Payton Richards during her floor exercise routine in last week's win over Georgia at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center. (Photo: Isabella Marley/UAA Communications)
Payton And Petty: UF Gymnast Payton Richards Turns Up Volume on Floor Routine
Thursday, January 21, 2021 | Gymnastics, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – If the Gators gymnastics team needed an opening act prior to each meet, there's a good chance sophomore Payton Richards would volunteer for the role.
She has a knack for batting leadoff.
"I love being first,'' Richards said this week. "I like setting the tone for my team."
In this particular instance, Richards was responding to a question about how she felt about leading off certain rotations, which she has been known to do.
There's a reason UF coach Jenny Rowland often sends Richards out first.
"She really is such a solid performer,'' Rowland said. "She just has that consistency. The team has that faith, that confidence in her."
Long before Richards made her debut for the Gators last season, she made a strong impression on Rowland. Once again, it had something to do with being first. In May 2015, Rowland took over the program. She inherited a talented team, but in a coach's life, one of the greatest challenges is splitting time between coaching what you have and trying to acquire what you don't.
As Rowland looked toward the future, assistant coach Adrian Burde kept reminding her of this talented gymnast from Mokena, Ill., located about 45 miles southwest of Chicago. Her name: Payton Richards. Gators gymnast Payton Richards.
"She was already on Adrian's radar,'' Rowland said. "He just kept telling me about this young lady and how she never misses and how she's just so solid. And she smiles and she is confident and she loves gymnastics. Really, those are great attributes that I look for in an athlete, is their love and passion for the sport. She is just so bubbly and giddy. She is natural and that's what I love about her so much."
Richards visited UF during her freshman year of high school and Rowland offered her a scholarship. She never visited another school.
"I committed that same night that she offered me,'' Richards said.
As a result, Richards earned a special distinction during Rowland's tenure.
Yep, you guessed it.
"Payton is my very first official commit when I came here to Florida,'' Rowland said. "A very special place in my heart for her and the Gators."
You may have noticed a theme by now. Richards just has a way of being first whether she intends to or not. Her parents have five kids. She was the first girl. More precisely, the only girl. But if you have paid close attention to Richards in Florida's first two meets this season – a road win at Auburn and last week's home win over Georgia – perhaps you noticed another first courtesy of Richards.
This original was planned.
"I'm super open to new ideas and J3 [team choreographer Jeremy Miranda] kind of brought it up to me that no one has done that yet,'' Richards said. "I just wanted to add that and be the first one to do it."
On her floor exercise, Richards performs to a rock n' roll medley reminiscent of the energized set UF senior Amelia Hundley bounced to last season. She starts off with the power chords to AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" and "Back in Black" blasting across the arena. Then some local flavor pours through the speakers as Gainesville native Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" and "Runnin' Down a Dream" crash the party.
The Gators introduced Petty's "I Won't Back Down" at the end of the third quarter at football games late in the 2017 season following Petty's unexpected death. Instantly, a popular new tradition at The Swamp was born.
Richards is excited to bring the song across Gale Lemerand Drive and into Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center on Friday nights.
"I just kind of wanted to do something like that and support my Gainesville community,'' she said. "I grew up with four brothers, so we kind of listened to a lot of older music and my dad is super big on older music. We have a summer home in Indiana and it was like lake music for us. I'm pretty familiar [with his music].
"Every time I hear his songs on the radio or if I'm just on Spotify and I hear it, I think of my floor routine automatically."
Miranda sees the home fans embracing the routine as much as Richards has. He knows that on the streets around Gainesville, Petty remains a favorite son.
And Richards has the kind of personality that plays well to the music.
"We thought it would be really neat just to go for it,'' he said. "I think it suits her so well. She's just such a happy person. You can really see on the competition floor how she's just very calm, very even keel. Doesn't get too nervous. She just goes out there and has so much happiness and joy. For Gator Nation to get behind her and support her that way, it really worked well."
Richards is eager to continue refining her performance for the No. 1-ranked Gators. Heading into Friday night's meet at No. 8 Arkansas, Richards has been best on the beam, an event she finished tied for second (9.875) against Georgia. She also competed in the all-around..
Like Petty, who refused to back down to the music industry's price gouging and creative control during his career, Richards has overcome the odds. The year before she committed to the Gators, Richards was uncertain of her future in the sport when she developed a tumor on a hamstring.
After the tumor was discovered and continued to grow, she underwent surgery and was sidelined the summer before she entered the ninth grade.
"They had to take it out and they told me that I could possibly not do gymnastics again,'' she said. "After that whole thing, getting through that, I worked super hard and I just kept the mindset that I was going to do gymnastics again. And being here and being able to do what I love is surreal, it's amazing. I'm so grateful and thankful that it turned out that way because I know that there was a lot on the table that could have gotten taken away from me."
Richards has a seven-inch scar on the back of her leg as a constant reminder.
Meanwhile, Rowland is glad to have her around. Her first commit has been a good one -- and performs to her own beat.
"She was just a standout on our team last year,'' Rowland said. "Stepped in and filled our lineup holes greatly."
