Losing by more than 1.5 points in gymnastics is the equivalent of being beaten in football by 35 points. Yet, after their 198.20-196.65 loss at No. 1 Georgia last Saturday, the Florida Gators actually jumped two spots in the rankings heading into Friday’s meet with No. 14 Michigan in the O’Connell Center at 7 p.m.
Despite the loss of their top gymnast, the 5-3 Gators enter the meet with renewed confidence because of their performance against the Wolverines.
“Without question, this is the toughest season I’ve ever encountered in my coaching career,” Florida coach Rhonda Faehn said.
To label this season as difficult might be an understatement. The Gators have lost three dual meets in the SEC. They had to deal with major miscues on the balance beam in the first five meets. Half of the team has been either hampered by injuries or sidelined completely. What’s more, because of the injuries, Florida has relied on freshmen to pick up the slack.
“You have a little frustration because you feel like you’re doing everything and it’s still not turning out the way you want it to turn out,” junior all-around standout Melanie Sinclair said. “But when you look at how many people we have healthy, we’re doing amazing. We’re doing really, really well and we’re coming closer as a team and that’s what’s important.”
Faehn was excited, not depressed, when talking about her team at her weekly press conference.
“Yes we’ve been dealt some serious challenges this season and yet we’re ranked fourth in the country; it’s amazing this team has not given up,” she said proudly. “We are dangerously thin right now but it’s not stopping this team or our fight or determination. This team is going to keep fighting.”
The Gators were probably dealt their biggest blow of the season right before the Georgia meet with the loss of senior leader and All-American Corey Hartung. Warming up for the vault competition against Georgia, Hartung aggravated a calf injury she had been dealing with since the Alabama meet. An MRI Monday revealed she had torn her left calf and was out indefinitely.
Faehn said Hartung would not compete these next two weeks against national powerhouses Michigan and No. 2 Utah on March 13, but she hoped Hartung would be well enough to compete again in time for the SEC Championships in Nashville on March 21 or the NCAA regional April 4. It’s all just a matter of how well she responds to treatment.
With Hartung gone, Faehn is looking to All-American Amanda Castillo to fill the void. Faehn said that Castillo, who has been slowed by bursitis in her ankle and competed in the all-around for the first time last Saturday, is looking good in practice.
“It was great having her back in the lineup Saturday,” Faehn said. “Just her attitude, the way she carried herself, her level of excitement, the way she competed out there – she was like the Amanda Castillo of the past two years. We need her to step up a tremendous amount. That’s not adding expectations or pressure because this is what we’ve expected from Amanda all along.”
Faehn pointed to a specific moment in the Georgia meet that indicated things were looking up for Castillo and the Gators. As Castillo was performing her last rotation on the balance beam, Georgia star Courtney Kupets scored a perfect 10.0 on the floor exercise and sent the capacity Georgia crowd crazy. That reaction came right in the middle of Castillo’s routine.
“The crowd went crazy but they didn’t flash the score until I was in the middle of my routine,” Castillo joked. “I was about to do my skills and I literally couldn’t hear myself think; it ended up not affecting me at all.”
Though she admitted that her ankle was still “killing” her at times, Castillo said she was ready and willing to lead the Gators once again.
“It’s an amazing feeling to get back,” she said. “I love the sport of gymnastics and competing for the Gators in the all-around. When I was just doing the two events, I felt out of my element. (But) I (went) four for four in my routines at Georgia, and after I hit my last routine, I started crying because I just love being out there.”
Even with all they have been through, Faehn, Sinclair and Castillo said their goal was still winning a national championship.
The NCAA Championships are April 16-18 at Nebraska. The Florida Gators intend to be there.