SEC Gymnastics Week 2 Recap: Florida, Arkansas impress in debuts; Kentucky goes 197.475

It was an exciting weekend of top matchups for SEC gymnastics fans.

We finally got a look at what Florida and Arkansas will be building on for the rest of the season. Kentucky led the SEC in Week 2 with the highest overall score of a 197.475, followed by Alabama with a 197.225.

Read on for an in-depth recap of SEC gymnastics Week 2.

Florida @ Florida quad

Final Score: Florida: 197.100, George Washington: 194.550, Fisk: 189.950, Talladega: 187.750

Preseason No. 2 Florida had a promising start to its season on Friday night in front of a sold-out crowd. The all-around winner for the night was freshman Anya Pilgrim, whose score (35.525) is the highest-ever posted by a Gator freshman in their first meet. 

“I think overall it went really well,” Pilgrim said. “I made some improvements on each event, and then floor I was really, really proud of because that’s usually my event that I need to work a little harder on, so for that to be my standout tonight was really great.”

Pilgrim scored a 9.925 which tied with senior Victoria Nguyen for the floor title. The freshman, who also represents Barbados internationally, also tied Leanne Wong for the vault title (9.875) and won bars outright (9.875). Pilgrim was joined by four other Gator freshmen making their debut including Skylar Draser, Danie Ferris, Gabby Disidore, and Alyssa Arana. It was the most freshmen part of Florida’s competitive lineup since the 2004 NCAA Super Six team final. 

Senior Ellie Lazzari had the night’s leading score across all teams with a near-perfect 9.975 on beam. Although the Gators scored in the 197s and won the quad meet, they struggled on bars (48.95). Arana scored an 8.45 (dropped) and junior Sloane Blakely scored a 9.575 that the Gators were forced to keep. 

#3 Missouri @ #4 Alabama

Final score: Alabama: 197.225 – Missouri: 196.475

Alabama

The Crimson Tide kicked off the meet on vault, giving themselves an early lead, and they kept that lead throughout the entirety of the competition. For the second week the Tide’s standout event was bars, scoring a 49.55. Only two gymnasts scored below a 9.9 on the event, with the lowest counting score being a 9.875.

Speaking of 9.9s, the Tide posted seven 9.9 routines this week after posting the same amount of 9.9 routines last week. Luisa Blanco scored three 9.9s on bars, beam, and floor. Blanco claimed the all-around title (39.675), the bars title (9.95), and the floor title (9.925).

After being named SEC Specialist of the Week for her 9.975 floor routine last weekend, Gabby Gladieux scored a 9.9 this week. Freshman Chloe LaCoursiere is proving her reliability on bars after scoring a 9.925 routine on Friday, and senior Cameron Machado also scored a consecutive 9.9-or-higher score on the event. 

Missouri

The Tigers didn’t have the meet they wanted in Tuscaloosa after coming off last week’s impressive 197.15 win at home. Missouri’s score dropped by a little over six-tenths to land them at a final of 196.475. Missouri started the meet off with an abnormally bumpy start on bars (48.95), breaking their streak of 13 consecutive meets scoring a 49 or higher on the event. 

Missouri turned it around on vault (49.375) by beating the Tide by more than two-tenths on the apparatus. They continued that energy on floor where freshman Kennedy Griffin made her debut, scoring a 9.825. Freshman Hannah Horton and junior Jocelyn Moore both reached the 9.9 mark for the second consecutive meet. 

In the last rotation, the Tigers took a hit to their beam score by posting a 48.8 compared to the previous week’s 49.325. Grace Anne Davis scored a 9.6 which was followed by a 9.55 (dropped) from Mara Titarsolej, forcing Missouri to keep Davis’ score.

#15 Georgia @ Arkansas

Final score: Arkansas: 197.150 – Georgia: 196.350

Arkansas

Preseason No. 15 Arkansas started the 2024 season with a record-breaking debut score of 197.150 – the first time the team has ever scored over 197 in a season opener. The Razorbacks have now defeated the Bulldogs for their last five matchups. Arkansas blasted their season off with nine 9.9-and-above routines on Friday night.

The Razorbacks dominated floor, scoring a 49.575, which is the second-best event total in program history. Four out of six routines scored a 9.9 or above. Lauren Williams and Frankie Price had the whole crowd smiling as they shined with their innovative choreography to score matching 9.95s and share the floor win. 

Arkansas scored 49+ on all events, but their lowest total was beam (49.025). Arizona transfer Sirena Linton had an uncharacteristic fall for a 9.15 (dropped), which caused the Razorbacks to have to use all other scores in the lineup, including three 9.7s. Maddie Jones was the bright spot, earning a 9.9 to tie for the event title.

Freshman Priscilla Park competed on vault, bars, and beam. Redshirt sophomore Cami Weaver was the only stuck vault for the Razorbacks and scored a 9.9. Weaver and Williams shared the vault title. 

Georgia

Georgia’s total score increased from last week by .15, but the Bulldogs were still eight-tenths behind the Razorbacks. The GymDogs only put up five gymnasts on vault for the second straight week while the team continues to deal with injuries. Their highest score on the apparatus was freshman Ady Wahl with a 9.85 for her Yurchenko 1.5.

The Bulldogs put up strong scores on bars (49.425) and beam (49.175) to beat the Razorbacks on those events. On bars, Wahl scored a 9.9 and sophomore JaFree Scott took home the event title after scoring a 9.95.

Following a very strong beam debut for Georgia last week, Scott led the charge this week with a 9.9 to tie for the event title. Scott took over the Georgia moonwalk tradition on beam this year, which has been passed down through eight former GymDogs. 

Freshman Lily Smith led the team on floor with a 9.925. Sophomore Eryn Williams had a fall in the third pass of her floor routine and recorded a 9.125 (dropped). 

#9 Kentucky @ #11 Auburn

Final score: Kentucky: 197.475 – Auburn: 197.025

Kentucky

The Wildcats beat the Tigers for the third year in a row on Friday night. Kentucky succeeded in their mission of scoring a 197 by increasing their floor (+.45), beam (+.325), and vault (+.1) score.

Raena Worley won the all-around with a 39.650. Although bars was Kentucky’s lowest scoring event (49.175), Worley won the bars title after scoring a 9.925. Freshman Cecily Rizo tied for her first ever event win on vault after scoring a 9.9.

Following harsh judging on floor at the Super 16 meet in Week 1, fans speculated that most scores would go up for those teams, and they sure did for the Wildcats (49.500). Worley and freshman Creslyn Brose each scored a 9.95 for their floor routines, which tied them for the event title. This was Brose’s first career event win. Senior Hailey Davis also scored a 9.9 on her routine. 

After a rough beam rotation last week, the Wildcats came back determined to conquer the event this week (49.425). Senior Bailey Bunn scored an amazing 9.95 for her routine and claimed the event title.

Auburn

The Tigers may have fallen to the Wildcats on Friday, but the team accomplished their goal of scoring a 197. Auburn still has several tenths to climb to achieve head coach Jeff Graba’s goal of scoring in the mid-to-upper 197 range, but to hit that first target in the second meet of the season is promising.

Auburn’s beam lineup changed to include freshman Julianne Huff, who unfortunately had a fall and scored a 9.25 (dropped). Auburn then had to count Aria Brusch’s 9.65 in the third rotation, which is what allowed Kentucky to distance itself from the Tigers. 

The Tigers best event was floor, with no one scoring lower than a 9.85. Olivia Hollingsworth anchored with a 9.925. Sophia Groth and Gabby McLaughlin both scored 9.9s.

On vault, senior transfer Sydney Schumaker led Auburn with a 9.9 for her gorgeous tucked Yurchenko 1.5. She tied for the vault title.

Auburn’s bar leadoff, sophomore Hannah Hagle, had a rough start and scored a 9.2. The rest of the lineup, full of experienced veterans, pulled together to score consecutive 9.8s or higher and reach a score of 49.2.

#5 LSU @Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate quad

Final Score: Oklahoma: 197.900, LSU: 197.150, UCLA: 197.100, Utah: 196.975

IT’S A 10.0! Freshman Konnor McClain scored the nation’s first 10.0 on bars Saturday to help LSU record its highest-ever road meet bars score with a 49.650, matching the third-highest bars score in school history. The Tigers final rotation was bars, and they entered the rotation in fourth place. But with six stuck routines and the lowest counted score being a 9.875, LSU fought its way to second, behind only the defending national champions.

“I’m just proud of the way we fought back and finished second to beat two very strong teams,” said LSU head coach Jay Clark. “We learned how to fight our way out of holes, but we have to stop digging them in the first place. That’s where we just need to get tougher.”

LSU started the meet in a rough spot on beam. The Tigers switched up their lineup by adding sophomore Annie Beard, who had a fall and scored a 9.225 (dropped). The Tigers were forced to use Kiya Johnson’s score of 9.375. Haleigh Bryant kept LSU alive by scoring a 9.9, and Aleah Finnegan anchored the Tigers with a 9.925.  

LSU scored a 49.525 on floor for the second week in a row. Finnegan’s floor performance scored a season-high 9.975 and won her the event title. Kiya Johnson competed on the event for the first time since returning from injury and scored a 9.875 in the anchor spot.