Gators Gymnastics Take On Top-Ranked Oklahoma at Home

The No. 5 Florida Gators gymnastics team looks to snap the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners’ undefeated record at home this Friday. The Gators suffered their first loss of the season on the road last Friday, falling 197.2-196.5 to No. 7 Missouri.  

Gators gymnastics head coach Jenny Rowland said the team is looking past the loss and shifting focus toward Oklahoma.

“Missouri was last Friday,” Rowland said. “It’s in the past and we can only learn and grow from it.”

To remain competitive with the defending NCAA champions, the Gators need to bounce back from their lowest performance on bars this season against the Missouri Tigers. Gators senior Riley McCusker landed the team’s best score of 9.975 during its meet against Auburn. 

The Sooners are rolling in after posting back-to-back scores of 198.175 during their sweep at the Metroplex Challenge Sunday. Sooners sophomore Addision Fatta and freshman Mackenzie Estep earned SEC honors for their performances.

The Gators will need a strong performance from senior Selena Harris-Miranda, who holds the Gators’ all-around best score at 39.675. Harris-Miranda also holds the top scores for the vault and balance beam. 

Gator junior Alyssa Arana said staying level-headed is a key to Florida’s success in the meet. 

“The physical aspect is always there,” Arana said. “It’s just about how we can best help each other mentally.”

The Gators are 2-8 in their last 10 matchups against the Sooners, but boast an 11-1 home record against Oklahoma. They’ll hope to add another win to that record. The meet will serve as the Gators’ 20th Annual Gators Link to Pink event, which raises breast cancer awareness. This highly anticipated top-5 matchup will start at 6:45 p.m.

Category: Gators Gymnastics, Gymnastics