Florida’s Kytra Hunter is SEC Gymnast of the Year; Kennedy Baker Co-SEC Freshman of Year
Thursday, March 26, 2015 | Gymnastics
Florida's Kytra Hunter is SEC Gymnast of the Year; Kennedy Baker Co-SEC Freshman of Year
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The nation's top-ranked all-arounder, Gator senior Kytra Hunter, is the Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Year, the league office announced Thursday. In addition, Florida's Kennedy Baker shares the SEC Freshman of the Year honor. The SEC awards are based on a vote of the league coaches.
2015 SEC Gymnastics Awards | |
Gymnast of the Year: | Kytra Hunter, Florida |
Specialist of the Year: | Lloimincia Hall, LSU |
Freshman of the Year: | Kennedy Baker, Florida |
Paige Zaziski, Arkansas | |
Scholar-Athletes of the Year: | Katelyn Trevino, Missouri |
Coach of the Year: | Jeff Graba, Auburn |
D-D Breaux, LSU | |
Gators on All-SEC Teams | |
All-SEC Team | All-Freshman Team |
Hunter is the third Gator to be named the SEC Gymnast of the Year and first since Chrissy Van Fleet won the 2000 award.
SEC GYMNAST OF THE YEAR Kytra Hunter - ALL-SEC TEAM
- Nation's top-ranked all-arounder with 39.625 RQS.
- Only gymnast to appear in current top-25 national rankings for each of the five events – No. 1 all-around (39.625 RQS), No. 2 in floor (9.96) and vault (9.955), No. T17 bars (9.900) and No. T22 beam (9.885)
- Four all-around totals among season's top 10 leads the nation – No. T3 39.75 (twice) and No. T10 39.675 (twice)
- SEC Gymnast of the Week four times in 2015. Claimed nine such honors during career
- All-arounder in each of Florida's 11 meets in 2015, claiming a career season-high eight wins.
- Shared SEC vault (9.95) and floor exercise (9.975) to be one of five in the 35-year history of the SEC Championships to claim at least one league event title each season of collegiate career. Seven SEC event wins is a Gator career record.
- Leads Florida in 2015 with 20 events titles (eight all-around, six floor, four vault, two beam).
- Among the six finalists for 2015 AAI Award
- Fourth consecutive All-SEC appearance
Baker is the eighth Gator to be named SEC Freshman of the Year and fifth since 2010.
SEC FRESHMAN GYMNAST OF THE YEAR Kennedy Baker ? ALL-SEC TEAM ? ALL FRESHMAN TEAM
· Named SEC Freshman of the Week a league-high four times in 2015.
· Twice turned in floor exercise marks of 9.975. Second Gator freshman to turn in the nearly perfect mark on floor in UF history.
· Ranked No. 8 nationally with floor RQS of 9.935
· Five of her eight floor performances scored 9.95 or better.
· Shared third in SEC floor competition (9.95).
· Believed to be one of first to compete a piked Arabian double front in collegiate history.
· Four-time event winner in 2015 – two floor, one beam and vault.
· Appeared in every meet but one (missed Arkansas meet with concussion).
· Named to All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman teams.
· Of 33 competitive routines performed, 26 used toward team score.
In addition, Florida placed a league-high six on the All-SEC team and a pair on the All-SEC Freshman team. The All-SEC Team is comprised of the student-athletes with the top two event scores (including ties) in each session of the SEC Championships. The All-Freshman team is comprised of the freshmen student-athlete with the top score (including ties) on each event in each SEC Championships' session.
The six Gators on the 2015 All-SEC team are:
Kennedy Baker - ALL-SEC TEAM - ALL FRESHMAN TEAM
· Shared third in Southeastern Conference floor competition (9.95).
· Also competed in vault (9.90) and uneven bars (9.85) at SEC Championships
Claire Boyce - ALL-SEC TEAM
· Tied for third in SEC balance beam competition at 9.90
· First appearance on All-SEC team
Bridgette Caquatto - ALL-SEC TEAM
· Shared second at SEC Championships on bars (9.95)
· Also tied for third in SEC floor competition (9.95)
· First appearance on All-SEC team
Kytra Hunter - ALL-SEC TEAM
· Shared SEC vault (9.95) and floor exercise titles (9.975).
· One of five gymnasts in the 35-year history of the SEC Championships to win at least one event title each season of collegiate career
· Fourth Gator to earn All-SEC honors each season of collegiate career
Alex McMurtry - ALL-SEC TEAM - ALL FRESHMAN TEAM
· Shared SEC Championships' vault title at 9.95 - second Gator freshman to win league vault title
· SEC title was seventh vault win of season – owns Florida's freshman record for number of vault wins
· Nation's No. 1 vaulter with 9.960 RQS
Bridget Sloan - ALL-SEC TEAM
· Won SEC uneven bars (10.0) and balance beam titles.
· 10.0 mark set SEC Championships' uneven bars record
· Upped number of SEC wins to six for career
· Earned a spot on All-SEC team each of her three seasons as a Gator
| All-SEC Team | |
| Lauren Beers | Alabama |
| Kaitlyn Clark | Alabama |
| Keely McNeer | Alabama |
| Carley Sims | Alabama |
| Heather Elswick | Arkansas |
| Amanda Wellick | Arkansas |
| Paige Zaziski | Arkansas |
| Lexus Demers | Auburn |
| Abby Milliet | Auburn |
| Megan Walker | Auburn |
| Kennedy Baker | Florida |
| Claire Boyce | Florida |
| Bridgette Caquatto | Florida |
| Kytra Hunter | Florida |
| Alex McMurtry | Florida |
| Bridget Sloan | Florida |
| Gigi Marino | Georgia |
| Mary Beth Box | Georgia |
| Rachel Schick | Georgia |
| Brittany Rogers | Georgia |
| Taylor Puryear | Kentucky |
| Sydney Waltz | Kentucky |
| Rheaghan Courville | LSU |
| Lloimincia Hall | LSU |
| Myia Hambrick | LSU |
| Jessie Jordan | LSU |
| Laura Kappler | Missouri |
Players Mentioned
