Gymnastics NATIONAL COLLEGIATE WOMEN’S 2013 Highlights Florida narrowly beats out Oklahoma to claim program’s first national crown: Top-ranked Florida opened the NCAA women’s gymnastics finals about as poorly as possible, with two athletes falling off the beam to put the Gators in last place after the first rotation. Rather than let the dismal start dash their championship hopes, the Gators responded with a big comeback. A strong performance on the floor began the rally, and Florida pulled ahead during the final rotation to win its first title April 20 at Pauley Pavilion. ”It was not an ideal opening to the competition, but what I loved was this team rallied and didn’t let that affect them,” Gators coach Rhona Faehn said as she wiped tears from her eyes. ”I really think it’s representative of their desire and passion and their never-give-up attitude. After beam they could’ve laid down and said we’re done, and they did not let that happen.” The Gators got the comeback going by scoring a 49.725 on the floor — highlighted by four scores of at least 9.95 — and following up with a 49.500 on vault, the highest scores in those events. They scored a 49.475 in the bars in the final rotation to finish with 197.575. ”We wanted to leave everything out on the floor and we did,” Florida freshman Bridget Sloan said. ”We really just came together as a team. We were like, ‘We can do this. We can come back from this.’ We fought. This competition just goes to show that even with mistakes, if you fight until the end, you will have a great outcome.” Oklahoma finished second at 197.375, and two-time defending champion Alabama was third at 197.350. Host UCLA was fourth at 197.100, followed by LSU at 197.050 and Georgia at 196.675. The Crimson Tide entered the final rotation in first place, 0.025 points ahead of Florida, but Sarah DeMeo fell on the beam to give the Gators an oppor- tunity to take the lead. Florida, second last year, had the top performer in all four events. Sloan had the top performance on both the vault and balance beam with 9.95s, junior Alaina Johnson scored a 9.95 on the bars, and sophomore Kytra Hunter had a 9.975 on floor — the highest score of the day. Hunter was one of the athletes who fell off the beam at the start, along with Ashanee Dickerson. ”When I fell, I was like, ‘Holy cow!’ but I knew I could get myself back together,” Hunter said. ”What really means the most is the way you finish. I knew I had to get my act together and I did for the rest of the competition.” Winning the title at UCLA was particularly sweet for Faehn. The 41-year-old coach was an All-America gymnast at UCLA and began her coaching career as a student assistant for the Bruins. ”It’s pretty incredible,” Faehn said. ”Looking up at the stands and seeing my former UCLA teammates and my head coach going crazy and doing the Ga- tor chomp and saying I love you, that was huge. It kind of made it full circle. It was really nice.” Sloan, the 2009 World Champion in the all-around and member of the 2008 silver medal winning U.S. Olympic team, topped the podium in two indi- vidual events. She captured the title in the all-around with 39.600 points and the balance beam with a score of 9.900. Teammate Johnson defeated the No. 1-ranked Sloan for the bars title. Diandra Milliner of Alabama and Rheagan Courville of LSU tied for first in the vault with scores of 9.925, and Joanna Sampson of Michigan won the floor exercise. Milliner finished second last year in the individual vault contest. “(Milliner) has become such a performer,” Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. “She came in her freshman year and just ignited our team. Now to see her and see her artistry and what she’s done, as a coach you are really proud.” Courville became the third LSU gymnast to win the individual vault championship since 2008. “It just says so much for our coach Bob Moore because half our vault lineup was in the finals,” Courville said. “It’s such an honor to join such successful athletes from LSU. It’s all about the tradition and pride in our school. Michigan’s Sampson was the only non-Southeastern Conference athlete to win an individual title. The Wolverines failed to make the Super Six, and Sampson had little time to get over the disappointment and prepare for the floor exercise. “I think having a day between gave me time to settle down and pull myself back together,” said Sampson, who won with a score of 9.9375. “I just went out there and had so much fun for them. I wanted to do everything I could to represent my school.” Sampson is just the fourth gymnast in program history to win an individual national championship and the first to win on floor exercise. 2 WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS—Team Standings 2013 TEAM STANDINGS Alabama, and Vanessa Zamarripa, UCLA, 39.425; 15. (tie) Uneven parallel bars: 1. Alaina Johnson, Florida, 9.9125; (Note: Scores for the top six teams are from the team-final ses- Kaleigh Dickson, LSU, and Taylor Spears, Oklahoma, 39.350; 2. (tie) Georgia Dabritz, Utah, and Bridget Sloan, Florida, sion. Scores for all other teams are from the team-preliminary 17. Ashley Priess, Alabama, 39.325; 18. Chelsea Tang, Oregon 9.9000; 4. (tie) Erica Brewer, Oklahoma, and Mackenzie session.) St., 39.275; 19. Bri Guy, Auburn, 39.200; 20. Cierra Tomson, Caquatto, Florida, 9.8875; 6. Chelsea Davis, Georgia, 9.8500; 1. Florida ....................................................................197.575 Minnesota, 39.175; 21. Lauren Rogers, Washington, 39.125; 7. (tie) Rebecca Clark, Oklahoma, and Sarie Morrison, LSU, 2. Oklahoma ............................................................197.375 22. Giana O’Connor, Illinois, 39.100; 23. (tie) Olivia Courtney, 9.8250; 9. Nansy Damianova, Utah, 9.8125; 10. Randii Wyrick, 3. Alabama ...............................................................197.350 UCLA, Aubree Cristello, Arizona, and Brittany Harris, Oregon LSU, 9.8000. 4. UCLA ......................................................................197.100 St., 39.075; 26. Michelle Shealy, Iowa St., 39.050; 27. Melanie Balance beam: 1. Bridget Sloan, Florida, 9.9000; 2. (tie) 5. LSU ..........................................................................197.050 Shaffer, Ohio St., 39.025; 28. Lindsay Mable, Minnesota, Hanna Nordquist, Minnesota, and Katie Zurales, Michigan, 6. Georgia..................................................................196.675 38.875; 29. Tory Wilson, Utah, 38.725; 30. (tie) Amy Borsellino, 9.8875; 4. Mackenzie Caquatto, Florida, 9.8500; 5. (tie) 7. Michigan...............................................................196.850 Arkansas, and Alina Weinstein, Illinois, 38.500; 32. Moriah Michelle Shealy, Iowa St., and Kayla Williams, Alabama, 8. Minnesota ............................................................196.375 Martin, Denver, 38.275; 33. Ashley Morgan, Stanford, 38.175. 9.8375; 7. Marissa King, Florida, 9.7875; 8. Danusia Francis, 9. Utah ........................................................................196.200 Vault: 1. (tie) Rheagan Courville, LSU, and Diandra Milliner, UCLA, 9.3250; 9. Erica Brewer, Oklahoma, 9.2750. 10. Arkansas ...............................................................196.150 Alabama, 9.9250; 3. Olivia Courtney, UCLA, 9.9167; 4. Kaelie Floor exercise: 1. Joanna Sampson, Michigan, 9.9375; 2. 11. Illinois .....................................................................195.700 Baer, UCLA, 9.9083; 5. (tie) Ashanee Dickerson, Florida, Diandra Milliner, Alabama, 9.9250; 3. Emily Wong, Nebraska, 12. Stanford ................................................................194.700 Lindsay Mable, Minnesota, and Vanessa Zamarripa, UCLA, 9.9125; 4. (tie) Lindsay Mable, Minnesota, and Bridget Sloan, 9.9000; 8. (tie) Sarie Morrison, LSU, and Tory Wilson, Utah, Florida, 9.9000; 6. (tie) Katherine Grable, Arkansas, and 2013 INDIVIDUAL RESULTS 9.8917; 10. Emily Wong, Nebraska, 9.8833; 11. (tie) Lauren Marissa King, Florida, 9.8875; 8. Nansy Damianova, Utah, All-around: 1. Bridget Sloan, Florida. 39.600; 2. Rheagan Beers, Alabama, and Kaitlyn Clark, Alabama, 9.8750; 13. 9.8750; 9. Rheagan Courville, LSU, 9.8125; 10. Kim Jacob, Courville, LSU, 39.575; 3. (tie) Marissa King, Florida, Joanna Maliah Mathis, LSU, 9.8667; 14. (tie) Nicole Dayton, Stanford, Alabama, 9.8000; 11. Olivia Courtney, UCLA, 9.7750; 12. Alina Weinstein, Illinois, 9.7500. Sampson, Michigan, Emily Wong, Nebraska, and Katie and Joanna Sampson, Michigan, 9.8583; 16. Kytra Hunter, Zurales, Michigan, 39.525; 7. (tie) Georgia Dabritz, Utah, Florida, 9.8500; 17. (tie) Lindsey Cheek, Georgia, Alaina Katherine Grable, Arkansas, and Kytra Hunter, Florida, Johnson, Florida, and Moriah Martin, Denver, 9.8250; 39.475; 10. (tie) Jessie Jordan, LSU, and Sharaya Musser, 20. Brandie Jay, Georgia, 9.8083; 21. Madison Mooring, Penn St., 39.450; 12. (tie) Jessie DeZiel, Nebraska, Kim Jacob, Oklahoma, 9.7917; 22. Lichelle Wong, UCLA, 9.7833; 23. Chelsea Davis, Georgia, 9.7500. History Team Results Championships Year Champion Coach Points Runner-Up Points Host or Site Attendance 1982 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 148.60 Cal St. Fullerton 144.10 Utah 22,316 1983 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 184.65 Arizona St. 183.30 Utah 25,861 1984 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 186.05 UCLA 185.55 UCLA 21,563 1985 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 188.35 Arizona St. 186.60 Utah 21,303 1986 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 186.95 Arizona St. 186.70 Florida 25,655 1987 ............................Georgia Suzanne Yoculan 187.90 Utah 187.55 Utah 25,620 1988 ............................Alabama Sarah Patterson 190.05 Utah 189.50 Utah 23,220 David Patterson 1989 ............................Georgia Suzanne Yoculan 192.65 UCLA 192.60 Georgia 21,269 1990 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 194.900 Alabama 194.575 Oregon St. 35,614 1991 ............................Alabama Sarah Patterson 195.125 Utah 194.375 Alabama 31,769 David Patterson 1992 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 195.650 Georgia 194.600 Minnesota 32,591 1993 ............................Georgia Suzanne Yoculan 198.000 Alabama 196.825 Oregon St.