Gators One Win Away From Season-Long Goal
That is how shut the Gators gymnastics workforce is to some of the memorable moments in program historical past, their final-routine, nail-biting victory over Oklahoma and LSU to win the Southeastern Conference Championship 4 weeks in the past. The victory validated what the Gators believed all alongside however needed to show: that they aren’t simply some of the proficient groups within the nation, however that they will beat the very best on the most important stage.
Florida could make that assertion much more loudly on Saturday when it faces Oklahoma, LSU and Minnesota within the NCAA Championships (ABC, 4 pm ET). The Gators search their first nationwide championship since profitable three in a row from 2013-15.
UF head coach Jenny Rowlandwho took over this system in 2016, led the Gators to nationwide runner-up finishes as just lately as 2022 and 2023, however having the ability to say “we’re No. 1” would register on a special scale.
“I think of that question a lot because it’s asked a lot,” she mentioned. “And I feel like consistently my answer is I want it so badly for my athletes. I want it so badly for them to feel that reward and earn that reward. I would definitely acknowledge and feel that reward as well. It’s been a journey. I would just be extremely grateful for our village.”
The Gators superior by profitable the primary nationwide semifinal on Thursday, beating LSU, Georgia and Stanford. With the highest two groups from every semifinal advancing, reigning nationwide champion Oklahoma gained the second semifinal, with Minnesota ending second to advance to the NCAA Finals for the primary time in program historical past.
While the Gophers earned their spot just like the SEC energy trio, most count on both Florida, Oklahoma or LSU to hoist the championship trophy early Saturday night.
The final time the three had been collectively on the SEC Championships in Tulsa, the Gators gained by the slimmest of margins, knocking off the Sooners 198.175-198.150. LSU positioned third with a 197.950 workforce rating. Florida’s late-season surge included a program-record 5 consecutive scores of 198 or extra previous to their 197.7875 displaying Thursday.
That was of little concern because the Gators celebrated a return to the nationwide finals after being eradicated within the semifinals a season in the past.
“I think we’ll definitely be able to build off this energy going into the Finals,” he mentioned Riley McCuskerwho closed Thursday’s competitors by profitable the person nationwide title on the uneven bars. “We just have to go out there and be us and do it big.”
Hang across the Gators lengthy sufficient, and you may hear a couple of repeated phrases that they’ve held shut all season.
They subscribed within the preseason to “The Promise,” a tribute to Tim Tebow’s well-known speech in 2008 after a loss to Ole Miss, which ignited a run to the nationwide championship. They need to “be normal” or give attention to themselves and what they know they will do, fairly than on the competitors. And they all the time search to “do it big,” to depart all the pieces on the competitors flooring and stroll away with none regrets.
They handed the primary take a look at in Fort Worth.
“This team truly was unbreakable,” Rowland mentioned afterward. “We were coming in here, and we were not going to back down.”
The Gators exited Dickies Arena with what they got here for, however you could possibly sense additionally they know they’ve extra left. They began sturdy on beam, was environment friendly performances on flooring and vault, after which closed with a dynamic routine on the even bars.
Oklahoma was the one workforce within the semifinals to attain 198 or larger, with Florida’s rating the second-best of the eight groups within the area.
None of that issues Saturday. It’s a contemporary begin.
“Saturday is a new day. And so, I’m sure it will bring new challenges, new results, all sorts of things,” Oklahoma coach KJ Kindler mentioned. “The process is what we’re focusing on right now.”
Ditto for the Gators.
“This team just needs to get out there and do it exactly like we know how, we’ve been doing this whole season,” mentioned sophomore Skye Blakely. “Just do our normal, be calm, be bold, and just treat it like anyone else meets.”
At this stage of the championship chase, there may be nothing else to do.
The Gators have put within the work. They have cleared all of the roadblocks. It’s all the way down to at some point, one competitors, and in the event that they flip within the sort of efficiency that they had on the SEC Championships, they may have a giant shiny trophy to deliver residence.
“We’re going to be authentically us,” Rowland mentioned. “The Gators just have to remain present, not make it bigger than it needs to be. And just enjoy their moment. That’s when they’re really great.”
FLORIDA
Coach: Jenny Rowland (eleventh season)
National seeds: No. 3
Remarkable: Florida has tasted victory in opposition to Oklahoma and LSU (see above), so the Gators know they will come residence with a nationwide championship in the event that they stick their landings and carry out as much as their capability. That has been the objective because the begin of the season.
Gymnast to look at: Selena Harris-Miranda completed tied for ninth within the all-around within the mixed all-around scores from Thursday’s nationwide semifinals. Harris-Miranda completed with a 39.4625 rating, her lowest all-around mark since a 39.425 on Feb. 13 in a house loss to the Sooners. Don’t be stunned to see Harris-Miranda flip in a greater rating on Saturday.
OKLAHOMA
Coach: KJ Kindler (twentieth season)
National seeds: No. 1
Remarkable: The Sooners stay the workforce to beat and their 198.3000 rating was the very best of the eight groups within the semifinals. Oklahoma’s deep lineup features a pair of freshmen in Ella Murphy and Mackenzie Estep as Kindler reloads season after season.
Gymnast to look at: Senior Faith Torrez, competing for the primary time this season within the all-around competitors, claimed the all-around nationwide championship on Thursday and is a large scorer on beam. At the regional meet in Lexington, Ky., Torrez delivered an ideal 10 on beam. Torrez gained the beam nationwide title as a sophomore in 2024.
L.S.U.
Coach: Jay Clark (sixth season)
National seeds: No. 2
Remarkable: The Tigers rallied within the ultimate rotation Thursday to beat Georgia and end second in Semifinal I to the Gators. LSU completed on the ground train and posted three scores of 9.9125 or higher to advance in a efficiency Clark known as removed from the Tigers’ finest.
Gymnast to look at: Kaitlin Chio is likely one of the prime gymnasts within the nation and confirmed it once more on Thursday, posting prime scores for vault, flooring and all-around within the first nationwide semifinal. She is the 2026 SEC Gymnast of the Year.
MINNESOTA
Coach: Jenny Hansen (twelfth season)
National seeds: No. 13
Remarkable: The Gophers pulled an upset within the regional by knocking out Utah. They did it once more on Thursday within the second semifinal by edging UCLA for second place to advance to the NCAA Championships for the primary time in program historical past.
Gymnast to look at: Senior Brooklyn Rowray performed an enormous position in Minnesota’s first NCAA Finals berth by profitable the person nationwide title on the beam. Rowray posted at 9.9625 to affix Marie Roethlisberger as the one Gophers with nationwide titles. Roethlisberger gained the bars championship 36 years in the past.
