Florida Second at NCAA Gymnastics Championships

Friday, April 17

Los Angeles, CA

10:30 p.m.

Florida Gators

NCAA Super Six

Florida Second at NCAA Gymnastics Championships

Friday, April 17, 1998 | Gymnastics

The University of Florida gymnastics team was runner-up at the NCAA Championships' team final held Friday in front of a Pauley Pavilion crowd of 3,493. The University of Georgia won its fourth national team title Friday with a total of 197.725. The Gators took second with their team total of 196.35, while Alabama completed the sweep for the Southeastern Conference, taking third at 196.30. Other team results from Friday's NCAA team final, commonly referred to as the “Super Six”, were Utah (196.025), UCLA (195.75) and Arizona State (195.45).

Florida's runner-up finish in the 1998 NCAA Championships is the highest in school history, bettering the previous high of third at the 1985 NCAA Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah. This was Florida's second consecutive and third overall appearance in the NCAA Super Six, moving up from their 1997 team finish of fifth.

After holding the second position in the team race through the first four rotations, Florida entered Friday's sixth and final rotation in fourth place due to a shaky beam set. The other three teams ahead of Florida were also competing in the sixth rotation -- Georgia, Arizona State and Alabama. The Gym Dogs locked up the team title with a strong vault set, so the race for second was then in focus for the Gators.

ASU struggled on uneven bars, as the Sun Devils were forced to count a fall and several stumbled landings toward their team score, dropping them from third to sixth in the final team standings. Alabama went into the final rotation in second place and owning a .45 lead over the Gators. Florida chipped away at UA's lead throughout the final rotation until the two teams were dead-locked heading into their final performers. Alabama's Gwen Spidle turned in the evening's sixth-highest beam score of 9.875, but UF junior Susan Hines posted Friday's third-best floor mark of 9.925 to anchor the second spot for the Gators.

“Coach (Markell) didn't tell me I needed to score a 9.9 and it probably was a good thing,” Hines said. “She told me to have a good time, relax and just do it. I just went out there and did my normal routine and it landed me a 9.925.”

Florida Head Coach Judi Markell earned her highest team finish ever in NCAA Championships' competition Friday. During her 24-year coaching career, Markell's previous best NCAA team finish came at the 1982 NCAA Championships, when she led Penn State to a third-place finish. It is also Markell's highest national finish since leading Penn State to the 1980 and '78 AIAW national titles. Markell joined the Gator program in June of 1992, with UF earning its best finish under Markell in 1997 with its fifth-place showing.

“It was nerve-wracking. I knew how close it was and that it was going to be a dogfight (to earn a spot on the award's podium),” Markell said. “I knew they (the UF team) would do it. It felt great. It's my highest national finish in 18 years. It's hard to put into words.”

Hines also led the Gators on the vault Friday, earning her second 10.0 of the NCAA Championships. She also posted a 10.0 in Thursday's team qualifier. In addition, Hines posted a collegiate-best balance beam score of 9.90 Friday to finish tied for first among Super Six beam competitors.Top Florida honors for the uneven bars Friday was shared by sophomore Chrissy Van Fleet and freshman Betsy Hamm, as each posted marks of 9.85. Van Fleet was second among the NCAA Super Six all-around competitors with her collegiate-best total of 39.50. Hamm was fourth in the NCAA Super Six all-around with a total of 39.375.

•Florida Super Six Notes•

•Susan Hines' earned a 10.0 for her handspring front pike with a half twist vault in the NCAA Super Six, matching the 10.0 she earned the night before in the NCAA team semifinal. This is Hines' third 10.0 vault of the season and fourth of her career. She is one of five Gator gymnast to earn a 10.0 score in school history and the only one to earn a 10.0 on multiple occasions.

•Florida's vault total of 49.30 matches its season-best team total for the event. The Gators also earned a 49.30 vault team total at the March 14 Tiger Invitational. That was also the first time Susan Hines earned a 10.0 vault mark during the 1998 season.

•The Gators' team total of 49.375 for the floor exercise Friday matched their season-best set at the 1998 Southeastern Conference Championships.

•Collegiate-best marks in Friday's Super Six:

Teal Chiabotti 9.85 floor

Susan Hines 10.0 vault

9.90 beam

Chrissy Van Fleet 39.50 all-around

Final Super Six Team Standings

Vault

Bars

Beam

Floor

rank