LSU secured their first NCAA gymnastics national championship title on Saturday, trailed by California, Utah and the University of Florida. Less than one point stood between the Tigers and the Gators.
After advancing to the team final four event, Florida got off to a slow start on vault, falling behind to fourth place after the first rotation. First-place LSU led the Gators by 0.3, posting a stellar 49.6125 on the floor. The Tigers rode that momentum all the way to the finish, posting a 198.2250 to secure the title.
University of Florida junior, and standout, Leanne Wong scored an event high 9.95 on both floor and bars. But Wong had an uncharacteristic fall on the balance beam, costing the team her score for the event.
Placing second in the nation in 2023, UF went into this season down two key stars: Trinity Thomas, now Florida's student assistant coach, and Kayla Dicello. This year’s team had six freshmen with standout Anya Pilgrim returning next season.
“We reached so many goals along the way and that's just incredible. Especially since nobody thought we would get this far,” Pilgrim said.
With three national titles in UF program history, prior to Jenny Rowland’s tenure as head coach, Rowland said she embraced the process this year, saying, "This team fought, continued to show up day after day, getting one percent better.”
Rowland is excited about the direction this team is headed, expressing, “I couldn't have asked for anything more. And we get to do it all over again next year!"
Wong, along with former Gator Trinity Thomas, are among a handful of NCAA athletes hoping to punch their ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics, with only five spots on the team.