The No. 7 University of Florida gymnasts (11-2, 3-0 SEC) matched the third-highest team score in school history for the second consecutive week to claim a 196.95-196.50 win over No. 12 LSU (6-2, 1-2 SEC) Friday evening in front of a Pete Maravich Assembly Center crowd of 1,743. It was also the second consecutive week that a Gator matched an UF individual record, as junior Kristen Stucky matched the balance beam record with her winning mark of 9.975.
ESPN will air the Florida-LSU dual meet on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 3:30 p.m.
Florida opened the meet with a 49.15 team total on the uneven bars, as the Gators went six-for-six on the event for the fifth consecutive meet. Four Gators turned in marks 9.80 or above Friday, including freshman Sherie Owens (9.80), junior Erin Pendleton (9.825) and sophomore Orley Szmuch (9.85). Junior Kristen Stucky led the Gators on the event for the first time this season, winning the evening title with a 9.90.
The Gators posted their season-best team total of 49.175 on the vault, giving UF a slender .35 lead over the Tigers at the midway point. Florida's first three vaulters each turned in season-best marks Friday, including Erinn Dooley's third-place mark of 9.875 and Amanda Stroud's 9.85. Szmuch matched the Gators' season-best vault mark of 9.90 to take second overall. LSU's April Burkholder claimed the vault title with her season-best mark of 9.975.
The Gators were just .025 away from their season-best floor total with a 49.30 Friday evening. Two Gators posted new season-best floor marks Friday – Stroud (9.825) and Dooley (9.875). Miner and Szmuch provided the Gators with strong scores at the end of the lineup. Miner turned in her third consecutive 9.90 floor mark, while Szmuch matched her collegiate-best of 9.925 for the third time this season to take second overall.
Florida's opening beam competitor fell, putting pressure on the remainder of the Gators' lineup to hold off the closing Tigers that were performing on floor. The remainder of the Gator lineup responded to the call, turning in a team total of 49.325 – just a fraction lower than the school record of 49.35 recorded in last week's meet. Stucky matched the Gators' all-time best of 9.975 to claim her third consecutive beam title of the year. She now shares the Gators' beam record with former All-American Hilary Thompson, who set the record March 4, 2001 at Nebraska. Dooley was runner-up with a 9.90, while Szmuch shared third with LSU's Terin Martinjak at 9.875.
"I was very impressed with the attitude and the way the team carried themselves tonight," UF Head Coach Rhonda Faehn said. "I was very happy with our performance. We wanted to make improvements on the vault, which we did and we made the corrections that were needed on floor.
"The meet came down to winning it on beam. To hit beam and to hit it that well was so exciting. There is no question that there was pressure on our athletes, especially after the early fall in our lineup. But they responded well and finished out the event with some great scores. Kristen Stucky's routine was wonderful and that 10.0 was so close," Faehn continued. "The performance tonight showed the new confidence level of this team. "
Szmuch won her third all-around title of the season with a collegiate-best total of 39.55. LSU's Burkholder was runner-up at 39.10, while UF's Waterhouse took third at 39.075. Burkholder won the vault with a 9.975 and the floor with a 9.95.
Up next, the Gators return home to play host to No. 14 Denver and No. 21 Iowa State on Friday, Feb. 14. Meet time is set for 7:00 p.m. in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Tickets are $4.00 for adults, while children 17 and under plus UF students with ID are admitted free.
| No. 7 Florida at No. 12 LSU |
| | Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | rank | Total |
| Florida | 49.175 | 49.15 | 49.325 | 49.30 | 1 | 196.95 |
| LSU | 49.00 | 48.975 | 49.05 | 49.475 | 2 | 196.500 |
