Florida is fourth in the preseason rankings. Coach Rhonda Faehn knows it, accepts it and understands it.
But that doesn’t mean she feels the same way.
“I genuinely feel the potential of this team is far greater than we are preseason ranked,” Faehn said. “But I understand that position simply because of where we finished last year and maybe coaches’ apprehension of not knowing what our newcomers are doing.”
Last season, the UF gymnastics team finished fourth at the NCAA Championships with just eight gymnasts on the roster after losing a third of the team to injury.
This year’s squad returns all but three members of that team.
Corey Hartung graduated, Melanie Sinclair was dismissed from the team after facing legal problems in October, and Kailey Tissue decided to apply for a medical scholarship.
Hartung and Sinclair both competed in the NCAA Championships.
Faehn said Sinclair, who is still attending school, promised her she would earn a degree.
“That’s the most important thing, that she gets her life back on track,” Faehn said.
Armed with the nation’s top-rated recruiting class and following last year’s fourth-place finish, the sky is the limit.
Well, Gainesville is the limit, as this year’s NCAA Championships will be held in the O’Connell Center.
Senior Amanda Castillo, who was hampered by bursitis before getting season-ending surgery for her Achilles heel last season, said she feels healthier this season and that the team is more prepared as a whole.
“My goal is to be back in the all-around (category) this year,” she said. “I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. I want to go out enjoying it, not regretting it. I’m going to have fun and I know that if I do that, I’ll meet my goals.”
With Castillo and eight other veterans around, finding the right combination of returning and rookie gymnasts is a must.
“We have a very talented freshman class,” sophomore Amy Ferguson said. “They’ve adjusted so well. I’m really excited for them to have a chance to compete because you try to describe to them what it’s like and you say, ‘It’s so fun,’ but that doesn’t even describe it.
“There aren’t even words to describe how much fun it is out on the competition floor.”
The five freshmen — Ashanée Dickerson, Liz Green, Marissa King, Dali Lemezan and Randy Stageberg — join five seniors, one junior and three sophomores to create more of a balance between the classes.
As much as 50 percent of the new routines this year could come from freshmen, Faehn said.
“It’ll definitely be different from last year,” she said.
The addition of five first-year teammates, coupled with a returning core from last year’s team gives the Gators more depth than Faehn has seen in a number of years at UF.
That will prepare the team to deal more effectively with injuries and hold off putting some gymnasts on every event until later in the season.
One example is Maranda Smith, who competed as an all-around gymnast towards the end of 2009 and may perform in just three events against Oklahoma on Friday to open the season. The meet will begin at 8 p.m. in Norman, Okla.
