Special report on the Florida Gators gymnastics team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 1 Florida gymnastics opens 2021 action Friday with a road meet at No. 14 Auburn.
The meet starts at 8 p.m. ET in the Auburn Arena<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__auburntigers.com_facilities_auburn-2Darena-2Dgymnastics_13&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=PHv5snyZ0r2l_41pFCEZsbw8fO_BoQlrIoX4wqpNU80&s=TurmpER43Rb0pNKVTtI8dWEH7yjzMO_Y82PGF8Hvryw&e= >.
The 2021 regular-season schedule is limited to Southeastern Conference opponents. Each team competes in eight dual meets – all versus league opponents – over a 10-week span. There is a home-away meeting with one SEC opponent for each program. The first of those double meetings for each league team is Friday, with Missouri at Georgia, Arkansas at LSU and Kentucky at Alabama. This Friday’s UF at AU meet does not count toward SEC regular-season standings.
How to Follow the Gators:
Follow the action live:
* SEC Network +<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3D37c98519-2Db617-2D4553-2Dbd33-2Dc50e24385844&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=PHv5snyZ0r2l_41pFCEZsbw8fO_BoQlrIoX4wqpNU80&s=CBQNTZRgo-LEfnzhFqFGe7OyHhu_J4qOecinwwE5Mnc&e= > – action called by Jeff Shearer
* Live scores<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__stats.statbroadcast.com_statmonitr_-3Fid-3D325135&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=PHv5snyZ0r2l_41pFCEZsbw8fO_BoQlrIoX4wqpNU80&s=e1qDJGSwAi3IBywHwBJye0hKTqzfiNZaLey56SWa9gg&e= >
The 2021 Gators:
Florida returns four with 18 All-America honors – Alyssa Baumann, Savannah Schoenherr, Megan Skaggs and Trinity Thomas.
Options are available to the Gator coaching staff as many can fill out the six-member lineup card. From the final regular SEC meet of 2020 (at Georgia), UF returns 17 routines.
Four freshmen join the Gators in 2021. Chloi Clark (Denver, Colo.), Gabrielle Gallentine (Iron Station, N.C.) and Ellie Lazzari (Wheaton, Ill.) all competed at Junior Olympics Level 10 National Championships. Lazzari won 2019 J.O. Junior F all-around, beam and floor titles. Gallentine took third in 2017 J.O. Junior B all-around and Clark tied for fourth in 2019 J.O. Senior B vault competition. Both Gallentine and Lazzari competed as Junior International Elites. Alex Magee was third on bars and fourth in both all-around and floor in 2019 Florida L10 State Championships.
Florida in 2020:
In the 2020 pandemic shortened season, Florida claimed its second consecutive SEC regular-season title. Florida’s 7-0 SEC record was its first undefeated league record since all teams began meeting in regular-season action for the 1992 season. Florida ended the season with a 10-0 record and No. 2 in the final national rankings.
The Gators took a pair of major honors in 2020 SEC postseason awards. The SEC award was part of Jenny Rowland’s sweep of 2020 coaching honors, as she also was named the Region V and WCGA National Coach of the Year. Trinity Thomas became the fifth Gator named the SEC Gymnast of the Year. Of the three to earn the maximum of five All-America honors in 2020 Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) regular-season awards, Thomas is the only returner for 2021 season. All-America honors were claimed by three other Gators in 2020 -Baumann (beam, floor), Rachel Gowey (beam) and Schoenherr (bars).
About the Tigers:
Auburn returns three who claimed 2020 postseason honors. Drew Watson (vault) and Derrian Gobourne (bars) earned 2020 All-SEC and All-America honors and Cassie Stevens appeared on the SEC All-Freshman team. The Tigers tied for fourth in 2020 SEC regular-season standings with a 3-4 record and posted a 7-7 overall record before the pandemic ended the 2020 season.
National Rank:
Florida – Florida is No. 1 in the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association preseason poll<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2020_12_17_gymnastics-2Dgators-2Dtop-2D2021-2Dwcga-2Dpreseason-2Dpoll.aspx&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=PHv5snyZ0r2l_41pFCEZsbw8fO_BoQlrIoX4wqpNU80&s=v0cXjb4oV74MSoaeq2c7OFMtNp2s4OCLxoBKWiFIStA&e= >.
Auburn – The Tigers are No. 14 on the preseason poll.