Florida Gators Gymnastics: A Bumpy Road to Victory

The Florida Gators gymnastics team showed their strength and resilience in a tough match against Auburn. They started strong on the uneven bars, with Riley McCusker scoring a near-perfect 9. 975. This was the highest score of the night. The Gators were leading by 0. 475 after the first rotation. But things took a turn during the vault event. Ly Bui got hurt when her leg hit the mat, and Amelia Disidore had a rough landing. These issues brought down Florida's score to 48. 600 on the vault. This put them behind Auburn halfway through the meet. But the Gators didn't give up. They bounced back with strong performances on the floor and beam. They scored 49. 425 on the floor and 49. 450 on the beam. This helped them win the match with a total score of 197. 100 to Auburn's 167. 700.Despite the setbacks, Florida remains undefeated in the 2025-26 season. McCusker's high score led one of Florida's best bar rotations. Anya Pilgrim, Skye Blakely, and Selena Harris-Miranda also scored high, giving Florida an early lead. Even after Bui's injury and Disidore's fall, Denie Ferris and Harris-Miranda saved the rotation. Harris-Miranda scored a meet-best 9. 950, and Ferris posted a 9. 925. On the floor exercise, Florida kept their momentum going. Jayla Booker, Disidore, Ferris, and eMjae Frazier each scored 9. 875. Skye Blakely impressed with a 9. 925. This energy helped Florida close the rotations on top. On the beam, the Gators were consistent. Blakely, Frazier, and Harris-Miranda all scored 9. 900 or better. Harris-Miranda has not scored lower than 9. 950 on the beam this season. While Florida won against Auburn, they will no longer be at the top of the Race to Nationals rankings. Oklahoma took the top spot with a high score against Georgia. Florida will drop to third place, tied with Alabama. LSU is expected to move up to second. The Gators will play their next match at home against Arkansas on Jan. 30 at 7:15 p. m.