Florida vs. Missouri Gymnastics: A Top-10 SEC Clash With Major Implications
Another week, another top-10 showdown for No. 2 Florida gymnastics - and this one’s got all the makings of a classic.
The Gators are heading to Columbia to take on No. 7 Missouri on Friday night at Mizzou Arena, with the meet set to air live on ESPN2 at 9 p.m.
ET. It’s not just another dual meet - it’s a statement opportunity in what’s shaping up to be a fiercely competitive SEC season.
This will be the fourth straight meeting between these two programs where both enter ranked inside the top 10, and if recent history is any indication, we’re in for a tight one. All three matchups in 2025 were decided by razor-thin margins - the largest being just 0.4 points.
In their final clash last season, Missouri edged out Florida in the NCAA semifinals to punch its ticket to the NCAA Team Final, while the Gators were left on the outside looking in. That result still lingers, and you can bet Florida hasn’t forgotten.
Missouri, meanwhile, has turned Mizzou Arena into one of the toughest venues in the country this season. Just ask Oklahoma and LSU.
The Tigers nearly pulled off the upset against then-No. 2 Oklahoma in mid-January, falling by just half a point.
Then last week, they pushed another No. 2 team - LSU - to the brink, coming up only 0.175 short. Despite the loss, Mizzou walked away with its highest team score of the season: a strong 197.500.
Individually, the Tigers are starting to shine. Railey Jackson delivered a career-best 9.950 on vault last week, while Hannah Horton matched that score on the uneven bars to claim the event title. Those kinds of performances are exactly what Missouri will need again Friday night if they want to knock off one of the nation’s top squads.
Florida, on the other hand, is coming in hot. The Gators closed out January with a statement win over No.
6 Arkansas, putting up a 198.05 - the third-highest score in the country so far this season. That kind of number doesn’t happen by accident.
Florida swept all four event titles in front of a raucous crowd of over 8,000 in Gainesville, and the momentum from that meet could carry them into Columbia with serious confidence.
Sophomore Skye Blakely was the star of the night, posting a meet-high 9.975 on floor and sharing event wins on both bars and beam. She’s looking like a force this season, and her consistency across multiple events gives Florida a major edge.
Senior Selena Harris-Miranda and junior eMjae Frazier also stepped up in a big way, each making their first all-around appearances of the year - and finishing first and second overall. That’s the kind of depth championship teams are built on.
Missouri will once again lean on its home-floor advantage, trying to feed off the energy of the Columbia crowd. But Florida has shown it can handle the pressure - and they’ll need to if they want to stay perfect on the season and keep pace in a loaded SEC field.
This one has all the ingredients: two top-10 teams, postseason implications, individual stars on both sides, and a recent history of going down to the wire. Expect fireworks. Friday night in Columbia could be one of the defining moments of the early 2026 gymnastics season.