Florida Gators

The No. 2 University of Florida gymnastics team (15-0-1, 5-0-1 SEC) used a 197.675, the fourth-highest score in school history, to win its regular-season finale Friday in front of a Stephen C. O'Connell Center crowd of 3,381. Michigan State (10-7) was second with its third-highest total of the season (195.375). With this score, Florida expects to regain the No. 1 spot in the national standings when they are released Monday morning. Georgia moved to No. 1 this week after Florida held the top spot in the first eight weeks of the season.

It was a night of season and collegiate bests for Florida's seniors as they took the stage for their last home meet. Four of the eight records set in tonight's meet were set by the seniors, who make up Head Coach Rhonda Faehn's first recruiting class. The five seniors, Savannah Evans, Breanne King, Samantha Lutz, Katie Rue and Chantelle Tousek, were honored after the meet.

“Well, the good thing is that we're not saying goodbye to them just yet. We still have the post-season and that's something wonderful for us to look forward to,” Faehn said. “Just seeing each senior do their last routine here in the O'Connell Center in front of our fans was exciting and full of a lot of emotions, but only the best feelings because this class is just amazing from top to bottom. They're performers and I'm definitely going to miss them.”

“It was kind of sad to see the seniors' last meet here,” sophomore Corey Hartung said. “This senior year is huge with five girls leaving, so I think it's a special year. We were happy to have them here to compete with us.”

Hartung tallied a collegiate-best 39.50 to claim her first all-around title of the season, and the seventh of her career. MSU's Kristen Coleman was runner-up with a score of 39.350.

The Gators finished the meet by tying their floor exercise event record for the second time this season, matching the 49.65 mark set Feb. 2. Freshmen Melanie Sinclair and Amanda Castillo both scored a 9.95 to share the event title with Michigan State's Nicole Curler in a three-way tie. The score marks a collegiate best for both Florida gymnasts. This was Sinclair's first floor win and Castillo's fourth floor title of 2007.

King claimed her first balance beam title of the season and the sixth of her Gator career, tying teammate Ashley Reed with a score of 9.90. It was Reed's sixth beam title in 2007 and her second consecutive. Third in the final beam standings went to Sinclair at 9.85.

Sinclair, the nation's No. 1 bars performer, won her eighth title of the season on the event with a 9.95. She has scored a 9.90 or above in eight of her 12 bar performances in 2007.

“I didn't know I was, so that's kind of exciting,” Sinclair said when she learned of her No. 1 ranking.

Sinclair sat out last season recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament tear of her right knee she suffered while with the U.S. National Team in the fall of 2005.

“I think she's a phenomenal gymnast everywhere, all around, and she's just finally starting to get somewhere close to where she was before she hurt her knee,” Faehn said. “I feel she's the best bar swinger in the country. I feel she has a legitimate shot at that title. Every day she gets up on those bars, she could score a 10.”

Senior Samantha Lutz set a collegiate-best mark on the uneven bars with a 9.925, tying for second place with Reed. Lutz had equaled her previous record of 9.90 seven times. The Gators matched the third-highest bar total in school history of 49.60 Friday evening.

Three Gators (Evans, King and Hartung) scored a 9.875 on the vault in tonight's competition for a three-way tie for second place. MSU's Rochelle Robinson claimed her fourth vault title of the season with a score of 9.90.

The Gators now have a week off to prepare for the 26^th edition of the Southeastern Conference Championships, set for March 31 in the Alltel Arena in North Little Rock, Ark. It will be the first time the SEC Championships have been held in the state of Arkansas.