Florida Gators
NCAA Championships (Super Six)
Florida Gymnasts Fourth in NCAA Championships Super Six
Saturday, April 22, 2006 | Gymnastics
The No. 4 seeded University of Florida gymnastics team took fourth in the NCAA Championships Super Six competition Friday evening in front of a Gill Coliseum crowd of 7,064. It is Florida's top NCAA finish since taking second at the 1998 event in Los Angeles. The Gators posted a team total of 196.275 Friday evening.
Georgia collected its second consecutive NCAA title with a team total of 197.75. Utah was second at 196.80, while Alabama was third at 196.725. Nebraska took fifth at 196.175 and Iowa State, making its first NCAA Super Six appearance, took sixth at 194.725. The 2006 NCAA Championships will air tape-delayed on CBS on May 6 @ 1-3 p.m. (EDT).
The Gator coaching staff wanted the team to finish the season on a strong note and they responded with hitting each of the 24 routines competed Friday evening. It was the second NCAA Super Six appearance since Head Coach Rhonda Faehn arrived for the 2003 season. For six of the Gators, it was their second Super Six appearance since 2004 and Faehn could see that they were truly embracing the experience Friday.
“I'm very proud of the team and their performance. They not only showed a lot of heart, but they had a lot of spirit and togetherness. Our goal was to hit 24 for 24 and we did that today,” Faehn said. “You know, we could have had a better stick or less of a wobble here or there, but we hit all our routines. We are really proud to represent the University and to place fourth in the nationals. We look to next year knowing that we are going to move up from fourth and to really make a statement by trying to knock on the national championship door.
“It was a different attitude by the Gators in this Super Six,” she continued. “When we did it in 2004, the five juniors were freshmen and they will admit that they didn't realize at the time how special it was to compete in the Super Six and to contend for the national title. After not being in the Super Six last year, it really made them take notice and they didn't want to let that happen again. Now they are more experienced and know what it takes to earn a spot in the Super Six.”
| Year | UF NCAA Finish | UF Score |
| 2006 | 4th | 196.275 |
| 2005 | 7th | 196.225 |
| 2004 | 5th | 196.800 |
| 2003 | 7th | 196.325 |
| 2002 | 10th | 195.675 |
| 2001 | 7th | 195.825 |
| 2000 | DNQ | -- |
| 1999 | T10th | 194.000 |
| 1998 | 2nd | 196.350 |
| 1997 | 5th | 196.425 |
| 1996 | 8th | 194.825 |
| 1995 | 7th | 195.425 |
| 1994 | 6th | 194.850 |
| 1993 | 10th | 192.950 |
| 1992 | 11th | 188.725 |
| 1991 | 6th | 189.700 |
| 1990 | T10th | 187.175 |
| 1989 | 10th | 187.000 |
| 1988 | 6th | 186.650 |
| 1987 | 6th | 183.800 |
| 1986 | 8th | 181.300 |
| 1985 | 3rd | 184.300 |
| 1984 | 5th | 182.900 |
| 1983 | 5th | 177.85 |
| 1982 | 7th | 140.900 |
| Super Six format began in 1993 | ||
Florida drew the desired Olympic rotation for the NCAA Super Six and opened the meet on the vault. Sophomore Tiffany Murry anchored the Gator vault lineup with a team-high mark of 9.85. Murry has turned in or shared the UF's top vault mark in all but three meets this season. Junior Savannah Evans also posted a 9.80. The remaining three scores put towards UF's team total of 48.975 were all 9.775s, contributed by Ashley Reed, Katie Rue and Corey Hartung.
The Gators got steady scoring on the uneven bars, as every member of the lineup turned in a mark of 9.80 or above. The later portion of the lineup – Hartung, Reed and Samantha Lutz - each turned in team high marks of 9.85. Florida's bar total of 49.175 was its third highest of the season.
Florida was solid on the balance beam, but minor balance checks dinged the Gators' event score to hold it back to 48.975. Lutz and Hartung each posted marks of 9.825 to led UF on the beam Friday. Breanne King also posted a mark of 9.80 to anchor UF's lineup.
Heading into the final rotation, Florida was sitting in fifth place. But a solid floor exercise set moved the Gators up a spot to fourth and a position on the awards stand after posting a 49.15 team total for the event. Marks of 9.85 led the team, as Evans, Nicola Willis and Hartung each turned in the score. Florida also got marks of 9.80 from its first two floor performers (Rue and Reed).
The Gators did some tinkering to their floor choreography prior to Friday's performance.
“We came up with funny little parts to put in our floor routines for tonight and we all did it. It was a surprise for the coaches and it added to the fun of the competition,” Willis said.
Willis enjoyed her first appearance in the Super Six.
“It was amazing,” she said. “It was so exciting – everyone had a lot of energy and a lot of fun. I think we did a great job. We just went out and enjoyed ourselves, which is the best thing to do.”
Lutz was a freshman on the last Gator team to make a Super Six appearance in 2004. She was glad the Gators were able to come away with some hardware in the 2006 Super Six.
“Rhonda cleaned out our trophy case at the beginning of the year and she told us we had to get something to put in there. So we were looking to get a trophy and that's what we got tonight,” Lutz said.
Lutz said the team wanted to perform loose and enjoy the Super Six.
“We came in and hit 24 for 24, which was our main goal. We had a great time out there and were really aggressive. We just went for everything and had a blast,” Lutz said. “We finished better than we did in our first Super Six (in 2004), so we are really excited about that fact. The team really hung together. We had so much fun out there, it was great.”
Two Gators will appear in Saturday's NCAA Individual Event Finals. Hartung advanced to both the balance beam and floor exercise final after turning in marks of 9.90 in Thursday's team qualifying competition. Evans will join Hartung in the floor final after also posting a 9.90 in Thursday's competition. Competition begins at 10:00 p.m. (EDT) Saturday in the Gill Coliseum.
No. 4 seed Florida at the NCAA Super Six | ||||||
| Gill Coliseum (7,064) – Corvallis, Ore. – April 21, 2006 | ||||||
|
| Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor | Rank | Total |
| Georgia | 49.650 | 49.475 | 49.200 | 49.425 | 1 | 197.750 |
| Utah | 49.350 | 48.950 | 49.325 | 49.175 | 2 | 196.800 |
| Alabama | 49.400 | 49.300 | 48.650 | 49.375 | 3 | 196.725 |
| Florida | 48.975 | 49.175 | 48.975 | 49.150 | 4 | 196.275 |
| Nebraska | 49.050 | 48.875 | 48.950 | 49.300 | 5 | 196.175 |
| Iowa State | 47.850 | 49.000 | 48.900 | 48.975 | 6 | 194.725 |
