Florida's Amanda Castillo Named SEC Gymnast of the Week
Tuesday, February 27, 2007 | Gymnastics
University of Florida freshman Amanda Castillo (Sanford, Fla.) is the Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday. This is ther first SEC Gymnast of the Week honor of her career and she is the second Gator to claim the award this season. Junior Ashley Reed picked up the award Feb. 6.
It was Castillo's hit balance beam routine as Florida's final competitor of the meet that gave UF a 197.20-197.05 win last Friday at No. 9 LSU. Florida's opening beam competitor fell during her routine, so the remainder of the lineup knew they need to hit for UF to have a chance to take the team title. After hit routines from Florida's next four competitors, Castillo anchored the UF beam lineup with a collegiate-best 9.925 routine, which also won the evening's event title. The all-around title also went to Castillo, as she won her second collegiate crown with a total of 39.40. She turned in marks of 9.90 to share second in both the evening's vault and floor exercise competition. The vault mark stands as collegiate-best.
Castillo shares Florida's season-best floor score (9.95) and is tied for second among the Gators with eight event titles this season. Castillo ranks sixth among the nation's all-arounders with her regional qualifying average (RQS) of 39.305 and is No. 3 for the floor (9.90 RQS) and No. 7 for the bars (9.890 RQS).
Castillo and the rest of the No. 1 Gator gymnastics team return home to play host to No. 22 North Carolina State (10-9) on Friday, March 2 in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. The first 500 fans will receive free burrito bucks courtesy of Chipotle. It is also Alumni Night and former Gator gymnasts and the 1982 AIAW National Championship team will be recognized. Admission is $4.00 for adults, while youth 17 and under and UF students with identification are admitted free.
