Florida Gators

The No. 3 University of Florida gymnastics team claimed the NCAA South Central Region Championship title Saturday evening in front of a Barnhill Arena crowd of 2,096. The region win is the second consecutive for the Gators, as UF won the 2005 NCAA Southeast Region title. Florida posted a 196.375 to earn its seventh overall NCAA region team title.

The top two teams at each of the six NCAA Regional sites advance to the NCAA Championships, set for April 20-22 in Corvallis, Ore. In the 25-year history of the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships, Florida has only missed the 2000 event.

"I'm extremely pleased with our performance," UF Head Coach Rhonda Faehn said. "Although it wasn't our sharpest performance of the season, I know there is a tremendous amount of pressure associated with this meet. We are happy to get the win and very happy to be heading to NCAAs."

No. 18 Arkansas stunned No. 9 UCLA for the second qualifying team position. Arkansas finished with a 195.40 to advance to the NCAA Championships for the first time in the program's four-year history. The Bruins were forced to count a fall for both the uneven bars and balance beam and finished third with a 195.175. Other team results included Illinois (193.125), Illinois-Chicago (191.125) and Southeast Missouri State (189.05).

Florida opened the meet on floor exercise, turning in a 49.15 as each of UF's score contributors posted a 9.80 or above. The end of the Gator lineup turned in its top two floor marks Saturday. Freshman Corey Hartung posted a 9.875 to share the evening's event title with UCLA's Kate Richardson. It was Hartung's sixth floor title of 2006. Tiffany Murry anchored the lineup with a 9.85 to take third, while Savannah Evans was fourth overall (9.825). Katie Rue and Nicola Willis were among a five-way tie for fifth in the final floor standings at 9.80.

On vault, UF posted a team total of 49.05, as steps on landings hurt the Gators' score. Again, the latter part of the UF lineup led the Gators Saturday, as Evans and Murry each turned in marks of 9.85 to tie for third overall.

Florida went six-for-six in its uneven bars lineup, posting a 49.15 to match its second-highest bar total for 2006. Junior Samantha Lutz matched her season-best of 9.90 to share first in the final bar standings with UCLA's Kate Richardson. It is Lutz's second-consecutive region bar title as she used the same mark to win a share of the 2005 NCAA Southeast Region uneven bars title. Senior Sherie Owens matched her season-best for the second consecutive meet as she and Hartung each turned in a bar mark of 9.85 to tie for fifth overall.

The Gators finished the meet on the balance beam and counted no falls toward their total of 49.025. Rue matched her season-best beam mark of 9.85 for the second consecutive meet to lead UF Saturday evening. She tied with UA's Katie Hardman for second overall in the final beam standings. Florida also got marks of 9.825 from the top and bottom of its beam lineup from Ashley Reed and Breanne King, which tied for fourth overall.

Advancing to the NCAA Championships is all the Gators were focused on Saturday.

"We came in and did what we had to do tonight," Lutz said. "We were pleased with our performance, especially considering the pressure of this competition. You know that if you don't do your job, you are not going to advance."

Hartung was second in the all-around at 39.325. UCLA's Richardson won the all-around (39.475). Richardson also won the beam competition with a 9.90. Her Bruin teammate, Tasha Schwikert, claimed the vault title at 9.90.