Florida Edges Alabama in Top-5 Gymnastics Clash, Rides Beam Brilliance to Victory
In a meet that lived up to the hype, No. 1 Florida narrowly held off No.
4 Alabama in Gainesville on Friday night, pulling out a 197.425-197.275 win in front of a fired-up home crowd. The difference?
A rock-solid performance on the balance beam that sealed the deal for the Gators in a meet that went down to the wire.
This one had all the makings of a classic - two SEC powerhouses, national title aspirations, and a packed Exactech Arena buzzing with energy. But for Florida head coach Jenny Rowland, the rankings and the noise outside the gym don’t mean much.
Her focus? The team within.
“For me, rankings don’t really matter,” Rowland said. “Our biggest competitor each and every Friday, it’s Gators versus Gators.”
That mindset was tested in the final moments of the meet. With everything hanging in the balance, Florida sophomore Skye Blakely stepped onto the floor for the last routine of the night.
The tension in the building was thick, but Blakely delivered a 9.725 - not her highest score, but enough to push the Gators across the finish line. The crowd erupted, and Florida moved to 4-0 on the season, 1-0 in SEC play.
Rowland credited the home crowd for lifting the team during key moments.
“Grateful Gator Nation came and showed out for our team,” she said. “Our athletes thrive off that energy.
That was a lot of fun. Really, really proud of this team.”
And she had every reason to be. Senior Selena Harris-Miranda once again proved why she’s one of the most impactful transfers in the country. The former UCLA standout - now in her second year with the Gators - dominated the beam with a meet-high 9.950, tied for first on vault at 9.925, and added a 9.900 on bars, good for a tie for fifth.
Harris-Miranda's ability to stay locked in, especially in high-pressure moments, continues to be a difference-maker.
“I think I just remember my training truly,” she said of her vault routine. “I try to focus and remember my thinking when I’m in training, so I can replicate it when I get into a louder crowd with more distractions.”
Interestingly, Harris-Miranda didn’t compete on the floor - marking the first time since 2013 that Florida didn’t have an all-around competitor in a meet. Still, the Gators found a way to get it done.
Alabama didn’t go quietly. The Crimson Tide actually edged Florida in two events - vault (49.200-49.175) and floor (49.350-49.225) - and matched them on bars with a 49.550.
That bars score, by the way, tied the highest in the nation last week, matching No. 2 LSU.
But the beam proved to be the difference-maker. Florida posted a 49.475 - their only event win of the night - while Alabama struggled to find footing.
Jasmine Cawley’s fall to open the rotation led to a 9.075, a score the Tide couldn’t afford to carry. Gabby Gladieux’s 9.700 to close the rotation was the second-lowest score Alabama had to count, and it opened the door for Florida to take control.
Now, the Gators turn their attention to another SEC test, hitting the road to face No. 6 Auburn next Friday. If this meet was any indication, the Gators are battle-tested - and beam-ready.