Florida gymnastics has season-best showing on SEC’s first Pride Night
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Florida Gators
For Florida gymnastics, the 2021 season has been one focused on the pursuit of a fourth national title one that may well have been the Gators’ to lose last spring.
But in the wake of social unrest nationally and some pointed criticisms from former Florida gymnasts about the program itself it has also been an opportunity to show that the Florida program is strengthened by its diversity. And last Friday, the Gators made that message of equality unmissable by hosting the very first Pride Meet in the SEC. Athletes wore rainbow-colored hair ribbons and COVID-protective masks, and custom rainbow t-shirts reading “more than entertainment.” Perhaps most visibly, junior Savannah Schoenherr, who is openly gay, was announced during pre-meet introductions while wrapped in a rainbow “EQUALITY” flag.
Special report on the Florida Gators gymnastics team:
Gallentine is the SEC Freshman Gymnast of the Week honor. This is Gallentine’s first such honor of her Gator career and UF’s first SEC Freshman of the Week award since the 2019 season.
Thomas claims her second SEC Gymnast of the Week honor of 2021 and this is the 13th such honor of her career. This honor goes to a Gator for the second consecutive week, as senior Megan Skaggs collected the honor in the final week of January.
Gabrielle Gallentine – SEC Freshman of the Week: Raised her collegiate best on bars to 9.925 to share second versus Missouri
Special report on the Florida Gators gymnastics team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The little things added up to a big score Friday in the No. 1 Gator gymnastics team’s win over No. 24 Missouri. Florida’s 197.85 total leads the nation and gives UF four of the leading six totals of 2021.
The Tigers tallied a 194.80. The meet was held in front of physically-distanced sellout Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center crowd of 2,141.
TONIGHT’S MEET
Two of the nation’s leading all-around totals were posted tonight by Florida’s Trinity Thomas and Megan Skaggs. Thomas’ equaled her national high total of 39.75 to claim her second all-around win of 2021. Skaggs, the reigning Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Week, upped her collegiate best total to 39.60 to take second. Sophomore Payton Richards also had a season-high 39.35 to complete the Gator all-around sweep.