3 NCAA Championships ● 12 SEC Championships ● 9 with 20 NCAA Individual Titles MEET INFORMATION MEET 2 GAINESVILLE, FLA. Date: Friday, Jan. 15 / 6:45 p.m. ET No. 1 Florida Gators No. 7 Georgia Site: Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. Head Coach: Jenny Rowland Head Coach: Courtney Kupets O’Connell Center (2,100) Carter Television: Tape-delayed on ESPN2 / Jan. 17 at 6:30 Career: 66-12 / sixth season Career: 31-29/ fourth season p.m. ET At UF: same At UGA: same Video: SEC Network + 2021: 1-0 / 0-0 SEC 2021: 1-0 / 0-0 SEC Live Stats: FloridaGators.com Tickets: Sold Out. Contact UF Ticket Office at 352- 375-4683 for more information What’s Happening? Series History Georgia leads 93-59-1. Last meeting: UF No. 1 Florida opens 2021 home action with longtime Southeastern Conference rival and No. 7 Georgia for a sellout (all-time): won at Georgia 197.80 – 196.50 (Feb. 28, meeting Friday in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center at the Exactech Arena. SEC gymnastics fans showed they were eager for the 2021 season to launch, as each of the league’s four dual meets on Jan. 8 opening night sold out their limited 2020). physically-distanced ticket numbers.. GATOR SOCIAL This is the 60th time that one team in this series brings a No. 1 ranking (Georgia 42 times; Florida 18). The away team has Florida Gators Gymnastics taken the last three regular-season meetings: 2018 – at Georgia: UF 196.95-196.125; 2019 at Florida: UGA 197.45- 197.375; 2020 at Georgia: UF 198.025-196.50. Of the last 125 meetings between UF and UGA (since 1985), this is the Florida Gators 110th time both teams bring a top-10 ranking. @GatorsGym @FloridaGators There were six meets in 2021’s opening weekend and Florida’s winning total of 197.50 at No. 14 Auburn not only is the Gators’ all-time high to start a season, but also leads the nation. Trinity Thomas claimed at least a share of four event @JennyRowlandUF titles, including upping the Gators’ all-time best season opening all-around total to 39.75. That total leads the nation gatorsgym through the opening weekend. She raised her vault collegiate best to 9.975 and won floor at 9.95. Thomas shared the floridagators balance beam crown at 9.95 with freshman Ellie Lazzari. That mark give Lazzari the all-time high for a Gator making her collegiate beam debut. Junior Leah Clapper, making her collegiate debut in the uneven bars lineup, tied with Thomas for second at 9.875. Five UF returners set or equaled six collegiate bests in the 2021 opener. The Gator duo of Reed and Thomas claimed SEC Weekly honors after their performances in the 2021 opener. Junior Nya Florida Communications Contact: Reed shares the SEC Specialist of the Week honor after equaling her collegiate vault best (9.90) and sharing second on Mary Howard floor (9.925). Thomas’ four event titles at Auburn gives her the 12th SEC Gymnast of the Week honor of her career. Phone: 352-375-4683 x6100 No. 7 Georgia opened the season with a 196.15-194.25 home win over Missouri. With three gymnasts in both the senior Email: [email protected] and freshmen classes, the bulk of the GymDog team is juniors and sophomores so UGA will look to their experience to lead the team in 2021. Freshman Victoria Nguyen turned in UGA’s high score of the meet, winning bars with the nation’s DID YOU KNOW? leading mark at 9.95. She took the all-around win (39.40). Junior Mikayla Magee took vault title at 9.925 and senior This is the 154th meeting between Florida and Georgia. The Marissa Oakley posted UGA’s third 9.9 or better mark for the meet to take second on bars at 9.90. The GymDogs were 3- Bulldogs are the Gators most frequent opponent in the program’s 4 overall and 2-4 SEC before the pandemic ended the 2020 season. 49-year history. In the 2020 pandemic shortened season, Florida claimed its second consecutive SEC regular-season title. Florida’s 7-0 Since the first dual meeting in Gainesville between these two SEC record was its first undefeated record since all league teams began meeting in regular-season action for the 1992 season. Florida ended the season with a 10-0 record and No. 2 in the final national rankings. longtime Southeastern Conference rivals in 1974, Florida is 14-11. In 2020, Trinity Thomas became the fifth Gator named the SEC Gymnast of the Year. Of the three to earn the maximum The GymDogs won 197.45-197.375 in their last visit to the of five All-America honors in 2020 Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) regular-season awards, Thomas Exactech Arena in 2019. A tenth or less decided 25 percent of the is the only returner for 2021 season. All-America honors were claimed by three other Gators in 2020 – Alyssa Baumann dual meetings in Gainesville. (beam, floor), Rachel Gowey (beam) and Savannah Schoenherr (bars). Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland is in her sixth season with the Gators in 2021. Rowland swept all 2020 coaching honors, as she was named WCGA National, Region 5 and SEC Coach of the Year. In her first five seasons, the Gators won the 2016 SEC Championship and the 2019 & 2020 SEC regular-season titles. The team reached the NCAA team final in her first three season, finishing fourth (2016) and third (2017 & 2018). Eleven Gators collected 40 All-America honors in NCAA competition under Rowland, including winning seven NCAA event titles (Bridget Sloan: 2016 all-around, uneven bars, balance beam; Alex McMurtry: 2017 all-around, uneven bars; 2018 vault; Alicia Boren: 2019 floor exercise). UF returns four with 18 All-America honors - Alyssa Baumann, Savannah Schoenherr, Megan Skaggs and Trinity Thomas. From the final regular SEC meet of 2020 (at Georgia), UF returns 17 routines. Four freshmen join the Gators in 2021. Chloi Clark (Denver, Colo.), Gabrielle Gallentine (Iron Station, N.C.) and Ellie Lazzari (Wheaton, Ill.) all competed at Junior Olympics Level 10 National Championships. Lazzari won 2019 J.O. Junior F all-around, beam and floor titles. Gallentine took third in 2017 J.O. Junior B all-around and Clark tied for fourth in 2019 J.O. Senior B vault competition. Both Gallentine and Lazzari competed as Junior International Elites. Alex Magee was third on bars and fourth in both all-around and floor in 2019 Florida L10 State Championships. MEET COACH ROWLAND 2021 GATOR GYMNASTICS ROSTER Jenny Rowland, one of the nation’s rising coaching talents, is in her sixth season as NAME EVTS HT CL HOMETOWN (CLUB) University of Florida’s head gymnastics coach. Alyssa Baumann AA 5-1 SR Dallas, Texas (WOGA) Rowland is the seventh head coach for the Leah Clapper AA 4-11 JR Ann Arbor, Mich. (Gym America) Gator program, which is in its 49th season in Chloi Clark AA 5-2 FR Denver, Colo. (Colorado Gymnastics Inst.) 2021. Jazmyn Foberg AA 5-2 SR Bayville, N.J. (MG Elite) Gabrielle Gallentine AA 5-0 FR Iron Station, N.C. (Everest Gymnastics) Sydney Johnson-Scharpf V, BB, 4-11 JR Clermont, Fla. (Brandy Johnson's Global Rowland swept 2020 coaching awards – Women’s Collegiate FX Gymnastics) Gymnastics Association (WCGA) National, Region 5 and Ellie Lazzari AA 5-0 FR Wheaton, Ill. (Legacy Elite Gymnastics) Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year. She also shared the Alex Magee AA 5-4 FR Orlando, Fla. (Orlando Metro) 2016 SEC Coach of the Year honor with Arkansas’ Mark Cook. Nya Reed AA 5-3 JR Landover, Md. (Capital Gymnastics NTC) Payton Richards AA 5-1 SO Mokena, Ill. (Aerials Gymnastics) Rowland’s experiences from the sport’s highest level are the same Savannah Schoenherr AA 5-3 JR Columbus, Ga. (Georgia Elite) as many current Gators. She is a former U.S. National Team Megan Skaggs AA 5-3 SR Marietta, Ga. (Gymnastics Academy of member, a collegiate All-American and was named a 2015 National Atlanta) Collegiate Assistant of the Year. Halley Taylor AA 5-2 JR Tampa, Fla. (LaFleur’s Gymnastics Tampa) Trinity Thomas AA 5-3 JR York, Pa. (Prestige Gymnastics) Rowland is a Category 3 International Brevet level judge. She served on the judging panel for the 2008, 2012 and 2016 U.S. Staff: Pronunciation Guide: Olympic Trials. Head Coach: Jenny Rowland Alyssa Baumann – Baugh-man In the fall of 2019, Rowland was appointed to the NCAA Women's Assistant Coaches: Adrian Burde & Owen Field Chloi Clark – KLO-ee Gymnastics Committee. Her term runs through the 2023 season. Volunteer Coach: Jeremy Miranda Jazmyn Foberg – FOE-berg Assistant to the Head Coach: Brittany Arlington Gabrielle GALLENTINE – rhymes with Valentine Managers: Natalie Hoffman & Shea Wheeler Sydney Johnson-SCHARPF - shärpf Rowland’s Coaching Career: Athletic Trainer: Janet Taylor Ellie LAZZARI – La-zar-ee At Florida: NYA Reed – nī-uh Florida reached the NCAA Super Six team final in each of Payton Richards - Peyton Rowland’s first three seasons with the Gators, taking fourth in 2016 Savannah SCHOENHERR – Shane-hair and third in 2017 & 2018. Rowland swept all coaching awards in Halley Taylor – hAE-lee (rhymes with valley) 2020 (national, region & SEC) after the Gators finished at No. 2 with a 10-0 record in the pandemic shortened season. She claimed her Jenny Rowland – ROE-lund first SEC Coach of the Year honor in 2016 when the Gators won the Adrian Burde - bur-DAY SEC Championship meet.