Florida gymnastics is gearing up for an exciting journey to the NCAA Tempe Regional after their thrilling SEC Championship victory. The Gators have their sights set on another championship, and they're heading to the Valley of the Sun as the top-seeded team in the regional and the No. 3 overall seed, trailing only behind Oklahoma and LSU.
Joining Florida in Tempe are some formidable teams: No. 6 Georgia, No.
11 Michigan State, No. 14 Cal, along with Penn State, BYU, Southern Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State.
The anticipation is palpable as the Gators celebrated their selection with a watch party at the Heavener Football Training Center pool.
The regional kicks off on Thursday, April 2, with two quad meets. Florida will face off against Cal, Penn State, and either Arizona or Arizona State. The Wildcats and Sun Devils will battle it out in a play-in meet two days prior to secure their spot.
Florida's competition begins at 10 p.m. on April 2, with the other group starting at 4 p.m. The top two teams from each meet will advance to the Regional Final on April 4 at 8 p.m. Success there means a ticket to the NCAA Gymnastics Semifinals in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 16.
Coach Jenny Rowland expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “Really excited to head out to Tempe, love sunshine. Really looking forward to building some great moments with this team.” Rowland, who began her gymnastics career at ASU, is eager to lead her team back west.
The Gators last missed the Fort Worth stage in 2019, but given their recent performances, they're strong contenders to make it back. Florida has been on fire, scoring 198.175 or higher in every meet this March.
It all started with an impressive upset over No. 2 LSU on senior night, followed by a stellar performance at Kentucky, where they achieved their third-highest score in program history.
Their crowning achievement came at the SEC Championship in Tulsa. Facing top-ranked Oklahoma, No.
2 LSU, and No. 4 Alabama, the Gators clinched their first conference title since 2023 with a score of 198.175, edging out the Sooners by the slimmest margin since 2016.
Florida's prowess was on full display as they started strong on beam and then dominated on bars, where they showcased their No. 1 national ranking. Skye Blakely and Kayla DiCello dazzled with 9.975s, and Selena Harris-Miranda nailed a perfect 10, overcoming Oklahoma's floor score.
“We’re definitely still excited about the weekend, but now we’re taking that momentum to continue building,” DiCello shared. The team is focused on refining every detail as they prepare for regionals.
Fans can catch all the regional action on ESPN+. The Gators are ready to shine in the desert sun, aiming to continue their championship quest.