HARTFORD, Conn. – Four with Gator ties –
Skye Blakely, Kayla DiCello ,
Trinity Thomas and
Leanne Wong – competed Saturday evening at the Core Hydration Classic in the XL Center.
2023 World all-around champion Simone Biles won all-around (59.50), vault (15.60) and floor exercise (14.80). 2023 World all-around bronze medalist Shilese Jones won bars (15.25) and 2020 Olympic all-around champion Sunisa Lee claimed the balance beam title (14.60).
Thomas shared third on the uneven bars at 14.30.
VIDEO
Three Gators competed all-around and all finished among the top 10 – Blakely (5
th , 54.35), Wong (7
th , 53.45) and DiCello (T10th, 52.50). Thomas competed three events – vault, bars and beam.
Complete Core Hydration Classic Evening Results
Webcast Replay
About the Gators at the Core Hydration Classic:
DiCello claimed the 2023 Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year honor, led the nation's freshmen with two 10.0s and earned five All-America honors in her first season with the Gators.
She announced after the 2023 season she would take a gap year to pursue a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. DiCello was alternate for the U.S. gold medal team at the 2023 FIG World Championship. Later in October 2023, DiCello led the U.S. to Pan Am Games team gold and won the all-around. She won the U.S. Gymnastics Winter Cup all-around in February.
Blakely signed with Florida in the fall of 2022 and announced in spring of 2023 she would defer enrollment to pursue an U.S. Olympic berth. Blakely earned gold with the U.S.'s 2022 and 2023 World Championship teams. At the Winter Cup in February, Blake claimed all-around silver.
Thomas finished her highly decorated Gator career in spring of 2023. Winner of the 2022 and 2023 Honda Awards as the nation's top collegiate gymnast, Thomas earned 34 All-America honors and her 28 10.0s shares the NCAA career record. She qualified for the 2024 U.S. Championships with her fourth-place all-around performance at February's Winter Cup and was named to her fifth U.S. Senior National Team.
Wong finished her junior season by claiming the 2024 NCAA uneven bars title. She also took second in the all-around and vault to be the only gymnast with three top-2 individual finishes in 2024 NCAA competition. A member of the U.S.'s gold medal team at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, Wong took all-around silver at the 2021 World Championships. She's earned a spot on the last five U.S. Senior National Teams.
About the Core Hydration Classic:
The 2024 Core Hydration Classic starts the process for 2024 Olympic Team qualifying in earnest, serving as the final opportunity for women's artistic athletes to qualify to the
2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships May 30-June 2 in Fort Worth, Texas . The four Gators already qualified for the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships.
At the Championships, the National Team roster that will compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Gymnastics June 27-30 in Minneapolis will be chosen.
