Florida Gators women's gymnastics

Last updated
Florida Gators women's gymnastics
Gators gymnastics logo.jpg
Founded1973
University University of Florida
Head coach Jenny Rowland (7th season)
Conference SEC
Location Gainesville, Florida
Home arena Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O'Connell Center (Capacity: 9,251 [1] )
Nickname Florida Gators
ColorsOrange and blue [2]
   
National championships
1982 (AIAW), 2013, 2014 [a] , 2015
Four on the Floor appearances
2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Super Six appearances
1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
NCAA Regional championships
1981 (AIAW), 1982 (AIAW)
1984, 1985, 1987, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025
NCAA Tournament appearances
1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Conference championships
1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2023

The Florida Gators women's gymnastics team represents the University of Florida in the sport of gymnastics. The team competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Gators host their home matches in the O'Connell Center on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus, and are currently led by head coach Jenny Rowland. The Gators women's gymnastics program has won nine SEC championships, and four national championships: the 1982 AIAW national tournament and the 2013, 2014, and 2015 NCAA championships.

Contents

History

The University of Florida first fielded a women's varsity gymnastics team in the fall of 1973. Gymnastics was one of the first women's sports added at the University of Florida and achieved early success by winning the 1982 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) championship (the AIAW was the governing body for women's college sports from 1971 to 1982). Since the NCAA assumed sponsorship for women's sports championships in 1982, Florida has advanced to the NCAA championships (top twelve) every year but one. The Gators have advanced to the "Super Six" finals of the NCAA championships nineteen times. Florida has finished twice as runner-up (1998 and 2012) [3] [4] and won NCAA championships in 2013, 2014, and 2015. [5]

Ernestine Weaver was the head coach of the Gators gymnastics program from 1980 to 1992 and was responsible for much of the team's early success in AIAW, NCAA, and SEC competition. Under Weaver, the Gators won five SEC championships, the AIAW national championship in 1982, and appeared in thirteen consecutive NCAA championships; Gators gymnasts won five AIAW and NCAA individual national championships. Judi Markell succeeded Weaver as head coach in 1993 and her teams qualified for nine NCAA championships in ten seasons, including three Super Six appearances and a second-place finish in 1998; Markell's Gators won three individual national championships.

The Gators were coached by Rhonda Faehn from 2003-2015; they won four SEC championships and appeared in the NCAA championships every year, including ten Super Six appearances, a national runner-up performance in 2012, and three straight national championships from 2013-2015. The 2014 NCAA championship team scored the highest total ever at an NCAA championship with a 198.175. [4] Faehn's Gators won nine individual national championships. Marissa King won the vault title in 2011, Kytra Hunter won the all-around and vault title in 2012 and the all-around and floor titles in 2015, Alaina Johnson won the uneven bars title in 2013, and Bridget Sloan won the all-around and balance beam titles in 2013 and the uneven bars title in 2014.

After Faehn's resignation following the 2015 national championship, Florida hired Auburn assistant Jenny Rowland to be the new head coach. In Jenny's first year as head coach she led the Gators to their 10th SEC title and fourth in seven years.

Individual national champions

Thirteen Florida Gators gymnasts have won a total of thirty-one individual national college championships, including Ann Woods (1982 AIAW all-around, floor exercise, uneven bars), Lynn McDonnell (1982 AIAW balance beam), Maria Anz (1984 NCAA floor exercise), Susan Hines (1997 NCAA vault; 1998 NCAA vault), Betsy Hamm (1998 NCAA balance beam), Marissa King (2011 NCAA vault), Kytra Hunter (2012 NCAA all-around and vault title, 2015 all-around and floor title), Alaina Johnson (2013 NCAA bars), Bridget Sloan (2013 NCAA all-around, beam; 2014 NCAA bars; 2016 NCAA all-around, bars, and beam), Alex McMurtry (2017 NCAA all-around and bars; 2018 NCAA vault), Alicia Boren (2019 NCAA floor), Trinity Thomas (2022 NCAA all-around, floor exercise, and uneven bars), Leanne Wong (2024 NCAA bars).

Roster

2025 Roster
NameHeightYearHometownClub
Alyssa Arana5-2SOMiami, FLLeyva Gymnastics Academy
Skye Blakely 5-4FRFrisco, TXWOGA
Sloane Blakely 5-1SRFrisco, TXWOGA
Kaylee Bluffstone5-1SOLutz, FLLaFleur's Tampa
Lori Brubach5-4JRApopka, FLRAD Gymnastics
Lily Bruce5-3FRKingwood, TXWorld Champions Centre
Ly Bui5-1FRSwisher, IAGAGE
Taylor Clark5-2FROrange Park, FLFlorida Elite
Kayla DiCello 5-4SOBoyds, MDHill's Gymnastics
Gabby Disidore5-6SOOverland Park, KSGAGE
Skylar Draser5-6SOSouth Huntington, NYParkettes
Bri Edwards5-0SRNavarre, FLGulf Coast Gymnastics
Danie Ferris5-5SOPalm Coast, FLFlorida Elite
Selena Harris-Miranda5-1JRLas Vegas, NVGymcats
Ellie Lazzari5-0GSWheaton, ILLegacy Elite
Riley McCusker 5-2SRBradenton, FLArizona Sunrays
Victoria Nguyen5-2GSHouston, TXEverest Gymnastics
Anya Pilgrim5-5SOGermantown, MDHill's Gymnastics
Leanne Wong 5-1SROverland Park, KSGAGE

[6]

All-American selections

All-American selections through the 2012 season. [7]

Second-team All-American honors are designated with an asterisk (*).H. Boyd McWhorter Award winners (top SEC female scholar-athletes) are designated with a caret (^).

Regular Season All-American Awards

The National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches (NAGCS) started awarding All-American honors for a gymnast's regular season performance. The top 8 gymnasts in each event and the all-around receive first team honors and gymnasts ranked 9 to 16 receive second team honors.

The score is based on the National Qualifying Score (NQS) in the RoadtoNationals.com rankings.

YearNameFirst TeamSecond Team
2025 [8] Leanne Wong AA, UBV, BB, FX
Selena Harris-MirandaAA, V, BB
2024 [9] Leanne Wong UBAA, BB
Anya PilgrimAA, V
2023Kayla DiCelloAA, UB, BB
Trinity Thomas AA, UB, FXV, BB
Leanne Wong AA, UBBB
2022 [10] Nya ReedFXV
Megan Skaggs AA
Trinity Thomas V, UB, BB, FX
Leanne Wong UBAA, BB, FX
2021 [11] Trinity Thomas AA, BB, FX, VUB
Alyssa Baumann BB, FX
Megan Skaggs AA, UB
Ellie LazarriBB
Nya ReedFX
Savannah SchoenherrV
Leah ClapperBB
2020 [12] Trinity Thomas AA, UB, BB, FXV
Rachel Gowey BB
Savannah SchoenherrUB
Alyssa Baumann FXBB
2019 [13] Trinity Thomas AA, UB, FXBB
Alyssa Baumann BB
Alicia BorenAA, FX
Megan Skaggs UB
2018 [14] Alyssa Baumann BB
Alicia BorenAA, BB, FX
Rachel Gowey BB
Alex McMurtry V, UB, BB
Rachel SlocumV
2017 [15] Kennedy Baker FX
Alicia BorenAA, V, FX
Amelia Hundley UBAA
Alex McMurtry V, UBBB
Rachel SlocumV
2016 [16] Kennedy Baker AA, V, FX
Alicia BorenAA, V
Bridgette Caquatto UB
Alex McMurtry V, UB, BB
Bridget Sloan AA, UB, BB, FXV
2015 [17] Kennedy Baker FX
Claire Boyce BB
Bridgette Caquatto UBFX
Kytra Hunter AA, V, FX
Alex McMurtry VUB
Bridget Sloan UB
2014 [18] Mackenzie Caquatto UB, BB
Kytra Hunter AA, V, FX
Alaina Johnson AAUB
Bridget Sloan AA, V, UB, BB, FX
2013 Mackenzie Caquatto UB, BB
Ashanée DickersonVAA
Kytra Hunter AA, V, FXUB
Marissa King FX
Bridget Sloan AA, UB, BBV

Team Records

Florida gymnasts at the Olympics

Olympians

YearCountryNameMedal(s)
1988 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Christina McDonald
2004 Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain Nicola Willis
2008 Flag of the United Kingdom (3-2).svg  Great Britain Marissa King
Flag of the United States.svg  United States Bridget Sloan Silver medal olympic.svg team

Alternates

YearCountryName
2020 Flag of the United States.svg  United States Kayla DiCello
Leanne Wong
2024 Flag of the United States.svg  United States Leanne Wong

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Co-champions with Oklahoma

References

  1. ↑ "Rent the Center – Stephen C. O'Connell Center".
  2. ↑ "UF Identity Style Guide". March 1, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  3. ↑ Pat Dooley, "Top 25 Gator teams: #24 1998 Gymnastics Archived 2009-06-12 at the Wayback Machine ," Gainesville Sun (June 1, 2009). Retrieved August 8, 2009.
  4. 1 2 Laura Owens, "UF gymnastics finishes second at NCAAs Archived 2014-04-26 at the Wayback Machine ," The Gainesville Sun (April 21, 2012). Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  5. ↑ "National Champions: Gators Claim Program's First NCAA Gymnastics Title," GatorZone.com (April 20, 2013). Retrieved April 20, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Gymnastics Coaches". Florida Gators. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
  7. ↑ Florida Gymnastics 2012 Media Supplement , University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 55–56 (2012). Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Selena Harris-Miranda and Leanne Wong are WCGA All-Americans". Florida Gators. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  9. ↑ "Two Gator gymnasts earn WCGA Regular-Season All-America honors". Florida Gators. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  10. ↑ "Four Gators earn WCGA Regular-Season All-America honors". Florida Gators. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
  11. ↑ "Seven Gators earn WCGA Regular-Season All-America honors". Florida Gators. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  12. ↑ "Four Gators Earn WCGA All-America honors". Florida Gators. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  13. ↑ "Four Gators Earn NACGC/W Regular-Season All-America honors". Florida Gators. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  14. ↑ "Gator gymnasts earn NACGC/W Regular-Season All-America honors". Florida Gators. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  15. ↑ "Five Gator earn NACGC Regular-Season All-America honors". Florida Gators. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  16. ↑ "Five Gators Earn 14 NACGC All-America Honors". Florida Gators. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  17. ↑ "Six Gator gymnasts earn NACGC/W Regular-Season All-America honors". Florida Gators. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  18. ↑ "Four Gators earn NACGC All-America regular-season honors". Florida Gators. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
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