The Gators react as all-around national champion Alex McMurtry finishes her floor routine on Saturday night. (Photo: Michael Erdelyi/For UAA Communications)
Gators Primed for Another Shot at Title in 2018
Sunday, April 16, 2017 | Gymnastics, Scott Carter
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The UF gymnastics team is optimistic it can surpass this year's third-place finish at next season's NCAA Championships.
By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
ST. LOUIS – The song has been around for 36 years and on its first blast across the airwaves in 1981, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin' '' reached No. 9 on the charts.
Steve Perry and Co.'s anthem has found a more stable home in all sorts of places in pop culture since its first taste of fame, from TV commercials to sports, most notably in 2005 when the Chicago White Sox, on their way to winning the World Series for the first time in 88 years, used it as their rallying cry.
As the Florida gymnastics team celebrated its third-place finish at the NCAA Championships on Saturday night, the Gators joined the entire Super Six field on the podium. On one side, Oklahoma savored a second consecutive national title. Over there, LSU gathered for photos after narrowly edging the Gators for the national runner-up trophy. Nearby, Alabama rejoiced in front of the cameras for a sixth-place finish.
Only if you got close enough to read the writing on the trophies could you distinguish the biggest winner. The scene was absent of losers. The Gators definitely voiced a positive tone about the future, an outlook worthy of Perry's singing over the loudspeakers at Chaifetz Arena.
Junior Rachel Slocum shows off her exuberance at Florida's performance at the NCAA Championships. (Photo: Erin Long/For UAA Communications)
They didn't win a fourth national title in five years, yet they definitely didn't stop believin'.
The Gators held onto second place until LSU passed them on the scoreboard on its final routine.
"We're actually doing pretty well,'' said Gators junior All-American Alex McMurtry, the all-around national champ. "We have come a long way this season. We are a really optimistic team and we see a whole bunch of teams losing a lot of seniors. We're going to come back to nationals and take first next year."
McMurtry and the Gators have reason to be optimistic.
Florida was good enough to return to the Super Six for a sixth consecutive year in 2017, but this is a team that really stacks up well for 2018.
The Gators lose only one gymnast from this season, senior Claire Boyce. Of course, they lost Boyce to a chronic hip condition prior to their Super Six run, so head coach Jenny Rowland knows exactly what she has coming back.
"We know already the bulk of our team is pretty tight,'' Rowland said. "That's always a key factor. I know this team. Again, it stings a little bit [not to win], but at the same time they are going to embrace the freshmen coming in and show them the way."
Meanwhile veterans McMurtry, Kennedy Baker, Grace McLaughlin and Alicia Boren serve as the team's backbone. The Gators have three newcomers signed for next season, highlighted by Alyssa Baumann of Plano, Texas. Baumann suffered serious elbow injury preparing for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials but has resumed workouts. If healthy, she is a dynamic performer. Vanasia Bradley and Megan Skaggs also signed in the 2018 class.
Oklahoma set a Super Six record on Saturday by winning its second consecutive national title with a meet-record score of 198.375. LSU finished second at 197.7375, and Florida third at 197.7000. The Gators' score would have been good enough to win a national title in 2016, but the Sooners peaked at the perfect time this year.
In Rowland's two season the Gators have placed fourth and third at the NCAA Championships in the wake of the program losing two of the most decorated gymnasts in school history: Kytra Hunter and Bridget Sloan.
Moving up at the national meet is another tumble toward the top.
"It's always a great confidence builder,'' Rowland said. "To really come in here with five new faces and move up a spot is really important. They know going into next year, 'hey, you know what, we've got that burning sensation, we've got a little bit more to give, let's go out and do it.' ''
McMurtry didn't leave anything in her gym bag at the finals.
She was magnificent on Friday, setting a NCAA semifinals record in the all-around competition with a total of 39.8125. Florida has claimed the individual all-around national title five of the last six years (Hunter in 2012, '15; Sloan in 2013, '16).
She came back Saturday with a 9.950 on floor and a perfect 10 on the uneven bars.
"I've had the hardest time with confidence and it's my junior year and I'm finally figuring it out,'' she said. "I'm just thankful the coaches gave me that goal [of winning all-around] and told me that was my potential. Now I finally believe it."
Rowland challenged McMurtry prior to the season dream big. She said the message for McMurtry next year will be to go out and do it again.
"To have her on this team means everything to this team,'' Rowland said. "She's a great leader. She's an inspiration to this entire team. She works so hard in the gym and very dedicated, someone the girls can look up to and want to be like. She grew up a little bit. She was able to take a step back and not be so hard on herself and continue to move on rather than let it fester."
The Gators refuse to let their third-place national finish fester.
They are too excited about their potential to stop believin' now.
"I don't think you could measure the amount of run we had out there,'' Slocum said. "We're only gaining and we're going to take that as a huge advantage."
