GAINESVILLE, Fla. – All eyes were on the Gators gymnastics squad as it showcased partial and full routines on every apparatus during the program's second annual Hype Night on Monday night.
The atmosphere at the O'Connell Center for the mock meet was electric, with 11 Gators from the 2023 team returning and six freshmen taking the helm of the 2024 season.
Fifteen of the 17 gymnasts showcased their skills. The low-stakes meet served as a way for fans to connect with the athletes, for the gymnasts to become reacquainted with them, and for others to be introduced to their large and passionate fan base.
Skylar Draser, a freshman from South Huntington, N.Y., was one of the newcomers making her UF debut.
"I think it was definitely a very good experience to be able to come out here and just perform for fun," Draser said. "Coming in, I was a little nervous, but once I got out here and started practicing, I kind of got the groove of it. With the help of my teammates, I ended up not stressing, and made it easy and just had fun with it."
The only word to describe the night is passionate.
The gymnasts were ecstatic to be back in the O'Dome, showing off the hard work they have been putting in at the gym with a few new elements added to their routines. The night's excitement was made present with loud cheers from those in attendance. While significantly smaller than the crowds seen during the regular season, these fans let the gymnasts know they had their full support.
The energy carried throughout the meet as fans watched the spectacularly displayed routines and even during the more difficult parts that presented some trouble for the gymnasts. The notoriously tricky beam caused some missteps for several gymnasts but this did not deter the boisterous crowd, which continued to cheer louder for their athletes
to encourage them.
The O'Connell Center was so loud that even some fans could not believe the amount of cheering a relatively small crowd could generate.
Brandi Bertram and her daughter Annaliese, who are from Lake City and season-ticket holders, made the trip to join the hype.
"It was still loud with just a few people there," Brandi Bertram said. "I was out in the hallway one time, and it was really loud still. I was like, 'Wow! We're loud fans!' "
Junior Sloane Blakely performs her floor routine on Monday night during the UF gymnastic team's Hype Night. (Photo: Molly Kaiser/UAA Communications)
The
meet was arranged as a dual
meet, meaning the gymnasts were split into two groups and competed on two apparatuses while alternating turns. The fans were also treated to an inside look at how meets operate by former UF All-American
Trinity Thomas, now a student assistant coach, and assistant coach
Jeremy Miranda, who oversees the team's music and choreography on floor routines. The two assistant coaches offered an overview of each apparatus, what the judges are looking for, and how the scoring system works, which can confuse a fan newer to the sport.
Even though the traditional scoring system was not implemented during the meet, there was a panel of special guest judges, which included Barbie Pressly (Gator Booster), Samantha Bohon (Gators soccer head coach), Melanie Welty (Gators track and field assistant coach), Ben Chase (director of NIL strategy) and Ben Shelton (former UF tennis player).
The judges scored the routines using emojis.
The crowd's favorite event of the night was the floor routines the gymnasts have been working on since the summer. Every gymnast showed the passion they have for their sport through their performance.
"Here at the University of Florida, we pride ourselves on prioritizing the athlete first," Miranda said. "So, we want the athlete to have full say on what their music selection is, full say on what their choreography looks like, full say on what the story or the message is behind each of their floor routines."
Each athlete's personality was shown through her music selection and choreography. From the considerable energy brought by
Sloane Blakely's choreography to the elegance of
Victoria Nguyen's music, no two performances were the same. The only common element among all the routines was the iconic Gator chomp.
The night ended with an autograph signing for the fans, and none of the athletes left until everyone's poster was signed. This just showed how much they appreciated the support of the Gator Nation.
UF head coach Jenny Rowland was energized by the turnout at the team's second annual Hype Night.
"It really was a great opportunity for these young women to come into the O'Dome, experience a meet set up in front of the phenomenal crowd tonight on a Monday evening,'' she said. "So grateful that Gator Nation showed up for these young ladies and
really just shined tonight."
