No. 15 Kentucky Falls 197.500-196.875 at No. 1 Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Despite season-best performances at both the team and individual levels, No. 15 Kentucky (3-3, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) fell 197.500-196.875 to No. 1 Florida (6-0, 5-0 SEC) on Friday inside Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
 
Raena Worley led the way for Kentucky with a career-high all-around score of 39.600, while the Wildcats’ balance beam rotation produced the program’s highest score on the event since 2019.
 
As a whole, Kentucky surpassed the 49-point threshold on all four events for the third meet in a row and scored higher on each consecutive rotation than it did the one prior.
 
The night began with a 49.075 cycle on uneven parallel bars, where Worley (9.900) and Cally Nixon (9.875) tied personal season highs. Isabella Magnelli (9.825) accomplished the same feat on vault, where the team finished with a 49.125 total.
 
The Wildcats managed a floor exercise score of 49.325, led by five counted scores of 9.825 or better—anchored with a 9.925 from Worley.
 
Kentucky ended its night on beam, where it manufactured its best rotation of the competition on the apparatus for the first time all season by way of a 49.350 final. The go-round ended with a season-high 9.925 from reigning SEC Co-Freshman of the Week Bailey Bunn, a career-high 9.950 from Worley and a season-high-tying 9.900 from Josie Angeny.
 
“We got off to a slow start in tonight’s meet,” said head coach Tim Garrison. “We pulled it together on floor and beam to finish strong, but the deficit we created on bars and vault was too much to overcome. This score should help our ranking, but at this point in the season, we need to have complete meets to get the wins we’re after.”
 
Following its bout with the top-ranked Gators, Kentucky will return to action at home versus No. 2 LSU (4-2, 3-2 SEC) next Friday at 7 p.m. ET, live on SEC Network. The meet will serve as senior night for class of 2021 members Megan Monfredi, Mackenzie Harman, Madison Averett, Ella Warren and Allison Snyder.
 
Fans may purchase tickets to 2021 Kentucky gymnastics home meets via Ticketmaster. To purchase a fan cutout of a person or pet, visit UKAthletics.com/FanCutouts. For the latest on the Kentucky gymnastics team, follow @UKGymnastics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as on the web at UKAthletics.com.