SEC Gymnastics Week 11 Recap: Teams primed for postseason
And that’s all folks … at least for the regular season. Week 11 was the last chance for SEC gymnastics teams to test their lineups before being thrown head first into postseason play next weekend.
Five teams have now scored a 198+ after No. 12 Arkansas reached their new program record of 198.100 over the weekend. Current No. 3 LSU, No. 4 Florida, No. 6 Kentucky, and No. 7 Alabama are also among the teams who have hit 198. No. 13 Missouri, No. 14 Auburn, and No. 18 Georgia are the clear underdogs after this week’s meets finished.
All eight SEC teams will meet at the SEC Championships on Saturday, March 23.
Read on for an in-depth recap of what each team displayed in Week 11.
North Carolina @ #2 LSU
Final score: LSU: 198.250 – UNC: 196.075
“We missed some opportunities out there,” LSU Head Coach Jay Clark said. “But felt good about being able to make some changes in the lineup and get some other people out there.”
The Tigers closed out the regular season in style in front of the fourth largest crowd in program history for senior night. LSU’s dominating victory over the Tar Heels moved their home record to 6-0, making it their first undefeated home season since 2018. Aleah Finnegan competed in the all-around for the first time this year and won with a score of 39.625.
A 49.4 on vault kicked off the meet for the Tigers. Haleigh Bryant scored a 9.925 in the anchor position to claim the event title. The bars squad posted a 49.625 in the second rotation. Ashley Cowan notched a new collegiate-best 9.95 while Bryant scored a 9.975 to claim another event title.
Konnor McClain led the beam rotation with a near-perfect 9.975 to claim her fourth beam title and push LSU to a 49.625 event score. The Tigers wrapped up the meet with a 49.6 on floor. Kiya Johnson anchored with a 9.975, winning the title.
#4 Florida @ Florida quad
Final score: Florida: 197.900, NC State: 196.825, Iowa State: 195.825, LIU: 192.025
“It was a casual 197.90 tonight,” Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland said. “We had a lot of Gators going in different spots in lineups. That seems to be the trend in this regular season, and they keep showing up and stepping up. They keep owning whatever is put in front of them.”
Rowland is now the only coach in the SEC to have 200 wins under her belt. The mark was set on Friday when Florida crushed NC State, Iowa State, and LIU. Sloane Blakely claimed the second all-around win with of her career with a 39.625.
The Gators started on vault with a 49.475. Skylar Draser led with a 9.95, claiming her first collegiate event win. The bars lineup reached a 49.425 with a 9.975 boost from Leanne Wong to notch her 20th bars win.
A 9.925 from Blakely and freshman Alyssa Arana helped Florida total a 49.4 on beam. Arana’s score in the anchor position equaled the second highest by a Gator in their beam lineup debut. Blakely and Arana shared the beam title with NC State’s Chloe Negrete.
The floor lineup put up four scores of 9.925 to help the Gators hit a 49.6. The lowest counted score was a 9.9 from Anya Pilgrim while Blakely, Victoria Nguyen, Morgan Hurd, and Ellie Lazzari each recorded a 9.925.
#7 Alabama @ #1 Oklahoma
Final score: Oklahoma: 198.775 – Alabama: 198.025
Despite being the only team this season that has scored a 198 while facing the No. 1 Sooners, ultimately the Tide couldn’t keep up. Alabama posted their highest road score of the year (198.025) and reached a new season-best beam score (49.625) to close out the regular season.
The Tide was in the lead after the first rotation on bars put up a 49.5. Anchor Luisa Blanco shared the bars title with Oklahoma’s Jordan Bowers, Katherine LeVasseur, and Ragan Smith for her 9.975 routine. On vault, Alabama posted their lowest score of the night with a 49.375. A 9.925 from Corinne Bunagan was the top score for the Tide and would earn her a share of the title with Oklahoma’s Bowers.
Jamison Sears recorded a new collegiate-high 9.925 on floor in the third rotation. Another 9.925 from Gabby Gladieux and a 9.9 from Blanco and Ella Burgess pushed Alabama to a 49.525. With no counted score below a 9.9, the beam lineup reached new heights, notching a 49.625. Blanco earned a 9.975 to share the title with Oklahoma’s Faith Torrez.
Nebraska @ #12 Arkansas
Final score: Arkansas: 198.100 – Nebraska: 197.375
The Gymbacks were on fire Friday night as they set a new program-record final score (198.1) for the third time this season. Nine of the top 10 scores in program history have now come under Head Coach Jordyn Wieber. Arkansas concluded the regular season 8-6-1, which is the most regular season wins for the team since 2012.
The vault rotation started the meet off with a bang, reaching a new program-best 49.55. Dakota Essenpries set a new collegiate-high 9.875, and Hailey Klein’s 9.975 is the best ever by a Razorback freshman on the apparatus. She claimed the vault title.
A 49.525 bars score was marked by tons of highs. Leah Smith entered the lineup for the first time this season and in the leadoff spot earned a career-best 9.925. Reese Drotar stepped up third in the lineup and notched a program-record score last seen in 2018 with a near-perfect 9.975. She claimed the event win.
The lowest score of the night was beam with a 49.3. Cally Swaney was the only Razorback gymnast to reach a 9.9, and she shared the event title with Nebraska’s Csenge Bacskay, Emma Spence, and Sophia McClelland.
The Gymbacks only needed a 49.3 in the last rotation to set a new program record, but they went well above that, compiling a 49.725 to not only set a new overall program record, but also a new floor program record. All six gymnasts scored a 9.9 or above. Kalyxta Gamiao’s 9.9 was a new career best, and Klein matched her score. Maddie Jones went third and picked up an almost flawless 9.975 to win the event title. Then Smith, Lauren Williams, and Frankie Price scored consecutive 9.95s to close out the meet.
After a night full of 9.975s, Arkansas is still looking for the first 10, on any event, in program history.
#13 Missouri, #21 Arizona @ Illinois quad
Final score: Missouri: 197.600, Illinois: 197.275, Arizona: 196.875, SEMO: 192.700
The Tigers set more than one new record in Illinois. Led by a season-best 197.600 final score, a new program-best 49.7 floor rotation, and the first 10.0 in program history on floor, it looks like Missouri is locked and loaded heading into the postseason.
Floor was the third rotation for the Tigers, and after starting the meet off slow, they turned up the heat. The lowest counted score was a 9.9 from Alonna Kratzer. Sienna Schreiber and Kennedy Griffin both handed in 9.925s, and Hannah Horton scored a new career-best 9.95. To end the rotation, Jocelyn Moore stepped up and scored a perfect 10.0. This makes her the first gymnast in program history to record perfect scores on multiple events (scored a 10.0 on vault last season versus Auburn).
The meet started on bars with a 49.25. Mara Titarsolej produced a 9.9 in the anchor position, which was the only Tiger score to cross the 9.9 mark. Moving to beam, the Tigers picked up a 49.15. Schreiber and Sydney Schaffer posted 9.9s. This is Schaffer’s first 9.9 on any apparatus since the 2022 season.
The last rotation fed off the leftover energy from floor and tied the program-best 49.5 vault score. Griffin posted a career-best 9.85, and Kyra Burns notched a 9.9 in her event debut. Moore and Amari Celestine shared the vault title after both posting a 9.95 for their Yurchenko 1.5s. Schreiber won the all-around with a 39.525.
#6 Kentucky, #14 Auburn @ Kidney Care meet
Final score: Kentucky: 197.925, Auburn: 197.575, Ohio State: 196.250, Fisk: 191.525
Kentucky
The Wildcats put on a show in Nashville, recording their highest away score ever (197.925). Raena Worley shared her 29th all-around win with Auburn’s Cassie Stevens after both gymnasts posted a 39.65.
Kentucky started on vault with a 49.425. The top scores for the team were 9.9s from Isabella Magnelli, Jillian Procasky, and Makenzie Wilson. The bars lineup posted a 49.45, led by Procasky’s new collegiate-best score of 9.95. She shared the event title with Auburn’s Aria Brusch.
Beam was the highest event total of the night with a 49.55. Raena Worley led the team and won the event title with a near-perfect 9.975. Creslyn Brose scored a new collegiate-high 9.9. The Wildcats scored a 49.5 on floor. Brose earned her second career victory of her young career with a 9.975.
Auburn
The Tigers recorded a season-best road score of 197.575 to cap off the end of the regular season. Cassie Stevens finished in a tie for the all-around after compiling a 39.65 four-event score.
Auburn started on beam and turned in a 49.475, tying their season best. Stevens and Gabby McLaughlin each recorded a 9.925 to lead the Tigers. Auburn had another solid rotation on floor with a 49.525. McLaughlin and Sophia Groth were the top scorers with a pair of 9.925s.
“We still have some room for improvement on vault,” Auburn Head Caoch Jeff Graba said. “But to have six 10.0 vaults was a big goal for us. And to finish on bars like that was big and I’m just really excited that our bars team is starting to believe in themselves.”
The Tigers lowest event score of the night came in the third rotation on vault. A 49.175 was reached thanks to the help of an event-winning 9.95 from Stevens. Auburn finished the meet with a season-high 49.4 on bars. Aria Brusch earned a 9.95 to lead the Tigers and share a portion of the event title.
#19 Georgia @ Kidney Care meet
Final score: Georgia: 197.450, Maryland: 196.725, Iowa: 196.525, Pittsburgh: 195.925, Talladega: 192.500
The GymDogs bounced back in Week 11 after struggling through Week 10’s meet versus Michigan. Georgia posted its highest away score of the season (197.450) to claim victory in Nashville.
“We are right at the cusp of meeting everyone’s full potential,” UGA Head Coach Courtney Kupets Carter said. “We are looking forward to carrying this momentum into postseason and peaking at the right time.”
Lily Smith shined on Saturday, claiming the all-around title with a 39.625 and three event titles (bars, beam, and floor). Ady Wahl shared a four-way tie for the vault title with her score of 9.9 for her Yurchenko 1.5, helping the Bulldogs reach a 49.225 on the event.
The bars lineup compiled a 49.325 event total. Smith came in clutch in the anchor spot, scoring a 9.95 (Georgia’s only 9.9 or above on the event). The GymDogs had a solid beam rotation, ending with a 49.425. Anya Turner scored a 9.9, and Smith kept it consistent scoring another 9.95.
Georgia reached their highest event score of the night on floor with a 49.475. Freshmen Holly Snyder, Wahl, and Smith all matched their career-high scores. Snyder put up a 9.9, Wahl contributed a 9.925, and Smith closed out the meet with a 9.95 for her elegant routine.
