Gators Find What They Were Looking For in Impressive Win Over Georgia
Saturday, January 31, 2015 | Gymnastics, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- They gathered in head coach Rhonda Faehn's hotel room in Alabama a week earlier in search of direction.
On Friday night at the O'Connell Center, the Gators gymnastics team found whatever was missing in a convincing victory over SEC-rival Georgia.
First, flash back seven nights ago following Florida's loss at Alabama. The defending back-to-back national champions seemed to be lacking their normal edge.
Senior Kytra Hunter sensed it and sent a team text to hold a meeting shortly after the Gators arrived back at their hotel.
Next thing you know, they were all in Faehn's room talking about their goals, their hopes, their disappointments, and what they could do to improve.
"We had tears," Hunter said Friday night. "Being able to sit there with 13 of your sisters and coming to a conclusion of asking each other, 'what do I need to do more? What do you think I can do to be in better shape?' It's hard."
The season started with back-to-back wins but included the loss of junior All-American Bridget Sloan to a severe ankle injury, and senior Jamie Shisler to a season-ending injury.
The team's equilibrium had been thrown off and it showed at Alabama, about an hour drive from the Birmingham arena where last spring the Gators closed with a flurry to claim a share of the national title.
In her 13th season, Faehn has seen team meetings work and others fade away with little impact.
"It wasn't anything awful, but it wasn't anything spectacular," she said of the performance that led to the meeting.
What concerned Faehn was for the Gators not to get too wrapped up in the loss of Sloan, as big a talent as exists in college gymnastics, and the lineup changes that followed.
"All those things could be deemed a challenge. I don't want them to feel that," Faehn said. "I really wanted to see the team dynamic strengthen and to not focus on what we are missing, but to focus on what we are doing and contributing."
Freshman Kennedy Baker ignited the crowd during her floor routine Friday. (Photo: Jim Burgess)
Faehn had nothing to worry about Friday as the Gators posted a 197.600-196.950 victory over the Bulldogs. The score was the highest of the season for Florida and included a dynamic finish on the floor.
The Gators closed the meet with matching 9.975 scores in the floor routine from freshman Kennedy Baker and Hunter, and a 9.925 from Bridgette Caquatto.
Hunter took the floor jacked up following Baker's floor routine, the highest score in school history for a freshman in the event.
"It showed us all that we need to get our butt in gear," Hunter said. "You never want a freshman to show you up."
"I thought I had a 10 for a second," Baker said. "I was more excited about how it went."
Not to be outdone, Hunter did her thing when it was time, winning her career-best fourth consecutive all-around title with season-high total of 39.675.
Not everything went the Gators' way Friday before an announced crowd of 7,116 at the O'Dome.
Sophomore Clair Boyce, who won the beam title in the loss at Alabama, fell on her beam routine. No worries. Freshman Alex McMurtry and Hunter had her back. McMurtry followed Boyce with a 9.90 and Hunter registered a 9.875 to keep the Gators comfortably in the lead.
It was the type of bounce-back performance the Gators needed after their impromptu gathering a week earlier.
"We came back in the gym and hit it really hard," McMurtry said.
Yes they did. Afterward, Faehn was all smiles as she talked about Florida's 15th consecutive victory over the Bulldogs (6 dual meets, 5 SEC meets, 4 NCAA meets).
There was a time when Georgia dominated this rivalry and all of college gymnastics. The Gators are the ones on top right now.
They want to stay there, hence why Hunter wanted to hold that meeting.
"That [loss] was very devastating for us," Hunter said. "We had a huge turnaround."
The Gators exited the building Friday night feeling much better. They know Sloan is improving and is expected to be back before the end of the season. They know McMurtry, who is plagued by a back injury, is aiming to add the floor in about a month.
If everyone can get healthy, the Gators have the talent to win big. Faehn is more impressed at why they wanted to meet in the first place.
"These athletes are genuinely passionate about wanting to be the absolute best, and know that to be the absolute best, they have to work together," Faehn said. "It's a lot about team chemistry."
The Gators' chemistry was just fine on this Friday night.
