GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The nation's top gymnastics dual meet of the weekend - No. 2 Florida at No. 8 Louisiana State – also has a trophy storyline.
Being the nation's top meet of the weekend is nothing new for this conference rivalry.
This is the fifth consecutive season that the Florida-LSU dual is the nation's top meet of weekend. Including Friday's meet, eight of the 11 meetings since 2013 stood as the nation's top dual of the weekend.
Florida versus LSU action at the
Pete Maravich Assembly Center begins at 9 p.m. ET.
The Gators are undefeated in 2023 Southeastern Conference action (5-0). Kentucky is the only remaining team with a single league loss. A win Friday guarantees Florida at least a share of its fifth consecutive SEC regular-season title as the team would have one remaining league meet (Feb. 24 versus No. 11 Kentucky).
Florida vs LSU Rivalry:
Of the 27 meetings since 2013 between these league rivals, less than a half a point decided 19 contests, including seven of the last 10 dual meetings:
A tenth or less decided seven of the last 20 meetings, including three duals in that span
- Florida 0.1 win at LSU (2021)
- Florida 0.075 win in dual at LSU (2019)
- LSU 0.025 win at UF (2016)
Friday is the 28th consecutive meeting both teams bring top-10 rankings.
The meet is a big draw. The last three duals in Gainesville were sellouts. The 2018 meeting was the first sellout for a Gator gymnastics meet. Three of the Tigers' top 11 crowds were UF vs LSU duals.
How to Follow the Gators:
Florida at LSU is the second of two SEC meets airing on ESPN2 Friday. Olympic medalists Bart Conner, Kathy Johnson Clarke and Samantha Peszek call the action.
On the go Friday? Follow the action on
ESPN2 or
follow the scores.
Last Week:
Florida opened February home action with the nation's top total of the weekend – 198.35 – to win the 17th Annual Gators Link to Pink meet versus No. 15 Missouri (196.625). One Gator –
Kayla DiCello - earned her first collegiate 10.0 while
Trinity Thomas upped her career total to 24 perfect marks. DiCello's 10.0 on uneven bars is the nation's first perfect mark by a freshman on any event in 2023. Thomas posted her second balance beam 10.0 of the season. She shares the nation's 2023 high of four 10.0s with teammate
Leanne Wong and Auburn's
Sunisa Lee. A Gator trio –
Sloane Blakely, Thomas, Wong – shared the floor title at a near-perfect 9.975.
Of the 103 gymnasts who competed all-around last weekend, Florida's quad turned in totals among the top 19 during that span. Thomas set UF's career all-around wins record, matching the nation's high of 39.825 to take title No. 28. DiCello's 39.75 is the nation's top total by a freshman in 2023. Rounding out the Gators 1-4 all-around sweep was Wong (39.55) and Blakely (39.525).
Just like Florida, LSU opened February competition with season-best total (197.70 vs Georgia on Feb. 3) and top road score (197.50 at Auburn on Feb. 10). LSU's sophomore Aleah Finnegan posted her second 10.0 of 2023 – this time on vault – to take win at Auburn. She shared the balance beam win (9.95) and floor exercise (9.975) at AU. Her winning all-around of 39.80 is the nation's second-highest total of 2023. LSU junior Haleigh Bryant also has a vault 10.0 set in Jan. 20 win versus Missouri.
SEC Awards for Kayla DiCello & Trinity Thomas:
After their performances last Friday, Trinity Thomas and Kayla DiCello claimed SEC Weekly honors. Thomas picks up her first SEC Gymnast of the Week honor of 2023 and 17
th of career. Thomas was the SEC Week 1 & 4 SEC Specialist of the Week.
DiCello set or equaled every collegiate best – vault (9.90), bars (10.0), beam (9.975), floor (9.875) and all-around (39.75) – as she claims her fourth SEC Freshman of the Week honor. She's been honored five times in 2023, claiming Week 2 SEC Specialist Gymnast of the Week.
Last Dual Meeting:
When these team's last met for dual meet action, then No. 4 Florida took a 198.15 – 197.825 win over No. 5 Louisiana State in front of a sellout Exactech Arena crowd of 9,682. Senior
Nya Reed earned her second 10.0 to take the floor exercise win.
Trinity Thomas used a 9.975 to win vault and shared the uneven bars win at 9.95 with
Savannah Schoenherr and LSU's Haleigh Bryant. The balance beam title was shared at 9.95 by
Leah Clapper and LSU's Kiya Johnson.
Leanne Wong used a 39.65 to win her second consecutive all-around title of 2022.
