With the Southeastern Conference Tournament only 10 days away, No. 1 Florida is still searching for consistency on floor exercise.
In its past three meets, UF has not maintained solid production from its full floor lineup. While some Gator gymnasts have shined on the mat, many have had their routines marred by minor errors and point deductions.
The Gators’ average of 49.144 on floor is the lowest of all events this season. Though Florida ranks seventh in the country on floor, it fares comparably better on bars (49.303), vault (49.278) and beam (49.272).
At home, the Gators average a 49.24 on floor. But at away meets, that number is much lower at 49.07. The team attributes its lower scores on the road to unfamiliar equipment and scenery, and an absence of energy from the crowd.
“We really have to work hard on generating our own energy on the road,” coach Rhonda Faehn said. “Whenever you have the little bit of adrenaline, it’s usually helpful.”
While Faehn said Florida has the talent to make floor its expertise, the team hasn’t found its top lineup yet. Part of the reason the Gators haven’t built up the right rhythm is because of health concerns.
“We’ve done that on purpose because floor is the hardest event to be able to maintain with your body and your injuries, so we’re really careful with our athletes this year changing up the lineups,” Faehn said. “Because of that, and not having the rhythm, I think there are little misses or landing issues here or there.”
After posting a 49.05, its second-lowest floor score of the season, against Auburn on Feb. 17, UF followed up with a solid 49.30 against Georgia a week later. But its total against the Bulldogs isn’t fully indicative of what actually happened.
In the second through fourth spot in the lineup, juniors Randy Stageberg and Marissa King and sophomore Alaina Johnson all received 0.1 deductions for stepping out of bounds.
In Florida’s 196.950-196.825 victory against No. 6 Nebraska on March 4, UF recorded a 49.075, its worst event total of the night, on floor because of subpar scores from Johnson and Dickerson.
Johnson recorded a 9.65 after coming up short on her last tumbling pass and struggling with landings. After opening out too early on her first pass to avoid running out of bounds, Dickerson (9.75) also took an extra step forward on her routine’s last pass.
“I’m working hard on it now and making sure I never do it again,” Dickerson said.
Despite the team’s recent struggles on floor, Faehn said she believes No. 1 Florida will get back on track after a week of rest Friday against No. 7 Utah, who leads the nation with a 49.244 floor average.
“When we put everyone together and they do what they’re supposed to do, [floor] has the potential to be our highest-scoring event,” she said. “There’s definitely not a lack of depth.”
Coach Rhonda Faehn said UF is still looking for its rhythm on floor.
