Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 7 Florida gymnastics will be in front of another sold-out crowd this Friday, this time at No. 12 Auburn's Neville Arena. The meet begins at 6 p.m. ET.
 
Lately, the Tigers are a frequent SEC opener opponent, as this is the third league start versus Auburn in the last four years (2021, 2023, 2024). The recent exception? Florida traveled to Auburn to close 2022 league action for a dual that both teams were in position to win at least a share of the SEC regular-season title. The teams tied at 198.575 in the high scoring meet and UF took the SEC title with a 6-0-1 record.
 
How to Follow the Gators:
Follow the action live:

• SEC Network  - action called by Olympic medalist Bart Conner and Gator All-American Kennedy Baker
• Live Stats - StatBroadcast

 
Last Week:
Florida got the 2024 season started Jan. 12 with a home quad win in front of a sold-out Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Florida posted a 197.10 to win the home quad versus George Washington (194.55), Fisk (189.95) and Talladega (187.75) for Equality Night sponsored by Publix.
 
It was an event title sweep for the Gators. Freshman Anya Pilgrim won at least a share of four event titles – which included winning the all-around with the highest total (39.525) ever for a Gator freshman in a season opener. The two Gators who competed at the 2023 World Championships – Pilgrim (Barbados) and Leanne Wong (U.S.) - shared the vault win (9.875) and she used the same mark to claim the uneven bars title. She completed her first collegiate meet by tying teammate Victoria Nguyen for the floor exercise title (9.925). Senior Ellie Lazzari matched her collegiate best – a near-perfect 9.975 – to claim her ninth career balance beam title.
 
Five freshmen were in Florida's competitive lineup for the season opener – the most since the 2004 NCAA Super Six team final. In all, 13 Gators were in the Jan. 12 competitive lineup, the most since the Feb. 17, 2012 win at Auburn. Among the current top-25 teams, Florida is one of five teams (Alabama, Arizona State, Illinois, Missouri) to use 13 competitors in a 2024 meet.
 
The Tigers were nipped 197.475-197.025 by then No. 9 Kentucky in the SEC opener for both teams, held in front of a sold-out Neville Arena on Jan. 12. Four of AU's season best came vs UK – Sydney Schumaker (vault, 9.9), Sophia Groth (beam, 9.9), Olivia Hollingsworth (floor, 9.925; all-around, 39.50).
 
The Neville Arena will look for its second big win of the week, as the Tigers' women's basketball team upset defending NCAA champion LSU 67-62 on Sunday, Jan. 14.
 
SEC Weekly Honor for Pilgrim
After posting the nation's top all-around total by a freshmen so far this young season, Pilgrim earned the SEC Freshman of the Week honor.