No. 2 Florida Gymnastics Drops Meet at No. 15 Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - - No. 2 Florida dropped its second meet of the season, losing 197.175 - 196.625 to No. 15 Arkansas Friday evening in front of 7,341 at the Bud Walton Arena.
The Gators led by 0.65 heading into the final rotation but that advantage evaporated when the Gators were forced to count a miss on balance beam.
Arkansas remains unbeaten at Bud Walton Arena with Friday’s result marking UA’s second victory over the nation’s No. 2 team this season. The Gymbacks won their Southeastern Conference home opener over defending NCAA champion and then No. 2 LSU on Jan. 24.
A Gator won at least a share of four of the five event titles Friday. Senior Leanne Wong won her third all-around of the season at 39.575 while sophomore Anya Pilgrim was third at 39.15. Arkansas’ Joscelyn Roberson was second at 39.45.
Wong shared the evening’s uneven bars title with Arkansas’ Mati Waligora with marks of 9.95. Selena Harris-Miranda matched her season vault high of 9.95 for the third consecutive meet for the same number of wins in that span. Four shared the floor exercise win at 9.925 - UF’s Taylor Clark and Wong along with Arkansas’ Mati Waligora and Frankie Price. Arkansas freshman Joscelyn Roberton took the balance beam win at 9.90.
THIS EVENING’S MEET
Florida started the meet with two new faces in the uneven bars lineup. Both Sloane and Skye Blakely did not compete Friday but look to return to lineup later this month. Two making their 2025 bars debut Friday - sophomore Alyssa Arana and freshman Ly Bui - were among Florida’s six hit routines. Arana posted a collegiate high of 9.875 and Bui posted a 9.90 in her bars debut. Leanne Wong started a stretch of three consecutive bars marks of 9.9 or better, equaling her 2025 high of 9.95. Selena Harris-Miranda also upped her 2025 best to 9.925 with Bui anchoring at 9.90. Florida equaled its season bars best of 49.525 Friday.
Three Gators posted vaults of 9.9 or better, led by Harris-Miranda’s third consecutive winning mark of 9.95. Ellie Lazzari posted a season high of 9.9, which was equaled by Wong. Florida posted a 49.375 on vault and led Arkansas by two-tenths at the midway point.
Florida was just 0.025 away from its season floor exercise high with its 49.475 Friday. Half the Gator lineup posted 9.9 or better marks, including a collegiate-best 9.925 for freshman Taylor Clark. Wong also posted her third consecutive floor mark of 9.925 and Harris-Miranda anchored the lineup at 9.9.
The Gators finished with a season-low 48.175 on balance beam as a fall was counted toward UF’s final total. Wong and Florida’s lead-off performance by Skylar Draser led the Gators Friday at 9.80. Florida last was forced to count a fall toward its beam total at the 2021 NCAA Team Final.
Event winners:
Selena Harris-Miranda, UF 9.95 Vault
Leanne Wong, UF 9.95 Bars
Mati Waligora, UA 9.95 Bars
Joscelyn Roberson, UA 9.90 Beam
Taylor Clark, UF 9.925 Floor
Leanne Wong, UF 9.925 Floor
Mati Waligora, ARK 9.925 Floor
Frankie Price, ARK 9.925 Floor
Leanne Wong, UF 39.50 All-Around
UNFORTUNATE REPEAT:
A bit of history not in the Gators favor repeated Friday.
It was just a five-day span between Florida’s road consecutive road meets - Sunday in Morgantown, W.Va., and tonight in Fayetteville, Ark.
This is the shortest span between road meets since 2011, which coincidently also started with a West Virginia multi-team meet and ended at Arkansas.
That 2011 meet was Florida’s last loss to Arkansas before tonight.
2/2/25 Florida at WVU with Utah 1st of 3
2/7/25 Florida at Arkansas L
2/20/11 Florida at WVU with UNH & GWU 1st of 4
2/25/11 Florida at Arkansas L
GATOR PERFORMANCE NOTES:
* Leanne Wong’s all-around win is her third of the season and the 17th of her career. She is now tied for seventh with Gator Great Kristen Guise (1993-96) on Florida career all-around win chart.
* Leanne Wong’s wins on uneven bars (9.95), floor exercise (9.925) and all-around moves her into eighth at 71 on Florida’s career wins chart.
* Tonight’s uneven bars win was the 25th of Wong’s career. Those 25 wins include the 2024 NCAA uneven bars title.
* Freshman Taylor Clark’s collegiate best floor exercise mark of 9.925 won her a share of Clark’s first event title as a Gator.
* This is the third consecutive meet that Selena Harris-Miranda used a season-best 9.95 to win vault. In the Feb. 3 Road to Nationals vault rankings, Wong is No. 2 and Harris-Miranda is No. T4.
* Ly Bui’s 9.90 on uneven bars is the highest in a Gator event debut since Kayla DiCello opened the 2023 season with a bars mark of 9.925.
* Two Gators equaled or set collegiate bests Friday:
* Ly Bui - 9.90 (bars)
* Taylor Clark - 9.925 (floor)
HEAR FROM THE GATORS:
On Florida’s performance:
“Gators are coming away with a loss. Looking back, taking a moment and looking at all the events, extremely proud of this team and how they started off the competition. Very strong, very aggressive. Great bar rotation, great vault rotation, really good floor rotation. Then went to beam and the Gators…we are better than what we showed tonight. Made some uncharacteristic mistakes, and at the same time, now have lots of opportunities to redeem ourselves. Really looking forward to getting back in the gym, resetting, refocusing and just doing what the Gators know what they're capable of. They will be able to reflect, learn and grow from this.” - Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland
RECORDS:
Florida (6-2, 1-2 SEC)
Arkansas (4-5, 2-2 SEC)
THE SERIES:
Florida leads Arkansas 52-4
NATIONAL RANK:
Florida - No. 2 in the Feb. 3 Road to Nationals standings
Arkansas - No. 15
UP NEXT:
A Florida fan favorite is set for Valentine’s Day! The 19th Annual Gators Link to Pink presented by UF Health versus No. 12 Auburn is Friday in the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Auburn won a home meeting 197.30-197.20 over No. 11 Georgia Friday night.
Meet: Gators Link to Pink presented by UF Health vs Auburn
When: Friday, Feb. 14 at 8:15 p.m. ET
Venue: Stephen C. O’Connell Center (gates open at 7 p.m.)
TV: SEC Network
Stream: SEC Network
Promotions: Link to Pink T-Shirt - Every seat in the Exactech Arena gets a 2025 Gators Link to pink t-shirt, compliments of UF Health!
Tickets: $15-$30
No. 2 Florida at No. 15 Arkansas
Final Team Totals
Feb. 7, 2025 ● Bud Walton Arena (7,341)
Team
Vault
Bars
Beam
Floor
Total
Arkansas
49.300
49.400
49.025
49.450
197.175
Florida
49.375
49.525
48.250
49.475
196.625
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - - No. 2 Florida dropped its second meet of the season, losing 197.175 - 196.625 to No. 15 Arkansas Friday evening in front of 7,341 at the Bud Walton Arena.
The Gators led by 0.65 heading into the final rotation but that advantage evaporated when the Gators were forced to count a miss on balance beam.
Arkansas remains unbeaten at Bud Walton Arena with Friday’s result marking UA’s second victory over the nation’s No. 2 team this season. The Gymbacks won their Southeastern Conference home opener over defending NCAA champion and then No. 2 LSU on Jan. 24.
A Gator won at least a share of four of the five event titles Friday. Senior Leanne Wong won her third all-around of the season at 39.575 while sophomore Anya Pilgrim was third at 39.15. Arkansas’ Joscelyn Roberson was second at 39.45.
Wong shared the evening’s uneven bars title with Arkansas’ Mati Waligora with marks of 9.95. Selena Harris-Miranda matched her season vault high of 9.95 for the third consecutive meet for the same number of wins in that span. Four shared the floor exercise win at 9.925 - UF’s Taylor Clark and Wong along with Arkansas’ Mati Waligora and Frankie Price. Arkansas freshman Joscelyn Roberton took the balance beam win at 9.90.
THIS EVENING’S MEET
Florida started the meet with two new faces in the uneven bars lineup. Both Sloane and Skye Blakely did not compete Friday but look to return to lineup later this month. Two making their 2025 bars debut Friday - sophomore Alyssa Arana and freshman Ly Bui - were among Florida’s six hit routines. Arana posted a collegiate high of 9.875 and Bui posted a 9.90 in her bars debut. Leanne Wong started a stretch of three consecutive bars marks of 9.9 or better, equaling her 2025 high of 9.95. Selena Harris-Miranda also upped her 2025 best to 9.925 with Bui anchoring at 9.90. Florida equaled its season bars best of 49.525 Friday.
Three Gators posted vaults of 9.9 or better, led by Harris-Miranda’s third consecutive winning mark of 9.95. Ellie Lazzari posted a season high of 9.9, which was equaled by Wong. Florida posted a 49.375 on vault and led Arkansas by two-tenths at the midway point.
Florida was just 0.025 away from its season floor exercise high with its 49.475 Friday. Half the Gator lineup posted 9.9 or better marks, including a collegiate-best 9.925 for freshman Taylor Clark. Wong also posted her third consecutive floor mark of 9.925 and Harris-Miranda anchored the lineup at 9.9.
The Gators finished with a season-low 48.175 on balance beam as a fall was counted toward UF’s final total. Wong and Florida’s lead-off performance by Skylar Draser led the Gators Friday at 9.80. Florida last was forced to count a fall toward its beam total at the 2021 NCAA Team Final.
Event winners:
Selena Harris-Miranda, UF 9.95 Vault
Leanne Wong, UF 9.95 Bars
Mati Waligora, UA 9.95 Bars
Joscelyn Roberson, UA 9.90 Beam
Taylor Clark, UF 9.925 Floor
Leanne Wong, UF 9.925 Floor
Mati Waligora, ARK 9.925 Floor
Frankie Price, ARK 9.925 Floor
Leanne Wong, UF 39.50 All-Around
UNFORTUNATE REPEAT:
A bit of history not in the Gators favor repeated Friday.
It was just a five-day span between Florida’s road consecutive road meets - Sunday in Morgantown, W.Va., and tonight in Fayetteville, Ark.
This is the shortest span between road meets since 2011, which coincidently also started with a West Virginia multi-team meet and ended at Arkansas.
That 2011 meet was Florida’s last loss to Arkansas before tonight.
2/2/25 Florida at WVU with Utah 1st of 3
2/7/25 Florida at Arkansas L
2/20/11 Florida at WVU with UNH & GWU 1st of 4
2/25/11 Florida at Arkansas L
GATOR PERFORMANCE NOTES:
* Leanne Wong’s all-around win is her third of the season and the 17th of her career. She is now tied for seventh with Gator Great Kristen Guise (1993-96) on Florida career all-around win chart.
* Leanne Wong’s wins on uneven bars (9.95), floor exercise (9.925) and all-around moves her into eighth at 71 on Florida’s career wins chart.
* Tonight’s uneven bars win was the 25th of Wong’s career. Those 25 wins include the 2024 NCAA uneven bars title.
* Freshman Taylor Clark’s collegiate best floor exercise mark of 9.925 won her a share of Clark’s first event title as a Gator.
* This is the third consecutive meet that Selena Harris-Miranda used a season-best 9.95 to win vault. In the Feb. 3 Road to Nationals vault rankings, Wong is No. 2 and Harris-Miranda is No. T4.
* Ly Bui’s 9.90 on uneven bars is the highest in a Gator event debut since Kayla DiCello opened the 2023 season with a bars mark of 9.925.
* Two Gators equaled or set collegiate bests Friday:
* Ly Bui - 9.90 (bars)
* Taylor Clark - 9.925 (floor)
HEAR FROM THE GATORS:
On Florida’s performance:
“Gators are coming away with a loss. Looking back, taking a moment and looking at all the events, extremely proud of this team and how they started off the competition. Very strong, very aggressive. Great bar rotation, great vault rotation, really good floor rotation. Then went to beam and the Gators…we are better than what we showed tonight. Made some uncharacteristic mistakes, and at the same time, now have lots of opportunities to redeem ourselves. Really looking forward to getting back in the gym, resetting, refocusing and just doing what the Gators know what they're capable of. They will be able to reflect, learn and grow from this.” - Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland
RECORDS:
Florida (6-2, 1-2 SEC)
Arkansas (4-5, 2-2 SEC)
THE SERIES:
Florida leads Arkansas 52-4
NATIONAL RANK:
Florida - No. 2 in the Feb. 3 Road to Nationals standings
Arkansas - No. 15
UP NEXT:
A Florida fan favorite is set for Valentine’s Day! The 19th Annual Gators Link to Pink presented by UF Health versus No. 12 Auburn is Friday in the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Auburn won a home meeting 197.30-197.20 over No. 11 Georgia Friday night.
Meet: Gators Link to Pink presented by UF Health vs Auburn
When: Friday, Feb. 14 at 8:15 p.m. ET
Venue: Stephen C. O’Connell Center (gates open at 7 p.m.)
TV: SEC Network
Stream: SEC Network
Promotions: Link to Pink T-Shirt - Every seat in the Exactech Arena gets a 2025 Gators Link to pink t-shirt, compliments of UF Health!
Tickets: $15-$30
No. 2 Florida at No. 15 Arkansas
Final Team Totals
Feb. 7, 2025 ● Bud Walton Arena (7,341)
Team
Vault
Bars
Beam
Floor
Total
Arkansas
49.300
49.400
49.025
49.450
197.175
Florida
49.375
49.525
48.250
49.475
196.625
