Leanne Wong is one of those exceptional athletes who seems to handle it all. Be it balancing rigorous academics, intense training, and even her own business, she seems to do it all with remarkable ease. The pre-med major has been dedicated to gymnastics since she was just five years old. She was a key player in helping No. 6 Florida gymnastics secure a stunning victory over No. 8 Missouri. The team’s 198.125 score tied the national high. But that wasn’t the only reason Wong made headlines after the NCAA meet. There was another difficult challenge she faced before her routine!

While the victory was impressive, Wong’s performance was even more remarkable given what she was up against. As reported by the College Gym News, less than 24 hours before the meet, the Missouri native had been grappling with an entirely different challenge. Her organic chemistry exam was scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on Thursday night. Running on little rest, she turned around on Friday and delivered an extraordinary performance, winning the all-around title with a 39.750—the third-highest total of the 2025 season. She is now just one win away from tying Ann Woods (1980-82) for sixth place on Florida’s all-time career all-around wins chart.

While the 21-year-old was pushing through her personal exhaustion, the team also faced an emotional moment as Sloane Blakely made her return to the competition floor. Not as a competitor, but as a supporter. Just two weeks ago, Blakely shocked the spellbound home crowd with a perfect score on her floor routine. But her season took an unexpected turn when she collapsed on her first tumbling pass during Florida’s February 21 loss to Oklahoma. Blakely, a 2023 Southeastern Conference vault champion and NCAA All-American, had been keeping a low profile ever since. But she still showed up to cheer for her team, leaving the head coach in utter disbelief!

 “I am in awe of how strong Sloane is to be here,” said head coach Jenny Rowland. Wong echoed the sentiment, acknowledging how difficult it was for the team to process Blakely’s situation. “This week was hard knowing she wouldn’t be competing anymore, but she showed her support on the sidelines,” she said. At this point, Blakely’s future in gymnastics remains uncertain. She has yet to determine if she will pursue a redshirt season to continue competing. But the Gators gymnastics team has other members who saved the day.

Beyond Wong’s dominant performance and Blakely’s emotional return, Florida’s underclassmen also made their mark. Sophomore Gabby Disidore matched her collegiate vault best of 9.875 for the second consecutive meet and closed the night with a 9.90 in her collegiate floor exercise debut. Meanwhile, fellow sophomore Alyssa Arana anchored the lineup, repeating her collegiate-best vault score of 9.875 for the second time this season. It was a career-defining night for both athletes, who had never competed in those events before, yet delivered when it mattered most. They showed to counter the effect of the recent setbacks that their team has faced.

Florida Gators under the ‘injury curse’ this NCAA gymnastics season

No.4 Florida Gators are without a doubt one of the best Gymnastics teams in the collegiate scene. The team’s greatness became apparent by three consecutive NCAA championship wins in 2013, 2014 (tie with Oklahoma Sooners) and 2015. While the team has all that is required to emerge as champions, this season so far has been quite rough for the Gators.

The team was hit hard for the first time in June 2024, during the Paris Olympic trials, when star gymnast and reserve athlete for the Tokyo Olympics, Kayla DiCello suffered from a tear of the right Achilles tendon, followed by a surgery on her left foot. Her recovery from this grave injury is ongoing, hitting the team hard. The 2023 Pan American all-around gold medalist had won the all-around event at the 2024 Winter Cup held in Kentucky, scoring 56.850. We know what you are thinking, she could have enabled the Gators to rise to ever greater heights this NCAA season, and we agree. But unfortunately, it gets worse.

Sloane Blakely and Anya Pilgrim are among the recent gymnasts among the Florida Gators who have found themselves injured during the Gators vs Sooners showdown past Friday. Blakely suffered a leg injury, possibly an Achilles injury as per internet sleuths, and Pilgrim incurred a concussion after falling on the mats off the uneven bars. These injuries are no joke, and for the team this is bad news. Sloane Blakely in 2023 SEC vault champion, whereas Anya Pilgrim is a four-time All-American.

Heartbreaking as these developments have been, the team has been proving that it can bounce back, no matter how trying the times get, we are still rooting for the team’s journey to the top of the NCAA rankings this season!