GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Powered by a vivid sellout crowd, No. 6 Florida gymnastics used a season-high to take the win over No. 13 Arkansas Friday in the 18
th Annual Gators Link to
Pink presented by UF Health.
Florida raised its season high to 197.85 while Arkansas tallied a 196.05 in front of 8,823 at the Exactech Arena.
Gator
Leanne Wong wowed the Exactech Arena crowd with her 10.0 to anchor the uneven bars lineup. It was her first 10.0 of her junior season and the seventh as a Gator. Wong also used a season-best 39.725 to lead a Gator all-around sweep.
Anya Pilgrim was second at 39.60, matching the nation's 2024 freshman high. Junior
Sloane Blakely took third (39.175).
Freshman
Danie Ferris' collegiate best of 9.95 took the vault win. Senior
Victoria Nguyen and Wong shared the balance beam win with Arkansas' Kalyxta Gamiao. The Razorbacks' Frankie Price won the floor exercise at 9.95.
TONIGHT'S MEET
A season-best 49.475 on vault opened the meet for the Gators. Florida's final three competitors all posted 9.9 or higher, including Ferris' collegiate best 9.95 to win the vault title. Wong anchored the set with a 9.925 and
Pilgrim also earned a 9.9.
Florida followed with another season high of 49.60 on uneven bars. Boosting that total was Wong's 10.0 to anchor the lineup. It was her first 10.0 of the season and fourth of her career on the uneven bars. Pilgrim used a collegiate-best 9.95 to take second.
Ellie Lazzari equaled her collegiate best of 9.925 for the second time this season to complete the Gators' bars sweep.
Half of the Gators beam lineup went 9.9 or better on balance beam. Florida's final two competitors –
Victoria Nguyen and Wong, led the team with 9.925. Pilgrim also turned in 9.9.
Sophomore
Lori Brubach led off Florida with a floor exercise mark of 9.90 to equal her collegiate-best for the second time this season. She shared second with UA's Lauren Williams. Wong anchored UF's lineup with a 9.875.
GATORS 10.0 LEADERS:
Leanne Wong is now No. 4 for UF in career 10.0s
- Trinity Thomas 28
- Alex McMurtry 9
- Bridget Sloan 8
- Leanne Wong 7
- Kytra Hunter 6
GATOR NOTES:
- Leanne Wong earned her seventh 10.0 of her Gator career Friday. Her Link to Pink 10.0 for uneven bars is her fourth on bars. She also has two on beam and one for vault.
- This was UF's 12th consecutive home sellout. With the Feb. 23 LSU meet already sold out, the Gators will have 19 sellouts in a 22-meet span.
- Freshman Danie Ferris upped her collegiate best set last Friday at Georgia by a tenth tonight to win vault at 9.95.
- Wong claims her second all-around win of 2024 and 11th of Gator career. In the UF program's 52-season history, 14 Gators claimed 10 or more all-around wins.
- Anya Pilgrim's all-around of 39.60 shares the nation's lead for freshmen in 2024. Only Pilgrim has multiple totals among the nation's 2024 freshmen leading all-around performances. Here's how her all-around totals rank among 2024 freshmen:
- No. T1 39.60 (2-9-24)
- No. T3 39.55 (2-2-24)
- No. T5 39.525 (1-12-24 & 1-26-24)
- Eight Gators equaled or set collegiate bests Friday:
ABOUT LINK TO PINK:
Tonight was the 18
th Annual Gators Link to
Pink meet. These meets are part of a Southeastern Conference initiative and most of the league's teams will participate in a "
pink" meet this season.
The 2024 event was especially meaningful to Gator senior
Chloi Clark. Her mother, Rhondi, joined the breast cancer survivors who welcomed the Gators to the competition floor Friday.
Rhondi and Chloi's story.
This event is well supported by the Gainesville community. Eight of the top 21 crowds in the program's history are Link to
Pink events, including tonight's sellout crowd of 8,823.
HEAR FROM COACH ROWLAND:
"Happy pink meet day. Extremely grateful for Gator Nation showing up. I just want to start out by saying that this was a week of intentional fight for the Gators. We brought that in collectively for what today was meant for. There's a lot more to life than just gymnastics. That is something we talked about this week. We were fighting for the survivors. Celebrating those survivors and fighting for those alongside them who are fighting a really tough battle and truly honoring those who are not with us today.
"The Gators did a great job of fighting through all four events. Extremely proud of the performances and saw so many peaks this evening. There was a lot of confidence, a lot of fight out there. And a lot of normal gymnastics. Really excited to celebrate tonight, be present, take that next step and keep working hard." - Florida Head Coach
Jenny Rowland
RECORDS: Florida (6-1, 3-1 SEC), Arkansas (2-2-1, 2-2-1 SEC)
THE SERIES: Florida leads 51-3
NATIONAL RANK:
Florida – No. 6 in the
Feb. 5 Road to Nationals standings
Arkansas – No. 13
UP NEXT:
Florida continues SEC action next Friday for the Mizzou to the Lou Quad in St. Charles, Mo. The meet includes No. 12 Missouri (6-2, 2-2 SEC), at No. 25 Illinois (6-4, 1-3 Big Ten) and Lindenwood (7-2).
Both Missouri (197.35-196.60 at No. 5 Kentucky) and Illinois (197.475-196.275
at No. 10 Michigan State) lost in Friday road action. Lindenwood has a home meet versus Illinois State on Sunday.
When: Friday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Family Arena
TV: SEC Network
Tickets: $10-$30
No. 6 Florida vs No. 13 Arkansas for 18th Annual Gators Link to Pink presented by UF Health
Final Team Totals |
| Feb. 9, 2024 ● Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center (8,823 - sellout) |
| Team |
Vault |
Bars |
Beam |
Floor |
Total |
| Florida |
49.475 |
49.600 |
49.450 |
49.325 |
197.850 |
| Arkansas |
49.025 |
49.175 |
48.425 |
49.425 |
196.050 |
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