Florida showed improvement in week two against LSU, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win. Bars struggles in the opening rotation held the Gators back, despite stellar performances on other events, particularly beam. Returning home presents a prime opportunity for Florida to deliver a strong performance and surpass the 197 mark in Gainesville for the first time this season.
Georgia also showed progress last week at home, performing in front of Simone Biles and putting up impressive scores on bars and floor. The GymDogs will aim to build on that momentum, especially in those two events, as they push to break 197 for the first time this season, having narrowly missed it by less than two-tenths last week.
While Simone Biles won’t be in attendance, there will still be plenty of star power on display. Ja’Free Scott has added vault to her repertoire this season without sacrificing her other events, posting the highest bars score for Florida and being a key contributor across three events. For Georgia, Lily Smith has only competed on beam and floor so far, but she’s made a significant impact, recording the highest scores on both events last week against Boise State. Meanwhile, Leanne Wong had an uncharacteristic performance on beam in the LSU meet and will be eager to bounce back in front of the home crowd.
Rotation 1: Florida vault, Georgia bars
Pilgrim (UF): Straight block and good twisting form in her Y1.5. Too much power though and took a large step forward. 9.85
Howard (UGA): Great height on the Church to overshoot combination. Good finish to the giant full and just a hop on the double tuck. 9.85
Lazzari (UF): Very similar 1.5 vault to Pilgrim with the good block and twisting and a large step forward. 9.775
Berry (UGA): Bent elbows on the toe hand before the Maloney to pak. Has to recast on the first cast half attempt. Clean stalder and a little under on the double tuck dismount and hops forward. 9.6
Bui (UF): Great open hips and block on her Y1.5. Similar distance, but only takes a small hop forward. 9.925
Mason (UGA): Hit the giant half to piked jaeger to overshoot. Not the most height. Good finish to the giant full and takes a large step back on the double tuck dismount. 9.75
Blakely (UF): Seemed to twist a little early on the table, but twists the Y1.5 very quickly and takes a smaller step forward than Pilgrim, but still large. 9.9
Wahl (UGA): Crisp hs and toe hand before to Maloney to pak. Hits the cast half. Sticks the double layout dismount. 9.9
Wong (UF): Great height on her half on half off piked. Slight leg separation and a small hop back. 9.925
Snyder (UGA): Feet on the Church, but good height on the Church to overshoot combination. A couple of steps on the dismount and an armwave.
Harris-Miranda (UF): Great height on her Y1.5, but less distance than some of the others. Hopped in place. 9.95
L. BácskaySmith (UGA): Clean toe hand to Maloney to bail with a slight arch. Hits the stalder to double tuck with a small step back. 9.875
After 1: Florida 49.550, Gerogia 49.150
Florida started the rotation with some large landing errors, but those subsided later on in the rotation and the Gators were able to get some good landings on dynamic vaults. Georgia had a couple smaller errors, nothing major, but enough during the routines that combined with steps on landings kept the Bulldogs from keeping pace with Florida early on. Florida had issues on bars last week against LSU though, so that lead could go away.
Rotation 2: Georgia vault, Florida bars
Howard (UGA): Good block and body position on the yfull. Either hops in place or sticks the landing, it was blocked from my angle. 9.85
Sl. Blakely (UF): Crisp Maloney to pak. Over on the half and a small step back on the double front. Good pointed toes in the dismount though. 9.825
King (UGA): Soft knees in the Yfull, and good hip position, but a large hop back. Not the most distance before the hop. 9.8
Pilgrim (UF): Clean pak. Hit the ote hand to CL. A lot of distance on the FTDT and sticks it. 9.9
Bácskay (UGA): Soft knees in her y1.5. Noth the most dynamic, some closed hips and a small step forward. 9.825
McCusker (UF): Floaty Maloney to pak with a leg separation on the Maloney. Hit the VL. Small hop on the double layout dismount. 9.875
A. Smith (UGA): Great height, but not a lot of distance on her y1.5. Much better open hips and a tiny hop. 9.875
Sk. Blakely (UF): Great height on the Ricna to pak. Short last cast and half. Small step back on the double front half out. 9.9
Aquino (UGA): Great position on the table on the tsuk full. Good distance and stuck the landing. 9.925
Harris-Miranda (UF): Great turnover on the Ray. Arch on the bail but saves it. Great finish to the giant full and sticks the double layout. 9.85
Wahl (UGA): Slight leg separation on the table for her Y1.5, but good distance and just a small hop forward. 9.85
Wong (UF): Floaty Maloney to pak. Hit the VL. Leans forward on the double layout dismount and steps into the salute. 9.875
After 2: Florida 98.950, Georgia 98.475
Georgia had some similar landing issues to vault, but did not have the same height and form on the vaults to get the highest scores there. Florida had some small bars issues that kept an already really high rotation score from being even higher. This can be a really good week four score if this pace holds for both teams.
Rotation 3: Florida beam, Georgia floor
Draser (UF): Solid loso series. Slow connection between the switch and switch half. A slight correction on the full turn. Ankle crossing in the back 1.5, but sticks it. 9.9
Williams (UGA): Sky high double pike to open. Controls the landing. Switch side half to straddle half. Bounds out of the combo pass. Controls the double tuck with a good chest position. 9.7
Blakely (UF): Smooth front aerial to bhs. Good connection between the split leap, switch hald and beat jump. Hit the full turn. Good toe point throughout. Great height on the gainer full and hops in place. 9.95
King (UGA): Feet on the front double full to punch front and bounces out a little. Switch side half to straddle half was hit. Controlled the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.75
Pilgrim (UF): Just leaning agaist the beam before she starts. Hit the candle mount. Slight low chest on the loso series. Clean full turn. No amplitude on the cat leap before the front aerial. Good switch to split leap connection. Good amplitude on the bhs gainer full dismount and sticks it. 9.95
Bácskay (UGA): Great height and control on the back 2.5 to front tuck. Sticks the lunges with the back double full. Great amplitude on the switch side to Popa. Controlled the double pike. 9.85
Nguyen (UF): Smooth Onodi to bhs. Precise turn. Great extension in the switch to split. Small scooch back on the back 1.5. 9.95
Aquino (UGA): High front tuck through to double tuck and moves the front foot. Gets around the switch half to wolf 1.5. Loses some control with the lunge on the double pike. 9.875
Wong (UF): Grab the beam on the switch half. Hits the switch to split. Clean front aerial. Solid loso series. Hits the full turn. Step to the side on the tucked gainer full. 9.625
Wahl (UGA): Low chest and a little lost control on the first pass. Bounces out of the jump combination. Controls the double tuck at the end. 9.825
Harris-Miranda (UF): Solid bhs loso bhs series. Clean switch to split. Solid full turn. Lean on the front toss. Sticks the back 1.5. Great distance on that dismount. 9.925
L. Smith (UGA): Great control on the front double full. Misstimes the back 1.5 to front layout and almost sits it down. She somehow keeps it to her feet though. Controls the last pass though. 9.55
After 3: Florida 148.625, Georgia 147.475
Smith’s floor was a missed opportunity to capatalize on what was otherwise a solid, but not great rotation. Florida had one major error on beam from Wong’s mount, but the other scores were all so high that it did not matter. The Gators, put together a very clean beam rotation and will look to break the 198 barrior with a strong floor rotation.
Rotation 4: Georgia beam, Florida floor
Wahl (UGA): Soft knees on the bhs bhs loso series. Slight lean forward on the side somi. Big arm waves on the traddle 3/4s. Step forward on the back 1.5. 9.7
Nguyen (UF): Bounds forward in the attempted sissone out of the front double full. Clean switch ring to switch half. Great height and control on the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.5
Tomlin (UGA): Hit the switch to switch side. Good extension in the bhs bhs loso series. Clean full turn. Big hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.85
Pilgrim (UF): Controlled the back 1.5 throught to back double full. Not a lot of amplitude. Hit the leap combo. Leg separations on the front tuck through to double tuck. 9.85
O’Driscoll (UGA): Feet on the bhs bhs loso. Some soft knees too. Short back leg on the switch half to beat. Hit the full turn. Closed hips on the back 1.5, but sticks it. 9.85
Clark (UF): Bounces on the double layout landing. Great height though. Travelled on the jump combo. Slight slide back on the front tuck through to double tuck. 9.9
Turner (UGA): Hit the full turn. Feet and a balance check on the bhs loso loso. Clean switch to split. Sticks the back 1.5 with staggered legs. 9.85
Blakely (UF): Controls the full in. Great amplitude on the switch half to split full. Great amplitude and control on the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.925
L. Smith (UGA): Feet on the back tuck after the stellar front aerial. Slow connecting the switch to split to beat. Leans in between. Lean on the piked front toss. Sticks the gainer full. 9.85
Wong (UF): Controls the double layout. Great amplitude on the jump combo, but maybe a little off on the rotations. A little short on the whip half to front full and has to cover with a crossover step. 9.925
Gleichowski (UGA): The opening chereo sequence worked very well with the music. Low chest on the loso at the end of the bhs bhs loso series. Arm wave on the full turn. Slow connecting the switch to switch half. Sticks the back 1.5. 9.95
Harris-Miranda (UF): A little low chest and hop to the lunge on the front tuck through to double tuck. Great position in the switch side half to straddle. Controls the back 1.5 to front half to stag. 9.9
FINAL: Florida 198.125, Georgia 196.825
Florida gets the first 198 of the season, and I am sure this will not be controversial. Florida did not have a perfect meet, but there were a lot of improvements made in these first couple of weeks. Landings are the biggest culprit for deductions throughout the evening for Georgia, but matching its top score of the season is still a strong outing.
VT: Harris-Miranda 9.95
UB: Wahl, Pilgrim, Sk. Blakely 9.9
BB: Blakely, Pilgrim, Nguyen, Gleichowski 9.95
FX: Blakely, Wong 9.925
AA: Harris-Miranda 39.625
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
