<p>The Gators measure up</p>
<p>BY JACK STRIPLING</p>
<p>Sun staff writer</p>
<p>If champagne bottles were uncorked at the University of Florida on Thursday, they remained well hidden. But there's little doubt that UF officials were grinning at the sight of the university's upward climb to No. 13 in the U.S. News & World Report 2007 rankings for public universities, which hits newsstands today.</p>
<p>After languishing at No. 16 for the past two years, UF outpaced all of the top-20 public universities this year by moving forward three spots into a five-way tie for 13th.</p>
<p>The ranking appears to be the highest UF has ever placed since U.S. News began ranking schools in 1987, UF officials said.</p>
<p>Among both public and private universities overall, UF moved up three slots to No. 47, tying with four other universities. UF was trailed in the overall rankings by the University of Miami, which came in at No. 54, and Florida State University, which came in at No. 110.</p>