
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Florida’s
five-meet average attendance of 6,200 per meet ranks as the third-highest
average in the program’s 40-year history.
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Year
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Attendance
Average
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1989
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6,455
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2008
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6,358
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2012
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6,200
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2011
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6,127
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2010
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5,818
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The
win was the fifth of Johnson’s Gator career. Florida Head Coach Rhonda Faehn
likes the variety shown by the team’s all-arounders.
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“It
just shows Alaina is an absolutely beautiful gymnast. On any given day, she can
challenge to win any title on any event for any meet. She performs with such
great execution and her lines and overall appearance is really pleasing to the
eye. That is an advantage for her,” Faehn said. “Marissa, Kytra (Hunter) and
Ashanée are powerful and dynamic, while Alaina is more of the finesse and the
grace. It’s a really nice balance. On any given day, any one of those athletes
can really challenge for the win, but it was Alaina’s night tonight.”
Big
marks on each event led to the Gators taking at least a share of every
apparatus title Friday. The depth of this team was shown as Gators paired up to
share three of the event titles and all were won with marks of 9.90 or higher.
