Gators head coach Jenny Rowland celebrates amidst a confetti shower on Friday night as Florida captured its second consecutive SEC regular-season championship. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Determined Gators Seized Moment and a Big Trophy
Saturday, February 22, 2020 | Gymnastics, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – To fully understand the celebratory scene Friday night on the floor of Exactech Arena, you must take a trip to the end of last season.
Two moments specifically.
First, exactly a year ago to the day, the Gators gymnastics team had the same opportunity within its grasp. All the Gators needed to do to claim their first Southeastern Conference regular-season title was beat Georgia at home. Head coach Jenny Rowland took a hands-off approach.
Instead of drilling what was at stake into her team's psyche, she didn't mention it, taking a business-as-usual mindset into the meet. The Gators lost to the Bulldogs. They recovered the following week at Arkansas to claim the championship, a trophy created in 2017 to honor season-long excellence.
Still, the memory had not faded for Rowland.
In the days leading up to No. 2-ranked Florida's victory over eighth-ranked Alabama in front of a sellout crowd, Rowland did a 180. Everyone knew a victory meant a second consecutive league crown. They knew the SEC was sending a trophy in case they won. They definitely knew what happened a year ago.
"I laid it all out on the table,'' Rowland said following UF's 198.050-197.450 victory Friday. "Here's an opportunity. What are you going to do with it? That's what we focused on."
The other inescapable moment from 2019 has been a driving force all season. The Gators underperformed at the NCAA Regional at Oregon State and missed out on the NCAA Championships for the first time in 19 years.
The fuel for 2020 was the feeling they had as they walked out of the building.
They haven't lost since, improving to 8-0 with their victory over the Crimson Tide and looking every bit a team capable of claiming a national championship if they continue to perform as they have all season.
The Gators are on a bigger mission but didn't let an opportunity to celebrate pass them by once the competition wrapped up with Alyssa Baumann's near-perfect 9.975 floor routine Friday. The sellout crowd on hand for the annual Link to Pink event celebrated with them.
"It's amazing,'' Rowland said. "This team has really taken a situation that I don't wish upon anybody … but at the same time, if it didn't happen, you never know what today would have been. I feel like this path they have taken has been a great path."
Since the first practice of the season, the Gators have locked arms and pulled each other up from last season's disappointing finish. As they chomped and danced on the floor with the championship trophy, Rowland got doused with confetti by the team's seniors.
The Gators soaked it all in. It was a public exhibition of a private quest.
"It's just really taken the dedication in and out of the gym,'' senior Rachel Gowey said. "This season, we're taking care of ourselves way more outside of the gym, doing what we need to do for our own bodies to keep us healthy. So that may be getting more sleep, eating healthier, going to treatment every day instead of three times a week. We are really dedicating ourselves to ourselves and putting the time we need to become better in the gym."
Florida clinched the league's regular-season crown with three meets remaining: at Georgia next week, at Penn State on March 7, and then back home for the regular-season finale March 13 against Texas Woman's University.
The Gators dispatched of the Crimson Tide in fitting fashion, posting the nation's fifth-highest score of the season. To get there, they got an array of strong individual performances, starting with Sierra Alexander's career-high 9.950 on vault. Leah Clapper closed the beam routine with a career-high 9.975 and Baumann sent the crowd home buzzing with her floor routine.
Meanwhile, sophomore Trinity Thomas won the all-around title for the sixth time this season, posting a 39.650 final score. Thomas' best score came on beam with a 9.950. However, she was noticeably disappointed after her 9.900 on floor.
The look on Thomas' face could serve as the face of this year's team poster. These Gators want more.
"If this team has anything, it's heart and fight,'' senior Amelia Hundley said. "That's what we're going to do until the end. There's dips, there's highs and there's lows, but we're fighting. I think that came out tonight. We're still fighting and we still have a long way to go. I think we're ready for it."
The next test is that road trip to Georgia. Unlike last year, they already have the SEC trophy in hand when they face the Bulldogs.
The Gators hope it's just the start of their trophy season.
"We still have a little bit more to give here and there,'' Rowland said. "I can't say enough with the dedication, the determination, just the focus of this team. What they've been through, where they've come from, Point A to Point B, and how they've done it. Props to the entire team. That's one of the things I'm most thankful for, how they have been handling this season."
As the gymnasts concluded their press conference, they were asked about that trip to Georgia for what is termed "Rivalry Week" on the SEC Network.
"Coming off of this, we feel pretty good,'' Hundley said.
As they should.
Two moments specifically.
First, exactly a year ago to the day, the Gators gymnastics team had the same opportunity within its grasp. All the Gators needed to do to claim their first Southeastern Conference regular-season title was beat Georgia at home. Head coach Jenny Rowland took a hands-off approach.
Instead of drilling what was at stake into her team's psyche, she didn't mention it, taking a business-as-usual mindset into the meet. The Gators lost to the Bulldogs. They recovered the following week at Arkansas to claim the championship, a trophy created in 2017 to honor season-long excellence.
Still, the memory had not faded for Rowland.
In the days leading up to No. 2-ranked Florida's victory over eighth-ranked Alabama in front of a sellout crowd, Rowland did a 180. Everyone knew a victory meant a second consecutive league crown. They knew the SEC was sending a trophy in case they won. They definitely knew what happened a year ago.
"I laid it all out on the table,'' Rowland said following UF's 198.050-197.450 victory Friday. "Here's an opportunity. What are you going to do with it? That's what we focused on."
The other inescapable moment from 2019 has been a driving force all season. The Gators underperformed at the NCAA Regional at Oregon State and missed out on the NCAA Championships for the first time in 19 years.
The fuel for 2020 was the feeling they had as they walked out of the building.
They haven't lost since, improving to 8-0 with their victory over the Crimson Tide and looking every bit a team capable of claiming a national championship if they continue to perform as they have all season.
The Gators are on a bigger mission but didn't let an opportunity to celebrate pass them by once the competition wrapped up with Alyssa Baumann's near-perfect 9.975 floor routine Friday. The sellout crowd on hand for the annual Link to Pink event celebrated with them.
"It's amazing,'' Rowland said. "This team has really taken a situation that I don't wish upon anybody … but at the same time, if it didn't happen, you never know what today would have been. I feel like this path they have taken has been a great path."
Since the first practice of the season, the Gators have locked arms and pulled each other up from last season's disappointing finish. As they chomped and danced on the floor with the championship trophy, Rowland got doused with confetti by the team's seniors.
The Gators soaked it all in. It was a public exhibition of a private quest.
"It's just really taken the dedication in and out of the gym,'' senior Rachel Gowey said. "This season, we're taking care of ourselves way more outside of the gym, doing what we need to do for our own bodies to keep us healthy. So that may be getting more sleep, eating healthier, going to treatment every day instead of three times a week. We are really dedicating ourselves to ourselves and putting the time we need to become better in the gym."
Florida clinched the league's regular-season crown with three meets remaining: at Georgia next week, at Penn State on March 7, and then back home for the regular-season finale March 13 against Texas Woman's University.
The Gators dispatched of the Crimson Tide in fitting fashion, posting the nation's fifth-highest score of the season. To get there, they got an array of strong individual performances, starting with Sierra Alexander's career-high 9.950 on vault. Leah Clapper closed the beam routine with a career-high 9.975 and Baumann sent the crowd home buzzing with her floor routine.
Meanwhile, sophomore Trinity Thomas won the all-around title for the sixth time this season, posting a 39.650 final score. Thomas' best score came on beam with a 9.950. However, she was noticeably disappointed after her 9.900 on floor.
The look on Thomas' face could serve as the face of this year's team poster. These Gators want more.
"If this team has anything, it's heart and fight,'' senior Amelia Hundley said. "That's what we're going to do until the end. There's dips, there's highs and there's lows, but we're fighting. I think that came out tonight. We're still fighting and we still have a long way to go. I think we're ready for it."
The next test is that road trip to Georgia. Unlike last year, they already have the SEC trophy in hand when they face the Bulldogs.
The Gators hope it's just the start of their trophy season.
"We still have a little bit more to give here and there,'' Rowland said. "I can't say enough with the dedication, the determination, just the focus of this team. What they've been through, where they've come from, Point A to Point B, and how they've done it. Props to the entire team. That's one of the things I'm most thankful for, how they have been handling this season."
As the gymnasts concluded their press conference, they were asked about that trip to Georgia for what is termed "Rivalry Week" on the SEC Network.
"Coming off of this, we feel pretty good,'' Hundley said.
As they should.
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