FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 2019 Southeastern Conference regular-season champions are the Florida Gators.
No. 3 Florida's 197.225 - 196.35 win tonight at No. 20 Arkansas gives the Gators sole possession of the 2019 SEC regular-season title.
SEC TITLE:
- Florida claims its 11th SEC title (1982, '83, '84, '85, '89, '07, '10, '12, '13, 16, '19). This is the third year for the awarding of a regular-season SEC gymnastics title. From 1981-2016, the winner at the SEC Championships was considered the league champion.
- This is the third SEC title for the Florida program in a seven-day span. The men's teams for swimming & diving and indoor track & field each claimed league titles last Saturday at their SEC Championship meets.
- Florida athletics leads all league programs with 243 SEC team titles.
Tonight was the final Friday of SEC action around the league.
Head-to-head competition does not come into play to determine SEC regular-season champion. Seeding for SEC Championships is based on March 16 national rankings.
This is the third year for the awarding of a regular-season SEC gymnastics title. From 1981-2016, the winner at the SEC Championships was considered the league champion. LSU claimed the first two SEC regular-season titles (2017 & 2018).
| School |
SEC Record |
Overall |
2019 High |
| Florida |
6-1 |
6-2 |
198.025 |
| Auburn |
5-2 |
7-2 |
197.100 |
| Alabama |
4-3 |
9-4 |
196.900 |
| Georgia |
4-3 |
6-4 |
197.475 |
| LSU |
4-3 |
9-3 |
197.900 |
| Kentucky |
3-4 |
5-6 |
197.225 |
| Missouri |
2-5 |
6-9 |
196.550 |
| Arkansas |
0-7 |
1-10 |
196.375 |
TONIGHT'S MEET
Florida led the meet from the opening rotation. A Gator claimed at least a share of every event title, all with marks of 9.925.
Trinity Thomas led Florida on its opening event, uneven bars. Fellow freshman
Savannah Schoenherr was second with her 9.90. Senior
Alicia Boren anchored the Gators' vault lineup with her winning mark.
Boren and Thomas shared the evening's floor title with Arkansas' Sophia Carter and Sydney McGlone. Florida closed the meet on beam, led by Boren's winning 9.925.
After equaling her season-best of 39.625, Boren claimed her second all-around win of the season. Thomas was runner-up at 39.55.
Photo Gallery
GATOR PERFORMANCE NOTES:
- Alicia Boren equaled her season-best of 9.925 for the third time in 2019 – and for the second consecutive meet – to win tonight's vault competition.
- Trinity Thomas' 9.925 claimed her fifth uneven bars title of the season.
- Boren upped her season best to 9.925 to take her third beam win of 2019.
- Thomas now has six floor wins this season and Boren claims her fourth.
- Boren's four wins (vault, beam, floor, all-around) gives her 48 event titles, moving her to 11th on the Gators Career Events Win chart.
HEAR FROM THE GATORS:
On the Gators getting the win on the road and claiming SEC title:
"It really feels great. This team has done an amazing job of coming together as one. This is pretty much a brand-new team from last year as we have six freshman. Really proud of how everyone has handled themselves in competition situations, in practice and supporting each other.
"This was a wonderful way to end our SEC regular-season competition. I couldn't be more excited for this team.
"I thought the performance tonight was good. It was a great start on bars – very aggressive. I was really happy to see this team start off on a really strong note. We had a little dip on vault as the nerves seemed to creep in a little bit, but they handled themselves well. We picked it up on floor and set the tone to finish the meet strong.
"This team showed heart and passion tonight. We left tenths out there on the floor tonight but it is really great to see them finish strong." – Florida coach Jenny Rowland
RECORDS: Florida (6-2, 6-1 SEC), UA (1-10, 0-7 SEC)
THE SERIES: Florida leads the series 42-3.
NATIONAL RANK:
Florida – Florida is No. 3 in the eighth
Road to Nationals standings.
UA – The Razorbacks are No. 20 in the
Road to Nationals standings.
UP NEXT:
2019 home action concludes for Florida when it plays host to Penn State on Friday, March 8. Meet time is 6:45 p.m. in the
Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Here's what's planned for Friday's competition:
- It is Senior Night and Florida's Alicia Boren and Amanda Cheney will be honored in a post-match ceremony.
- Take advantage of the dinner buffet in the Exactech Arena's Center Court Club. Watch the teams warm-up while enjoying:
Cheese tortellini with a basil pesto cream
Meatballs and spaghetti
Caesar salad
Garlic breadsticks
Popcorn & chips
Gourmet cookies and double fudge brownies
Meet Day Snacks - popcorn, fresh fruit, caprese skewers
Water, sodas, teas and lemonade
Tickets are just $13 for kids and $19 for adults.
Click here for additional information and to purchase tickets for this exclusive dinner event.
To purchase tickets, visit the
FloridaGators.com ticket site or stop by the Gator Ticket Office (open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.).
No. 3 Florida at No. 20 Arkansas
Final Team Totals |
| March 1, 2019 ● Barnhill Arena (3,016) |
| Team |
Vault |
Bars |
Beam |
Floor |
Total |
| Florida |
48.950 |
49.425 |
49.375 |
49.475 |
197.225 |
| Arkansas |
49.050 |
49.125 |
48.800 |
49.375 |
196.350 |
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