Even if Rhonda Faehn was still here, I think realistic fans know that this was going to be a tough year for a 4-peat without Kytra Hunter, who graduated last year, and is arguably the greatest gymnast in Gator history. Bridget Sloan has a great shot for matching or exceeding Hunter's feats. UF fell short of championship glory by just the tiniest amount in the NCAAs before Sloan came to town; the one-two punch of Hunter & Sloan made the Gators very hard to beat.
If Rowland takes UF to the Super Six and they compete on the final day even without taking the trophy, I think fans will be pleased and there will be no blow-back on our new coach. There's a ton of sophomore and freshman talent on the team (last year's signing class was ranked #1 and next year's incoming class is ranked the same), so if they're not in the running every year, well, then...there's a problem. I like Rowland so far and Faehn recommended Rowland to Foley, so I'd say she's got a lot of goodwill among fans, 4-peat or not. On Fri, Jan 15, 2016 at 10:55 AM, Oliver Barry <[email protected]> wrote: > If anyone has ever been set up to fail, this is probably the biggest > chance. > > Jenny Rowland is brave to take this job on. After 3 national > championships in a row, she’s got to keep the momentum going. > > It’s not hard enough to win a national championship without winning the > program’s fourth in a row. And, doing it in your first year as coach. > > She does have some of the best athletes in the country to try this feat > with. > > I wish her the best. > > > > Oliver Barry, CRS, GRI > > Real Estate Broker > > PARKS > > 305B Indian Lake Blvd > > Suite 220 > > Hendersonville TN 37075 > > Phone: 615-826-4040 > > Mobile: 615-972-4239 > > [email protected] > > > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] *On > Behalf Of *Shane Ford > *Sent:* Friday, January 15, 2016 8:06 AM > *To:* GatorNews > *Subject:* [gatornews] [SUN]: Rowland excited for O'Dome debut > > > Rowland excited for O'Dome debut > > > > University of Florida gymnastics coach Jenny Rowland works with the team > during practice in October. Rowland and the Gator gymnastics squad make > their home debut Friday. > > *Erica Brough/Staff photographer/File* > > > > > *By Jim HarvinGainesville SUN Correspondent* > *Published: Friday, January 15, 2016 at 6:01 a.m.**Last Modified: > Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 6:43 p.m.* > > New Florida gymnastics coach Jenny Rowland is definitely pumped about > making her home debut when her third-ranked Gators host No. 5 UCLA in UF's > home opener at 6:45 p.m. Friday in the O'Connell Center. > > “The girls have been talking non-stop about competing in the O-Dome, and > I'm just so ready to stand by their side and support them and cheer them > on,” Rowland said. “I'm just excited to see all of Gator Nation come in and > support the gymnasts.” > > UF (1-0), winner of three straight NCAA gymnastics titles, won its > season-opener easily last Friday at Texas Woman's University, > 196.825-191.45. > > It was the fourth-highest score among Florida's 44 season-opening > performances (1973-present), with the Gators, led by senior All-American > Bridget Sloan who shared the SEC Gymnast of the Week honors with LSU's Myla > Hambrick, sweeping the meet's events. > > Sloan captured the all-around title with the third-highest season-opening > score (39.50) in UF history. It was the 19th all-around crown of Sloan's > illustrious career. She also added the uneven bars title (9.875) and shared > the floor exercise title with sophomore Kennedy Baker, each posting a 9.90. > > Only four UF gymnasts have won 20 or more all-around titles, and Sloan is > just one win away from becoming No. 5. In addition, she now has won 71 > event titles, making her the fifth UF athlete to pass the 70-win career > plateau. > > Other winners included sophomore Alex McMurtry winning her eighth career > title on the vault (9.925), while sophomore Ericha Fassbender and freshman > Alicia Boren shared the balance beam title, each with a 9.90. > > “It was very exciting,” Boren said. “There was a lot of energy. I expected > to be in my own world, but I ended up opening up with the help of all my > teammates and my coaches, which is really good for me because it helped me > not focus so much on how serious it was but more like on having fun.” > > Tonight, Boren gets her first taste of performing at home. > > “From my team I've heard that it's an experience that you'll never forget > and that the crowd is just amazing and supportive and the energy is > unimaginable,” she said. “They said it's really going to be a great > experience.” > > Bianca Dancose-Giambattisto, one of four UF seniors, noted everyone is > excited about making their home debut. > > The fact that it will also be a top-5 battle between the Gators and Bruins > is just icing on the cake. > > “We are extremely excited, and as seniors, we've already told everybody, > especially our freshmen, that this is going to be the most exciting meet > we're going to have this year,” Dancose-Giambattisto said. “We're just so > excited for Jenny and (first-year assistant coach) Owen (Field) to have > their first home opener as well as the freshmen. The excitement is all > there.” > > UCLA, which defeated then-No. 3 Alabama 196.550-196.300 in its > season-opener at home last Sunday, will be led by senior Danusia Francis > and redshirt junior Christine Peng-Peng Lee, who shared the balance beam > title with matching scores of 9.950, and junior Hallie Mossett and redshirt > senior Sadiqua Bynum, who shared the floor exercise title with scores of > 9.950 as well. > > “I think what I gathered from our meet last weekend was that the girls > have really responded to the training and the plan that has been put in > place with the new coaching staff,” Rowland said. “I think it was good to > see that everything was normal, just like it was in practice. It was a very > smooth transition into competition.” > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sent From Shane's iPhone > > Go Gators! & Skål Vikes! > > ALPCA #8756 > > Europlate #1045 > > -- > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 > National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 > National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel > (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "GatorNews" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 > National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 > National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier > (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "GatorTalk" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
