By: Shannon Butler
On Friday, the sixth-ranked Georgia gymnastics fell 197.575 – 197.325 at Stegman Coliseum against the fourth-ranked Florida Gators in a highly anticipated SEC matchup. The meet was a sold-out and fun-filled “country meet”, with free cowboy hats given to the first 750 fans and a special appearance from former GymDog, Karin Lichey – the only gymnast to ever score a perfect 40 in the all-around in NCAA history.
The meet kicked off with Georgia on vault and Florida on bars. Georgia delivered a solid vault rotation, including a 9.900 by Ja’Free Scott and a 9.925 by Csenge Bácskay. Despite the exciting start and team score of 49.375, the Bulldogs went into the second rotation just below the Gators.
Kelise Woolford sticking her bars dismount. (Photo: Annie Torres-Espino)
Georgia responded on bars with one of its strongest rotations of the season. The freshmen stepped up, with Kelise Woolford scoring a 9.900 and Autumn Reingold winning the event with a 9.925. The outstanding rotation featured six straight stuck dismounts, totaling a score of 49.475 and making enough ground up against Florida to tie the meet and energize the crowd heading into the second half.
Camarah Williams during her 9.875 scoring floor routine. (Photo: Annie Torres-Espino)
However, the meet shifted during the third rotation, where a fall by lead-off Ayla Turner and several significant mistakes later in the lineup forced Georgia to count lower scores. The miscues left the Georgia gymnasts almost three tenths behind the Gators headed into the final rotation. Still, the GymDogs demonstrated great composure throughout the lineup, with standout senior Ja’Free Scott helping to stabilize the rotation and keep Georgia in the competition.
In the final event, Georgia pieced together a high score of 49.450, led by event winners Nyla Aquino and Lily Smith. Although Georgia outscored Florida in the final rotation, it was not enough to pull off the upset.
This loss moves the GymDogs to a record of 9-3, with a National Qualifying Score of 197.296. Next week, Georgia will look to rebound against the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington.
Leave a Reply