Meet Preview: Florida Gators Take On LSU Tigers

Meet Preview: Florida Gators Take On LSU Tigers

The Gators return home on Feb. 26 to play host to their fourth top-10 team of 2016 - No. 7 LSU. Meet time is set for 6:45 p.m. ET in the Stephen O'Connell C

Feb 25, 2016 by Lauren Lowitt
Meet Preview: Florida Gators Take On LSU Tigers
The Gators return home on Feb. 26 to play host to their fourth top-10 team of 2016 - No. 7 LSU. Meet time is set for 6:45 p.m. ET in the Stephen O'Connell Center. 

Last week, Florida grabbed a 197.75 – 196.65 win over Missouri. Bridgette Caquatto performed a season-best 9.95 on bars and took home the event title. Sophomore superstar Kennedy Baker won the all-around with a 39.575, and Bridget Sloan won both vault and floor with a season-best 9.925 and near perfect 9.975, respectively. Alex McMurtry won beam with a score of 9.95, capping off Florida's sweep of the event titles.  All three of the Gator all-arounders (Baker, Boren, Sloan) have now all won a title this 2016 season.

Grace McLaughlin scored her career high on floor with 9.90. Hear McLaughlin talk about that performance: 


LSU and Florida are both coming to this matchup with several weekly conference titles. Tuesday, Myla Hambrick (LSU) was named Gymnast of the Week, Ashleigh Gnat (LSU) was named Specialist of the Week, and Alicia Boren (FL) was named Freshman of the Week in the SEC. 

The Tigers are coming off a season-high 197.825 against Auburn. Hambrick received a 9.90 or higher on all four events, bringing her all-around total to 39.625. Gnat tumbled her way into a perfect 10 on floor and is the only gymnast in the SEC to receive three 10s this season (two on vault, one on floor). 

Check out Gnat's 10 on floor in front of an electric home crowd:
Friday will be McMurtry's floor exercise debut in the O'Dome, and the first all-around performance of her college career. "I have never actually tumbled on the O'Dome floor besides doing a few tuck jumps. I was so excited (during Arkansas Meet) to even do a back layout at warmups." said McMurtry on this upcoming matchup. 

Watch Head Coach Jenny Rowland talk about upcoming meet against LSU: 


FloGymnastics will be providing live updates throughout the matchup. Catch all the action here.