Tonight, Florida welcomes home Gator greats of the past, including Alabama assistant coach Amelia Hundley, ESPN commentator Bridget Sloan, and more, as they celebrate Alumni Night and face their first major test of the season. While last week’s meet at Auburn could have been close, Florida was certainly the favorite, but Alabama might honestly be favored over Florida in tonight’s faceoff. The Tide have been ranked above the Gators for two weeks now – the first time that’s happened in regular season in a full decade.
Still, these teams have changed enormously even in just the last year or two. Let’s take a look at how they stack up against each other and see what the keys to the Gators’ success tonight might be.
VAULT: Florida and Alabama are actually tied on vault, both sitting at No. 9 nationally. Alabama has a higher ceiling so far this season, but the Gators are only two meets into their season, while the Tide have had one more week of competition already. Look for vault standouts like freshmen Danie Ferris and Anya Pilgrim to really dial in their landings tonight, if the Gators are going to start ahead of Bama. Sloane Blakely doesn’t look to be in the lineup tonight, but if things change, a good one from her tonight would also be a step in the right direction.
BARS: Alabama is ranked No. 1 in the nation on bars right now, while Florida is all the way down at No. 16 due to an uncharacteristically low first week on the event. Bars coach Owen Field will be looking for performances much closer to last week at Auburn if the team wants to keep up with Alabama – lots of sticky feet, perfectly vertical handstands, and certainly no falls! They’ll also likely want a higher leadoff score from freshman Gabby Disidore to give the squad a higher starting point to build from – a repeat of her 9.875 from last week would be ideal.
BEAM: In the Jenny Rowland era, Florida has almost always been a beam team. It’s ranked No. 3 right now, while Alabama is No. 15 after a sluggish start to its beam squad’s season – no event scores above 49.2 yet. Florida can keep this edge by turning in strong performances from beam queens Ellie Lazzari, Morgan Hurd, and Leanne Wong, but even better would be seeing Victoria Nguyen break 9.9 for the first time in her career.
FLOOR: Florida is also ranked above Alabama on floor, No. 6 to No. 16, but don’t let the wide number gap fool you. The difference in their average is only about a tenth, which is just one uncontrolled landing or underrotated leap. Florida will likely be starting Lori Brubach as leadoff once again this week, and a repeat 9.9 from her would be excellent. The goal will be for each subsequent athlete’s score to build on hers, and that will take clean, controlled landings, precision in dance elements, and strong performance. The performance should come easier at home in the O-Dome, but the other pieces of the puzzle will depend on how dialed in the Gators are and how much gas they have left in the tank at the end of the meet.
To sum this up in an easy-to-read checklist, we’re looking for:
- Better vault landings, especially from those with really dynamic, clean vaults like Ferris and Pilgrim
- Clean bars routines from the full lineup – no misses, no overarched handstands, no saves – and stuck landings
- A strong leadoff routine on bars from Disidore – above 9.85 please!
- Nguyen breaking 9.9 on beam for the first time in her career
- More than just hits – strong, confident, “I own this beam” routines from the whole squad, but especially Lazzari, Hurd, and Wong
- A strong leadoff routine on floor from Brubach, followed by higher scores from each subsequent athlete
- All tumbling and leap series landings fully rotated and well controlled
- High-energy performances from the entire lineup (and next week, we’ll be looking for this even though they’re not in the O-Dome)
In addition, we’re still looking for a few bullet points from our early season checklist we’ve been using the last two weeks.
- Ferris’s return: a better-controlled vault tonight (which she showed in warmups) would definitely show progress for her. At media this week, Rowland indicated she’s impressed that Ferris is back at all, so I don’t expect to see her on floor anytime soon.
- Lazzari’s expanded presence: floor last week looked good, but beam suffered a little. We’re looking for two hit events tonight, and maybe adding bars. She does not appear to be in the vault lineup, and honestly, maybe that’s what she needs.
It’s hard to say who I give the edge to here, but since the meet is in Gainesville, I’m leaning Florida. The meet starts at 7pm on ESPN2, but if you don’t have access, are watching another meet, or can’t get to a TV, we’ll have all the play-by-play right here for you.
7:01pm: We are live on ESPN2!
The Gators are wearing the SEC Championship leos… I feel like that’s a little bit of subtle attitude, reminding Alabama who has the crown? And honestly I’m here for it.
Ellie Lazzari is listed in the vault lineup!!!! This is not a drill!!
7:05pm: Draser, VT: Y1.5, a little underrotated but only takes one step back. Very floaty in the air.
LaCoursiere, Bama UB: First handstand a little quick? Maloney to pak is very pretty. van Leeuwen is also super clean. Short on the last handstand though. Toe on to full in, low chest but saved it as best she could, just a hop forward.
Pilgrim, VT: Y1.5, very clean in the air, just a little hop forward. Legs absolutely pasted together through the whole thing, maybe just a little teeny knee bend? Still, gorgeous.
Waligora, UB: Lovely handstand on the blind change, let go early on the Jaeger and eats mat, ouch. Takes time to rechalk, but the Tide did not want to open that door this early. Repeats the Jaeger, much better. Overshoot is fine, DLO dismount, little bounce back.
7:10pm: Lazzari, VT: Y1.5, comes up short, staggers back to try and save it but sits it down. Ouch. They’ll need a reset after that. She gets a hug from student coach Trinity Thomas afterward, hopefully she’ll have time to mentally reset before beam.
Pawlak, UB: Maloney to bail, handstand a little loose. Final handstand also shy. DLO is stuck!
Nguyen, VT: Y1.5, basically stuck! Just a little shift backward as she straightens her legs, WOW! A little knee bend in the air. That’s a great reset for this Gator squad, what a rock she’s become for this team. 9.975!! Feels a little generous given the foot adjustment and the knees in the air, but I’m not at the judging table.
Machado, UB: A wait for her here, but here we go. Great opening handstand. Lovely pak, great following handstand work as well. van Leeuwen is really floaty. Double tuck dismount, looked like a little bounce on her dismount.
7:15pm: Wong, VT: Yurchenko half-on, pike half off, just a little slide, but holds her salute nice and long. Some leg separation is more obvious when we go to slow-mo.
Doggette, UB: Shy on the opening handstand. Tkachev to pak, just gorgeous – you don’t see too many of those anymore. DLO feels like it freezes in the air as she rotates, stuck cold.
Ferris, VT: Y1.5, ooh, oh no, she tried too hard to stick it and undercooked it just a little. Didn’t sit it, if only for the strength of her thighs. But that won’t be the score she wanted or the team needed.
Blanco, UB: Cleanest of releases, but handstands are maybe a little loose? Stuck full in.
AFTER ONE: BAMA 49.375, UF 49.275
Florida just a tenth behind Alabama here – it’s just a close of a meet as I expected. Ferris and Lazzari are still works in progress, but the Gators put up a full lineup of 10.0 start values! Alabama didn’t have their cleanest rotation either, but they were able to put up 5 complete routines, so they end up ahead.
7:26pm: Rotation 2!
Sears, Bama VT: Yfull, HUGE air, very clean in the air, flared out just before the landing. Just a little bounce in place when she hits the mat.
Blakely, UB: Great opening handstand! Maloney had some leg separation, pak salto is clean. Final handstand work is strong. Double front dismount, has to lean to keep it but she does NOT move those feet! Holds her stick so long, good for her.
LaCoursiere, VT: Y1.5, waaaay off to the side though, lands fully outside the line.
Nguyen, UB: Maloney is lovely, some leg separation on the pak salto, off her axis on the half pirouette on the low bar, tried to keep going but couldn’t muscle through it, has to hop down. Gets back up, finishes it out with a DLO dismount, just a step forward. They do not need that.
Hudson, VT: Y1.5, basically stuck! Just a little shift back as she stands up. Some knee bend in the slow-mo, team is screaming for a 10 but I’d guess it’s about even with Nguyen’s earlier.
Disidore, UB: Not in the leadoff spot this week. Maloney to pak, both clean. van Leeuwen is also nice. DLO, just a little step back – great job tuning out the chaos happening on vault and staying calm after Nguyen’s fall for the freshman.
Hudson ends up with a 10 – that’s going to be big for the Tide.
Blanco, VT: Y1.5, little hop forward on the landing. Form in the air is very clean.
Pilgrim, UB: Maloney and pak are pretty clean. Great last handstand! Slings it out a little bit on the dismount, just a little hop forward. Another hit – they need two more of those!
Gladieux, VT: Just a Yfull, but very clean, great distance – just a little bounce in place it looked like.
Lazzari, UB: Is she in AA tonight?? Great opening handstand! Tkachev is solid. Pak had some minor leg separation. Handstand look a little labored? Full in is nice and high, just a little hop in place but good for her, she’s such a fighter.
Doggette, VT: Yfull, a bigger bounce back than Gladieux, so score should be lower if judges are doing their job. Great distance from the vault though, and pretty clean in the air.
Wong, UB: Good first handstand. Maloney to pak, a little leg separation toward the end. van Leeuwen is clean there. DLO, just a little hop back – they’ll drop Nguyen’s fall with that and maybe take back the lead? This is a TIGHT MEET y’all.
AFTER TWO: BAMA 98.775, UF 98.625
Wong only earns a 9.9, so Alabama’s lead grows to a tenth and a half despite counting a lower score than Florida had to.
Florida is ranked higher than Alabama on beam and floor, so hopefully they can close the gap in these next two rotations.
7:45pm: Rotation 3!
Draser, BB: Back handspring to layout-stepout (bhs loso), very secure. Switch leap to switch half, clean positions in the air. Roundoff 1.5, little hop forward.
Burgess, Bama FX: It’s been a while since we’ve seen her on floor, if I remember correctly! She’s been beam only for a few years. Double pike to open, a little crooked on takeoff it looked like but fixed it in the air. Double tuck for her second pass, much cleaner. Dance series is really crisp, great oversplits in the air. Punch front full to front layout, that’s a great leadoff for Alabama.
Blakely, BB: Front aerial to bhs, very confident. Split leap to switch half to beat jump, very sharp with each of those elements, good 180 positions. Switch leap to gainer full stuck! Her celebrations are my favorite.
Machado, FX: Double tuck to open, well controlled, good amplitude. Triple wolf turn to a double wolf turn – hers are actually really good, wow. 1.5 to front layout, one big leap forward on that landing. Switch to switch half, some funkiness on her back leg/foot but not sure if it’ll be caught by the judges.
Pilgrim, BB: Candle mount, lovely. Bhs loso, so patient, so steady. Full turn is so graceful. Beat jump to front aerial, secure. Switch leap to split leap, maybe a little shy of 180 on the first one? Stuck gainer full! I love that she uses Take a Bow for her beam music – more use of Rihanna, who also hails from Barbados, in addition to her floor music.
Sears, FX: DLO gets huge air, well controlled on the landing. Really bringing the performance in this choreo section. Switch ring to tour jete half, clean. Double tuck, overpowers it a little, wobbles a little bit like she was going to take a step back but doesn’t, staying in bounds.
Lazzari, BB: We need the beam queen now! Bhs loso loso, no problems this week! Gorgeous! Switch leap to split jump, 180s were clean. Little bobble on the full turn? Cartwheel to gainer full, maybe a little foot adjustment – still, should be a good score.
Hudson, FX: Front lay to front double full, wow, that’s a challenging pass. Dance series is nice and precise. I’m less than impressed with this choreography though. Double tuck is also clean. They’re shouting for 10s but I don’t think that’s going to be enough.
Nguyen, BB: She’s set up perfectly for a 9.9 tonight if she can hit a gorgeous routine. Onodi to bhs, flawless. Full turn – the best in the business, honestly. Switch leap to split jump, lovely extension, great positions in the air. Bhs 1.5, just the smallest of adjustments on one foot. That might be her best routine to date!
Gladieux, FX: Full out to open this routine, really high, decently clean. This choreo isn’t super exciting but she’s selling it decently. Dance series is pretty. Front layout to Rudi to a big split jump, lots of air but doesn’t travel a whole lot. Should be a good score.
Wong, BB: Switch leap mount to split leap, well connected and gorgeous positions. Bhs loso, leg comes up but not above 90 degrees and she immediately puts it back down, no leaning or fighting. Front aerial is sharp. Roundoff double full, looked like a little adjustment on the landing but Sloan says she stuck?
Blanco, FX: Double wolf turn, fine. Double pike, front foot slides backward as she lunges. Double tuck, another slide. Switch ring to switch half, both nice and high, clean positions. Really selling the choreo throughout this routine – it’s a fun routine! Front full to front layout, finds her control on that last pass. It’s going to be close! And we still have one rotation to go…
AFTER THREE: UF 148.15, BAMA 148.125
This is a CLOSE meet, y’all. The Gators are strong on floor, but judging was definitely tighter on floor than it was on beam. Who will come out on top? I think it’s going to come down to the final routine, much like the commentators have said.
Oop, they adjusted Gladieux’s floor score again, so now it is fully a tie meet at 148.15 each.
8:18pm: Rotation 4, let’s go!
Gladieux, Bama BB: Bhs 2 foot layout – she didn’t even take the full length of the beam, wow. Front aerial to beat jump, lovely. Switch leap to split jump, her splits felt a little tight there. Roundoff double full, little adjustment on the landing.
Brubach, FX: Front lay to Rudi, a little bouncy on the landing? Dance series is clean, that’s good. She feels like she’s rushing a little through this choreography? Double tuck to finish, better control there. Adrian Burde and Jeremy Miranda are both behind her and they’re happy! She finishes her routine to big cheers from the crowd.
Waligora, BB: Full turn is solid, very precise. Bhs loso, very slow to take off, it looked like she was going to stall out but somehow muscled through it. Switch leap to tuck jump full, maybe shy of 180 on that first element. Roundoff 1.5 is stuck – a good last impression but there were some question marks in there.
Nguyen, FX: Front double full to sissone, had some trouble connecting – it looked like she was just glued to the mat – but pulled it out somehow. Gorgeous leap series, lovely extension. Y turn is fabulous. 1.5 to front lay, much better connection and great control.
Burgess, BB: One-arm bhs to loso, a little lean to the side but doesn’t bobble at all. Side aerial, very clean. Cat leap to switch side, kind of weird technique on the cat leap but it’s fine I guess? Gainer pike off the end is stuck.
Pilgrim, FX: Punch front through to double tuck, perfectly controlled, just steps into the lunge casually. Her splits in her dance elements aren’t at the peak of her jump height but they’re perfectly extended and great 180 positions – I don’t think that’s a deduction? It’s just technique I’m not used to. Double pike, just a little slide of the front foot but that should be a great score for her.
Hudson, BB: Front aerial to bhs, sharp. Full turn is clean. Switch leap to switch leap, both shy of 180 – those better be taken. Side aerial to beat jump, barely switches her feet. Roundoff 1.5, hop forward.
Pilgrim only had a 9.825?? I’m so confused.
Blakely, FX: She needs one of her good ones! Punch front through to double pike, about as perfect as we’ve seen from her! Really giving the performance here, love this. A little flexed feet on her leaps but great angles. 1.5 to front full to close is fabulous. She killed that routine, that should be an excellent score.
Adams, BB: Double wolf turn to open, so clean. Front aerial, dead on. Bhs loso, a little lean to the side but keeps it small. Switch to split, goooorgeous extension, but maybe a little off her axis? Doesn’t let it show hardly at all though, that’s a pro move. Bhs 1.5 twist, little adjustment. Some question marks, but overall a good routine.
8:35pm: Wong, FX: Double wolf turn, no issues. Double pike, opened too early, bounced forward a little. Leap series is gorgeous and quite precise. Whip half to front full, basically stuck, gorgeous.
Blanco, BB: Front aerial, very steady. Full turn, a little bobble there. Bhs loso loso, solid as a rock. Needle scale is really nice, wow. Switch leap to beat jump, safe but very clean. Roundoff 1.5 is stuck – that’ll be huge for Bama. Florida needs a big score from Hurd.
Hurd, FX: Front lay to Rudi, looked like she stepped out of bounds from here but I’m not sure. Leap series looks lovely. Double pike, front foot moves on the landing. It’s a good routine but I don’t think it’ll be enough to pull out the win here.
FINAL: BAMA 197.575, UF 197.425
Blanco takes the all-around at 39.7 and the beam title at 9.95, Hudson takes vault with her 10.0 and ties for floor with Blakely at 9.925. Bars was a three-way tie for Doggette, Blanco, and Lazzari at 9.925.
Does the loss at home feel disappointing? Absolutely. Does this jeopardize another regular season SEC title? Potentially yes, though there’s a lot of regular season left.
However, there are also bright spots to be found in this meet. Let’s take a look at the checklist we had at the beginning of the night:
- Better vault landings, especially from those with really dynamic, clean vaults like Ferris and Pilgrim
- Definitely improved landings this week! And having the full lineups of 1.5s is definitely a huge step in the right direction. Ferris just needs to find a sweet spot between a big bounce forward and underrotating
- Clean bars routines from the full lineup – no misses, no overarched handstands, no saves – and stuck landings
- I believe Nguyen was a fluke – we know illness has been running through the team, so I’m hoping this will be solved soon
- A strong leadoff routine on bars from Disidore – above 9.85 please!
- Disidore moved later in the lineup tonight. Blakely got a 9.875 in the leadoff, which was excellent, but Disidore ended up with just a 9.8 after the fall. We need a rotation that isn’t interrupted with a fall to know if this lineup order works
- Nguyen breaking 9.9 on beam for the first time in her career
- Check! Now we hope for this again next week to make it consistent
- More than just hits – strong, confident, “I own this beam” routines from the whole squad, but especially Lazzari, Hurd, and Wong
- No Hurd on beam this week and an error from Wong – how long until we see Wong switch to a two-element series and one more connection or dance element?
- A strong leadoff routine on floor from Brubach, followed by higher scores from each subsequent athlete
- Brubach’s routine was strong but was not rewarded like it was last week, but the team definitely built on the foundation she laid!
- All tumbling and leap series landings fully rotated and well controlled
- Very pleased with most of the floor rotation tonight – still some tweaks to be made, including Nguyen and Wong’s opening passes
- High-energy performances from the entire lineup (and next week, we’ll be looking for this even though they’re not in the O-Dome)
- They knocked this out of the park, but it’s really most important when they’re on the road, so keep your eyes peeled next week.
- Ferris’s return: a better-controlled vault tonight (which she showed in warmups) would definitely show progress for her. At media this week, Rowland indicated she’s impressed that Ferris is back at all, so I don’t expect to see her on floor anytime soon.
- Alas, tonight was not her night. Hopefully next week she can find the sweet spot.
- Lazzari’s expanded presence: floor last week looked good, but beam suffered a little. We’re looking for two hit events tonight, and maybe adding bars. She does not appear to be in the vault lineup, and honestly, maybe that’s what she needs.
- Three events tonight! Took out floor, but nailing bars was huge. Now she just needs to find the confidence on vault again.
Overall, taken with quotes from Rowland in media this week, I think fans and detractors alike need to remember that this team is young, a little injured, and has been ill. Pacing gradually will be crucial to their success longterm. The continual, steady improvement is encouraging to see – the Gators started at 197.1, went up to 197.3 last week, and went 197.425 this week. I’m certainly not panicking yet.
If you’re at home getting worried about this team’s chances, let Rowland and her team do their thing. This team is staying in their bubble, which is what’s gotten them to Four on the Floor the last several years.
That’s it for me tonight, y’all. We’ll see you back here for Rivalry Night at Georgia next Friday, 7pm on SECN.
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