There will still be Gators under the lights in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday.
There will still be hardware to bring home. There will still be plenty of glory to be sought after at the NCAA Championships.
For the 2019 Florida gymnastics team, though, it’s a little bit different.
Only four Gators will make the trek to the NCAA Championships as individual competitors after UF was knocked out of the tournament at the NCAA Corvallis Regional.
“Obviously, it wasn’t the outcome we were looking for,” freshman Trinity Thomas said on Tuesday. “It’s difficult, but sometimes things don’t go your way.”
Thomas will join sophomore Alyssa Baumann, freshman Savannah Schoenherr and senior Alicia Boren as Florida’s representation. Thomas will be on the uneven bars and floor, Baumann will be on the balance beam, Schoenherr will be on the vault and Boren will compete in the all-around.
The gymnasts earned the right to compete as individuals by either scoring the highest or winning the tiebreaker in their respective events during the Corvallis Regional.
While they may not compete as a team, coach Jenny Rowland is confident in their ability to bring home a medal.
“In the evening session, the rotations that they’re in, it’s just going to bode well for them,” Rowland said. “As long as they take full advantage of that opportunity, I believe they’re going to have some great success.”
When the quartet competes in Fort Worth, it’ll rotate with teams that made the NCAA Championships. For most of the gymnasts, that team will be the Georgia Bulldogs, UF’s SEC rival and only regular-season conference loss. The exception is Boren, who will rotate with Oregon State.
For Baumann, rotating with Georgia brings a reunion with her sister, Rachel.
“It’s going to be weird to be with my sister, especially in the same group and rotating with them,” Alyssa said, “but I’m excited, because I don’t think I’d want to be with another team.”
Boren, meanwhile, said that she would have to let Oregon State know exactly the type of vibe she likes whenever she’s doing a routine.
“They don’t know what I need here and there, what I like with cheering,” she said. “It’ll be an experience. I’ll just have to adjust.”
Boren has competed at NCAAs before, but this meet will be the last of her college career. For the class of freshmen coming to UF next year, she has a single mantra of advice:
“Don’t take anything for granted,” Boren said. “Take it day by day.”
Follow River Wells on Twitter @riverhwells and contact him at rwells@alligator.org.
Freshman gymnast Trinity Thomas will compete on the bars and floor events at the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday.
