The No. 2 ranked Gators gymnastics team hits the road to face No. 8 LSU Friday at 9 p.m. Both teams have been ranked in the top 10 the past 28 times theyโve met. This has been the top dual of the weekend eight times since 2013, and the fifth time consecutively.ย
๐ Top meet of the weekend is tonight!
No. 2 ๐๐คธโโ๏ธ ๐ No. 8โฃ LSU ๐ฏ
๐ Pete Maravich Assembly Center
๐9PM ET
๐บ ESPN2
๐ป๐ป๐ฑ https://t.co/UYlgubWl7A
๐ https://t.co/KPc5t5vofu#GoGators | ๐๐คธโโ๏ธ pic.twitter.com/IUGAcr3amG— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) February 17, 2023
The Gators are 8-0 on the season and undefeated in the SEC. A win Friday will give Florida a chance at winning its fifth SEC regular-season title. The team would have to defeat Kentucky on Feb. 24 to conquer the title.ย
Last Time
Florida and LSU have met 115 times with their last matchup coming on Mar. 19, 2022 in front of a sold out crowd. The Gators defeated the Tigers 198.15-197.825. Trinity Thomas won vault with a 9.975. Thomas tied Savannah Schoenherr and the Tigers’ Haleigh Bryant on the uneven bars with a 9.95. Floridaโs Leah Clapper and LSUโs Kiya Johnson shared the balance beam title at 9.95. Florida’s Leanne Wong led the squad by winning the all-around title with a score of 39.65.ย
Since 2013, the Gators have competed against the Tigers 27 times. In 19 of those meets, less than half a point was the deciding factor. In the last 10 competitions against LSU, the Gators are 6-4, and seven of those were decided based on half a point. The smallest margin of victory for the Gators, and the tightest match between the two teams, was in 2018. The score was 197.85-197.84.ย
Pink-tacular๐
๐2nd highest score in the nation this season!#GoGators | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/iCpBtCE9Bq
— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) February 11, 2023
Gators Show Out
The Gators are coming off of a victory against the Missouri Tigers on Feb. 10. The team scored the nation’s top total score of the weekend with 198.35. On the uneven bars, Freshman Kayla DiCello scored her first collegiate 10.o, the first perfect mark by a freshman on any event in 2023. Trinity Thomas also earned a 10.0 on the balance beam, adding to her career total of 24. Leanne Wong and Thomas share four perfect marks on the 2023 season, the nation’s highest.
๐๐๐ฎ๐ก๐ ๐ฟ๐๐พ๐๐ก๐ก๐ค: 4โฃx #SEC Freshman of the Week!
๐ธ First freshman in 2023 with a ๐
๐น All-around of 39.75 leads nation's freshmen๐ https://t.co/DKa47Ow6j3#GoGators | ๐๐คธโโ๏ธ pic.twitter.com/hhpAeMst4N
— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) February 14, 2023