Welcome to one of two top-10 matchups this weekend. This one will occur in front of a sold-out O’Dome, one of three straight coming up for the Florida Gators. It’s no wonder there are plans to expand the floor configuration to accommodate more fans in coming seasons; kudos to the athletic department for that decision!
But let’s get to the evening at hand. The Gators are back home after a decent showing at Auburn. It came down to the last few routines for them to get the W, though, which means the questions we expected to have in a post-Trinity Thomas and Kayla DiCello world are still lingering. Tonight, I’ll be watching to see where and if Sloane Blakely slots in; she can put up gigantic totals, but her consistency is a little more questionable. One question that will hopefully be resolved tonight is the whereabouts of Anya Pilgrim on floor. After breaking the record for a Florida freshman’s debut all around total in Week 1, she was absent on that event last week; however, it was reported to be just an illness, and she’ll likely seek to bring down the house with her Rihanna routine once again here.
Alabama has been excellent to start the season, and with Florida still trying to figure out lineups, the possibility of an upset on the road is certainly intriguing. One absence that could loom large tonight, though, is Gabby Gladieux’s. The star sophomore had an incredible Week 1 at the Super Sixteen, highlighted by her nearly perfect 9.975 on floor. But her scores tapered a little Week 2, and she was absent last week against Arkansas. The Crimson Tide fared well without her, tying the Razorbacks with a 197.525, but her loss could cap its scoring potential a bit.
It looks like Kayla DiCello is back in Gainesville on the sidelines tonight!
Rotation 1: Florida VT, Alabama UB
Draser VT: Big 1.5 to open and almost a stick. Leg form in the air. Pretty good landing to start, all things considered. 9.825
LaCoursiere UB: Maloney and Pak perfect form, dismount squatty to finish and chest down. Bummer after the rest. Such impressive form overall! 9.825
Pilgrim VT: Another pseudo stick, very slight feet adjustment. She’s super excited. 9.925.
Waligora UB: Lovely first handstand, fall on the Jaeger. Tries again and caught. Back up to high bar another awesome handstand, step back on the DLO. 9.35
Lazzari VT: Excited to see her here! Will we see the 1.5? We do, but stumbles back a few and has to sit it down. Per lineup sheet she’ll be on this and UB. No beam is sort of interesting, wonder what’s up. 9.150
Pawlak UB: Clear hip, bail, more excellent handstands and form, DLO stick, arm circle and chest down but holds it. 9.825
Both teams have a fall. Starting out interesting already…
Nguyen VT: STUCK 1.5. Well debatable…think I saw the tiniest movement. At first glance looked stuck. Oh…one judge 10.0. She goes 9.975.
Machado UB: Interesting form on the VL but catches, full pirouette, step back on dismount. Tidy routine. 9.875
Wong VT: Pod cheers like it stuck. Wowwww 10 and 9.9 split. 9.950. There’s just..so much going on.
Doggette UB: Pak flawless, dismount stuck. 9.925
Ferris VT: 1.5 similar to Lazzari’s with the steps back, she stays on her feet. 9.600
Blanco UB: Good form on all, dismount very tiny hop. Excited to see where she falls in the AA race. 9.925
AFTER 1: Florida 49.275, Alabama 49.375
Whew, the highs and lows of that vault rotation. So much energy for the almost sticks, two 10.0s thrown, but a tough landing counted due to Ferris’s and Lazzari’s scores. The Gators need to pick it up to stay on par with the Tide, who avoided counting a lower score after their own fall. Exciting stuff thus far!
Rotation 2: Florida UB, Alabama VT
Sears VT: Full, not a huge block, small hop. 9.825
Blakely UB: Catches Maloney a little close, Pak better, double tuck arm circles chest down but holds the stick. Love her post routine celebrations. 9.875
LaCoursiere VT: Missed unfortunately…9.725
Nguyen UB: Great handstands, Maloney to Pak, on the low bar after that can’t hold the handstand and comes off. DLO step forward. 9.275
Hudson VT: 1.5 looked stuck to me. 10 dayummmm!
Disidore UB: Pressure on. She got through it, nice landing on the DLO. 9.800
Blanco VT: A stuck full of her own. Fire emojis. 9.950
Pilgrim UB: Maloney to Pak nice, last handstand a little short FTDLO small hop forward. She gives very reliable vibes. 9.850
Gladieux VT: She’s baaaaack. Cameraman in the way, landing looked good to me. 9.850
Lazzari UB: Let’s see how she rebounds after vault, Tkatchev to Pak pretty close caught, back up, good last handstand, full-in stuck. Nice way to pick it up. 9.925
Doggette VT: full, hop back. She drilled it in warmups, nice to see her anchor. 9.775
Wong UB: Another Maloney to Pak moment, beautiful VL, hop back DLO. 9.900
AFTER 2: Florida 98.625, Alabama 98.775
We’ve still got two rotations, but worth noting: the last time Florida lost at home was February 22, 2019 to Georgia. Possibility for some big totals still to come, and it helped that the Gators avoided counting Nguyen’s fall there. That was a season best vault rotation for the Tide, with Hudson’s 10 serving as the exclamation point but an outstanding one from Blanco adding to the big 49.400.
Rotation 3: Florida BB, Alabama FX
Draser BB: Aw I love her Rod Wave music. Series no hesitation at all. Some feet form on the leaps, good positions. Back 1.5 decent hop forward. 9.825
Burgess FX: Double pike controlled slide. Love her performance quality. Double tuck chest down a bit, great landing. Straddle leaps well executed. Nice three pass routine to lead off. Back 1.5 front lay. Great leadoff routine. 9.875
Blakely BB: Aerial to BHS looked solid, flexed feet on the switch half but no hesitation there either, gainer full stuck. She’s looking super solid tonight. 9.925
Bama as a whole dances to everything, love it.
Machado FX: Double tuck. Wolf turns controlled, back 1.5 to front lay. 9.875
Pilgrim BB: BHS LOSO, Take a Bow music, between this and floor I’m gonna need Rihanna to see her this season. Leaps are the best executed of the lineup thus far. Stuck Gainer full. 9.925
Sears FX: DLO nice, ring to switch combo, there’s the performance quality coming out. Front tuck through to pretty big double tuck. There’s the top 2023 recruit. 9.800
Lazzari BB: Ah okay looks like she’s in after all. BHS LOSO LOSO slight check but stays on, a win after last week. Leaps 180, little check on the aerial as well. Another check on the turn. Gainer full shuffle back. 9.900..
Hudson FX: What I get from this routine is football stadium songs. Front through to front lay. Sweet Home Alabama. Great wolf positions. Double back. 9.925
Nguyen BB: Onodi to BHS. Gorgeous leaps. Back 1.5 very small hop forward. 9.900
Gladieux FX: Drake routine to start, full-in landing looked solid, leaps all the way around. Very commanding presence. Front lay to Rudi to huge jump. Taking some time to judge I believe. Ultimately a 9.725
Wong BB: Leaps to mount the beam, very elegant. BHS LOSO leg comes up. Aerial lovely, back double full looked like a tiny hop in place. 9.875
Blanco FX: I said I wanted her to do an all Colombian music routine and she’s starting with cumbia. LOVE IT. Sky high double back. 9.875
AFTER 3: Florida 148.150, Alabama 148.150
A TIE going into fourth…Bama only got one 9.9+ score on floor while Florida stayed steady on beam. A lot of solid routines there. This should be a fight to the end.
Rotation 4: Florida FX, Alabama BB
Gladieux BB: BHS to two foot layout. Aerial slight break before the beat, some hesitation after first leap of the combo but good positions. Back full slight hop back. 9.775
Okay I love the “bring em out bring em out” energy before floor. Then it gets utterly silent, quietest I think I’ve ever heard it.
Brubach FX: Front lay to back 1.5 I sort of wish the student section did her Fireball arm wave with her, she’s doing it front of them on purpose I think LOL. Double tuck big, great landing. 9.825
Waligora BB: BHS LOSO first BHS a bit questionable but keeps it on. Stuck back 1.5. 9.850
Nguyen FX: front double full to sissone, high drama routine, back 1.5 front lay. Beautiful leap position to end. 9.850
Burgess BB: BHS LOSO super small check. Switch leap to beat, straddle a little short of 180, sticks the gainer pike. 9.900
Pilgrim FX: front tuck through to back double tuck, gorgeous. Leaps bit short of 180 through the combo. Double pike big cheers. A fan favorite these next four years I’m thinking. 9.825.
Hudson BB: She’s previously gone 10 here. Aerial to BHS Looked like a small check. Major boos for Pilgrim’s 9.8 and 9.85 split, she is fighting through it. Side aerial back 1.5 small step. 9.825
Blakely FX: Front tuck through to back double pike. No double arabian to open this time. Leaps overextended, back 1.5 to front full. 9.925..
Adams BB: First and only event of the night. Nice wolf turns, aerial no hesitation, BHS LOSO small check. Small step forward dismount. 9.900
Wong FX: Double pike to open tonight, bit of trouble on the landing, leaps her usual, front lay to front full. 9.850
Blanco BB: Aerial no hesitation, BHS LOSO LOSO tiny check. Confident thus far. Switch leaps her usual positions, back 1.5 and it’s a stick. Close…9.950.
Hurd FX: Front lay was super low into back 1.5, gets it around but OOB. Double pike better landing but I believe Bama’s taken it… she went 9.700.
FINAL: Florida 197.425, Alabama 197.575
Wow yep. Solid total for Florida yet considering the errors, so I’m not writing the Gators off. But the first home loss since 2019 won’t feel good. As for this Bama squad, it’s feeling really dangerous. Kudos to them for achieving getting the outright win after last week’s tie.
EVENT WINNERS
AA: Blanco 39.700
VT: Hudson 10.000
UB: Blanco, Doggette, & Lazzari 9.925
BB: Blanco 9.950
FX: Blakely & Hudson 9.925
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Live blog by Katherine Weaver
wow embarrassing how high those Florida scores were on beam. Only 1 was even close to what they deserved. At some point someone has to look into this, but that said it always shows up in the finals. Just nuts that it’s allowed.