Florida
With Oklahoma out of the mix, here’s how Florida gymnastics can finally win it all
Florida gymnastics left the Lone Star State back-to-back years with a sour taste. With the National Championship Saturday, can Florida finally win it this year?
Swampcast talks Florida football, basketball, gymnastics
The Sun’s Kevin Brockway and David Whitley are joined by Noah Ram of the Sun to discuss Florida football, basketball and gymnastics at NCAA Championships.
The roster is vastly different, but the Florida gymnastics team will head into the NCAA National Championship meet Saturday afternoon with the same intention.
Don’t play second fiddle.
Two years in a row, the Gators stomped into Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, looking to win the program’s first national title since 2015.
In 2022 and 2023, UF was swamped by Boomer Sooner.
But Oklahoma suffered a truly stunning third place finish Thursday night after a rough start on vault. OU failed to advance to Saturday’s Team Final.
Florida and Utah, though, took care of business. The Gators came in a close second to the Utes with a 197.8750 final score.
No. 4 UF will now face No. 2 LSU, No. 3 Cal and No. 5 Utah for the national title.
Here’s how the Gators can win their first title since 2015:
Florida gymnastics must perform at Regionals level
Throughout the 2024 season, the Gators pulled off a neat little trick, accomplished by no other team in the country.
Each week, from meet one to meet eight, Florida’s score improved. It began at a 197.10 in its opening meet win and jumped to 198.225 vs Kentucky on March 3.
That stretch crashed down to earth at SEC Championships where the Orange and Blue tallied a lackluster 197.300, fourth behind LSU, Kentucky and Alabama.
UF knew how to respond, though, and delivered two great showings in front of a home crowd.
A 197.925 in the Regional Semifinals on April 5, and a season-high 198.325 at Regional Final April 7.
Former U.S. Olympian John Roethlisberger will be calling the action Saturday on ABC. He said in a media availability earlier this week that Florida must perform like it’s in the O’Dome.
“They need to repeat their Regionals performance,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s going to be tight, and everyone needs to be at their best. Florida is one of them.”
What made UF’s score in the Regional Final so impressive is the versatility.
Its vault, bars, beam and floor score were all a 49.500 or higher. Roethlisberger was especially impressed with the play of Florida’s freshman.
Two of them, Skylar Draser and Anya Pilgrim, competed and each averaged a 9.90 or higher.
“Maybe they aren’t as frequently getting those 10s, but my gosh, to get those freshman contributing at that level right away,” Roethlisberger said. “They’ve done a remarkable job.”
Florida continued that balance Thursday night. The Gators scored a 49.450 or better on all rotations, capped off by a 49.500 on vault.
The top three vault scores in the later semifinal were courtesy of Florida — Leanne Wong (9.9375), Ellie Lazzari (9.9250) and Anya Pilgrim (9.9125).
Capitalize on mistakes around you
Florida did a solid job Thursday of ignoring the chaos around it.
As Oklahoma suffered three falls on vault that sent Dickies Arena into a frenzy, coach Jenny Rowland kept the Gators focused on their larger mission.
It paid off as UF rolled back OU and Alabama.
Now, the field is suddenly wide open. Three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Aly Raisman said on the ESPN2 broadcast that she doesn’t favor one team heading into Saturday.
Still, the Bayou Bengals enter Saturday as likely betting favorites. LSU was the nation’s only squad to top the 198 mark and feature Haleigh Bryant, the nation’s all-around champion.
Like with Oklahoma, Florida hopes LSU will stumble on vault. The Tigers score of 49.325 lags behind the Gators.
UF, though, must take its gymnastics up a notch on beam and floor, where LSU ranked first in the nation this season.
When the Gators beat the Tigers head to head February 23 at the O’Connell Center, they won on vault and beam. While LSU won on floor, Florida scored a season-best 49.700.
Those are the types of numbers that’ll need to be placed to toppled the Tigers.
No shame in second
While Florida’s chances have risen exponentially after Thursday’s results, a title is still far from a sure thing.
Raisman said that if Florida lands in second like its past two years, that’s something Gator Nation should be proud of.
“I always like to say winning second place,” Raisman said. “I think it’s really important to recognize the consistency and how impressive that is. It comes down to whatever team does what they do every day in the gym, which is much easier said than done.”
Fellow ESPN commentator John Roethlisberger continued and noted that coach Jenny Rowland has done her best coaching job at Florida this season.
This past offseason, the Gators saw Trinity Thomas graduate, Kayla DiCello and Skye Blakely take the year off for Olympic training, Riley McCusker miss the season due to injury, and Savannah Schoenherr transfer to LSU.
“I said this to Jenny, but this was the, ‘oh wait until next year, year,’” Roethlisberger said. “Nobody should be in the situation they’re in, if you’ve lost that much gymnastics.”
The Team Final begins Saturday at 4 p.m. on ABC.
Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun. Contact him at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on Twitter.
ORLANDO, Fla. – Strong thunderstorms continue to push across Central Florida Thursday evening, with a few storms capable of producing gusty winds, frequent lightning, torrential rainfall and isolated damage before activity gradually winds down later tonight.
The strongest storms are expected through about 10 p.m., with most of the activity weakening and moving offshore by around 11 p.m. Storms are being fueled by sea breeze collisions and abundant moisture across the state. In addition to strong wind gusts, torrential downpours could lead to ponding of water on roads and minor flooding in low-lying and poor-drainage areas.
While storms remain the immediate concern this evening, another round of impactful weather is expected Friday.
The News 6 Weather Team has designated Friday as a Weather Aware Day due to the combination of dangerous heat and the threat for strong to severe thunderstorms.
Before storms develop, temperatures will climb into the low to mid-90s Friday afternoon. Combined with high humidity, it will feel more like 102 to 107 degrees across much of Central Florida. Some locations could once again approach or exceed Heat Advisory criteria.
Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop during the afternoon and evening hours. The atmosphere will be loaded with tropical moisture, allowing storms to produce frequent lightning, damaging wind gusts, and torrential rainfall.
The Storm Prediction Center has placed all of Central Florida under a Level 1 out of 5 risk for severe weather Friday. While widespread severe weather is not expected, a few storms could become strong enough to produce damaging winds.
In addition, the Weather Prediction Center has highlighted portions of Central Florida for a Level 1 out of 4 risk of excessive rainfall. Any storm will be capable of producing very heavy rain in a short amount of time, which could lead to localized flooding.
The unsettled pattern continues into the weekend. Storm coverage is expected to increase Saturday, and some locations could see multiple rounds of heavy rain. While a few stronger storms remain possible, the flooding threat may become a greater concern by Saturday afternoon and evening.
Looking ahead to next week, rain chances are expected to gradually decrease, but the heat is not going anywhere. High temperatures will remain in the low to mid-90s, with heat index values frequently climbing above 100 degrees. Forecast guidance suggests a higher heat risk could develop once again across Central Florida as we head deeper into next week.
At the beaches, a moderate risk of rip currents continues. Make sure you swim near a lifeguard if you’re heading to the beach.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA)— A Florida mental health counselor walked into a surprising number of bats inside her office last week.
“We had about 50 bats. In the toilet, in the sink. All over,” Shaltala Boss, a licensed mental health counselor, said.
Boss has since moved her office due to maternity season, when it is illegal to exclude or remove bats from April 16 to August 14, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“Any form of eviction during this time period will result in baby bats being trapped along with adult bats that may not have emerged. Trapped bats will attempt to escape and may end up in the living space of buildings,” FWC said.
Video provided by Boss showed a bat lying on the ground.
“You definitely didn’t want to come to counseling that day,” Boss said.
Boss has since moved to another location and said it is bat-free.
“Most bats will avoid humans at all costs and use natural roosting structures for shelter during the day. However, bats sometimes find their way into our homes and structures, which can present a health hazard,” FWC said.
Republican Congressman Byron Donalds is trailing Democratic candidate David Jolly in the race to become Florida’s next governor, according to a new poll from Change Research, a Democratic-aligned polling firm.
The survey could be an encouraging sign for Florida Democrats, who have not won a statewide election since 2018 and have struggled as the state shifted steadily toward Republicans in recent election cycles.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican who is term-limited and cannot seek reelection in 2026, won a second term by nearly 20 percentage points in 2022, while Republicans have expanded their voter registration advantage and maintained control of every statewide elected office.
Still, some recent polling has suggested the push to replace DeSantis could be a bit more competitive than many have expected.
President Donald Trump last month again vocalized his support for Donalds, saying in part, “I know Byron well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a TOTAL WINNER!” The president added, “Byron Donalds will be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
Trump won the Sunshine State by 13 points in 2024 against then-Vice President Kamala Harris and no Democrat has won the Florida governorship in more than 20 years.
When reached for comment regarding the new poll, Donalds’ campaign referred Newsweek to the X post of Gates McGavick, the team’s communications director. McGavick said in reaction to the poll, “I hear Change Research also sells tremendous ocean front property in Arizona.”
The campaign also referred Newsweek to Ryan Smith’s post on X, while saying he is also affiliated with the campaign. Smith said, “This is a push poll by Democrats for Democrats. The truth is, Florida Democrats will be crying in their kombucha on November 3 when @ByronDonalds is elected governor.”
What To Know
The Change Research survey found Jolly, a former Republican congressman who switched parties and entered the race as a Democrat, leading Donalds in a hypothetical general-election matchup.
Jolly has centered his campaign on affordability issues surrounding insurance costs, housing and healthcare, while Donalds has campaigned as a conservative successor who will attempt to enact Trump’s agenda and fight illegal immigration.
According to the poll, Jolly leads Donalds 47 percent to 42 percent and has a slightly larger margin among likely voters with 49 percent compared to 43 percent.
The poll surveyed 1,273 registered voters of which 1,015 said they will likely vote in the 2026 midterm election. The survey’s margin of error is 2.8 percent.
Also in the poll, Jolly garners 94 percent support from Democrats compared to Donalds’ 77 percent among Republicans.
What Other Polls Show
Another recent Change Research poll shows Jolly leading Donalds 46 percent to 42 percent. The poll was taken from May 13 to May 16 among 2,070 registered voters, of whom 1,593 say they will likely vote in the midterm election. The poll has a margin of error of 2.3 percent.
In a survey at the end of March by Emerson College Polling, Donalds landed 44 percent of the vote compared to Jolly’s 39 percent. The poll shows that 17 percent are undecided. It was taken from March 29 to March 31 among 1,125 likely voters and has a margin of error of 2.8 percent.
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