Florida Gators

The No. 14 University of Florida gymnastics team (9-6, 2-1 SEC) was second to No. 3 Alabama Friday evening in front of a Coleman Coliseum crowd of 7,695. The Tide turned in a 196.925, while the Gators posted a 194.95.

Florida opened the meet on the uneven bars, turning in its second-highest team total of the season at 48.95. Freshman Orley Szmuch led the Gators on the event with a 9.85 to tie for third, while Kara Waterhouse and Hilary Thompson each turned in marks of 9.825. The Gators then rotated to the vault, where they posted a 48.875. Junior Lindsey Miner, who was celebrating her 21^st birthday Friday, matched her collegiate-best vault mark of 9.90 to take second on the event. Szmuch shared the third position Friday with Alabama's Alexis Brion at 9.80. Alabama's Andree Pickens took top honors on both events Friday, turning in a 9.975 on vault and a 9.90 on the uneven bars.

On the Gators' next event, the floor exercise, Florida tallied a season-high 49.30, thanks to five scores of 9.80 or better. Thompson led the Gators on the event for the fourth consecutive meet with her mark of 9.925, which was third overall. Waterhouse and Miner each turned in marks of 9.875, while Erinn Dooley posted a 9.825 and Jenny Carow had a 9.80. UA's Raegan Tomasek and Alexis Brion shared the floor title Friday at 9.95.

Heading in to the final rotation, Florida trailed the Tide by .325 of point, but the Gators were forced to count two falls toward its balance beam team total of 47.825, putting their hopes of narrowing the gap on No. 3 Alabama out of reach. Florida's top performers on the event, Miner and Dooley, tied for fourth overall at 9.825. UA's Pickens and Jeana Rice shared the evening's beam title at 9.90.

Alabama's Shannon Hrozek won the all-around title at 39.25, while UF senior Krissy Dreger was runner-up with a collegiate-best total of 38.825. Waterhouse was third at 38.70.

"We were looking for a more consistent performance on beam. We have been working hard on it during practice and it is disappointing not to show what we are capable of on that event. We could have walked out of her with a very close meet and instead we just threw it away," UF Head Coach Judi Markell said.

"We did have some solid performances," she continued. "Krissy Dreger was only going to do one event tonight, but she ended up turning in a collegiate-best in the all-around. Hilary Thompson was solid on the three events she competed tonight, as well as Lindsey Miner. Erinn Dooley came through on the beam and floor. We are now going to get ready for next week's meet with Georgia, Iowa State and Maryland. We will show that we are a better team next Friday."

Next up, the Gators play host to the Subway Presents 80's Old Wave Night on Friday, March 1. The quad meet includes No. 1 Georgia, No. 9 Iowa State and No. 22 Maryland. Meet time is set for 7:00 p.m. in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center and tickets are $4.00 for adults, while children 17 & under plus UF students with identification are admitted free. Friday's meet is also the home finale for the Gators this season and UF's two seniors, Krissy Dreger and Hilary Thompson, will be honored in a pre-meet ceremony.

Team Totals