Special report on the Florida Gators gymnastics team:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the only meet of the weekend with a pair of top-four opponents, it was the No. 2 Gator gymnasts taking the win.
In Friday’s tri-meet held in front of 8,323 at the Exactech Arena, Florida posted the nation’s fourth-highest total of 2020 to push its season record to 6-0. The Gators earned a 197.875, followed by No. 4 Denver (197.25) and No. 18 Iowa State (196.80).
TONIGHT’S MEET
The multi-team meet gave a post-season feel to the competition and that touch showed in some of the performances Friday. Two 10.0 marks were earned as Gator sophomore Trinity Thomas posted her first perfect mark on balance beam. She earned her first collegiate 10.0 on the uneven bars in the Jan. 24 dual win versus LSU. Denver senior Maddie Karr equaled her collegiate-best and set her season-high with her 10.0 on vault.
Thomas shared the floor exercise win with junior teammate Alyssa Baumann as they closed the Florida lineup with a pair of nearly perfect 9.975s. Sophomore Savannah Schoenherr anchored the Gators lineup with a 9.95 to share the event title with Iowa State’s Natalia Ros Vaquer.
Thomas equaled her collegiate best of 39.775 – the nation’s third-highest of 2020 – to win her fourth all-around title of the season. DU junior Lynnzee Brown took second with a season-best 39.70 and Gator freshman Payton Richards finished third at 39.475.
GATOR PERFORMANCE NOTES:
* The 197.875 gives Florida three of the nation’s top-five totals of 2020 – No. 1 198.375 (Jan. 24), No. 4 197.875 (Feb. 7), No. 5 197.80 (Jan. 31).
* The uneven bars win by sophomore Savannah Schoenherr was her first of her Gator career. She won vault twice as a freshman.
* Alyssa Baumann raised her collegiate floor best to 9.975 to share the win with Thomas. Baumann’s previous high of 9.95 was achieved four times, with the last coming at the 2019 Southeastern Conference Championships.
* For the second consecutive meet, sophomore Sydney Johnson-Scharpf upped her collegiate floor best. Last Friday at Kentucky, she set her high with a 9.875. Tonight, she upped that best to 9.925.
* Junior Jazmyn Foberg made her 2020 debut tonight, leading off the vault lineup with a 9.825. Elbow surgery sideline Foberg for the 2019 season so Friday’s performance was her first since the 2018 NCAA Super Six team final – a span of 657 days.
* After a fall by their leadoff performer, Florida’s final five performers hit their beam routines as the team posted a 49.60 on the event. That total ties for No. 5 all-time for the Gator program.
* Trinity Thomas’ all-around total of 39.775 ties for No. 9 all-time for Florida.
* Thomas’ 10.0 is the:
* 43rd in school history and 14th different Gator to earn a perfect score
* Fourth Gator to earn a 10.0 on multiple events (other multi-event 10.0 – Kytra Hunter, Alex McMurtry, Bridget Sloan)
* Sixth for UF on balance beam
* Five gymnasts earned six balance beam 10.0s season (two 10.0s by Minnesota’s Lexy Ramler; Thomas, LSU’s Kiya Johnson; Denver’s Alexis Vasquez; Illinois’ Mia Takekawa)
* Collegiate best set or equaled tonight by the Gators:
* Alyssa Baumann – 9.975 (floor)
* Sydney Johnson-Scharpf – 9.925 (floor)
* Payton Richards – 9.95 (beam), 9.85 (bars & floor)
* Trinity Thomas – 39.775 (all-around, 10.0 (beam), 9.975 (floor)
RECORDS: Florida (6-0, 4-0 SEC), Denver (10-2), Iowa State (3-5)
THE SERIES: Florida leads the Denver series 11-1 and leads the Iowa State series 18-1.
HEAR FROM THE GATORS:
Opening Statement:
“What a night for the Gators. First and foremost, we have to be really thankful to Gator Nation for showing up in full support. It was a great evening in the non-conference, but very thankful that we had a lot of fans to help us through the four events. It was a nice solid start for the Gators. It was a solid meet for us tonight. We had some adversity – illnesses – throughout the week and everyone is a little drained from being sick, however, they did a good job of stepping up and doing what they needed to do tonight in order to have each other’s backs. It was really good to see everyone step up and I’m really looking forward to our next meet.” – Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland
On beam fall:
“You can say treacherous, but I look at it as an opportunity for this team to step up, have each other’s backs, compete with confidence and compete as they do in the gym every day. That was something we didn’t have a lot of opportunities to see last season. What I was most proud of tonight was that everyone stepped up, remained calm and remained confident – they brushed it off and had each other’s backs. That was something I took away and this team should be so proud of themselves. You are going to have mistakes. We talk about that all the time. Not everyone is going to be perfect every night, but it is about the next person stopping that trend, stepping up, being focused and doing what they know how to do.” – Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland
On tonight’s meet:
“Yeah, I had a really fun time tonight with my team and everybody started off strong and just, I got the rhythm going and they all talked to me, and I gave them pep talks too.” – sophomore Trinity Thomas
On tonight’s performance:
“Exhibiting for the floor for the first time this season was super fun and I’ve worked really hard to just get in the lineup or even get that exhibition spot. I’m super excited about that. Back at the last home meet, I did pretty well on bars, I got a 9.975, so just going back in the gym and working on the tiniest details that sometimes I don’t even think about. But just really tuning into tiny details that are really going to make the difference and really working for that 10 and keep the momentum like Trinity says.” – sophomore Savannah Schoenherr
On what’s been working the last few weeks:
“These last couple of weeks I’ve really just focused on the details and pushing myself in the gym. Then when I come out here I keep it the same. I like to have words for all my skills, like mental choreography and I try to keep that as normal as possible. It has been seeming to work pretty well for me.” – sophomore Sydney Johnson-Scharpf
On Sydney Johnson-Scharpf’s performance:
“I’m so proud, she has been working so hard and it’s always so great to see all my teammates do well.” – sophomore Trinity Thomas
On Jazmyn Foberg’s performance:
“From my angle, I thought it was a phenomenal vault. I couldn’t see any landings, like the judges, but really excited for Jazmyn. She’s been through a lot over the last year and a half and I’m really happy to see her step up, go out onto the competition floor and have success. Her heart and soul is in this team and she is grateful to be able to contribute to the team.” – Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland
NATIONAL RANK:
Florida – Florida is No. 2 in the Week 5 Road to Nationals rankings<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__roadtonationals.com_results_standings_season_2020_5_0_5&d=DwIFJg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=wJvaWIo1hcG6HmE_HzLAy4DTeZCpu0QYZHmy37f9aOk&s=7hd42Dw1dCIISCZiyjZdFcCRQHpIDypwWWPWyc8TEvo&e= >.
Denver – The Pioneers are No. 4.
Iowa State – The Cyclones are No. 18.
UP NEXT:
Florida returns to Southeastern Conference action Friday at No. 17 Auburn.
When: Friday, Feb. 14 at Jan. 31 at 8:3- p.m. ET
Venue: Auburn<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__auburntigers.com_facilities_auburn-2Darena_13&d=DwIFJg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=wJvaWIo1hcG6HmE_HzLAy4DTeZCpu0QYZHmy37f9aOk&s=ph3bV_F-2f7l-O7b5xeNfD0hL2J6INxGAJp5XijqS10&e= > Arena
Television: SEC Network <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.espn.com_watch-3Fid-3D36a27260-2D8d2d-2D478b-2Dab94-2Dcc7379918719&d=DwIFJg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=wJvaWIo1hcG6HmE_HzLAy4DTeZCpu0QYZHmy37f9aOk&s=XspDHOTYrdbhhTRAEodSJHSlkIk-KdQJtdsPI1f9PqE&e= >
Tickets: Reserved – $10
General admission – $6 (adult)
AU Tickets<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__ev12.evenue.net_cgi-2Dbin_ncommerce3_SEGetEventInfo-3FticketCode-3DGS-253AAUBURN-253AG20-253A04-253A-26linkID-3Dauburn-26shopperContext-3D-26pc-3D-26caller-3D-26appCode-3D-26groupCode-3DGYMSG-26cgc-3D&d=DwIFJg&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=wJvaWIo1hcG6HmE_HzLAy4DTeZCpu0QYZHmy37f9aOk&s=qA4Z8mF5PrJgD1t6rV1Pj9yLR4bb6xSqEd6m5RscB6E&e=>
No. 2 Florida versus No. 4 Denver and No. 18 ISU
Final Team Totals
Feb. 7, 2020 ● Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center (8,323)
Team
Vault
Bars
Beam
Floor
Total
Florida
49.225
49.500
49.600
49.600
197.875
Denver
49.325
49.100
49.425
49.400
197.250
ISU
49.00
49.375
49.200
49.225
196.800