SEC Gymnastics Week 9 Recap: Florida claims sixth consecutive regular season title

Week 9 saw the last SEC gymnastics regular season matchups, boasting four exciting dual meets in the super competitive conference. Florida is now officially the 2024 SEC regular season champs and will head into the SEC Championships on March 23 wearing that crown. 

Read on for an in-depth recap of Week 9.

#5 Florida @ #6 Kentucky

Final score: Florida: 198.225 – Kentucky: 198.100

Florida

“The eighth consecutive meet to improve our score. That is really hands down a feat within itself,” said Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland. 

The Gators chomped their way to a win over Kentucky on Friday night, as well as a sole claim to the SEC regular season title. Rowland mentioned in a post-meet press conference that their goal the whole season has been to get 1% better everyday, and she feels that the team has done that in their entirety after improving their score each meet. 

A 198.225 final score finish, a 39.775 all-around win from Leanne Wong, and a perfect 10.0 on floor from freshman Anya Pilgrim had Florida in high spirits leaving Kentucky. They started the meet off with a 49.425 on bars, led by Wong’s near-perfect 9.975 to claim the event title. 

The vault lineup was led by freshmen Danie Ferris and Skylar Draser who both put up 9.95s (collegiate bests for both). The Gators put up a season-best floor score of 49.725. The lowest counted score was a 9.9 from Victoria Nguyen. Pilgrim captivated the judges to claim a perfect 10.0. This is the first perfect floor score posted by a freshman this season. 

Florida needed a solid beam performance to keep the Wildcats from jumping ahead and did just that, notching a 49.575. Wong claimed the beam title with another near-perfect 9.975. 

Upcoming Matchup: Saturday, March 9 @ 7 p.m. ET | Eastern Michigan, Florida, Lindenwood @ Nebraska – Live Stats | Video (BIG+)

Kentucky

Senior night saw a new program high of 198.1 posted by the Wildcats. Although they fell to Florida, this new mark for Kentucky has been reached at the perfect time. 

The Wildcats started the night with a near season high vault score of 49.5. Makenzie Wilson scored her second perfect 10.0 of the season in the anchor spot for her flawless vault technique. A 49.45 bars total was led by a 9.95 from Raena Worley. Cecily Rizo posted a new collegiate-best 9.875. 

Kentucky earned a 49.4 on beam with the help of a 9.95 from Isabella Magnelli and a 9.925 from Worley. A fall from Arianna Patterson forced the Wildcats to keep a 9.775 from Creslyn Brose. 

The lowest counted score on floor was a 9.925 from Wilson, Magnelli, and Hailey Davis. Brose scored a collegiate-high 9.975 on floor, and Worley earned her third perfect 10.0 of the season on the event to get the Wildcats to a 49.75. It was a memorable moment, as the Kentucky legend and graduating senior said goodbye to Rupp Arena with the final routine of the night.

Upcoming Matchup: Friday, March 8 @ 7:30 p.m. ET | Kentucky @ North Carolina – Live Stats | Video

#9 Alabama @ #2 LSU

Final score: LSU: 198.325 – Alabama: 197.325

Alabama

The Tide fell by a point to LSU in Baton Rouge on Friday night. Alabama’s highest posted event score was a season-high 49.5 on beam. An event-winning 9.95 by Ella Burgess led the Tide to this important away meet score. 

Alabama started on bars with a 49.2. Chloe LaCoursiere and Cameron Machado had the highest scores with 9.875s. Luisa Blanco scored a 9.9 on vault for the Tide to help them reach a 49.225. Corinne Bunagan made her season debut and scored a 9.775.  

The floor lineup notched a 49.4 thanks to three 9.875s: Mati Waligora, Lilly Hudson, and Blanco. Gabby Gladieux stole the show with her 9.95 for the Tide. 

Upcoming Matchup: Friday, March 8 @ 8 p.m. ET | Illinois, Minnesota, Talladega @ Alabama – Live Stats | Video (ESPN)

LSU

This win marks the Tiger’s third consecutive regular season win over Alabama. Haleigh Bryant is now tied in second for most all-around titles in school history after her win with a 39.85.

LSU started on vault with 49.45. Bryant anchored with a 9.95 to claim the vault title. On bars, the Tigers put up a 49.65. The lowest counted score was a 9.9 from Kiya Johnson and Konnor McClain. Ashley Cowan and Tori Tatum each recorded career-highs with a 9.925 and 9.95, respectively. Bryant rounded out the rotation with a near-perfect 9.975 to claim the bars title.

The beam lineup posted a 49.45 led by a 9.925 from Bryant. The floor rotation put up a near-perfect performance, turning in a 49.775. The lowest counted score was a 9.9.25 from Konnor McClain. KJ Johnson scored a career-best 9.975, and Bryant once again reached perfection with a 10.0. 

Upcoming Matchup: Friday, March 8 @ 7 p.m. ET | Auburn, George Washington, LSU, Texas Woman’s (P&G)

#12 Arkansas @ #13 Missouri

Final score: Arkansas: 197.650 – Missouri: 197.525

Arkansas

The Gymbacks recorded a new program-high score of 197.650 this weekend at Missouri, adding a crucial away score to their NQS. This is the second time this season that Arkansas has set a new program high.

The Razorbacks started on bars with a 49.3. Sirena Linton scored a career-high 9.9, and Maddie Jones anchored with a 9.925. This claimed Jones a share of the event title with Missouri’s Hollyn Patrick. 

Arkansas scored their lowest event total of the night on vault (49.25). Frankie Price and Lauren Williams were the highest scores for the team with a 9.875 and tied for a four-way share of the vault title. The Gymbacks picked it up on floor scoring a 49.525. Jones and Price each scored a 9.925 while Williams posted a 9.95, claiming a three-way share of the floor title. 

The Razorbacks finished on beam with a program-high 49.575. The lowest counted score was a 9.9. Cami Weaver, Hailey Klein, and Jones all scored 9.925s – a new career high for Jones. 

Upcoming Matchup: Sunday, March 10 @ 5 p.m. ET | Oklahoma @ Arkansas

Missouri

The “Battle Line Rivalry” was another neck-and-neck race. The Tigers scored a new season-high 197.525 led by Sienna Schreiber’s perfect 10.0 on beam, but couldn’t keep up with Arkansas’ scores. Schreiber won the all-around with a 39.65. 

Schreiber stepped up in the third rotation on beam to finally clench a 10.0 on the event after scoring multiple 9.975s this season. She claimed the event title and helped Missouri reach a 49.25 on the event; no other score went over a 9.825. 

The Tigers started on vault with a 49.225. Schreiber and Amari Celestine claimed a four-way share of the vault title, each scoring a 9.875. A 49.45 on bars was led by a 9.925 from Hollyn Patrick that notched her a share of the event title. 

The floor lineup turned up the heat with a 49.6. The lowest counted score was Celestine’s 9.875. Kennedy Griffin and Jocelyn Moore led with 9.95s and shared the event title with Arkansas’ Lauren Williams.

Upcoming Matchup: Sunday, March 10 @ 2 p.m. ET | Denver, New Hampshire, S.E. Missouri @ Missouri – Live Stats | Video (ESPN)

#14 Auburn @ #20 Georgia

Final score: Georgia: 197.550 – Auburn: 196.900

Auburn

“Being on the road in the SEC is never easy, and I thought the team did well in a tough environment,” Auburn Head Coach Jeff Graba said. 

The Tigers couldn’t stay on top in Athens as they dropped 0.525 from last week’s score. Auburn’s highest score came in the third rotation on floor with a 49.35. Olivia Hollingsworth anchored with a 9.925, and Sophia Groth was the next highest score with a 9.875. 

Auburn started on bars with a 49.175. Olivia Greaves anchored with a 9.9 while Emma Grace Boyd claimed a new career-best 9.825. Hollingsworth and Aria Brusch also posted 9.825s. 

Moving on to vault, Auburn got their lowest score of the night, 49.05. Freshman Paige Zancan debuted in the anchor position with an impressive 9.9 for her unique front handspring onto the springboard to front handspring pike vault. The Tigers ended on beam, pulling together a 49.325. Groth and anchor Gabby McLaughlin were in a four-way tie for the beam title after each scoring a 9.925. 

Upcoming Matchup: Friday, March 8 @ 7 p.m. ET | Auburn, George Washington, LSU, Texas Woman’s (P&G )

Georgia

The GymDogs waited all season to claim an SEC win, but on senior night, they finally claimed the victory over deep-rooted rival Auburn. Georgia posted its highest final score (197.55) since the 2019 NCAA Athens Regional and claimed at least a share of all the event titles to pull off the upset.

The Bulldogs got off to an early lead on vault, scoring a season-high 49.3. Anchor Ady Wahl scored a career-best 9.95 for her stuck Yurchenko 1.5 to claim the first event title of her young career. A 49.4 topped off the bars rotation for the GymDogs. Holly Snyder and JaFree Scott led the way with back-to-back 9.925s to share the event title. Snyder set a new career best with her score. 

The beam lineup also put up a 49.4. Jaydah Battle and Anya Turner posted back-to-back 9.925s, which are new career highs for both. They shared the event title. 

The successful night for the Bulldogs continued on floor, where they claimed their highest score with a 49.45. Snyder made her debut on the event and notched a 9.875. Lily Smith claimed the floor title and a new career high with a 9.95 in the anchor spot. Smith was also the all-around winner with a 39.425.

Upcoming Matchup: Friday, March 8 @ 7 p.m. ET | Georgia @ Michigan – Live Stats | Video (BIG+)