One of the nation’s top dual meets of the 2013 season is set for Friday, Feb. 8 when No. 1 Florida (4-1, 3-1 SEC), faces defending NCAA champion and No. 5 Alabama (3-1, 3-1 SEC) at 7 p.m. in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Friday’s meet features the top two teams in 2012 NCAA Super Six competition, as Alabama edged Florida by 0.075 to claim its second consecutive NCAA title.

The first 1,200 through the door Friday receive an orange or blue light-up stick. Look for Domino’s pizza box toppers for buy one, get one free admission coupons for the Florida-Alabama meet.

Friday’s meet will air tape-delayed on SUN Sports on Feb. 16 at 8:30 p.m. Unable to make it to the O’Connell Center Friday? GatorVision will have a live stream of the action. Visit the GatorVision site for complete information.

Florida took its newly earned No. 1 ranking on the road last weekend to face then No. 22 Arkansas. The Gators put some new faces in the lineup as defending NCAA all-around and vault champion Kytra Hunter appeared only on the uneven bars and 2012 SEC bars champion Alaina Johnson was again out to rest her back. Despite the changes, Florida’s winning total of 197.575 was just behind its nation’s leading total posted of 197.65 set on Jan. 25. A Gator took four of the evening’s five event titles, including senior Ashanée Dickerson and freshman Bridget Sloan sharing the all-around title at 39.55. It was the third win for Dickerson this season and the 16^th of her career while Sloan claimed her first collegiate all-around win. Both also took an apparatus title, with Dickerson claiming the vault with a 9.95 and Sloan posted a collegiate-best 9.925 to take the balance beam win. Junior Mackenzie Caquatto picked up the uneven bars title with a 9.95.

Sloan’s performance on Feb. 1 earned her the first Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Week honor of her career and her second league honor of 2013. She was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after the opening weekend of competition. Sloan is the first freshman to claim the SEC Gymnast of the Week in 2013 and the third consecutive Gator to earn the honor. Dickerson claimed the Week 3 award and Hunter was the Week 4 recipient. A total of four Gators have been honored this season, as Mackenzie Caquatto was the Week 3 SEC Specialist of the Week.

Florida has at least one gymnast among the nation’s top 10 in each of the five events. Hunter tops the all-around (39.688) standings and also hold rankings of No. 2 on uneven bars (9.90) and floor exercise (9.917) and No. 3 on vault (9.933). In the uneven bars rankings, Bianca Dancose-Giambattisto is No. 4 (9.888) and Johnson is No. 10 (9.867). Sloan is No. 5 in the all-around (39.488) and Dickerson is also No. 2 on vault (9.935) and No. 10 in floor (9.890). Junior Mackenzie Caquatto holds the No. 2 position in the balance beam rankings (9.890).

Alabama’s season-best total of 196.95 wasn’t enough as the Tide lost their first meet of the season on Feb. 2 at then No. 8 Georgia, who posted the nation’s third-highest total of 197.50 to claim the win in front of 9,924 at the Stegeman Coliseum. The Tide was without two-time All-American Ashley Sledge, who was pulled from the lineup after the opening rotation when she strained her shoulders on an uneven bars handstand. Junior Kim Jacob claimed her fourth consecutive all-around title with her 39.275 total at Georgia.