Florida Gators
Super Six Challenge
Gator Gymnasts Third at Super Six Challenge
Sunday, January 12, 2003 | Gymnastics
The No. 8 University of Florida gymnastics team turned in its best season-opening score Saturday to finish third at the fourth annual Super Six Challenge, held in front of a Stegeman Coliseum crowd of 9,320. No. 2 Georgia won the meet at 197.325, while No. 5 Nebraska took second at 196.70. Florida turned in a 196.575 – crushing its previous season-opening best of 194.425 set the 2001 Super Six Challenge. Defending NCAA champion Alabama was fourth at 196.00, followed by No. 19 Penn State (194.375) and No. 12 Oklahoma (193.275).
First-year Gator Head Coach Rhonda Faehn was pleased with the team's performance Saturday.
"I thought it was a wonderful first meet, " Faehn said. "Our athletes performed confidently, aggressively and had fun out there. Obviously, there is still room for improvement, but it was a great start for the season. The team instantly saw the results of all the hard work they put in this fall.
"This team is a class act. I was proud of how they conducted themselves tonight,"
she continued. "There was a fall early in the beam lineup, but the rest of the competitors stepped up and performed well. On bars – it was just amazing. Everyone looked so confident. The team also performed well on the floor. I was especially pleased to see how well everyone competed the more difficult tumbling passes that were added for this season. We can compete vaults with higher degrees of difficulty. Kimberly (Schatz) and Amanda (Stroud) both will compete 10.0 value vaults soon and Alecia (Ingram) also has a 10.0 vault that is close to being ready for competition."
Florida opened the meet with a respectable performance on the vault, with each of UF's six competitors hitting their routines for a team total of 48.725. Florida was led on the event by senior All-American Lindsey Miner, who turned in a 9.80 for her handspring front pike with a half twist vault.
After coming off bye, the Gators looked sharp on the uneven bars, using scores of 9.85 or above toward its team total of 49.375. Sophomore Orley Szmuch and junior Erin Pendleton both turned in marks of 9.90 to tie for third overall on the event. Another notable mark came from Miner, who posted a collegiate-best 9.875 on the event. Saturday's uneven bars performance was the first for Miner since the 2000 season.
The Gators continued their strong scoring performance on the balance beam, turning in a team total of 49.15. UF's season-opening team total on the beam is better than any UF beam total of the 2002 season. Junior Kristen Stucky led UF on the balance beam with a mark of 9.90 to take second overall. What made her routine even more remarkable was that it was the first collegiate beam competition for Stucky – in fact it was her first competitive balance beam routine since Feb. 25, 2000. Stucky was sidelined due to knee injuries for most of her collegiate career, but made her competitive debut in the 2002 Southeastern Conference Championships, performing on the uneven bars.
"I felt very enthused (after the routine)," Stucky said. "I was pleased with how everything went. I couldn't have asked for a better first beam routine. I was a bit nervous before the routine, but there are always some pre-performance nerves. The key is to use that so that I can do the same routine I practice all the time."
The Gators finished the meet with a team total of 49.325 on the floor exercise – just a fraction away from the 2002 season-best on the event of 49.35. Florida used five marks of 9.80 or better Saturday evening, including Szmuch's collegiate-best floor mark of 9.925, which tied for fourth overall.
Florida's four all-arounders Saturday each turned in totals above 39.00. Alabama's Jeana Rice won the all-around with a 39.70. Szmuch (39.425), Miner (39.275) and junior Kara Waterhouse (39.25) finished 4-5-6 in the all-around while sophomore Erinn Dooley was eighth with a 39.125. For Miner, it was her first all-around performance since early in her freshman season. It was also Dooley's first collegiate all-around performance.
"I think it was a great start to the season," Szmuch said. "Our team chemistry was really working and we had a lot of energy. I think our potential is unlimited. We still have room for improvement, but we're off to a great start."
Georgia's Chelsa Byrd, Alabama's Ashley Miles and PSU's Katie Rowland shared the evening's vault title at 9.95. Rice won the bars (9.95) and beam (9.925) titles. Byrd, Miles and UN's Richelle Simpson shared the floor crown at 9.95.
Up next, the Gators travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to meet Arkansas on Friday, Jan. 17. This is the first year that the Lady Razorbacks has fielded a gymnastics team.
| 2003 Super Six Challenge Team Totals | ||||||
| Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | rank | Total | |
| Georgia | 49.425 | 49.275 | 49.075 | 49.550 | 1 | 197.325 |
| Nebraska | 49.450 | 49.175 | 48.875 | 49.200 | 2 | 196.700 |
| Florida | 48.725 | 49.375 | 49.150 | 49.325 | 3 | 196.575 |
| Alabama | 49.300 | 49.100 | 48.200 | 49.400 | 4 | 196.000 |
| Penn State | 48.800 | 48.075 | 48.575 | 48.925 | 5 | 194.375 |
| Oklahoma | 48.400 | 47.075 | 48.825 | 48.975 | 6 | 193.275 |
