Sister support just a phone or text away for Bridgette Caquatto
Friday, January 30, 2015 | Gymnastics
By Eden Otero, UF Communications
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - On April 19, 2014 the Florida gymnastics team faced a difficult task: winning back-to-back national titles.
During the NCAA Super Six's final rotation, Oklahoma used a meet-high vault event total to move to the top of the team standings. If Florida was to repeat, the Gators needed big scores from their final two floor exercise performers.
Kytra Hunter's 9.95 put the Gators one step closer. Now it was Bridgette Caquatto's turn to perform the floor routine of her life. If Florida wanted to take home another national title, Caquatto would have to match her career best score 9.95 to equal the Sooners' team total.
As the meet's last competitor, the whole arena held its breath as she completed her routine. When she stepped off the blue-matted floor and saw the score the Florida corral went wild.
She'd done it.
She tied the score with her career high 9.95 and helped seal Florida's second national title win.
Those images of the Gators' hoisting the NCAA trophy are now treasured memories. Tonight, Florida is finishing the first month of 2015 competition and this edition of the Gator gymnastics team has a different lineup.
As the old adage goes: new season, new look.
Bridgette (left) and Mackenzie Caquatto were part of Florida's 2013 and 2014 NCAA Championship teams.
This season the 5-foot-3 junior is looking to pick up where she left off, but for the first time since she's been on the Florida squad she's doing it without her sister, former Florida gymnast Mackenzie Caquatto, competing alongside her.
“We always had like a good sisterly-love kind of competition,” Caquatto said. “We just pushed ourselves. We knew the best of each others abilities, we grew up training together and we just know what to say to each other on a bad day, or a good day or when to give them a hug or when not to.”
Mackenzie graduated with a college gymnastics career that will be talked about for years to come. Along with Kytra Hunter, Bridget Sloan and others, a larger-than-life photo of Mackenzie is plastered to the wall of the Florida gymnastics practice facility after she earned a 10.0 on the uneven bars in 2013.
Caquatto can put up big scores, just like her older sister. She's tied her floor (9.95) and uneven bars (9.95) best four times each.
But the loss of Mackenzie doesn't mean Caquatto's routines or mentality has changed, it just means her sister now supports her in a different way.
“The past two years and my whole lifetime I grew up training with my sister and competing with her,” Caquatto said. “The first road meet was kind of weird. After I finished it, the first thing I did was call her because she's the first person I always wanted to talk to. She's just playing a different role now.”
Caquatto is best known for her performances on the uneven bars and floor where she has proven to be one of Florida's most pivotal athletes. Her tying score for the national title is just one of many moments in the younger Caquatto's collegiate career in which her contribution meant winning or losing.
And with Sloan out for the next few meets, Caquatto is looking to step up to the pressure of losing one of the biggest members of the team.
“Sloan is an awesome athlete and we could count on her for every routine. …She was always that comforting factor who's in the last anchor spot and we always knew she was going to put on an amazing performance. As a team, we talked to our freshman and they're ready to fill the spots. We have a lot of good talent on this team, it's just the fact that we have to come together a little more as a team.”
