Wildcats welcome defending national champion Gators to Memorial Coliseum Friday
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After three consecutive road meets, the University of Kentucky gymnastics team returns home to host top-ranked and undefeated Florida Friday at 7 p.m. ET on DanceBlue Night in Memorial Coliseum. In support of UK’s Pediatric Oncology Clinic and the on-campus organization DanceBlue, the Wildcats will wear special gold warm-up tops and fans are encouraged to wear gold to help join the fight against Pediatric Cancer.
A live video stream of the meet along with live results can be found on UKathletics.com. Live updates from Memorial Coliseum will also be available on Twitter at @UKgymnastics. The contest will be broadcast on Fox Sports Net and air on Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. ET with Brian Drebber and Lori Strong-Ballard on the call.
The Wildcats (4-3, 1-2 SEC) are 35th in the latest GymInfo rankings after four weeks of competition. UK is coming off a 197.300-190.950 loss at then-No. 6 Georgia on Feb. 1. The Gators (4-0, 2-0 SEC) are the top-ranked team in the country with a 197.413 average. UF, the defending NCAA and SEC champions, topped then-No. 1 Oklahoma on Jan. 31 in Gainesville.
As part of Friday’s DanceBlue Night, UK’s gold warm-up tops, along with head coach Tim Garrison’s gold tie, will be auctioned off on UKathletics.com. Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase flowers and ribbons, and make cards and pictures for the children at the Pediatric Oncology Hematology Clinic. All proceeds will go to DanceBlue, a year-long fundraising effort that culminates with a 24-hour dance marathon each February. All money raised goes to the Golden Matrix Fund of UK’s Pediatric Clinic.
TICKET AND PARKING INFORMATION
Season tickets for the 2014 season are $15 for reserved seating in Sections C through G. General admission seating is located in all other sections. Reserved tickets for single meets are $5.00 each, regardless of age. General admission tickets are $5.00 for adults, $2.00 for Seniors (65+) and Youth (6-18). Children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge.
Tickets can be purchased by calling the ticket office at 1-800-928-2287. Tickets are also sold at the Joe Craft Center Ticket Office on the night of the event. Group tickets (20+ people) are available by calling the ticket office in advance of the event.
Parking will be available in all E-Lots (Employee Lots) surrounding Memorial Coliseum beginning 3 hours prior to the start of the meet. Additional parking will be available in Parking Structure #5 (adjacent to Kennedy’s Bookstore), which is a 5-10 minute walk or a short shuttle ride over to the Coliseum. The PS#5 shuttle picks up/drops off on Administration Drive, at the end of the pedestrian sky bridge accessed from the 3rd floor of the parking garage. The shuttle will be available beginning at 5:30pm and will end 1 hour post-meet.
Handicap parking is available in the E-Lot (Employee Lot) north of the Joe Craft Center, adjacent to the metered spaces, with a valid, state-issued handicap tag. These spaces are available on a first-come, first-serve basis until full. Please note that parking is prohibited in any R-Lot (Residential Lot). Vehicles parking in R-Lots without a proper permit, along yellow curbs, grass spaces or other non-specified and unapproved areas may be subject to ticket and/or tow.
SCOUTING NO. 1 FLORIDA
After winning the program’s first national championship in 2013, Florida hasn’t missed a beat in 2014 and is 4-0 on the season. The Gators opened the year with wins at then-No. 4 UCLA and 18th-ranked Auburn before home victories over No. 6 Georgia and previously top-ranked Oklahoma. UF has notched three scores of 197.075 or higher with a season-best 198.050 on Jan. 24 against UGA.
With a 197.413 season average, Florida is one of just three teams to average a team score of 197.000 or higher. The Gators are the nation’s top team on balance beam and floor, with a 49.331 and 49.444 average, respectively. UF is ranked second on uneven bars with a 49.344 and sixth on vault, with a 49.294. Gator gymnasts are in the top 20 on individual events a total of 13 times, including junior Kytra Hunter’s No. 1 ranking in both the all-around and on floor. Sophomore Bridget Sloan is first on vault and sixth nationally in the all-around. Sloan has been named SEC Gymnast of the Week three times, while Hunter has earned the honor twice, including when the duo shared the accolades on Jan. 28.
DANCEBLUE NIGHT
The Kentucky gymnastics team will host its first-annual DanceBlue Night Friday in Memorial Coliseum. In support of the on-campus organization DanceBlue, the team will raise awareness and money to benefit children with cancer who are treated at the Pediatric Oncology Hematology Clinic on the UK campus.
The teams will wear gold warm-up tops, which will be auctioned off on UKathletics.com following the meet. All fans are encouraged to wear gold, and flowers and ribbons will be sold to support DanceBlue. Fans will also be able to make cards and pictures for children at the Pediatric Clinic. All proceeds go to DanceBlue 2014, a fundraiser for UK’s Pediatric Oncology Clinic.
DanceBlue is a year-long fundraising effort, which culminates with a 24-hour dance marathon each February. All money raised goes to the Golden Matrix Fund of UK’s Pediatric Oncology Clinic. Last year, the organization raised more than $1.1 million. More information about DanceBlue can be found at DanceBlue.org.
In the fall, the UK women’s soccer and volleyball teams each hosted a DanceBlue contest and combined to raise nearly $5,000 for the organization.
LAST YEAR VS. THE GATORS
For the second consecutive year, the Gators are the top-ranked team in the country against the Wildcats. Last year in Gainesville, UK turned in a then-season-best score in a 196.975-196.075 loss to No. 1 UF on Feb. 22, 2013.
The Wildcats used season-high scores on vault and beam to reach 196.000 for the first time in the season. Audrey Harrison also notched her fourth consecutive all-around win with a 39.225.
UP NEXT: AT METROPLEX CHALLENGE
The Wildcats return to the road Feb. 15 at the Metroplex Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. UK will face a trio of top-15 teams in No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 LSU and 13th-ranked Arizona.
Kentucky travels to the Lone Star State for the first time since 2008, when UK won a four-team invitational hosted by Texas Women’s University.
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