Florida Gymnastics Visits Athens for Test at No. 6 Georgia
No. 4 Florida gymnastics heads to Athens on Friday night for a top-10 SEC face off against No. 6 Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum.
Georgia leads the schools’ all-time series 93-69-1, and the Bulldogs have been Florida’s most frequent opponent in the program’s 54-year history. The pair’s four most recent meetings in Athens have been decided by two-tenths or less, including Florida’s narrow 0.175 win in 2024.
Florida (6-2, 3-2 SEC) enters Friday looking to flip the script after a 198.075-197.575 loss to top-ranked Oklahoma in last week’s Link to Pink meet. The defeat ended the Gators’ home winning streak and marked their first time losing back-to-back SEC meets since 2006.
Despite the loss, Florida still showed flashes of dominance. The Gators set the nation’s season-high on uneven bars with a 49.65 against Oklahoma and currently rank No. 1 nationally on bars with a 49.563 National Qualifying Score (NQS), and No. 2 on beam (49.430 NQS).
Senior Selena Harris-Miranda continues to lead the way for Florida. She owns multiple 9.95-plus performances this season on beam and floor and remains one of the SEC’s most consistent all-arounders. Junior Kayla DiCello, who recently returned to all-around competition after a lengthy absence, is rounding back into form, while Skye Blakely and Riley McCusker anchor with two of the nation’s strongest bar routines.
Georgia (9-2, 2-2 SEC) is coming off a 197.65 score at the Valentine’s Day Metroplex Challenge, just shy of its season-high 197.675. The GymDogs’ freshman class, ranked No. 3 in the nation entering this season, has made an immediate impact. Junior Lily Smith is fresh off SEC Specialist of the Week honors after claiming bars (9.95) and floor (9.975) titles last week.
Florida currently sits at No. 4 nationally with a 197.456 NQS, while Georgia is No. 6 at 197.290. With postseason positioning on the line and both teams capable of 197.7-plus totals, Friday’s meet could come down to landings and final rotation execution, just as it did in Florida’s last few meets.
In a rivalry that has produced 17 meetings decided by two-tenths or less, another tight finish would be no surprise. For Florida, it’s a chance to stick the landing and reclaim momentum in the back half of the SEC schedule.
The meet marks the 164th all-time meeting between the longtime rivals. It is set for 7 p.m. on SEC Network.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Gymnastics, Gymnastics
