GAINESVILLE, Fla. – What skill set does the No. 1 Florida softball team bring to work every day?
Hitting, check.
Pitching, check.
Defense, check.
Gymnastics drills, check.
Wait a minute. Where did that last item come from?
Simple. It was just an idea hatched last season by Coach
Tim Walton and former Florida gymnastics Coach Rhonda Faehn that they sneaked onto both NCAA champion squads' practice calendar.
Needless to say, both teams had a blast. 
On Wednesday afternoon, Walton surprised his players with a visit to the home of the three-time defending NCAA Champs Florida gymnastics team.
Prior to a team dinner, UF spent an hour in the O'Connell Center Ted Crom Gymnastics Studio (pictured right:
Amanda Lorenz &
Kayli Kvistad).
"We wanted to break up the monotony." Walton said. "You go, travel and compete so much that we just wanted to figure out what we could go out and do that would be fun. Last year our team had so much fun when Rhonda and I switched places."
After three weeks of hard work in the 2016 season building a 16-0 record, the softball players said the gymnastics experience was an opportunity to make "dreams come true."
"I heard one of our girls say, 'My dream is coming true', and I was like, 'Wow,' '' Walton said with a laugh. "I had no idea it was going to be that impactful, but it was good to get out and do something fun after we had a good practice during the morning."
Freshman
Amanda Lorenz said she has admired the skill and performances of the gymnasts and did her best to imitate them during an hour in their studio.
"After we found out at practice, we all just freaked out and were so excited," Lorenz said. "Especially me. I'm obsessed with our gymnastics team. I think they are all so amazing and cool."
Lorenz tried to imitate Bridget Sloan, who is UF's career leader in NCAA event titles. Meanwhile, senior
Taylor Schwarz had fun watching herself dance in front of a mirror.
Each player tried to find a piece of the experience that they could take with them. That included senior
Kelsey Stewart, who said her experiences growing up included being a cheerleader and a gymnast, too.
The senior from Wichita, Kan., a 2011 UCA All-American cheerleader, recalled her abilities on bars, floor and beam.
"It was so much fun getting to relive my childhood," Stewart said. "I felt like Bridget Sloan, everyone's idol. However, no one was surprised because they know my past. Plus, I do a lot of that stuff out here at practice every day."
The story-telling began for the players after spending the time in the gymnastics environment.
"I think that Coach Walton wanted us to go into another Gator atmosphere and do something different as a team," Schwarz said. "It was so much fun, and being in the facility of a three-peat NCAA Champion is insane. It was so cool and we have to take advantage of opportunities like that."
Schwarz said she and her teammates will remember the experience for a long time.
"We're all competitive, so it's a lot of fun when we can all be around each other in a non-competitive situation," Walton said. "Our entire team watches all the UF gymnastics meets on TV, so it was fun to see them try to replicate some of the things they see from those great individuals."
