Gators Finish NCAA Runner-up; Thomas Ties NCAA Record for Career 10s

• Florida’s highest team total ever at NCAA Championships site.
• Three event totals highest for Florida in NCAA Team Final action.
• Individual score leaders in two events for Saturday’s competition – Trinity Thomas 10.0 (vault), Kayla DiCello & Leanne Wong 9.975 (uneven bars)

 
It all added up to a 198.2375 for the Gators – just a fraction behind Oklahoma’s winning total of 198.3875. The Sooners equaled its NCAA team final record total for the second time since 2017 to take its second consecutive and sixth overall NCAA title.
 
Florida’s 198.2375 is the fifth-highest ever in the 30-year history of the team final format started in 1993.
 
Utah was third (197.9375) Saturday followed by Louisiana State (197.525).
 
“The Gators left everything out on the floor tonight. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. This is what we talk about on a daily basis is to not have any regrets. From day one this season, this team has been so intentional and given everything they had,” Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland said. “Tonight’s competition was extremely amazing. Awesome, crazy, unbelievable gymnastics and any four of these teams could have won a national championship tonight.
 
“Truly honored and very grateful to have been here tonight with this amazing team of 17 athletes. We made so many great memories today and they have a lot to be proud of.”
 
Four of the eight slenderest margins of victory in the event’s 41-year history have come in four of the last five team finals, including today slight 0.15 OU advantage.
 
THIS AFTERNOON’S MEET:
Sloane Blakely started off the Gators with a 9.9 on balance beam – the highest mark among the four team’s opening competitors. It was the first of four 9.9 or better beam marks for the Gators as UF opened the meet with a 49.525 – the team’s highest beam total ever in NCAA Final action. Sophomores Riley McCusker and Leanne Wong led the Gators with marks of 9.9375 and a 9.9125, respectively. Freshman Kayla DiCello also posted a 9.9.
 
Floor scores were solid but not spectacular, with just Super Senior Rachel Baumann and DiCello reaching the 9.90 mark.
 
At the midway point, Florida trailed the Sooners by 0.250.
 
Saturday was a great time for a season best and the Gators did just that on vault. The Gators put together its top vault total in NCAA Final action with a 49.575. That total was UF’s season-best and led all teams on the event Saturday. Super Senior Trinity Thomas started her competition with the day’s first 10.0. That was 10.0 No. 28 to tie for the all-time NCAA career record for perfect marks.
 
Wong started off the vault lineup with a 9.9125 and DiCello also earned a 9.90.
 
Heading into the final rotation, Florida trailed OU by 0.1875. The Gators set their NCAA Final uneven bars high of 49.7125 but it wasn’t enough to close the gap. Like the Gators,…