Column: UF's smaller sports should be appreciated more
By Jake Dreilinger | May 23, 2017Everyone remembers Chris Chiozza’s buzzer-beating floater from behind the three-point line to send the Gators to the Elite Eight over Wisconsin.
Everyone remembers Chris Chiozza’s buzzer-beating floater from behind the three-point line to send the Gators to the Elite Eight over Wisconsin.
Entering the season ranked No. 11, the Florida men’s tennis team had high expectations for 2017.
An individual SEC champion, five team wins and four more top-five finishes. The Florida men’s golf team had all of the keys it needed to have a successful 2016-17 campaign.
As Kourtney Keegan slammed the ball onto the court, a small crowd of Gators fans roared in Athens, Georgia. The point won by Keegan and partner Brooke Austin gave them a 6-2 doubles win. It was one of the many things that came easy for Florida on Sunday, as it went on to defeat Oklahoma State 4-1 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
After round two of the NCAA Championships in Sugar Grove, Illinois, the Gators women’s golf team sits in 12th place, up four spots from the first round.
When Nicole DeWitt’s powerful hit soared over right field, she brought her left hand to her lips and blew a kiss to the sky.
Round one of the NCAA Championship in Sugar Grove, Illinois, was hampered by rain and wind, perhaps causing some golfers to miss out on their potential.
After an easy victory over Florida A&M in the opening round of the Gainesville Regional, the No. 1 Florida softball team found itself in a tougher battle against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls.
After its first match in Athens, Georgia, the Gators women’s tennis team already knows the level of competition that lies ahead. On Friday night, Florida blanked Texas A&M 4-0 to advance to the Elite 8.
For all the noise the Florida women’s golf team made entering Friday’s NCAA Championship, one might have reasonably thought UF was a strong contender for the title. The fifth-ranked team in the nation entered the weekend following a grind-it-out style win in the NCAA Regional in Columbus, Ohio.
As soon as Alex Faedo’s pitch came off the bat of Kentucky’s Tristian Pompey, Florida right fielder Nelson Maldonado ran backwards down the right field line.
Alfredo Perez sat on the bench and stared straight at the ground with frustration. This body language is not typical of a player leading his opponent by one set and heading into a second set tiebreak.
Going into the final round of the NCAA Regional, Florida's men's golf team was in prime position to advance to the national championship. But after Wednesday’s performance, the Gators will head back to Gainesville empty-handed, as their season ended with a combined 24-over in the final round, putting their total score at 27-over in the tournament.
Frank Rubio will be the first to admit that things looked bleak for Florida after its opening weekend of SEC play back in March.
After a disappointing early exit in the SEC Tournament, the No. 1 Florida softball team will quickly regather itself before pushing into the NCAA Gainesville Regional.
The UF men’s tennis team has made it to the Sweet 16 for a second straight year.
Before the Gators women’s tennis team stepped out on the court Sunday, Ingrid Neel was thinking ahead. The lone freshman playing in her first NCAA tournament was so eager to advance to the Sweet 16 in Athens, Georgia, she wasn’t even thinking about tennis.
While some younger UF baseball players are beginning their MLB careers, one established veteran is proving that he still has it.
This Friday, the Gators women’s golf team will begin its quest for its third NCAA title in program history.
The No. 5 Florida men’s golf team sat in fifth place in the NCAA Regional at the end of round one on Monday. Today, the Gators bounced back and gained two positions in the leaderboard, moving into third place at the end of two rounds at Kampen Golf Course in West Lafayette, Indiana.