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Trinity Thomas leads Florida into regional gymnastics final with a pair of perfect scores

Shelly Stallsmith, York Daily Record
·2 min read

Trinity Thomas was thisclose to being perfect Thursday night.

She didn't have just one perfect score in the NCAA Auburn Regional gymnastic competition. She had two − one in floor exercise and one on the bars. They were the 15th and 16th 10s of her career.

A small bobble on the landing of her vault earned the University of Florida senior a 9.90 in between her 10s. She closed things out by being as close to perfect on the beam as you could get with a 9.975.

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Her perfect bar routine gave the West York Area High School graduate a "Gym Slam" for the season. She earned a slam (a 10.0 on each apparatus) for her career earlier in the season when she nailed a perfect vault.

Thomas said after the competition that she wasn't surprised by the 10 on the floor. But the bars?

"I didn't think it was my best routine," she said in a TV interview. "But I'm super excited about it, and my team is excited."

University of Florida gymnast Trinity Thomas performs on the beam during a meet against the Oklahoma at the Exactech Arena in Gainesville, Feb. 25, 2022. The No.3 Florida Gators beat the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners.
University of Florida gymnast Trinity Thomas performs on the beam during a meet against the Oklahoma at the Exactech Arena in Gainesville, Feb. 25, 2022. The No.3 Florida Gators beat the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners.

Thomas said she goes through a mental routine before she competes on each piece of equipment, giving herself positive affirmation.

Thursday night that paid off with a total score of 39.875 to lead the all-around competition.

The Gators, ranked second in the country, battled Denver University, Ohio State and Iowa State for the right to compete in the regional final on Saturday. The top two teams, Florida (198.1250 points) and Denver University (197.0750), advance to face Kentucky and Auburn in the final. It begins at 6 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN+.

Denver and Ohio State were tied going into their last rotation, but 15th-seeded Denver scored better on the floor than Ohio State did in vault to advance.

Kentucky led after every rotation in the afternoon competition to finish with 197.750 points, upsetting higher-seeded host Auburn. Olympian Suni Lee shook off a leg injury to score a 9.95 on the floor to help Auburn secure their spot.

Auburn finished with 197.500 points, followed by Southern Utah (196.325) and Georgia (195.725), who saw their seasons end.

Regionals are being held in four spots around the country. The top two teams from each regional final will advance to the NCAA Championships in two weeks.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Trinity Thomas leads Florida into regional final with pair of 10s