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  • BSB: Gators Drop Series Opener vs Arkansas

    BSB: Gators Drop Series Opener vs Arkansas

    Despite good outings from the Gator’s pitching staff, the offense struggled to produce runs, only getting three runs on the night. They drop game one to the Razorbacks 2-1.

    Pierce Coppola provided a strong start for the Gators, striking out all three batters he faced in the first inning. Arkansas got on the board with a solo homerun in the second to go up 1-0.

    Coppola finished with six strikeouts in three innings, an impressive Friday outing for his third appearance this season.

    The Gators finally got on the board in the seventh on a throwing error by the Razorback’s first baseman, allowing Heyman to score and tie it 1-1.

    McNeillie entered in the bottom of the seventh and struck out the three batters he faced to keep it a tie game.

    Despite loading the bases in the eighth, the Gators could not take advantage. Arkansas added on another in the bottom of the eighth, leading 2-1.

    The Gators offense continued to struggle and find a response for a comeback, losing 2-1. They fall to 21-20, 8-11 SEC.

    Games two and three will be Saturday. The first pitch will be 1 p.m., and the next game will follow about 45 minutes after the end of the first game.

  • SB: Gators run-rule Bulldogs in series opener

    SB: Gators run-rule Bulldogs in series opener

    After a five-inning loss earlier in the week, the No. 12 Gators came into Athens ready to blow off some steam.

    And they did just that, as Florida (38-11, 13-6 SEC) routed No. 11 Georgia in the first of three games.

    After being named to the NFCA DI Freshman of the Year Top 25, Keagan Rothrock earned her nineteenth win in the Gators’ 9-1 win over the Bulldogs (36-12, 10-9 SEC).

    Although walking five batters, she threw five complete innings with two hits and one earned run.

    Florida’s offense was rolling and scored in every inning except the second.

    Ava Brown, Jocelyn Erickson and Skylar Wallace led the team with two RBIs a piece.

    Brown scored her own two RBIs in the first on a single.

    Erickson doubled in the first to score the first run before hitting a sacrifice fly to score another in the fourth.

    Wallace hit an RBI single in the fourth to score two before stealing home in that same inning.

    She led the team with two steals, as the Gators totaled five.

    Florida will go for the series win Saturday at 11 a.m.

  • SB: Gators run-ruled by Seminoles at home

    SB: Gators run-ruled by Seminoles at home

    At “Swiftie” night at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, Florida fans went home early.

    Although a competitive game for most of the night, No. 16 Florida State broke open the score with a 12-run fifth inning, propelling them to a win over No. 12 Florida.

    The Gators (37-11) took an early 2-0 lead through the first four frames. Ava Brown brought in the first run on an RBI double to score Jocelyn Erickson in the second.

    Then, Reagan Walsh hit her team-leading 15th home run to give the Orange and Blue the two-run lead.

    But things took a turn in the fifth inning.

    Florida had three errors, as the Seminoles (37-10) homered twice and scored twelve runs in the inning.

    Relief pitcher Mackenzie Wooten was ultimately charged with the loss.

    Florida got one back in the bottom of the fifth when Walsh scored Skylar Wallace on an RBI single.

    However, the Gators couldn’t get a rally going and fell in five innings due to the run rule.

    Florida will head to Athens this weekend to take on No. 11 Georgia for a three-game series.

  • BSB: Gators Take Series Finale from Commodores 6-2

    BSB: Gators Take Series Finale from Commodores 6-2

    Photo by Jay Biggerstaff | Getty Images

    Caglianone’s home run streak ended Saturday, but the Gators got a much-needed victory against the Commodores to avoid a series sweep. Shelnut provided five RBIs on the day and an outstanding performance from Fisher Jameson out of the bullpen lifted the Gators over Vanderbilt 6-2.

    It was a quiet first few innings for the Gators, until the fourth when Kurland got them on the board, 2-1, with a RBI double to score Shelton.

    Tyler Shelnut gave the Gators the lead with a three run home run in the fifth, going up 4-2.

    Shelnut continued to get the Gators on the board with a 2 RBI double in the ninth, tying his career-high five RBI, which he set Tuesday against Jacksonville.

    Fisher Jameson recorded the save on the day, his second career save, throwing 3.1 innings with six strikeouts.

    The Gators win 6-2 and avoid going below .500 on the season, now 20-19 overall, 8-10 SEC.

    Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan said postgame on the win and moving forward, “Obviously, everything is in front of us and every game matters,” he said. “Every game seems like a playoff game and we’re going to have to continue to play well, that’s for sure.”

    The Gators will take on Stetson at home at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. They will travel to Arkansas for an SEC series next weekend.

  • SB: Gamecocks even series with Gators

    SB: Gamecocks even series with Gators

    In a steamy hot late April day, the No. 10 Florida softball failed to heat up.

    The Gators (36-10, 11-6 SEC) slowed down offensively today as South Carolina’s four home runs powered them to a win in game two.

    While the offense totaled eight hits, it only scored two runs against the Gamecocks (30-16, 6-11 SEC) through seven innings of play.

    Reagan Walsh provided a spark on a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, her team-leading fourteenth of the season.

    The only other run came in the bottom of the seventh on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice play, but the Gators failed to rally after that.

    Ava Brown completed the game. She gave up seven hits with four of those being home runs. In addition, she totaled four strikeouts.

    The Gators and Gamecocks will square off in the rubber match Sunday morning at 11:30.

  • WGYM Liveblog: National Championship Final ft. No. 4 Gators, No. 2 LSU, No. 3 California, No. 5 Utah

    WGYM Liveblog: National Championship Final ft. No. 4 Gators, No. 2 LSU, No. 3 California, No. 5 Utah

    It’s been a long, hard road, but it all comes down to this. Has the Gators’ careful pacing and thorough preparation finally led them back to the top of the medal stand?

    This afternoon, they’ll face the LSU Tigers, the Cal Bears, and the Utah Utes in a showdown no one expected to shake out like it did. In the semifinals, both the reigning Oklahoma Sooners and former champs the Alabama Crimson Tide were forced to count three falls each, taking them out of the running entirely and clearing the way for the Gators and Utes to advance, provided they could keep a clean meet going.

    That kind of fluke won’t happen again, and Florida knows that, so they didn’t take it for granted – they still fought for every tenth in semifinals, as practice for tonight when it will count the most. I said in my preview earlier this week that if they made finals, the Gators’ directive would be to do exactly what they did in semis, just better. Make necessary adjustments based on what they saw throughout semis, both in their gymnastics and errors from other teams, and go absolutely lights out, leave it all on the floor. Let’s talk about what that looks like, rotation by rotation.

    Rotation 1: Contrary to what I expected, the Gators actually will start on vault tonight, since they had the highest NQS of the qualifiers in Semi II. Olympic order may be a blessing, but as we saw with Oklahoma in semifinals, it doesn’t automatically make for an easy way forward. They were the best team on vault in semifinals; they’ll need to do it again here. Carbon copies would be great, improvements from Victoria Nguyen and Danie Ferris would be even better. Utah will be on bars, one of its worse events, and Cal will be on beam, its most inconsistent event, so if the Gators can have a normal day on vault, they may be able to come out ahead of both after the first rotation. LSU, however, goes to floor, its best event. Florida will hope to keep it close after one, because if there’s anything you can bet on, it’s that the Tigers are going to bring it on floor.

    Rotation 2: Bars is the Gators’ worst event, while LSU will go to vault, Cal to floor, and Utah to beam – all their second-best events. The hope for bars is that they can hit six for six (really hoping Lazzari is good to go, and if she’s not, that Disidore is), stick their dismounts, and keep things close. If they’re within a tenth or two at the halfway point, there’s still hope.

    Rotation 3: Beam is where the Gators can battle back – it’s their best event, while LSU will go to bars, which hasn’t been its best this season, and Cal to vault, its worst event. Utah, however, will go to floor, which is also its best event, so Florida needs to be on its game to not get overtaken as it’s trying to overtake others. Stay on the beam, absorb the extra bounce of the podium, and pretend like they’re at home in their own little orange and blue bubble – it mostly worked at semis, now they need to replicate it here. Again, Lazzari needs to be good to go, but if everyone can have an on night at the same time, this should be a great moment to make a move toward first.

    Rotation 4: Finishing things out on floor, I think the Gators will do exactly what they did on Thursday – put up the six who warm up the best. Scores on Thursday overall felt a little nonsensical, but especially on floor – Ferris’s score was the team’s second-best, but she was the bounciest as far as landings went. If everyone can dial in their landings just a little bit more, floor could be a huge score, especially because scores often inflate over the course of the meet. It could be exactly the push Florida needs to pass LSU and Utah on their worst events, beam and vault respectively, and Cal on its best event, bars.

    It’s a tall order, but the Gators have taken all the right steps, made all the right moves. They’ve figured out how to tune out the rest of the arena, with freshman Anya Pilgrim saying that the chaos going on with other teams on Thursday was “none of [her] business. I can only control what I do, and I’m probably turned around, because that’s just none of my business.” If they can stick to that attitude, stay in their Gator bubble, and just be 1% better than Thursday – maybe 5%, if that’s not pushing it too much – this championship could be theirs.

    It all starts at 4pm ET on ABC, but if you can’t make it to a TV or miss anything along the way, we’ll have every routine right here! There will be a preshow at 3:30, and I’ll share any relevant tidbits from that with y’all as well.

    3:39pm: An interview with LSU HC Jay Clark begins by Sam Peszek calling LSU the favorite, but Clark says it changes nothing and negates the idea, saying there really isn’t a favorite here – any team could win it. Sounds like LSU knows where their heads need to be – it’s going to be a fight to the very end.

    3:43pm: Stream team commentator (and Gator alum) Bridget Sloan saying to keep an eye out for Leanne Wong – so true! We do have three elite athletes either qualified or hoping to qualify to Paris 2024 in this final – Wong for Team USA, Utah’s Amelie Morgan for Team Great Britain, and LSU’s Aleah Finnegan for Team Philippines.

    There’s a segment coming up where each member of the stream team will teach floor correspondent Taylor Davis a little Gymnastics 101 on their respective events! I have high hopes for this, I recommend tuning in now if you can. Gator alums Sloan and Kennedy Baker will feature, too!

    Yeah, if they post clips of that on social media, I’ll be using it in future content on here – what great information for newer or more casual fans!

    It is officially 4:00 so we will be starting any minute!

    4:07pm: It’s the Gator skin leo for Florida tonight!

    Rotation 1, let’s go!

    Draser, UF VT: Y1.5, single step forward, better distance than Thursday.

    Smith, UU UB: Pak to van Leeuwen, both pretty clean. Toe on pike half dismount, looked like a small adjustment?

    Li, Cal BB: Front aerial loso, very solid. Switch to split, lovely. Ring jump, excellent. Gainer tuck full, has to swim for it but stays stuck!

    McClain, LSU FX: DLO to open, reeeeally gets the rise today, gorgeous. Switch leap to switch full, excellent extension. Missed her choreo cues just a hair before this last pass. 1.5 to front full, well controlled. A great start for the Tigers.

    Nguyen, VT: Y1.5, little step back but great distance. We can’t take many more of those.

    Zirbes, UB: Good first handstand. Ray to pak, very aggressive combo, some leg sep on the pak. Maybe short on last handstand? Full in dismount, single step.

    Williams, BB: Wolf turn to start, fine. Front aerial to split jump, excellent, well connected, toes pointed. Bhs loso, nice and solid, locks those arms in. Switch to split jump, strong. Bhs gainer full off the side, little slide back.

    Drayton, FX: DLO, even better rise than McClain, wow. 1.5 through to double tuck, lunge looks well controlled. Switch ring to switch half, clean, as she finishes into her tiger paw choreo.

    Pilgrim, VT: Y1.5, great air in the form, small hop forward. Better, but they need things a little more dialed in if they’re going to stay close to LSU.

    Morgan, UB: Maloney to Bhardwaj, looked a little slow to twist but got it around. Toe on tuck half, looked like a little bounce in place.

    Cesario, BB: Little check on her series, but stays on, doesn’t lift her feet. Switch to switch half, maybe not quite 180 on the second split, a little wiggle. Roundoff 1.5 is stuck!

    KJ Johnson, FX: Full in, gorgeous amplitude but her front foot shifts some. 1.5 to front lay, sits it down! Missed her punch somehow. That opens the door, wow. Double tuck is a two-foot stick! She wanted to finish strong, good for her.

    Ferris, VT: Y1.5, the tiniest of shifts forward. That’s better.

    4:15pm: Frazier, BB: Front aerial to loso, locks it down. Split jump to ring jump, maybe a little low on the ring position. Roundoff 1.5 is stuck!

    O’Keefe, UB: Maloney to pak, sizable leg sep there. Great last handstand. Double front dismount is stuck!

    Finnegan, FX: Double arabian to stag jump, almost went out but crossed her foot over on the landing of the jump kept her in. Dance series is gorgeous. 2.5 to punch front, nearly stuck, just stepped into a small lunge because she could.

    Wong, VT: Yhalf pike half off, tried too hard for the stick and had to step forward, chest was kinda low.

    Lauzon, BB: Triple series, little lean. Dance series is clean, well connected. Roundoff double full, stuck! Cal is on FIRE.

    McCallum, UB: Pak salto, didn’t connect but van Leeuwen is clean. Stuck dismount – will her start value be high enough?

    Bryant, FX: Double front, great amplitude, well controlled. Dance series looks great, good amplitude. Front lay to Rudi, front foot moves, that’s unusual.

    Lazzari, VT: Y1.5, little bounce forward.

    Perea, BB: Front toss, big bobble, to her back tuck, to another back tuck – had to find a series somehow. Standing full what??? The most difficult skill you’ll see today on beam. Dance series is clean. Back tuck 1.5 off the side of the beam, little bounce in place.

    Sabado, UB: Jaeger to overshoot, good amplitude on both. Sticks her dismount – Utah off to a good start.

    Kiya Johnson, FX: Full in, very high but big bounce as she lands. 1.5 to front lay, much better control there, very clean. Super precise in her leap sequence, great split positions. Double pike, also very bouncy, let’s hope she is adequately deducted.

    AFTER ONE: LSU 49.6125, CAL 49.475, UU 49.4375, UF 49.25

    That is… not what Florida needed. It was overall a pretty normal rotation, but for some reason, Lazzari and Nguyen were scored much more harshly than I expected. Hopefully, vault stays relatively tight over the rest of the meet, and hopefully, floor stays loose, considering LSU was not properly deducted for any of their landing issues.

    4:33pm: Broadcast is back, let’s go for rotation 2!

    KJ Johnson, LSU VT: Let’s see if she can bounce back. Yfull, great amplitude but has to take a step back.

    Blakely, UF UB: Good opening handstand. Maloney to pak, pretty clean. Good final handstand, double front dismount is STUCK COLD! The Gators are fighting back!

    Morgan, UU BB: Triple series to start, very steady. Switch to switch half, definitely short of 180 there. Needle scale to low beam choreo is lovely. Full turn is fine. Front gainer full off the side is stuck! A good leadoff for the Utes.

    Williams, Cal FX: Front lay to Rudi, has to shift a little in the lunge. A little awkward as she comes down from her second dance element, a switch ring half I think. 1.5 to front lay, great control. Not sure what they’ll do with that dance weirdness.

    Finnegan, VT: Y1.5, single step forward, but decent size. Big distance though.

    Nguyen, UB: Good opening handstand. Maloney to pak, some small leg sep on the pak. Gorgeous low bar handstand!! Great final handstand too. DLO, maybe just a small shift back. One of her cleanest routines all season though, wow.

    Smith, BB: Bhs loso, solid. Beat to straddle 1/4, a bobble. A little moonwalk choreo there, fun. Carthweel gainer full, looked maybe a little off balance as she saluted?

    Cesario, FX: 1.5 to front full, basically stuck, very nice. Dance series is clean. Double tuck, very bouncy on her landing.

    Drayton, VT: Y1.5, stutter step back, oop.

    McCallum, BB: Triple wolf turn, pretty steady. Triple series, solid. Split leap to switch leap, great splits there. Stuck dismount – Utes doing what they need to do to keep it close.

    Lazzari, UB: Good opening handstand. Ray is solid. Pak, yes, clean. Full dismount, stuck! So glad she is back in the mental game.

    Schoenherr, VT: Y1.5, hop forward.

    Mayhew, FX: Front double full to front lay, takes it riiiight to the line. Switch ring to switch half, great amplitude. 1.5 to front full – missed her punch and sits it down. Oof.

    Paulson, BB: Series is clean, but little bobble on her switch leap. Switch leap to split jump, think she repeated that sequence, not sure if that was planned but very smart. Gainer full off the side is stuck.

    Pilgrim, UB: Maloney to pak, legs together perfectly. Low bar pirouette is excellent. Handstand maybe a little shy? Stuck her dismount cold though, yes!

    Kiya Johnson, VT: Yurchenko double full, big leg sep off the table, big stutter step back.

    Li, FX: Double tuck, lunge is kinda big out of that. Really showcasing her flexibility in this choreo section here, wow. Front full front lay, great control. Switch ring half is fine.

    O’Keefe, BB: Side aerial loso, super solid. Dance series was clean. Couldn’t quite hold the stick on the dismount, but should still be a decent score.

    Bryant, VT: Handspring pike half, shift back. Should be a big score.

    Draser, UB: Maloney to pak, fantastic. Very patient swing. Great final handstand. DLO, holds the stick so long to show that she has control.

    Gantner, BB: Bhs loso to straddle jump, that’s fun. Switch half to beat jump, maybe a little shy of 180 there. Punch front full off the end.

    Lauzon, FX: Front double full to punch front, very floaty, well controlled. Dance sequence is fabulous, great extension and amplitude. 1.5 to front full, super clean. That should put Cal in a great position.

    Wong, UB: Gorgeous low bar handstand. Maloney to pak, legs together. Great handstand there! van Leeuwen is fabulous too. DLO stuck like GLUE. Throw the 10! Do it! That is perfection right in front of your eyes.

    Frazier, FX: Double layout, finessed it into a two-foot stick essentially, dances out maybe a little quickly but, wow. Switch ring to switch half to split half, travels a little bit but not terribly. Ring jump position is great, would’ve loved maybe the head thrown back just a bit more? Punch through to double back, well controlled – that’s a fabulous routine.

    AFTER TWO: LSU 99.0125, UU 98.9125, CAL 98.85, UF 98.725

    Anya Pilgrim has been consistently underscored all season and I will not be silenced! It is a crime against this sport and someone has got to have a conversation with judges as to why it’s happening so it doesn’t keep happening the rest of her career. Because it isn’t her gymnastics. So what is it???

    5:02pm: Rotation 3!

    Jeffrey, LSU UB: Maloney to pak was clean. Full in, sticks it.

    Williams, Cal VT: Yfull, small hop back. An okay start.

    Draser, UF BB: Bhs loso, very steady. Switch to switch half, very clean. Full turn is fine. Roundoff 1.5, little hop forward.

    Smith, UU FX: Front double full, strong. Rudi to back layout to straight jump, very close to the line but stays in. Rudi to straddle jump, travels just a little bit.

    Mayhew, VT: Y1.5, just a little shuffle. Good for her after her fall on floor!

    Blakely, BB: Front aerial to bhs, strong. Switch half to beat, clean. Gainer full is stuck! What a pro.

    Cowan, UB: Ray to bail, doesn’t quite hit handstand? DLO dismount is stuck, though she has to swim for it.

    Zirbes, FX: Front double full, great control as she comes out. Dance sequence is excellent. Combo pass is very clean, stag jump as she goes into her final choreo.

    Frazier, VT: Yurchenko double, just a little hop, and cleaner leg form than Johnson earlier. Great job!

    Pilgrim, BB: Bhs loso, just lays it in, so calm. Front aerial, little check. Switch to split leap, gorgeous extension. Bhs gainer full stuck! Well done.

    Kiya Johnson, UB: Short of first handstand, Maloney to bail, some knee bend in her handstand position. Stuck dismount.

    Lauzon, VT: Y1.5 stuck! Had to swim for it but hung on!

    Paulson, FX: Punch through to 2.5, control looked good. Combination pass, well controlled there as well. Dance sequence is clean. 1.5 to front lay two foot stick! Utah fighting for it out here.

    Nguyen, BB: Onodi, bobble. She’s going to have to repeat. Onodi to bhs, another quick check but better connected. Switch leap to split jump, excellent. Hop on the dismount – they need to drop that to stay in this.

    McClain, UB: Great first handstand. Piked Tkachev is great. Pak salto, some leg separation. Pirouette is lovely. Little shift back on the dismount.

    Silvers, VT: Y1.5, little hop forward and off to the side.

    Gilstrap, FX: Front lay to Rudi, looked a little out of control on that landing but masked it well. Travels wildly on that first set of dance elements, even though positions in the air are lovely. Front lay to front full, great control.

    Wong, BB: Switch to split leap, gorgeous extension and toe point. Bhs loso, little lean but does not show any sign of lack of control. Front aerial – and she’s off! This may be the meet for Florida.

    Schoenherr hits bars, didn’t see the specifics in the midst of Wong’s fall.

    5:15pm: Cesario, VT: Yfull, just a little hop back.

    O’Keefe, FX: Double pike, little slide of the front foot. Front full front lay, basically two foot stick. Dance sequence is fine. 1.5 to front lay – that should be a huge score for her. What a way to finish her career.

    Lazzari, BB: Big check on her series but stays on. Switch to split, good split positions. Split 1/2 from side stand, lovely. Stuck dismount!

    Bryant, UB: Great first handstand. Jaeger is clean, bail goes to handstand. Deeep squat in her dismount, and a step forward.

    McCallum, FX: Big full in to open, control is decent. Dance series is fine I guess, the flexed feet kill me every time. Front lay to Rudi, clean.

    AFTER THREE: UU 148.5, LSU 148.4625, CAL 148.35, UF 147.9625

    Unless all three other teams also count a major miss, Florida is probably out of it. But as we saw in semis, anything can happen, so you can bet these Gators are going to keep fighting.

    5:28pm: Last rotation!

    Winger, UU VT: Y1.5, sits it! Oh god.

    Lauzon, Cal UB: Maloney to pak, legs perfectly together. Oop, has to recast on her low bar pirouette. Has to pause on the low bar and rest her hips there. Finishes the rest of the routine, but oh my god, is this not over actually??

    Ballard, LSU BB: Bhs loso, very solid. Sissone to switch half, did not make 180 on that split. Front toss is dead on. 1.5 is stuck!

    Nguyen, UF FX: Front double full to sissone, one of her good ones! Switch ring switch half, lovely. Y turn is great too. 1.5 to front lay, excellent! That’s a great leadoff for the Gators.

    Zirbes, VT: Y1.5, landed awkwardly and a big lunge forward, almost fell onto her hands. Is Utah going to have an Oklahoma meltdown??

    Cesario, UB: Blind change is excellent. Jaeger to overshoot, floats it. Great final handstand. DLO is stuck! A good reset for the Bears.

    Schoenherr, BB: Front aerial, textbook. Bhs loso, solid. She falls onto the beam on her dance series! Oh god. Split to straddle 3/4, clean. Roundoff double full, little hop in place. That’s tough, to fall on her last routine.

    Lazzari, FX: Front double full, single step forward, solid. Dance series is excellent. 1.5 to front lay, well done! They are still fighting! Stay in that bubble, Gators!

    Glynn, VT: Y1.5, just a single step forward, huge distance. They needed that.

    Li, UB: Great opening handstand and blind change. Jaeger, gets good air. Pak is floaty. Maybe a little shy on last handstand? Double tuck is stuck.

    McClain, BB: Switch to switch half, great split positions, the best switch half we’ve seen today. Front aerial to bhs, well connected. Side aerial, so calm. Gainer full is stuck – another big score for LSU.

    Pilgrim, FX: 1.5 through to double tuck, very aware of how far back she is, stays in bounds. Dance series is clean. Orphan front tuck, okay fine. Double pike, maybe a front foot slide.

    Smith, VT: Yhalf on front pike, little bounce. Very flat in amplitude though.

    Kiya Johnson, BB: Bhs loso, clean. Switch leap to switch leap, split positions better today. Piked front toss, dead on, nice. Roundoff double full and the crowd going WILD for her!! What a way to end her career.

    Frazier, UB: Maloney to pak, very clean leg form. DLO stuck cold!

    Blakely, FX: Punch front through to double tuck, little bouncy on that landing. Switch to switch ring half, gorgeous ring position. 1.5 to front full – what a great routine!

    Rucker, VT: Y1.5, little step back.

    Bryant, BB: Front aerial to bhs, steady, clearly trying to stay calm. Full turn is clean. Standing front, that’s so hard, and she lands it so strong. Sticks her dismount!

    Perea, UB: Great opening handstand. Pak just floooats, low bar handstand maybe a little shy. van Leeuwen is great. DLO is stuck!

    McCallum, VT: Yhalf on tuck half off, little bounce on the landing.

    Ferris, FX: Full in, good control, just maybe a hair of a slide. Switch side to Popa, maybe the best I’ve seen her do, so precise. 1.5 to front lay to finish, fabulous. Celebrating as she comes off the floor, what a great year she’s had!

    Finnegan, BB: Bhs loso loso, fabulous. Switch to split, gorgeous. Front aerial, absolutely textbook, the definition of cool and collected on beam. Gainer full is stuck – that should be LSU’s first title, wow.

    Williams, UB: Pak to Maloney, super clean. Great final handstand. DLO is stuck! Erases the near-fall from Lauzon, good for them.

    Wong, FX: For some reason we aren’t seeing her. The main broadcast wasn’t showing her routine, so I switched broadcasts. DLO was apparently a good one, according to Baker commentating. Dance series is gorgeous. Whip half to front full, perfectly controlled. What a way to fight to the very end. The Gators should be proud of their fight.

    FINAL: LSU 198.225, CAL 197.85, UTAH 197.8, UF 197.4375

    After all that with Utah, somehow Florida still ended up in fourth… seems fake.

    But congrats to the LSU Tigers on a long-deserved win – they were fantastic tonight.

    Here’s hoping that scoring gets fixed in the offseason this year, and that with the addition of the younger Blakely, the rest of our incoming freshmen, and the return of DiCello that Florida will be back here even stronger next year. Thanks for being here this season and always, Gator fans. See you soon!

  • SB: Gators take game one from Gamecocks

    SB: Gators take game one from Gamecocks

    After the first series loss at Missouri last weekend, the No. 10 Florida Gators bounced back in an 11-run outing to win game one of the three-game series against the South Carolina Gamecocks (29-16, 5-11 SEC).

    The offense came alive after a relatively quiet weekend in Columbia, scoring only eight runs in three games with the Tigers.

    Today, though, the Gators (36-9, 11-5 SEC) were swinging early. They plated their first run in the first before exploding in the second to add four more. The runs in the second came on a pair of RBI singles, a bases-load walk and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch.

    In the third, Korbe Otis cleared the bases with an RBI double. She led the team with four RBIs.

    “Everybody puts good swings on the ball,” Otis said postgame. “Everybody was seeing good pitches.”

    Then, Reagan Walsh singled to score two more Florida baserunners before Emily Wilkie hit an RBI single of her own to give the Gators the 11-1 lead.

    From there, the offense cooled down. While the Gamecocks chipped away slowly at the deficit, they were unable to overcome it.

    They scored five runs within the fourth and sixth innings, but they fell short of the win.

    The Gators used three pitchers in Friday’s contest, as the Gamecocks started to figure out their early offensive woes later in the game. South Carolina totaled 10 hits to the Gators’ nine.

    Relief pitcher Mackenzie Wooten came in for starter Keagan Rothrock and collected her first win this season. Olivia Miller finished out the game, pitching the last two innings.

    Florida will play for the series win Saturday at noon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

  • BSB: Caglianone Ties Home Run Record But Gators Drop Series vs Vandy

    BSB: Caglianone Ties Home Run Record But Gators Drop Series vs Vandy

    Photo by James Gilbert | Getty Images

    Even though Jac Caglianone tied the NCAA record for nine consecutive games with a home run, the Gators fell short, 5-2, and drop the series against Vanderbilt. It’s the third consecutive series they’ve lost in SEC play.

    Coppola started for the second week in a row, throwing 48 pitches in 1.2 innings and striking out one. Peterson came in for Coppola, but was hit in the arm in the fifth and immediately exited the game.

    The Commodores got on the board first with two runs in the first to make it 2-0. Then they added another with a solo home run in the third, making it 3-0.

    The Gators offense got going in the sixth with a solo home run from Donay and then another home run from Caglianone to make it 3-2. Caglianone tied the NCAA record for nine consecutive games with a home run.

    The Commodores pulled away by adding two more runs in the eighth, now up 5-2.

    The Gators failed to get anyone on base in the ninth and lose with a final score of 5-2.

    The Gators drop the series and fall to 7-10 in SEC play on the weekend. They have lost their last three SEC series after winning their first three.

    The series finale is at 3 p.m. Sunday.

  • BSB: Big Inning Sinks Gators in Opener at Vanderbilt

    BSB: Big Inning Sinks Gators in Opener at Vanderbilt

    Photo by Brian Fox| ChompTalk

    Despite Caglianone extending his home run streak to eight games, a five run fifth inning from Vanderbilt was too much for the Gators to come back from. They drop the series opening game 10-5.

    The Gators got on the board first with an RBI from Shelton to go up 1-0.

    Vanderbilt got a 2-1 lead with a two run home run in the bottom of the third.

    Shelnut tied the game, 2-2, in the fourth with his third home run in the last two games.

    The Commodores broke the game open in the fifth, adding five runs to take a commanding 7-2 lead.

    UF had a one run response with an RBI single from Heyman to score Shelton, down 7-3.

    Vanderbilt added on another run from a solo home run, 8-3. That ended Neely’s day. He pitched five innings and had four strikeouts. Even though the Gators had a pitching change, the Commodores hit another solo home run. Now up 9-3.

    After a 76 minute rain delay, Grayson Smith closed out the sixth inning for the Gators.

    Caglianone continued his home run streak in the seventh, extending it to eight games, adding two runs to make it 9-5.

    The Commodores added another run in the bottom of the seventh, now up 10-5.

    Despite loading the bases with one out in the ninth, the Gators couldn’t muster a comeback. They drop game one 10-5 and fall to 19-18, 7-9 SEC.

    Game two will be Saturday at 7 p.m.

  • WGYM Liveblog: NCAA National Championship Semifinal II ft. No. 4 Florida, No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 5 Utah, No. 6 Alabama

    WGYM Liveblog: NCAA National Championship Semifinal II ft. No. 4 Florida, No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 5 Utah, No. 6 Alabama

    Skaggs really says it all in this video – eight teams, one dream. Can the Gators stand atop the podium again? To get there, they’ll have to get through tonight first, which is a bigger hurdle than they’ve faced all season. Oklahoma, Utah, and Alabama – three teams in the top 6, all former or current national champions themselves… the field is tight. For more on what it will take for the Gators to put it together and make it through to Saturday, read our preview with interviews from tonight’s commentators, Olympians Aly Raisman and John Roethlisberger.

    Gator fans, if you were with us for Regionals, then Utah is a familiar team, and if you’ve been around this season, so is Alabama. However, for what will likely be the last season, Florida did not face Oklahoma in regular season action, so let’s do a quick review of what routines to watch for on each of these teams.

    Oklahoma is… in a word, unstoppable. The Sooners have had dominant performance after dominant performance this season, showing very few weaknesses and capitalizing on “clean, safe gymnastics guaranteed to stick,” in the immortal words of one of the greatest films of all time. (Stick It, for the uncultured.) They’re led by all-arounders Jordan Bowers, Kat LeVasseur, and Faith Torrez, and you can’t miss routines from sometimes-all-arounder sometimes-three-eventer Audrey Davis (UB/BB/FX), former Olympic alternate Ragan Smith (UB/BB/FX), and fifth-year transfer Soraya Hawthorne (FX).

    Utah’s No. 5 ranking puts their NQS just behind Florida, but it’s shown some weak spots that may by exacerbated by a meet on podium – vault, in particular. The Utes’ strengths lie more in two- and three-eventers rather than all-arounders, but don’t let that lead you to understimate them: Maile O’Keefe and Grace McCallum are definite threats on bars, beam and floor, and Abby Paulson is not to be trifled with on beam and floor. Jaylene Gilstrap and Amelie Morgan are also strong specialists on VT/FX and UB/BB, respectively. Utah starts on beam, so if they have a balance beam situation like Arkansas did in the first session… things could get very interesting very quickly.

    Alabama can never be counted out, so even if they look to trail early, Gator fans should not be breathing sighs of relief just yet. Team leader Luisa Blanco is uncanny in the way she finds landings and finesses mistakes, and fellow all-arounders Lilly Hudson and Gabby Gladieux have also been good for 9.9+ or better on most events all season. Combine them with the killer freshman duo of Chloe LaCoursiere (VT/UB/FX) and Jamison Sears (VT/FX) and specialists Ella Burgess (BB/FX) and Cam Machado (UB/FX) and you get a gritty team that is the only SEC team to defeat Florida in dual action this year, and the only team at all to defeat them in the O-Dome in five years. There will be no sigh of relief until Florida is through to the end.

    Tonight, the Gators begin on floor, a scenario they have not had the opportunity to practice yet this season, but a good event for them nonetheless. However, if they aren’t in qualifying position after the first rotation, it’s not time to panic. At the halfway point, after vault, that will be where things are most telling – vault is the Gators’ best event, so if they aren’t in qualifying after that… it may be time to panic. Still, they’ll get to finish on beam, where battling back may light their fire enough to pull them back into qualifying position as long as they’ve been able to keep things close throughout the meet.

    Ideally, would they be in qualifying position from start to finish? Absolutely. But I’m trying to give us a place to gauge from in case things don’t go to plan.

    It all starts in just a few minutes at 9pm on ESPN2 and ESPN+, but if you can’t watch or miss a routine along the way, I’ll have all the play-by-play right here!

    9:03pm: Roethlisberger reminding us that while the first semifinal combined for no national titles, the second semifinal teams combine for a whopping TWENTY. FOUR. TITLES. This is going to be a bloodbath.

    Also a quick reminder that you can catch two Gator alums on the stream team.

    9:07pm: Let’s go, rotation 1!

    Torrez, OU VT: Y1.5… oh my god. She sat it???? Oklahoma showing a sign of weakness right out of the gate.

    Morgan, UU BB: Bhs bhs loso, nice and steady. Dance series is clean, lovely split. Gorgeous needle scale down to the beam, very nice. Front gainer full off the side – stuck! Utah starting off well.

    LaCoursiere, Ala UB: Maloney to pak, legs together nicely. van Leeuwen is good, some leg sep. Sticks her full in!

    Nguyen, UF FX: Front double full to sissone, a little lack of control but kept it in bounds. Gorgeous dance series, lovely extension and rise off the floor. Such elegant choreo through here. Great control in her final pass, lovely into her arabesque. Great start, Gators!

    Wells, VT: Y1.5, a hop forward. They’ll take that.

    Smith, BB: Candle mount is clean. Hitchkick front aerial to split jump, great connections through there. Series is nice and steady. Dance series is excellent, well connected, not a bobble in sight. Sticks her dismount!

    Hudson, UB: Releases were clean. Last handstand is excellent! And sticks her dismount, Alabama is on.

    Bowers, VT: Y1.5, somehow did not sit that but came veeeery close.

    Lazzari, FX: Front double full, looked a little wonky but covered okay. Dance series is lovely, very precise. Combination pass to close was much better!

    McCallum, BB: Wolf turns were clean to open, she does two back to back, I don’t love that. Series is dead on. Split leap to switch leap, great 180 positions, some flexed feet. Sticks her dismount, although a little off to the side.

    Adams, UB: Almost overcooked her last handstand! But somehow saved it, stuck her dismount. Alabama keeping it going.

    LeVasseur, VT: Y1.5, stumbled back too! What is happening to Oklahoma????

    Pilgrim, FX: 1.5 through to double back, well controlled lunge. Super precise on the dance series, gorgeous oversplits. Really hitting her moments in the music here, this routine is so great. Double pike to close, just a little bouncy but in place, so may not be as big a deduction.

    Paulson, BB: Side aerial loso, very steady. Switch to split, gorgeous splits. Gainer full off the side is stuck!

    Waligora, UB: Incredibly high Jaeger to overshoot, fabulous. Great last handstand. Just a little bounce back.

    Scheible, VT: Handspring pike half, no distance, but just a small adjustment of the feet, they’ll take that.

    Blakely, FX: They need a 9.9 ASAP. Punch front through to double back, little bouncy on that landing. Dance series is strong. 1.5 to front full, excellent there.

    O’Keefe, BB: Switch leap to split leap, great splits. Side aerial loso, little balance check, arm swing. Sticks her gainer full – Utah doing what they need to do to get through beam.

    Davis, VT: Y1.5, big bounce forward, and another step. Better than sitting it, but it won’t be great.

    Machado, UB: Great handstand. Pak is lovely. Van Leeuwen is excellent. Little shuffle on her dismount.

    Gilstrap, BB: Single wolf, little bobble, I think she was supposed to do a double. Front aerial, another check. Series is clean, bhs back pike. Switch leap and she’s off!

    Ferris, FX: Full in is excellent, just a controlled lunge. A little bouncy on the dance series, but great positions in the air. 1.5 to front lay – also a little bouncy but doesn’t take more than one step. Screams as she runs off, she’s THRILLED even though it’s not the best, it’s still normal.

    Blanco, UB: Maloney to pak, legs just glued together, lovely. van Leeuwen is clean. Handstand work on high bar is excellent. Sticks her dismount!

    Wilson, Mich indiv VT: Y1.5, big bound forward.

    Harris, UCLA indiv BB: Bhs loso bhs, very steady. Switch to split leap, gorgeous. Front toss is excellent, very solid. Roundoff 1.5 stuck! That should be an excellent score, good for her. Aww, Utah chanting 10 for her, we love when we can overcome rivalries like that.

    Wong, FX: DLO to open, one of her best maybe, textbook lunge on the landing. Whip half to front full, arabesques right into her choreo excellent.

    Bauman, Mich indiv UB: Gorgeous opening handstand and pirouette work. Jaeger to overshoot, the prettiest overshoot I’ve maybe ever seen. Double front, just a single step. A great bars routine!

    Carey, OSU indiv FX: She’s rotating with Florida tonight! FTDLO – the hardest piece of gymnastics you will see tonight! And she does it just as cleanly as Wong just did her non-twisting DLO. Incredible. Dance series is lovely, great extension, maybe some feet? Punch front through to double back, very well controlled.

    AFTER ONE: UTAH 49.6375, BAMA 49.4875, UF 49.45, OU 48.325

    Oklahoma is a full point behind Florida… I am at a loss for words. I could never have dreamed that this would happen.

    But like I’m sure the Gators aren’t now, fans should not take anything for granted – if anyone could come back from this, it’s Oklahoma, and disasters can happen to any team at any time on any event. They will want to triple check all the vault settings, and then hit vault just like they did at regionals, and just like they did in podium training two days yesterday. It’s going to still be a fight, whether Oklahoma is part of that fight or not.

    9:38pm: Rotation 2!

    Draser, UF VT: Y1.5, yes! Just a little shift back on the landing.

    Siever, OU UB: Maloney to pak, both lovely. Full in dismount is stuck – a great reset for the Sooners. But they need to keep that going, vault could not.

    Hudson, Bama BB: Front aerial bhs, well connected, patient with it. Swithc leap to split jump, excellent. Stuck dismount!

    Smith, UU FX: Front double full, came in a little short, had to stutter step it. Dance passage is interesting, gives me big Skinner vibes with a cat leap full I think? Rudi to back layout to straight jump, much better there. Another Rudi, this time to a straddle jump. A good start for the Utes.

    Nguyen, VT: Y1.5, little hop forward, great distance.

    LeVasseur, UB: Good opening handsstand. Ray is excellent. Shy on that handstand maybe? Pak is clean. Good last handstand, blind full is solid. Double tuck is stuck – they’re fighting back.

    Waligora, BB: Bhs loso, solid. Side aerial, very steady. Split to tuck 3/4 and she’s off! Alabama having beam problems now? Remounts, dismount is good but they’ll want to drop that.

    Rucker, FX: Double tuck to her knees… what is happening? Dance series is strong, really selling the choreography, but this will be one they want to drop. Front full to front lay, much better there.

    Pilgrim, VT: Y1.5, not her best amplitude but basically stuck?! Heck yes!

    Torrez, UB: First handstand is alright. Ray is caught close but big amplitude. Big leg separation on that pak salto. Last handstand short. DLO, hop forward. She’s not at 100% tonight, you can tell.

    Burgess, BB: Full turn to start, solid. One arm bhs to loso… and she’s off! Alabama counting a fall too! Holy cow. Side aerial as she remounts, excellent. Switch to beat, another bobble. Beat to switch side, another big bobble, foot comes up. Gainer pike off the end is stuck – oh god. what is happening?

    Paulson, FX: Punch front through to 2.5, takes it right to the line but does not go over. Dance series is good, good positions in there, maybe a little imprecise. 1.5 to front layout, two foot stick! A good reset for the Utes.

    Ferris, VT: Y1.5, little hop forward, good. We will take normal over trying for perfection right now.

    Gladieux, BB: Bhs back pike, solid. Front aerial, a check. Dance series is clean, good extension through her split. Roundoff double full, swims for the stick. Hopefully that helps them reset.

    Smith, UB: Tkachev is huge as usual. Good handstand there, some leg sep on the pak. DLO is stuck – that’s the vet we know.

    Gilstrap, FX: A little Bohemian Rhapsody here. Front layout to Rudi, really well controlled, clean leg form. Dance series is lovely, her toe point is really nice. Punch lay to front full, also very clean. A very elegant routine.

    Wong, VT: Yhalf off pike half off STUCK! her best one all season!

    Adams, BB: Triple wolf, that’s a difficult skill, wow. Front aerial, little check. Bhs loso, locks it in. Dance series – she’s off! How is this happening? Alabama now counting two falls too???

    Davis, UB: Great opening half pirouette. Huge piked Jaeger, incredible. Pak is lovely. Maybe shy of last handstand? Double front half out is stuck! Oklahoma did their job on bars for sure.

    Lazzari, VT: Y1.5, maybe a tiny shift back? Maybe stuck? I’m so impressed, well done Gators!

    O’Keefe, FX: I missed what she did for her first pass but she hit it. Punch layout to front full, super clean, well controlled. Switch leap to switch ring half, solid ring position and split. Back tuck to front support, that’s fun. Really serving in this choreo section here, hitting every moment in the music. 1.5 to front layout, it’s another hit for Utah. They need one more to erase Rucker’s fall.

    Blanco, BB: Triple series and she’s off – that never happens. I can barely even process what’s happening right now. The rest of her routine was super clean, dance series was great, stuck her dismount. But three counting falls is uh, something.

    Bowers, UB: Hecht mount, solid handstand work on the high bar. Piked Jaeger is excellent. Pak is clean. Full in is stuck! That’ll be a big rotation for them, to come back like that.

    Carey, OSU indiv VT: Yurchenko double full, just a little bounce back, much like the ones in session one earlier, but her amplitude is fabulous. Still some knees though.

    McCallum, FX: Full in, just barely keeps it in bounds. Dance series is clean, good lift. Front lay to Rudi to close – that will indeed erase Rucker’s fall. Utah stays alive.

    Magnelli, UK indiv BB: Bhs bhs loso, solid as a rock. Switch to straddle 1/4, excellent split positions. Sticks her gainer pike off the end.

    Wilson, Mich indiv UB: Fingertip Tkachev, wow. Pak is clean. Great final handstand! DLO is stuck cold!

    Worley, UK indiv FX: The great Wildcat! Her final routine. Full in, absolutely nails it, just steps into the lunge because she can. Switch ring is gorgeous into the corner. Really selling the choreography both to the judges and crowd. Front full front lay, almost a two foot stick again, goes straight into her choreo section. Hitting every musical moment – she is an absolute star. Double tuck to finish – worked really hard not to move her front foot. One of the best routines you’ll see this weekend.

    AFTER TWO: UU 99.25, UF 98.95, OU 97.9875, BAMA 96.7375

    10:10pm: Bars is our worst event, but the goal is not to be better than normal – just get through cleanly. Six hits. Even five would do.

    Apparently OU found the beam was physically moving?? So warmups took a little longer than planned. Brings back flashbacks of Florida bars two years ago.

    Morgan, UU VT: Y1.5, a little short, step back.

    Balekly, UF UB: Maloney to pak, cleanly through, maybe some slight leg sep. Double front stuck! That might be one of her best all season. Handstands were fab throughout too, wow.

    Davis, OU BB: Bhs loso, solid. Front aerial to some choreo in scale, that’s interesting. Dance series is excellent. Roundoff double full is stuck – they keep fighting back!

    Waligora, FX: Front double full, strong opening. Some Star Wars cantina music here, that’s fun. 1.5 to front lay to finish, well controlled. A good start for Bama after a true beam disaster.

    Zirbes, VT: Y1.5, absorbs the landing well, holds the stick! A bit of a deep knee bend in order to make it happen though.

    10:15pm: Nguyen, UB: Maloney to pak, some leg sep in both. Half pirouette on low bar is clean. DLO is stuck! Excellent!

    Siegfeldt, BB: Bhs loso – and a fall! OU is a mess. Dance series is clean as she gets back up. Sticks her dismount, but they’ll be desperate to drop that in order to keep fighting.

    Machado, FX: Double tuck, slidey on the landing. Lovely turn sequence, don’t see that often. Combination pass is clean. Dance passage is gorgeous, lovely toe point. Another hit for Bama.

    Glynn, VT: Y1.5, big bound forward. Better over than under right now though.

    Lazzari, UB: Great opening handstand. Big Tkachev, excellent. Good handstand work. Pak has some leg separation. DLO dismount, ends up on her knees. Oof. She let go too late – they’ll need to drop that now.

    Bowers, BB: Having a great routine so far, series steady. Roundoff double full, looked like a small shift.

    Burgess, FX: Double pike to start things off, great amplitude, love the toe point too. Double tuck, also well controlled. Great split positions on her dance sequence, solid amplitude too. Front full front lay to finish, another hit for the Tide.

    Smith, VT: Yhalf-on front pike, basically stuck! Wow.

    Torrez, BB: Side aerial loso, very steady. Full turn is fine. Switch leap to straddle jump, some flexed feet. Gainer full is stuck – a good rebound after two rough routines for her.

    Pilgrim, UB: Maloney to pak, both excellent. Great final handstand! Full in, drops it in like a dart. I am so glad she is a Gator!!

    Rucker, VT: Y1.5, stumbles back. Didn’t sit, but not their best.

    Blanco, FX: Double wolf to start, that’s nice. Double pike, big slide back. Double tuck, much better control there. Turning on performance mode now – dance series is fabulous, great amplitude and extension. Front full front lay to finish. A great routine for her.

    LeVasseur, BB: Bhs loso, very floaty, dead straight on the beam. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, great split positions. Side somi I think – but she’s off! Oh my god, Oklahoma counting another fall!

    Draser, UB: Good low bar handstand. Maloney to pak, both clean. Low bar pirouette is solid. DLO is stuck! Yes! What a rock for this team she’s been.

    McCallum, VT: Yhalf on tuck half off, lands over the line on one side, clearly off axis. Not a lot of height either.

    Hudson, FX: Front lay front double full, starting with strong difficulty. Giving us the Sweet Home Alabama routine. Dance series is clean, one of the better wolf positions we’ve seen today other than McClain. Double back to finish, very bouncy. A little down home line dance energy to close it out.

    Smith, BB: Series has a little bobble. Front aerial, better. Switch leap to korbut, gorgeous. Full turn is clean. Sticks her gainer full!

    Wong, UB: Maloney to pak, gorgeous. van Leeuwen is excellent! Good last handstand. DLO dismount, stuck like glue yes ma’am! Gators will drop the fall and stay in qualifying position going into the final rotation.

    Hooten, Minn indiv VT: Y1.5, great in the air, just a single step forward. A great showing for the individual.

    Gladieux, FX: Full in to start, nice and open, big amplitude. Gorgeous split positions on her dance sequence. Front lay to Rudi to split jump, doesn’t travel too much. Stomps her foot in celebration as she runs off the podium! She’s thrilled with that routine.

    Wilson, Mich indiv BB: Bhs loso, little wobble but stays on. Dance series is lovely, maybe some flexed feet? Double tuck dismount! Little slide back.

    Carey, OSU indiv UB: Maloney to Bhardwaj, wow, that difficulty. Maybe doesn’t quite get the twist all the way around before the catch? Little bounce back on her full in dismount. Should be a good score, not sure it’ll set her up for an AA title threat though.

    Brooks, Mich indiv FX: Full in to open, really well controlled. Dance sequence is well executed, very precise and strong split positions. Big breath before her last pass. Punch front through to double tuck, close to stuck. Good for her!

    AFTER THREE: UU 148.425, UF 148.4, OU 147.0875, BAMA 146.15

    The coaches need to triple check that beam, and the athletes need to pretend they’re at home in the O-Dome, and the Gators might be able to be the coolest customers tonight to go through to Saturday. I keep saying might because we are not jinxing anything!!!!

    10:42pm: Rotation 4! They have to close the door now.

    Sears, Bama VT: Yfull, great height, super clean form.

    Smith, UU UB: Pak salto is clean. van Leeuwen is excellent. Great last handstand. Toe on pike half dismount, looked stuck to me!

    Draser, UF BB: Switch to switch half, fine. Series was clean too. Roundoff 1.5 stuck! What a rock!

    Davis, OU FX: Front double full to start, super clean. Switch half to wolf jump full to split half, very precise. 1.5 to front lay, fabulous. Lots of choreo left in the routine, it’s… fine I guess? Not my cup of tea.

    LaCoursiere, VT: Y1.5, big step forward.

    Blakely, BB: Front aerial bhs, well connected. Split leap switch half to beat, excellent! All well connected. Full turn, clean. Gainer full is stuck! She is already celebrating, screaming as she hugs Rowland who ran up on the podium to meet her.

    Zirbes, UB: Tkachev to pak, strong connection, good amplitude. Good last handstand. Stuck dismount!

    Sievers, FX: Double pike to open, well controlled. Combination pass is clean. Triple dance series is solid, good positions in the air.

    German, VT: Yfull, very clean, a little slide back.

    Pilgrim, BB: Candle mount is strong. Bhs loso, so steady, just lays it back. Full turn, very clean. Front aerial is good. Switch leap to split leap, maybe a check but she just waited for it, stayed patient and did not bobble. Cartwheel gainer full, single step.

    Morgan, UB: Little shy of first handstand. Maloney to Bhardwaj, well done. Stuck dismount – another hit for the Utes. Doing what they need to do so far.

    Hudson, VT: Y1.5, basically stuck?? Wow!

    Smith, FX: Double tuck, nice open positions, good control. 1.5 to front lay, well controlled to immediate choreography. Switch side to wolf jump full, nice. Double pike to finish, that may be her last routine ever. What a way to go out if so!

    Nguyen, BB: Onodi to bhs, well connected, excellent. Full turn is clean. Switch to split, gorgeous. Roundoff 1.5, little hop forward. They’ll take it!

    O’Keefe, UB: Maloney to pak, clean. Great last handstand! Double arabian dismount, single step forward. Utah continuing to just hit.

    Blanco, VT: Y1.5, hop forward. A good final routine for her too.

    LeVasseur, FX: Full in to start, very strong. Dance series down to front support, pretty clean. Rudi to straddle jump to finish.

    Wong, BB: Switch to split leap, excellent splits. Bhs loso, nice and steady today. Full turn was clean, front aerial strong. Roundoff double full – couldn’t hold the stick and may cost her the AA title, but it’s fine to get the Gators’ job done.

    McCallum, UB: Pak to van leeuwen, both clean. Full in dismount, little hop forward. They’re through!

    Gladieux, VT: Y1.5, another hop forward.

    Torrez, FX: DLO to open, gorgeous. Dance series is clean, good split position, wolf maybe a little crunched. Punch through to double tuck – a solid routine but it’s over for them already.

    Lazzari, BB: Pressure’s off. Triple series – and she’s off! That looked like it hurt… and she stays down. Oh no. Okay, after a moment, she’s remounted. She’s not gonna repeat her series, and I don’t blame her. Split 1/2 is great. Cartwheel to gainer full, little slide back.

    Sabado, UB: Jaeger to overshoot, good amplitude, coach standing by after what happened in regionals with her missing her hand. Sticks her DLO.

    Brooks, Mich indiv VT: Y1.5, really well done, just didn’t hold the stick.

    Carey, OSU indiv BB: She’s still in contention for the AA title – but a 9.975 seems impossible given beam tonight. Bhs loso, very solid. Switch to switch half, some flexed feet. Gainer full is stuck! It could be but I doubt it.

    Bowers, FX: Front double full to punch front, strong start, well controlled. Double pike, really well controlled lunge. Dance passage is excellent, gorgeous toe point throughout.

    Titarsolej, Miz indiv UB: Had to repeat her low bar cast, uh oh. Maloney to pak, absolutely golden. Pauses on the high bar – she’s gassed, oh that’s so disappointing. Stays on though somehow! Finishes with a double tuck dismount stuck.

    Wilson, indiv Mich FX: Big open full in, really well controlled. Really working this choreo throughout the first section, stretching through each motion and hitting all of her beats. Dance series is fabulous, very crisp. Front lay to Rudi to finish, that’s a great last routine of her career. You love to see that.

    FINAL UU 197.9375, UF 197.875, OU 196.6625, BAMA 195.4125

    The all-around title will go to Haleigh Bryant, but Wong and Carey will tie for second! Stanford’s Anna Roberts will take home the vault title with 9.95, but again, Wong takes second with Arizona State’s Anaya Smith, both earning a 9.9375. Oklahoma’s Audrey Davis and Wong tie for the bars title with a 9.9625. Two OU athletes tie for the beam title, Audrey Davis and Faith Torrez. And LSU’s Aleah Finnegan outright wins the floor title with her 9.9625.

    The Gators definitely have some lessons learned and some adjustments to make, but overall, tonight was a pretty clean meet for them. Lazzari needs to take a deep breath, get some good treatment, and hopefully she’ll be ready for at least bars and beam tomorrow. There are others who can step in on vault and floor, and honestly maybe bars, but they really need her to be 100% on beam. Florida will start on bars in finals, so they’ll get the tough ones out of the way early, and then hopefully be able to go lights out on floor and vault. It’s just a matter of keeping an even keel until then.

    Thanks for joining me tonight! We’ll see you back here at 4pm on Saturday for NATIONAL FINALS! GO GATORS!