With five days left in the 2014 gymnastics season and just one practice before the Gators depart for the NCAA Championship, the finish line is clearly in sight.
No. 1 Florida will travel to Birmingham, Ala., for the 2014 NCAA Championships from April 18-20. But the reigning 2013 champions are not focused solely on returning to Gainesville with the program’s second NCAA championship trophy.
“We don’t talk about repeating because that’s focusing on the end result and we have to focus on the process,” coach Rhonda Faehn said.
“Right now, our focus is on two great training practices here, and then getting there and having an awesome podium training and then the first day and going out and just competing aggressively on that first day.”
With almost two weeks between NCAAs and Florida’s last outing at regionals — where the Gators claimed first place — Faehn and her gymnasts used their time off to prepare and perfect.
“Right after we got back home from regionals, we spent a few days focusing in more on individualized skills and making little corrections here or there,” Faehn said.
Florida’s trip to Alabama could be déjà vu for some Gators, because they competed in the same arena against some of the same teams on March 22 at the Southeastern Conference Championship.
“We’re really looking forward to getting back to the arena that we competed in a few weeks ago and getting familiar again with that real quick and then getting the championship underway,” Faehn said.
Florida is hoping to do better than they did at the SEC Championships, in which the Gators fell short of the title by .175, losing to host Alabama. But UF will be looking back on that meet to prepare for the podium equipment set up that the Gators have competed on only once this season.
“Podium is going to be different, just a little bit, than what we encountered at regionals,” Faehn said. “I feel like our athletes adjust very quickly to that.”
Though most Florida gymnasts have competed on podium equipment in past stints of elite and international gymnastics, the Gators have competed 11 of 12 meets this season on non-podium equipment and they practice on regular equipment so adjustments will need to be made.
“The slight difference is that with a podium it’s on a raised surface and it is in effect a little bit springier, a little bit bouncier,” Faehn said. “So I know our athletes absolutely love that for floor and vault, it’s a little bit softer on the landings but they have been training definitely with the harder landings.”
Florida will compete in Semifinal II against Alabama, UCLA, Nebraska, Penn State and Utah on Friday at 8 p.m. The top three teams from each of the two semifinals will move onto Saturday’s Super Six team finals, where a champion will be named. This will be UF’s first multiple-day meet this season.
“It’s definitely a longer competition,” Faehn said.
“We’re going to take one day at a time, but they are going to be able to compete aggressively and well for all of the days.”
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Rachel Spicer performs a floor routine during Florida’s 197.525-196.025 win against Arkansas on Feb. 14 in the O’Connell Center. Spicer and the Gators start the NCAA Championships on Saturday.
