The Florida Gators gymnastics team is gearing up for its second quad meet of the season, heading to Denton, Texas, with a determined mindset. Fresh off a nail-biting victory against Georgia, the Gators are eyeing a more commanding performance against three non-conference opponents.
On Friday, Florida (7-2) will take on Texas Woman’s University (7-9), Arizona State (5-5), and Fisk University at 8 p.m. While these teams might not be regular adversaries, the Gators have faced them a total of 35 times, largely due to their history with Arizona State. This meet also marks a shift for Florida, breaking their streak of competing against top-25 teams.
Arizona State poses the most significant challenge for Florida, given their losing record (14-16) against the Sun Devils. ASU’s standout performer, Safia El Mammann, recently earned Big 12 Specialist of the Week honors. Meanwhile, Texas Woman’s University is riding high from a recent quad meet victory over the Sun Devils, highlighted by a season-high score of 49.025 on the beam, making them a formidable opponent in that event.
Fisk University enters the competition with a unique drive, as the program is set to be discontinued after the 2026 season. This adds an emotional layer to their performance, as they seek more than just high scores.
In their recent meet against Georgia, the Gators matched their season-high on vault with a score of 49.425. Despite vault being their weakest event, ranked No. 10 nationally, they dominate on the uneven bars, where they hold the top spot in the country. Florida’s strong performance on bars, with five out of six landings stuck against Georgia, bodes well as they begin Friday's rotation on this apparatus.
Florida holds a significant ranking advantage over their opponents across all four apparatuses. With the lowest score dropped in each event, consistency will be key.
Although no Gator has achieved a perfect score this season, their individual and team performances have shown continuous improvement. Notably, Kayla DiCello claimed the uneven bars title with a 9.95, while Selena Harris-Miranda took home the beam title and the all-around title with an impressive 39.50 against Georgia.
Coach Jenny Rowland praised her team’s effort, saying, “Everybody followed through. [They] did their job, trusted their training, trusted each other, and really came out and that is why we came out with a win.”
As the Gators push forward, they aim to carry this momentum into the final stretch of the season, with eyes on the SEC Championships on March 21.