Florida Gators
NCAA Championships
Gymnasts Seventh at NCAAs with a 195.825
Thursday, April 19, 2001 | Gymnastics
The University of Florida gymnastics team took seventh Thursday in the NCAA Gymnastics Championships with a total of 195.825. The Gators finished fourth in front of a Stegeman Coliseum crowd of 2,037 in the opening session of the team qualifying round on Thursday afternoon. UCLA (197.625), Michigan (196.525) and Alabama (196.375) took the top three team positions in Session I, which advances those teams to Friday's Super Six competition where the NCAA team champion will be determined. Oklahoma was fifth in Session I at 193.875, while Oregon State rounded out the session with a 193.775.
In Session II action, Georgia (197.l0), Utah (196.575) and Nebraska (196.20) advanced to the Super Six. Other team results from Session II include Stanford (195.40), Arizona State (194.775) and Denver (193.625). The No. 7-12 team standings are based on scores posted in Thursday's team qualifying competition.
The competition was tight for the top three qualifying positions, as none of the top four teams in Session I counted a fall toward their final team total. Thursday's meet was the fourth consecutive meet this season that the Gators did not count a fall toward their team total, bringing their season total to nine meets that a fall was not counted.
It was a great performance," UF Head Coach Judi Markell said. "We hit our routines, we were clean, we were aggressive, and we competed with a lot of enthusiasm. We can walk out of here with our heads held high. We did what we came here to do, which was to compete aggressively, hit our routines and count no falls.
"Other than the one fall on beam, I think it was our best meet of the season," she continued. "We had six really good bars routines, we had five good beam routines, everyone was good on floor and vault, so I think it was a really well done competition for us. Of course, we are disappointed that we didn't make the Super Six, but we don't feel bad about how we did and that's the important thing. We weren't here last year so I think we proved that we deserve to be here. Of course, we would have loved to qualify for Super Six, but we can be proud of how we performed."
Junior Hilary Thompson will represent the Gators in Saturday's individual event finals. She moves ahead to the floor exercise competition after tying for fourth overall in Session I with a mark of 9.90. By advancing to the NCAA event finals, Thompson earns All-America first team honors, becoming the first Gator to advance to individual finals since the 1998 season.
"I was so happy with how we did," Thompson said. "Even though we didn't make our Super Six goal, we accomplished plenty of others. Although we didn't make Super Six, no one was disappointed with our performance. It was one of the best meets of the season. No falls were counted and I think a lot of people turned in their best routines of the season on a lot of events. . I think we showed that we are back and stronger.
I'm excited about floor finals," she continued. "This is new for me - I haven't made finals in college before. I guess I'm just going to go out there and try to do my best."
In addition to Thompson's first-team All-America honors, freshman Kara Waterhouse earned All-America second-team honors on the balance beam and the all-around.
After a bye for the opening rotation, the Gators started the meet on the uneven bars. The Gators didn't record any falls on the event, but scoring was low for UF on the event. Sophomore Kelly Hesbeens led the Gators on the event with a 9.80, while freshman Erin Pendleton turned in a 9.775.
Florida turned in stronger marks on its next event, the balance beam, as three Gators during in marks of 9.80 or better. Waterhouse led UF on the event with a 9.85 to tie for seventh in Session I. Lindsey Miner posted a 9.825 and Fuchs turned in a 9.80 for UF.
No score lower than a 9.80 was used toward Florida's floor exercise team total of 49.20 on Thursday. After Thompson's team-high mark of 9.90 on the event, two Gators posted marks of 9.85 –Miner and Waterhouse. Both Waterhouse and Miner shared 10th place in Session I floor competition.
The Gators finished the meet on the vault. Senior Teal Chiabotti posted the Gators' high mark of 9.825 to take 11th in the Session. Miner and Waterhouse also turned in marks of 9.80.
The top all-arounders in Session I were UCLA's Onnie Willis and Michigan's Elise Ray, as each turned in totals of 39.525. Waterhouse was the Gator's top all-arounder, taking eighth in Session I with a 39.175. She was followed by teammates Thompson (T9th/39.125) and Gabby Fuchs (12th/39.975).
After watching the Super Six competition on Friday, the Gators will return to the Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday, April 21 to cheer on Thompson in the floor exercise event final. Competition for the event finals begins at 7 p.m.
NCAA Championships · Team Qualifying · Session I
| Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Rank | Total | |
| UCLA | 49.200 | 49.525 | 49.375 | 49.525 | 1 | 197.625 |
| Michigan | 49.100 | 49.100 | 49.050 | 49.275 | 2 | 196.525 |
| Alabama | 49.000 | 48.975 | 49.175 | 49.225 | 3 | 196.375 |
| Florida | 48.950 | 48.700 | 48.975 | 49.200 | 4 | 195.825 |
| Oklahoma | 48.100 | 48.525 | 48.425 | 48.825 | 5 | 193.875 |
| OSU | 48.725 | 48.075 | 48.775 | 48.200 | 6 | 193.775 |
NCAA Championships · Team Qualifying · Session II
| Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Rank | Total | |
| Georgia | 49.400 | 49.075 | 49.175 | 49.450 | 1 | 197.100 |
| Utah | 48.875 | 48.975 | 49.425 | 49.300 | 2 | 196.575 |
| Nebraska | 48.800 | 49.200 | 49.050 | 49.150 | 3 | 196.200 |
| Stanford | 48.825 | 48.675 | 48.725 | 49.175 | 4 | 195.400 |
| ASU | 48.900 | 48.525 | 48.300 | 49.050 | 5 | 194.775 |
| Denver | 48.425 | 48.325 | 48.375 | 48.500 | 6 | 193.625 |
