There are no problems with UF’s perfect record so far this season, the six perfect 10s the team has scored or even the health of the team, but there are few things Rhonda Faehn would like to change about her 2014 gymnastics squad.
Against then-No. 3 LSU on Friday, then-No. 2 Florida (7-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference) posted its best balance beam score (49.550), best vault (49.525) and best overall total (198.125) of the season.
Faehn’s squad shattered Florida’s previous record of three 10s in a season set in 1998, and there might be more 10s to come from UF this year.
Junior Kytra Hunter has contributed four of Florida’s six 10s, and UF has claimed six of the nation’s 11 perfect 10s in NCAA gymnastics so far this year.
“Again, it was an incredible night, Kytra [Hunter] with a 10.0,” said Bridget Sloan, who owns UF’s two other 10s. “I mean, that girl is on fire.”
Alaina Johnson, who has competed all-around for the Gators in the past three meets, scored a 39.65 in all-around against LSU on Friday. Her 2014 season best was just shy of her all-around career best (39.675).
“It was really promising and it gave her a confidence boost to have this great competition last week,” Faehn said. “That was really exceptional on all four events for her and she’s capable of doing that every single time.”
After taking a yearlong break from competing all-around, the senior has showed consistent improvement in competition scores week-to-week. Friday, she placed third on all-around, floor (9.925) and uneven bars (9.925).
“Physically, she’s probably feeling the best she’s felt in a while, so that’s exciting, and it’s always positive,” Faehn said.
Still, there are two areas — uneven bars and landings — in which Faehn would like to see Florida improve before it faces Alabama on the road this week.
“Our athletes know that they just really have to stay focused on what they can control,” Faehn said. “We’ll be starting on bars and so the key will be to start out strong and aggressive on bars and then just to carry that momentum through for the rest of the competition.”
With most of the Gators scoring in at least the 9.90 range, the smallest mistake, such as a misstep on a landing, could make the difference between a perfect 10 and a 9.95.
“Our goal from the start was to start out slower and then to gradually try and get more landings,” Faehn said. “Last week, we included a few more drills for landings, and this week, we’re going to ramp that up even just a little bit more.”
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Bridget Sloan performs a bar routine during Florida’s 198.125-197.625 win against LSU on Feb. 21 in the O’Connell Center.
