Bridget Sloan gives Florida chance to defend NCAA gymnastics team title

Bridget Sloan is no newcomer when it comes to championship gymnastics.

Neither is Florida.

The senior Gator won the all-around competition Friday with a score of 39.7, and finished in a first-place tie in the uneven bars and balance beam of the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Florida, the three-time defending champion, wrapped up the first semifinal with the highest score of 197.475. Joining the Gators into Saturday’s 8 p.m. Super Six final from the first semifinal were fellow SEC teams, LSU and 10-time champion Georgia.

“It feels really good,” Sloan said. “Waking up in my last go-around, the team was so energetic and so hype on the floor [routine], and then we took it to the vault. Great competition today and making it back to the Super Six is always a good feeling. Always cutthroat competition during prelims, everyone wants to win and [Saturday] is going to be incredible — the best of the best of college gymnastics, and it’s going to be a great day.”

Sloan scored a 9.9 in the vault and floor routine, and a 9.95 to tie UCLA’s Danusia Francis in the balance beam. Sloan added a 9.95 to tie Georgia’s Brittany Rogers in the uneven bars.

“The scores today, I really couldn’t have asked for a better performance, but there are still some things I can work on,” Sloan said. “I don’t pay attention to the scores. I had no idea what spot I was in on the all-around or beam. It’s a confidence boost, something to stick in my back pocket. Looking at [Saturday], it’s all about the team.”

In the second semifinal, Oklahoma scored a semifinal-high 197.7125 to move on to the team final along with six-time champion Alabama and UCLA. Alabama reached its ninth consecutive NCAA final.

The Sooners, in their 13th consecutive NCAA championships, will be looking for the team’s second NCAA title. OU finished in a tie with Florida in 2013.

“It’s super exciting to be able to do this, tough meet, tough session, and I’m really pleased with our team,” Oklahoma coach K.J. Kindler said. “Very on point, very energetic. I think we had good momentum all throughout the meet and we’re just excited moving forward.”

Also taking home awards were Georgia senior Brandie Jay and Alabama junior Katie Bailey in the vault (9.95) and Denver senior Nina McGee on the floor routine (9.95).

Fort Worth native and North Crowley graduate Kiana Winston, an Alabama sophomore, competed in three of four events. She finished with a 9.8125 in the uneven bars; in a four-way tie for fourth in the balance beam (9.9); and in a three-way tie for third in the floor routine (9.9).

Gymnast hospitalized

Nebraska gymnast Jennie Laeng was taken to a hospital as a precaution after falling awkwardly on her head during her uneven bars routine at the NCAA championships. Laeng was taken off on a stretcher with a neck brace after about a 15-minute evaluation on the mat. A Nebraska spokeswoman said the 20-year-old Laeng was conscious and moving her extremities before she was taken to a hospital.

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 10:58 PM with the headline "Bridget Sloan gives Florida chance to defend NCAA gymnastics team title."