Cleveland Rocks: Mackenzie Caquatto, Dominique Moceanu and Bob Feller all in same blog
Sunday, April 17, 2011 | Gymnastics, Men's Swimming & Diving, Scott Carter
The NCAA Gymnastics Championships conclude this afternoon in Cleveland with the Individual Event Finals.
Gator gymnasts Alaina Johnson (vault, floor and bars), Marissa King (vault, floor) and Maranda Smith (floor) advanced during Friday night's team semifinals.
As a team, the Gators failed to advance to the Super Six for the first time in six years and could only watch as SEC foe Alabama – a team Florida beat during the regular season – won its first national title since 2002 on Saturday.
While Florida fell short of its ultimate goal after being ranked No. 1 for most of the season, the program features a lot of promise since Smith and Alicia Goodwin are the only two seniors. Of the 24 routines the Gators performed on Friday night, gymnasts who performed 21 of them return next season.
Freshman MacKenzie Caquatto is as accomplished as any UF gymnast returning, having already competed for the U.S. National Team for three years, including winning a silver medal at the 2010 World Championships last summer.
She experienced her first NCAA Championships, joining Johnson and Ashanee Dickerson as the only Gators to perform in all four events. She didn't advance to today's Individual Event Finals, but Caquatto is looking forward to making a bigger impact on the program next season.
“I came in January and everyone was really caring toward me and helped me out whenever I needed it,'' she said. “It's going to be hard without Maranda and Alicia next year, but we'll have to get use to that. I think the program is going to keep building and building.''
Caquatto was visibly disappointed in the Gators' performance on Friday night with a Super Six berth on the line. While her first NCAA Finals didn't go as planned, she has embraced the team concept after so much time spent focused on more individual performance with the U.S. National Team.
“Competing at U.S. Nationals is just about [you],'' she said. “You are trying to make national team yourself. This is different because everyone's scores count. You have to trust your team and trust everyone who goes up there for the team.
“It's actually a big difference but I actually like it better.''
FEARSOME FOURSOME KEEPS GRIP ON TITLE
Alabama edged UCLA for the team title to keep an impressive streak alive: only four schools have won a national championship since the NCAA first starting holding a national meet in 1982.
Alabama, Georgia, UCLA and Utah have combined to win all 30 national titles, but the competition is picking up according to Alabama coach Sarah Patterson.
“This is my husband [assistant coach David Patterson] and my 29th consecutive NCAA Championship [meet], and the competition has never been tighter or any tougher,'' she said.
The Gators won the last AIAW national title in 1982 and finished NCAA runner-up in 1998, but they are still seeking their first NCAA title.
A RECOGNIZABLE FACE
I won't try to fool you and pretend I am a gymnastics expert – not that I could actually fool you – but I did recognize one face in Cleveland.
I didn't know who it was, so I asked another writer. He said it was Dominique Moceanu, who you might remember from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Moceanu now lives in the Cleveland area and helped promote the event by working with the Cleveland Sports Commission.
Moceanu never competed in college but told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that more and more gymnasts are competing into their 20s and helping the sport in the process.
“A lot of people think of gymnastics as the pixie, ponytail, fragile, pre-teen girls, but these women are a force to be reckoned with," Moceanu told the newspaper. “Now we're seeing more gymnasts stick around into their 20s competing in college, and more women in their 20s are in the Olympics.
“I'm a big advocate for collegiate athletics. I love the team aspect of college. I'm a huge supporter of it.”
A FINAL THOUGHT
Following the Gators' early exit on Friday night I had a little time to browse around Cleveland on Saturday afternoon. I lucked out and stumbled upon an Indians-Orioles game just a few blocks from the Wolstein Center.
The game was delayed for two hours due to rain and a hail storm, so I bought an $8 ticket and headed inside, never actually going to my seat. While I had covered a few Rays-Indians series over the years at Jacobs Field – I know it's called Progressive Field now, but I like “The Jake by the Lake" better – I had only been to the ballpark for work.
As I walked around, I bumped into a couple of Gator fans and watched former Florida baseball standout Matt LaPorta double and single his first two trips to the plate for the Indians.
A history buff, I roamed around the stadium looking at several monuments and plaques beyond the outfield wall in center field.
If you're a baseball fan like I am, you may recall it was big news in December when Indians Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller passed away. Saturday was the 71st anniversary of the only no-hitter ever thrown in major league history on Opening Day.
Feller pitched a no-hitter against the White Sox at Comiskey Park, striking out eight and walking five. He was only 21 at the time and went on to a brilliant season, going 27-11 with a 2.61 ERA.
There's only one life-size statue of a former Indian at the ballpark, and no surprise, it's of Feller.
So, since statues have been a popular topic in Gator Nation of late – the ones of Tim Tebow, Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel are a fastball from my office – I took a photo of Feller's on the anniversary of his special day all those years ago.
It was the first of three no-hitters Feller threw in his career. Only Nolan Ryan (seven) and Sandy Koufax (four) threw more.
Ok, that's my little baseball history nugget for today. Hope everyone has a good Sunday and gets outside. It's a little nicer back here in the Sunshine State than in Cleveland.
