Florida Gators gymnastics ready for NCAA Championship weekend

Special report on the Florida Gators gymnastics team:

GAINESVILLE, Fla.  – Top-seeded Florida looks for NCAA Title IV this weekend at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.ncaa.com_championships_gymnastics-2Dwomen_nc&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=VNb5ELXmwSPmhw1pdXQuPxImiJGyX5XwDBCDMgcql1A&e= >. Competition is set for Friday, April 16-17 at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

2021 NCAA Championships Competition Schedule
Dickies Arena – Ft. Worth, Texas

Start Event

V

UB

BB

FX

April 16 Semifinals – ESPN2

1 pm ET

Minnesota

Florida

Michigan

California

6 pm ET

Alabama

Oklahoma

Utah

LSU

April 17 Final – ABC

3:30 pm ET

S2 Winner

S2 Team 2

S1 Team 2

S1 Team 1

How to Follow the NCAA Championship Action:
Follow the action live:

  *   Action called by Olympic medalists Bart Conner and Kathy Johnson-Clarke
  *   Friday, April 16 – both semifinals on ESPN2
Semifinal I <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3D3f00676e-2Df0e4-2D4333-2D97c5-2D6d61dd5600d5&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=1A-zQsiJuJAGyBwkXqIefgvb2RASu3b5NAnKhiTWaUQ&e= > at 1 p.m. ET (includes Florida)
Semifinal I event only stream: Multi-view<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3Dd80bc341-2Ddebb-2D4dc9-2Da13d-2Dcd02d44860e1&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=DdUkc3z7NuRnU505sMWLE3tWH3k1dSjqR_EFW-huWQM&e= >   Vault<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3D2b16b1c9-2D8736-2D4912-2D800e-2Df1f3b26177c4&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=2rGaDzcU98GWXaZIrKUeZsnjmiUQnGBP2q4-IKsUYqM&e= >   Bars<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3Dcce15c4c-2Deac3-2D4cc4-2D8c31-2Df2dba83337b9&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=kbRtm_eaiX0RuWMoSq3L1pEO9eEIbnpQ_27Qipbq1pE&e= >   Beam<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3D2e558365-2Dc97e-2D44be-2Db4e3-2D215f0bf42d70&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=bgvJa2EDMbsdmPoWRXGxvlxjcSN9ubUZrEv8o8QrzxA&e= >   Floor<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3D0a6100d9-2D93b8-2D4347-2Dac64-2D99a303c5c2c3&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=DOmATRMIt9lT4ipZrHj7dCZttWJmusSO3btwLImF830&e= >
Semifinal II <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch_player-3Fid-3D205bcf6b-2D36ea-2D4e7d-2D94a1-2D097d4449e5a5&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=RWuwc6ENn77LSQovAbVFYbyIsvBsrNWMuxDH5EV8Kcs&e= > at 6 p.m. ET
Saturday, April 17 – live on ABC
        Team Final at 3:30 p.m. ET

NCAA Notes:

  *   Florida advanced to the NCAA Championships 37 times in the meet’s 39-year history, missing the 2000 and 2019 events. Florida moved from NCAA Championships’ semifinal competition to the NCAA team final 13 of the Gators’ last 16 national competition appearances (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018). Florida won the 2013, 2014 (tie) and 2015 NCAA titles.

  *   The four-team semifinals/final format is in play for the second time, making its debut in 2019. From 1993-2018, the NCAA Championships consisted of 12 advancing to the final site, with six advancing to the NCAA Super Six team final.

  *   The top eight team seeds advanced to the NCAA Championships’ final site. 2014 was the first season the seeding determined at the time of regional selections was maintained throughout the championships. This is the second time the seeds held through regional competition (also in 2015).

  *   Six teams have claimed NCAA team titles<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.ncaa.com_history_gymnastics-2Dwomen_nc&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=j3Ldz5lhBhv3L1j83ENRTo_JDk3XyDTqfMbAQmzCLWw&e= > – Alabama, UCLA, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma and Utah.

  *   The NCAA Gymnastics team final makes its ABC debut on Saturday, April 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET. It is believed to be the first NCAA women’s team final airing on a broadcast network since CBS aired Connecticut claiming its first women’s basketball title with a win over Tennessee on April 2, 1995.

Gator 2021 Notables:
*         Won its third consecutive Southeastern Conference regular season title (7-0). Second straight undefeated SEC record for UF since every league team started meeting in regular-season action in 1992.<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2021_3_5_gymnastics-2Dno-2D1-2Dgator-2Dgymnasts-2Dwin-2Dat-2Dno-2D6-2Dalabama.aspx&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=SEylzpc9q26q21nIGKBDXzcn41Uq5MuIoIUO4M3yY1A&e= >

  *   One of two teams with national-high four 2021 scores among nation’s top 16 – No. 1 (198.275), No. 4 (198.15), No. T11 (197.95), No. 16 (197.85).
  *   Finished regular-season with top-five national qualifying score for every event<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__roadtonationals.com_results_index.php&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=4KCvAgCXOC8fJJ2I4rdek8fu5c8m4YYA-WAcrgcl9To&e= >: No. T-1 overall (197.944), No. 1 beam (49.656), No. 1 floor (49.544), No. 4 vault (49.488) and No. 5 bars (49.475).
  *   A nation-high seven Gators claimed 13 Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) All-America regular-season honors.<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2021_3_25_gymnastics-2Dseven-2Dgators-2Dearn-2Dwcga-2Dregular-2Dseason-2Dall-2Damerica-2Dhonors.aspx&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=KG68fN8T-9e4xWwXOvnlC1Ddff-AacNXokeb9QFCG0Y&e= > Trinity Thomas is nation’s only to earn the maximum of five All-America honors. Two honors were earned by seniors Alyssa Baumann (beam, floor) and Megan Skaggs (all-around, bars). Others picking up 2021 All-America honors were: Leah Clapper (beam), Ellie Lazzari (beam), Nya Reed (floor), Savannah Schoenherr (vault).
  *   Florida’s Jenny Rowland is SEC Coach of the Year for second consecutive season. Third such honor, which is most for a SEC coach in their first six seasons. <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2021_3_24_gymnastics-2Dfloridas-2Djenny-2Drowland-2Dis-2Dsec-2Dcoach-2Dof-2Dthe-2Dyear.aspx&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=Bx0mr0u70Cn4RDII52LPaWeFxMvHw2V-T9LvRrI5HWs&e= >
  *   Clapper is the 2021 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2021_3_20_gymnastics-2Dleah-2Dclapper-2Dnamed-2D2021-2Dsec-2Dscholar-2Dathlete-2Dof-2Dthe-2Dyear.aspx&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=A_JI2MPmaOkCKDDromxICjxlmnecjsgaUC3e4CAddqU&e= >. Third Gator to claim the honor and first since Alex McMurtry picked up her second consecutive honor in 2018.
  *   Two Gators were among the tie for the SEC Championship meet beam title – Baumann and Lazzari. Baumann is first in the 40-year history of the meet to win three beam titles.
  *   Joining Baumann and Lazzari on the 2021 All-SEC team were Clapper and Skaggs.<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2021_3_24_gymnastics-2Dfloridas-2Djenny-2Drowland-2Dis-2Dsec-2Dcoach-2Dof-2Dthe-2Dyear.aspx&d=DwIFAg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=rI_Af7mvV3hzEht4bAhdopkWOq7H3WHsEeHMSD1KvQU&s=Bx0mr0u70Cn4RDII52LPaWeFxMvHw2V-T9LvRrI5HWs&e= >
*         A pair of Gators earned 10.0s in 2021 – Leah Clapper (beam 1x) and Trinity Thomas (bars 2x, floor 2x). Thomas is one of five in nation with 10.0s on multiple events.

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.