GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Southeastern Conference gymnastics action continues Friday when No. 3 Florida visits No. 23 Arkansas' Barnhill Arena. Friday's meet kicks of the SEC Network's Friday Night Heights action at 7 p.m. ET.
Friday is Arkansas'
Pink Meet. This will be Florida's third appearance in
pink, as the team played host the 11
th annual Gators Link to
Pink meet on Jan. 27 and competed in Alabama's 13
th annual Power of
Pink meet (Feb. 3). These "
pink" meets are part of a Southeastern Conference initiative to raise breast cancer awareness and most of the league's teams will participate in a "
pink" meet this season.
How to Follow the Gators:
Friday's action is the fourth of a six-meet stretch of live SEC Network appearances for the Gators. Calling the action are U.S. Olympians John Roethlisberger and Alicia Sacramone with Taylor Davis reporting from the sideline.
The meet can also be found on
SEC Network +. New to the SEC Network + coverage this season is all the pre-meet pageantry and festivities will be part of the on-line production. Tune in beginning at 6:45 p.m. to see the pre-meet show.
The
SEC Network's Before the Heights show sets up the weekend's gymnastics action. Watch it beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Last Friday versus Georgia:
In the nation's top dual last weekend, Florida turned in the nation's fourth-highest total of the season with a 197.975-196.525 win last Friday over then No. 9 Georgia in front of 8,355 at the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
To get just a tick away from a 198 team score requires some big scores and the Gators tallied many – including a 10.0 uneven bars mark by junior
Alex McMurtry. It was the nation's second 10.0 on bars this season. Florida is one of two programs in 2017 to have two gymnasts earn 10.0 marks, as
Kennedy Baker earned a perfect floor mark on Jan. 27 versus Auburn.
Florida also took the remaining event titles with marks of 9.95 or better. McMurtry also won balance beam by matching her collegiate-best of 9.95 for the seventh time of the last 15 meets. Junior
Rachel Slocum set her collegiate best of 9.975 to take her second consecutive vault win.
Sophomore
Alicia Boren matched her collegiate floor exercise best of 9.95 and set her collegiate all-around best (39.725) to take her second titles for both in 2017. That total equals the fifth-highest in the nation in 2017.
SEC Honors for Gator Pair:
Two Gators picked up Southeastern Conference Weekly Gymnastics Awards on Feb. 14. It was the second honor for both as this Gator duo picked up the same honors on Jan. 24. Boren claimed her second SEC Gymnast of the Week honor of her career. McMurtry is the SEC Specialist Gymnast of the Week – her seventh such honor of her career.
Gator Scoring Notes:
- Each of Florida's last five team totals are among the nation's top 25 of 2017 – No. 4 197.975 (Feb. 10). No. 9 197.70 (Jan. 27), No. T13 197.60 (Jan. 13), No. T18 197.425 (Feb. 3) and No. T21 197.325 (Jan. 20).
- The season highs for three Gators – Alicia Boren (39.725/T5th), Kennedy Baker (39.575/T20th) and Amelia Hundley (39.55/T29) all rank among the nation's top 30 all-around totals of 2017. Florida is the only school with three different gymnasts represented among the nation's top 30 all-around totals. The season-best (39.475/No. T51) for another Gator all-arounder, Rachel Gowey, sits just beyond the top 50 scores.
- Eight gymnasts have turned in 10 perfect marks across the nation this season. Baker who is one of four in the nation to claim a 10.0 on floor this season. Of the three who have uneven bar 10.0 marks is Alex McMurtry. She also posted another perfect mark this season as she received a 9.95 for a Yurchenko full vault on Jan. 20. The start value for that vault is a 9.95.
About the Razorbacks:
Arkansas (2-4, 2-3 SEC) plays host to its second-straight top-three opponent, as the Razorbacks lost 197.70-196.325 to No. 2 LSU on Feb. 10. The Razorbacks did register one of the biggest upsets of the season with a 195.825-195.325 win over then No. 5 Alabama in Jan. 27 home action.
Arkansas set its season high of 196.375 with its second-consecutive upset win (at No. 17 Auburn on Feb. 3).
National Rank:
Florida – Florida is No. 3 in the sixth
Road to Nationals poll.
Arkansas – The Razorbacks are No. 23 in the Road to Nationals poll.
