Florida Gators

NORMAN, Okla. – It was exactly what was expected when the two teams sharing the 2014 NCAA Gymnastics title met for a dual meet. Record scores, record crowd.

Top-ranked Oklahoma used the nation's top total of 2015, 198.50, to take the win over No. 3 Florida. The Gators' total of 198.10 is the nation's second-highest road score this season, just a tick behind the Sooners' 198.15 posted Feb. 6.

Between Florida and Oklahoma, the two teams own five of the nation's top seven totals of 2015.

It was Sooner Senior Night and the crowd of 4,138 set the Lloyd Noble Center record for women's gymnastics.

The Gators used nearly perfect marks of 9.975 to take the first two event titles. Junior All-American Bridget Sloan equaled her team-high mark set a week ago to take her third uneven bars win of the season. Freshman Alex McMurtry used the same mark to claim her fifth consecutive vault win.

The Gators owned a slight 99.10 – 99.025 lead at the midway point, but UF floor scores couldn't keep pace with the Sooners' balance beam marks. Oklahoma's beam total of 49.75 is the nation's highest on the event this season and included the nation's first perfect 10.0 balance beam mark from senior Erica Brewer in the anchor position.

Florida went six-for-six on its finishing event, balance beam, and its total of 49.525 was just off its season-high set against Missouri. The Sooners equaled Florida's national-leading floor exercise total of 49.725 to finish the meet. That floor set included a 10.0 from the final performer of the meet, Sooner junior Haley Scaman.

Gator Performance Notes:

▪    McMurtry picks up vault win No. 6 of her career. Seven of her nine vault performances this season have scored a 9.95 or above. She is the nation's top ranked gymnast on vault. The six vault wins is the most ever by a Gator freshman.

▪    Sloan equaled her collegiate bars best of 9.975 for the second consecutive meet and the sixth time of her career. It's bars win No. 16 for the defending NCAA champion. Sloan, who performed in just her third meet since spraining her right ankle in the Jan. 11 season opener at Ball State, has posted a 9.90 or above in each of her four bar performances of 2015.

▪    Senior Kytra Hunter matched her season-best all-around total of 39.75 Friday. That performance included a collegiate-best 9.975 on beam, a 9.95 on vault, a 9.925 on floor and a 9.90 on bars. It is the nation's second-highest all-around and the highest road total of 2015.

▪    Sloan made her season beam debut tonight, earning a 9.925. She hasn't performed on the event this season as the sprained ankle suffered in the season opener came during her floor performance.

▪    Hunter and Sloan's event wins Friday were the 75th and 60th, respectively, of their collegiate careers. On the Gators' All-Time Career Wins chart, Hunter is No. 4 and Sloan No. 7.

▪    Kiersten Wang equaled her collegiate vault best of 9.90 for the fourth time this season and the fifth time of her collegiate career. Four of her last seven vault performances earned a 9.90. McMurtry's bars mark of 9.925 equals her collegiate-best for the fourth time.

Records: Florida (6-3, 5-2 SEC); Oklahoma (12-0).

The Series: Florida leads the all-time series UF leads 12-5-1.

Quoting Rhonda Faehn:

On the Gators' performance Friday:

“It was incredible. I was really proud of the team. It was definitely our best road performance so far this season. I really feel like we are starting to put it together. This was a heavy pressure situation and both programs, I thought, competed wonderfully. Hats off to Oklahoma – they did a spectacular job.

“I was proud of our team, knowing everything that we've gone through this season. We are still trying to fine-tune and finalize our lineups. I really thought they did an amazing job and this will be a great road score to add to our RQS (regional qualifying score). It will give our athletes more confidence as we head into our final home meet and then SECs.” - Florida Head Coach Rhonda Faehn

This was a top-level meet. How will this experience benefit the Gators?

“It is incredibly important for our athletes to be in this type of environment, competing against an opponent who will be contending for the national title. Our athletes need that experience, especially our younger ones that haven't been to the national championship yet. We are hopeful to get Bridget [Sloan] back on more events closer to the national championships. That will only help fuel our team and our team's scoring potential. It was an incredible meet tonight and I know our athletes are going to get better from having this experience.” - Florida Head Coach Rhonda Faehn

What were some highlights from tonight?

“There were so many things. Alex's [McMurtry] vault was spectacular. It was wonderful to have Bridget [Sloan] back in on beam. She only had two and half days of beam practice heading into tonight. She went out and completely nailed that routine – it was gorgeous. I think that will continue to give her confidence coming back on the other events.

“I was proud of the entire team. They competed aggressively and stepped up. They are continuing to get better. We haven't come close to peaking and we still have some adjustments to make.” - Florida Head Coach Rhonda Faehn

Kytra Hunter had another great all-around total tonight:

“She was amazing - she was just having fun out there tonight. She was relaxed and had a great warm-up. She hit a great vault and I thought her floor was beautiful. She went 9.975 on beam as well. Kytra is just continuing to get better.

“It is incredible because she has done all-around in every single meet this year. She is just determined to soak up every last moment she gets to compete as a senior.” - Florida Head Coach Rhonda Faehn

Florida had a narrow lead at the midway point. What will UF work on in the future on beam and floor?

“On floor, we weren't as crisp as normal in a few areas. But still had a wonderful performance, but we left just a few tenths out there on the floor. At the same time, Oklahoma was on beam and they were spectacular. For us to finish up on beam, I thought we did a really good job. We want to clean up a few of our landings here and there.” - Florida Head Coach Rhonda Faehn

Oklahoma Event Winners:

Balance Beam:    Erica Brewer         10.00

Floor Exercise:     Haley Scaman     10.00

Catch the Re-Air of Friday's Meet

The Florida at Oklahoma meet re-airs on Fox College Sports Central (Gainesville/Ocala Cox cable channel 272:

March 7 at midnight

March 7 at 4 a.m.

National Rank:

Florida – Florida is No. 3 in the March 2 GymInfo rankings. This is the second week the national rankings are based on regional qualifying score.

Oklahoma – The Sooners are No. 1 in the GymInfo rankings.

Up Next:

The home finale for the Gators is next Friday, March 13 when Texas Woman's University makes its first visit to Gainesville. Meet time is set for 6:45 p.m. in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

Friday is Florida Senior Night. The careers of Florida's four seniors (Kytra Hunter, Jamie Shisler, Rachel Spicer and Kiersten Wang) will be honored during a post-meet ceremony.

Tickets for Friday's meet are $5 for adults, while children 17 and under and UF students showing a Gator1 card are admitted free. Gator Booster members are invited to receive a buy-one get-one free admission to the gymnastics meet by purchasing tickets online using the promo code Boosters.

TWU plays host to No. 19 Arizona Sunday before traveling to Gainesville for Friday's meet.

The Florida-TWU dual will stream live beginning at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network+, which can be viewed by all SEC Network subscribers.