Gators Gymnastics Set for Tough Road Test Against LSU

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 they’ve met. This has been the top dual of the weekend eight times since 2013, and the fifth time consecutively. 

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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. 

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. Florida’s Leah Clapper and LSU’s 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. 

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. 

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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.

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