The No. 2 Florida Gators host the No. 5 Auburn Tigers Friday at 7:15 p.m. This meet will be the SEC season opener for the 2023 season. The Gator fans have sold out the O’Dome getting ready to cheer on the 2022 SEC champions. Both teams are stacked with NCAA champions, World Championship medalists and Olympic medalists.
Highlights from last weeks meet
Although this is only the Gators second meet of the season, they are already off to an impressive start. During last weeks quad meet, Trinity Thomas scored the first 10.0 of the season on beam, transfer Rachel Baumann scored a 9.9 on vault, Leanne Wong tied with Thomas on bars with a final score of 9.95. Ellie Lazzari and Kayla DiCello shared a tying score of 9.9 on beam, which landed them second place behind Thomas.
Head Coach Jenny Rowland talked about last weeks meet.
Gators to look out for
This weeks meet is filled with action as NCAA champions, World champions and Olympic medalists take the stage. Defending NCAA all-around champion Trinity Thomas is a name to look out for in Friday nights game. Other Gators to look out for include freshman Kayla DiCello, who won bronze at the 2021 World Championship, red-shirt freshman Morgan Hurd, who won gold at the 2017 World Championship, and sophomore Leanne Wong, who won silver at the 2021 World Championships.
#SEC Specialist of the Week ➡️ @Gym_Trin
🔸Won or shared win for each event competed – vault, bars, beam
🔹Earned 21st 🔟 of career to win beam🔗https://t.co/FfPEFjuxbM#GoGators | 🐊🤸♀️ pic.twitter.com/uzsROkG7ew
— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) January 10, 2023
Tigers to look out for
From the Tigers, sophomore Sunisa Lee is the competitor to watch. Lee is the 2020 Toyoko All-Around Olympic Gold Medalist. Two days ago, Lee was named SEC Gymnast of the week. As well as Thomas, Lee also scored a 10.0 on beam at her last meet.
𝘾𝙊𝙉𝙂𝙍𝘼𝙏𝙎 to @sunisalee_ ➡️ @SEC Gymnast of the Week!
📰 https://t.co/sCzh22e8Bp#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/3SzEbA0by7
— Auburn Gymnastics (@AuburnGym) January 10, 2023
Injured Gators
Graduate student Savannah Schoenherr and sophomore Sloan Blakeley are both currently recovering from injuries. Here is what head coach Jenny Rowland had to say.
Words from Jenny Rowland
Rowland discussed how they don’t necessarily look for the win, but that it helps build momentum and that the individual scores and moving forward as a team is what’s most important.
Jenny also talked about the match up happening between gymnast superstars, Thomas and Lee, who both scored 10.0 on their beam routines last week.
The SEC season opener between the Gators and the Tigers can be watched live on ESPN2.