No. 1 Florida Comes Backs to Top No. 6 Alabama on Senior Night

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama needed a big finish on the floor exercise if it wanted to upset the top team in the country and win a share of the SEC regular-season gymnastics title on Friday night. However, the Crimson Tide seemed to run out of steam as No. 1 Florida held on for the win at Coleman Coliseum, 197.475-197.225.

"For the first half of the meet, we were in a position to win a championship," said Alabama coach Dana Duckworth, "and in the second half of the meet we had some uncharacteristic mistakes. We didn't do some things that we are very capable of doing, and so there was disappointment in the overall outcome."

On senior night, the two seniors Alonza Klopfer and Lexi Graber, closed out the floor rotation with career highs, 9.9 and 9.975, respectively. The scores were too a little too late to overcome the mistakes by Alabama's first three gymnasts on the event who all struggled with landings and did not score higher than 9.75.

Duckworth decided to add Klopfer to the floor lineup after a tough warmup right before the rotation started.

"I was honored to be put in the linup, and I was just ready to go," Klopfer said. "I've been preparing all this time and I just did what I do and practice."

Even after the loss, Klopfer and Graber said they relish any opportunity they get to compete after the way last season was cut short.

"It is an opportunity every day to come into the gym and do what we love because like you said, it got stripped from us last year, and sometimes you don't know what you have until it's gone," Graber said.

The Gators were without the top-ranked all-around gymnast, and it showed as they posted their second-lowest team score of the season. Trinity Thomas, who averages a 39.563 in the all-around, suffered an ankle injury in warmups and was pulled from the lineup.

Florida had an uncharacteristically low team score on uneven bars which opened the door for Alabama to win the meet as it held a 98.625-98.475 lead after the first two rotations.

The Gators then showed how they earned their ranking, with a strong finish on floor and balance beam. Florida had seven gymnasts score a 9.875 or better during the final two rotations.

Luisa Blanco once again led the way for the Crimson Tide and won the all-around with a 39.7.

Alabama had the opportunity to win a share of the regular season-conference championship if it had beaten the Gators. Instead, Alabama will turn its sights to the SEC Championship meet in Huntsville on March 20, for the high-profile rematch against the Gators and other SEC teams.

"As we use this [meet] for fuel, it will allow us to get better," Duckworth said. "It's exciting that we have a bye, and then we are in the championship season, and it's gonna take everybody honing in on the details and competing under pressure."