ChompTalk.com

Chomping at the bit for Florida Athletics

recent posts

about

Hello, my name is Griffin Foll. I graduated from the University of Florida in August 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a specialization in sports and media. I am passionate about my writing and reporting, and I hope you enjoy my personal website. Welcome!
  • SB: Trlicek’s no-no, Roberts’ 3 HRs highlight day three sweep at USF – Rawlings Invitational

    SB: Trlicek’s no-no, Roberts’ 3 HRs highlight day three sweep at USF – Rawlings Invitational

    Photo by Toñy Pena / ChompTalk.com

    Tampa, FL – The Gators wrapped up the 2020 USF-Rawlings Invitational with two wins to improve to 4-1 for the season. Florida needed just 5 innings to beat Georgia State in the first of Sunday’s double-header. Freshman pitcher, Rylee Trlicek, threw her first no-hitter as a Gator. Trlicek faced 16 batters in total, striking out 6 and walking just 1. Trlicek’s complete game took some pressure off the pitching staff and allowed them to be well-rested entering game two. Natalie Lugo got the start, throwing 5.2 strong innings and leading the Gators to a 6-1 victory over the host team, USF.

    Game 1

    Final: Florida 10, Georgia State 0 (5)

    Win: Rylee Trlicek (1-1)

    Loss: Emily Buck (0-2)

    Game Summary

    As Rylee Trlicek cruised through Georgia State’s lineup, Florida’s offense failed to get much going, outside of a manufactured run in the third, until a fourth inning explosion.

    Jordan Roberts led off the inning with a solo home run to left field. A few batters later, Jade Caraway hit a 2-run home run to give the Gators a 3-0 lead. With 2 outs in the inning, Hannah Adams’ double drove in Sophia Reynoso to extend Florida’s lead to 5-0.

    Roberts went yard again in the fifth inning, this time going to the opposite field and scoring two runs. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Baylee Goddard put the nail in the coffin for Georgia State as she hit a 3-run home run to give the Gators a commanding 10-0 lead.

    Trlicek tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth to complete her no-hitter, and Florida won by virtue of the 8-run rule.

    Notable Stats:

    • Rylee Trlicek becomes the fourth freshman in UF history to throw a no-hitter
    • Jordan Roberts hit her first two home runs of the season (3 RBIs)
    • Hannah Adams hit 3-3 with 1 RBI and a stolen base
    • Freshman Baylee Goddard hit her first collegiate home run as a pinch hitter (3 RBIs)
    • Freshman catcher Julia Cottrill recorded her first collegiate hit

    Game 2

    Final: Florida 6, USF 1

    Win: Natalie Lugo (2-1)

    Loss: Camryn Dolby (0-1)

    Save: Rylee Trlicek (1)

    Game Summary

    Florida’s offense carried its momentum into the second game of its double-header. Jordan Matthews’ RBI-single in the top of the first drove Hannah Adams in for the first run of the game.

    In the second inning, Jade Caraway drove in her third run of the day on a single through the left side. With 2 outs and the bases loaded, Charla Echols launched one to the warning track in center field, but USF managed to haul it in and work its way out of the jam.

    After a shaky start from USF starting pitcher, Camryn Dolby, Georgina Corrick came in for relief. Corrick settled in nicely until the fifth inning when Jordan Roberts went deep again to complete the hat trick for the day. Roberts’ homer gave Florida a 4-0 lead.

    Florida starting pitcher, Natalie Lugo, was dealing a no-hitter until Madison Epperson broke it up with a 2-out solo home run. Lugo, nevertheless, picked up the win to improve to 2-1 on the season.

    Sophomore transfer from Michigan State, Charla Echols, hit her second home run of the season in the seventh inning to give the Gators some breathing room and extend the lead to 6-1.

    In the bottom half of the seventh inning, Rylee Trlicek delivered once again in the circle to finish off the USF Bulls. Trlicek forced a line-out and sent two batters down on strikes to complete a solid first weekend of Florida Gator softball.

    Notable Stats:

    • Florida improves to 33-1 all-time in tournaments hosted at USF
    • Each of Florida’s 9 starters reached base safely, combining for 8 hits and 2 walks
    • Jordan Roberts hit her third home run of the day
    • Charla Echols hit .467 with 2 HRs and 7 RBIs in her first weekend as a Gator
    • USF shortstop Kyndall Williams made 3 errors

    Looking Ahead

    The Gators will return to Gainesville for its home opener on Tuesday night versus Team USA. Florida will then face UNF (2-2) on Wednesday night.

  • WGYM: Florida Remains Undefeated in Season’s Top-Ranked Matchup

    WGYM: Florida Remains Undefeated in Season’s Top-Ranked Matchup

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

    In its first tri-meet since 2012, the Gators triumphed yet again last night against both Denver and Iowa State. Ranked No. 4 in the nation, Denver will likely be Florida’s top-ranked opponent during the regular season – but the Gators took it all in stride, coming out on top in a big way. Their 197.875 is the third Florida-owned score in the top five scores in the nation so far this season, as of the end of last night’s meet. But what does that mean for Florida’s season moving forward?

    Vault was a bit of a slow start for the team, but there were signs of good things to come. Junior Jazmyn Foberg rejoined the lineup after being out last season and the first part of this season with injuries, nearly sticking her Yurchenko full vault. It was also a better vault night for Trinity Thomas, as her Y1.5 earned a 9.9. However, Alyssa Baumann had to shuffle back to keep her balance on her landing, indicating that she’s not getting her rotation fully around before hitting the mat. If she continues to struggle with that moving forward, it could pose problems for Florida’s vault rotation as a whole. Still, the team was able to drop her 9.8 last night, kicking things off with a 49.225.

    Before the meet, it was discovered that Mia Sundstrom, a key supporting player at Denver, had been injured in warmups, so Denver had to quickly adjust its lineups on vault, bars, and beam to fill in her slots. As such, the Pioneers’ overall score did suffer, starting with having to count a 9.575 on bars after a fall from star Maddie Karr. And in its first rotation, Iowa State bobbled a lot on beam, but eked out a decent 49.2 to actually lead Denver after one.

    In the second rotation, the Gators moved to bars and picked up speed score-wise. Freshman Payton Richards kicked things off with a 9.85 and the numbers built from there, culminating in a 9.95 from Savannah Schoenherr. That score actually earned Schoenherr her first bars title of her career, sharing it with Iowa State gymnast Natalia Ros Vaquer. The key for improving the rotation score for the Gators on bars will be really tightening up the handstands: there were many handstands in last night’s meet that were good, not great, and that can be the difference between a 9.85 and a 9.9. Averaging a 9.85 versus a 9.9 across the board is what takes a team score from 197 to 198, which come preseason is a huge difference.

    The second rotations for Denver and Iowa State were both very impressive, as Denver went to beam and Iowa State to floor. The Pioneers pushed past some bobbles and balance checks to put up a 49.425 on beam, highlighted by a pair of 9.925s at the end of the lineup from Karr and Alexis Vasquez. Iowa State showed off its slew of E passes and gorgeous twisting form throughout its floor lineup, and Andrea Maldonado showed why she’s the Cyclones’ breakout star this year. Her opening pass was a front 2.5 twist, also called a Randi, and she’s the only one currently performing this skill in the NCAA. She earned a 9.95 for her powerful twisting passes and commanding dance performance.

    The third rotation tested the Gators, as beam began with a fall from usual rock Amelia Hundley. Inspired to step up and cover for their teammate, the rest of the beam team were rock solid, showing tons of grit and not letting their nerves get to them. The beam team had hit after hit, with four of the remaining five going 9.9 or higher, and the rotation finished out with Trinity Thomas earning her first perfect 10.0 on beam. Thomas is only the fourth Gator to score a 10.0 on beam in school history, and hers is only the sixth 10.0 on beam in program history. Florida is showing that its beam prowess is not a fluke, and 49.6 is a pretty spectacular mark to be able to hit after a fall from the first athlete. The Gators are right where they need to be in terms of beam.

    Denver’s third rotation was also not without strife, with an early fall from freshman AK Subject putting pressure on the rest of the lineup. However, like Florida, the Pios delivered, with each of the following four competitors delivering 9.85 or better. Lynnzee Brown capped off the rotation with a huge 9.95 for her Billie Eilish-inspired routine, a performance even Gator Nation was cheering for by the end. Iowa State went to vault, its weakest event of the night. Despite having several 10.0 start value vaults, including three Y1.5s to finish out the lineup, the Cyclones couldn’t score above 9.85 due to their landings and lack of control.

    Going into the final rotation, the energy in the O-Dome was electric. All three teams were hitting their stride at the same time – this might have been the loudest I’ve ever heard the O-Dome. The Gators went lights out on floor, with everyone earning 9.85 or better and half the lineup at 9.925 or better. Sydney Johnson-Scharpf and Alyssa Baumann both hit career highs, with 9.925 and 9.975 respectively. The Gators finished floor with a 49.6, another enormous rotation score. The trick to maintaining the momentum the Gators have on floor is to be able to perform as convincingly in away arenas as they do in the O-Dome. Of the two away meets it’s had so far, Florida has had one convincing floor performance and one not-so-convincing. Head coach Jenny Rowland will want to find a way to motivate the team into home-energy performances in away arenas, because that’ll be the key to staying on track for postseason on floor.

    In their final rotations, Denver and Iowa State also posted some of their best scores of the night. Denver had a low start to its vault rotation, but since it only had five gymnasts able to vault, the anchoring two knew they had to step it up. Brown hit one of her best Y1.5s for a 9.975, and then Karr followed with another Y1.5 stuck cold, earning a perfect 10.0. The Cyclones finished on bars with their best rotation of the night, earning a 49.375 for the rotation. Jade Vella-Wright and Natalia Ros Vaquer closed out their meet with a 9.9 and 9.95 respectively, earning Ros Vaquer a share of the bars title and bringing Iowa State’s total to a whopping 196.8.

    Overall, all three teams should be happy with the scores they gained from last night. Iowa State will love a 196.8 away score when RQS comes around; it’ll give the Cyclones a leg up on some of their usual competition for those seeded regional slots. Denver should be proud of a 197.25 after taking one of its key upperclassmen out of three lineups at the very last minute, though the Pioneers will want to bolster their away scores with some higher numbers as the season moves forward. And Florida’s massive 197.875 will be another great score to set them up for RQS, and the improvements made and routines added inspire hope for the remainder of the Gators’ season.

  • SB: Gators split two at USF – Rawlings Invitational

    SB: Gators split two at USF – Rawlings Invitational

    Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

    Game 1

    Final: Florida 6, Fresno State 4

    Win – Hightower (1-0)

    Loss – East (0-1)

    Save – Lugo (1)

    Tampa, FL – Natalie Lugo came in clutch in the seventh inning as Florida held for a 6-4 victory over Fresno State on the second day of the USF-Rawlings Invitational. The Gators improved to 2-0 on the season and handed Fresno State its first loss of the season as the Bulldogs dropped to 3-1.

    Game Summary

    The Gators got out to a steady start offensively, scoring at least a run in each of the first 5 innings. Sophomore transfer, Charla Echols, got the Gators out to an early lead when she singled up the middle in the first inning.

    In the second inning, Cheyenne Lindsey’s RBI-double down the right field line drove in another run to give Florida a 2-0 lead.

    Jordan Roberts extended Florida’s lead in the third inning by driving in a run on a fielder’s choice.

    Fresno State answered in the bottom half of the inning, however. The Bulldogs tied the game up at 3 thanks to Schuylar Broussard’s RBI-single and Kaitlyn Jennings’ 2-RBI single.

    Florida wasted no time in regaining its lead. In the top of the fourth, Charla Echols drove in her second run of the game and Jordan Matthews drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Gators a 5-3 lead.

    In the fifth inning, both teams tallied another run on solo home runs. Florida’s Cheyenne Linsey hit the first of the two with 2 outs in the inning. Fresno State’s Alexandra Preston hit the second over the left-field wall.

    In the bottom of the seventh inning, Fresno State nearly pulled off a comeback. With bases loaded and 1 out, Florida pitcher Natalie Lugo entered the game and worked the Gators out of jam to secure the win.

    Notable Stats:

    • Freshman pitcher, Rylee Trlicek, got the win in her first start as a Gator
    • Elizabeth Hightower pitched 3 strong innings, allowing 2 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 4
    • Charla Echols continues her red-hot start as a transfer, going 3-4 with 2 RBIs
    • Cheyenne Lindsey went 3-3 with a home run and 2 RBIs

    Game 2

    Final: Michigan 11, Florida 2 (6)

    Win – Storako (1-0)

    Loss – Lugo (1-1)

    Tampa, FL – It took just 6 innings for the 7th ranked Florida Gators to record its first loss of the 2020 season. The Gators were 8-run ruled by the 17th ranked Michigan Wolverines in the latter half of Florida’s double-header on second day of the USF-Rawlings Invitational. The final score was 11-2. It was the first game of Michigan’s double-header, so the Wolverines were well-rested. Michigan plays USF later this afternoon. Florida falls to 3-1, while Michigan improves to 3-0 for the season.

    Game Summary

    The Michigan Wolverines got out to quick start, scoring 5 runs on a 2-out rally in the first inning. Natalie Lugo got the start for Florida but couldn’t keep the momentum rolling from her save in the Fresno State game. Lugo gave up 4 earned runs on 5 hits and 1 walk in 1 inning pitched. Sophomore pitcher Danni Farley saw her first action of the season when she came in for relief in the second inning. Farley struggled to find the strike zone, walking 4 batters and allowing 2 earned runs in 3 innings pitched. The Gators couldn’t get much going offensively, scoring its only 2 runs on solo homers from Kendyl Lindaman and Charla Echols. In the top of the sixth, Michigan scored 4 more runs to extend its lead to 11-2. In the bottom half of the inning, Michigan pitcher Alex Storako threw a 1-2-3 inning to cap off her complete game and give the Wolverines a win by virtue the 8-run mercy rule.

    Notable Stats:

      Florida’s loss is its first ever in tournaments hosted at USF (31-1)

        Charla Echols hit 2-2 with a home run, bringing her season batting average to .667

          8 different Michigan players recorded at least one hit

          Looking Ahead:

        • MBB: Gators embarrassed in loss to Ole Miss

          MBB: Gators embarrassed in loss to Ole Miss

          Final: Mississippi 68, Florida 51

          Photo by Matthew Maxey / Getty Images

          How it happened:

          Coming off the heels of a 20 point comeback at home against Georgia on Wednesday, Florida traveled to Oxford to take on Ole Miss. Mississippi entered the matchup with an 11-11 record and just a 2-7 mark in league play.

          Florida and Ole Miss stood tall against each other to start the game, with the scoring staying knotted at 7 before Florida hit they’re typical scoring drought which allowed Ole Miss to spread their lead out to 21-8. Noah Locke and Kerry Blackshear pulled the gators together forcing a Rebel time out. Through the first 12 minutes Locke and Blackshear were the only players who had contributed on the score board.

          Around the 6 minute mark both teams struggled to find the basket as both had over 3 minute scoring droughts going into the under 4 timeout. Florida responded by hitting back to back threes and closing the deficit to 6 with under 2 to play. A big time dunk by Scottie Lewis cut it to 4 with 40 to play in the half.

          Ole Miss was hot during the first half led by point guard Breein Tyrie with 12. The Rebels seemed like they couldn’t miss during that half going 46% from the field and 50% from behind the arc (4-8). Florida on the other hand shot 36% from the field and 27% from deep (3-11).

          Florida came right out of the break and cut the lead to two before another Ole Miss run extended the advantage back out to 10.

          Florida did everything they could to come back against the Rebels, but the 3 ball attack couldn’t get it done. Ole Miss finished the game without much of a sweat as they led by double digits for the last 8 minutes.

          Fast Facts:

          Nembhard: 5 points 5 rebounds 3 assists

          Locke: 8 points 2 rebounds

          Johnson: 16 points 10 rebounds

          Blackshear: 11 points 6 assists

          Lewis: 7 points 2 rebounds

          Quick Facts:

          FG: 33%

          3FG: 22%

          FT: 91%

          TO: 15

          Rebound +/-: +5

          Up next:

          Florida will be back in action Wednesday in College Station as they take on a struggling A&M team who has 2 wins in league play. This will be a bounce back game for the Gators.

        • LAX: Gators hold off Buffaloes, 11-10 in season opener

          LAX: Gators hold off Buffaloes, 11-10 in season opener

          Photo by Brian Fox / ChompTalk.com

          Despite the cold front moving through Gainesville this weekend, things got heated in Donald R. Dizney Stadium this afternoon.

          39 fouls, seven yellow cards and 45 shots on goal made for a fiery season opener for the Gators. The stadium was packed with a fervent home crowd that fueled the fight Florida needed to finally put the Buffaloes away.

          After 60 minutes of back and forth play, Florida defeated Colorado, 11-10.

          The Buffaloes started off strong with three of the first four goals in the game.

          Fed up with every whistle blown and not blown, Florida fans grunted and groaned at nearly every gesture made by the officiating staff.

          “I think it’ll be easier for us coming in to more cleaner games,” the midfielder said. “I think that’s what kind of frazzled people, too, was that [the game] was getting chippy. We’ve been working on that part of our game as well as not being as — yellow cards and swinging and stuff like that.”

          In the first half, what would have been junior captain Shannon Kavanagh’s first goal of the season was overturned and she was dealt a yellow card for a reason unbeknownst, it seemed, to the game’s announcer or the officials. Refs ran back and forth from the sideline and the crowd got restless.

          But after Colorado’s 5-2 run, which would be the largest lead of the day by either team, Redshirt junior Briana Harris and Kavanagh led the offensive charge for the Gators. They and freshman Emily Heller, who scored her first two collegiate goals in the first half, ran back to the locker room with the rest of their teammates with the score tied at six each.

          Under Kavanagh and Harris’ guidance, Florida extended its all-time series lead over the Buffaloes to 5-0. The tandem scored nine of the team’s 11 goals, each cementing their own hat trick with back-to-back goals early in the second half. Harris recorded a career-high five goals in her first game of the decade, but took more pride in the team’s execution as a whole today than her own record.

          “I don’t think it was really one person, like me or Shannon [Kavanagh] or anybody else,” Harris said. “Maybe my part today was to score a few goals, get a few draw controls, but at the end of the day, it’s just everybody playing their part and trying to better everybody else.”

          Next weekend, the Gators will travel to College Park, Maryland to take on the No. 1 Terrapins at their home field on Feb 15.

        • SB: Lugo tosses complete game, Gators win 2020 opener

          SB: Lugo tosses complete game, Gators win 2020 opener

          Final: Florida 4, Illinois State 1
          Photo by Toñy Pena / ChompTalk.com

          Florida kicked off its 2020 season on Friday night with a 4-1 win over Illinois State in the USF-Rawlings Invitational in Tampa.

          Illinois State got out to an early lead when Alyssa Wiebel’s 2-out double in the top of the first inning knocked in a run.

          The Gators answered in the second inning with a bases loaded hit by pitch and walk. Charla Echols followed that up with an opposite-field double that drove in two more runs to give Florida a 4-1 lead.

          After a shaky first inning, Florida pitcher Natalie Lugo settled in nicely. Lugo struck out 11 while allowing 5 hits and no walks.

          Florida couldn’t get much going offensively after the second the second inning, recording just one hit the rest of the game. On the bright side, the Gators drew 6 walks and 2 hit by pitches, while only striking out once.

          Florida will face Fresno State and No. 17, Michigan, in a double-header tomorrow.

          W : Lugo (1-0)
          L : Fox (0-1)
        • WGYM Liveblog: No. 4 Denver and No. 18 Iowa State at No. 2 Florida

          WGYM Liveblog: No. 4 Denver and No. 18 Iowa State at No. 2 Florida

          Your lady Gators take on another top five matchup this week in their first (and only) tri-meet of the season, as they face the Denver Pioneers and the Iowa State Cyclones. Tri-meets are action-packed, as all three events run at the same time. I’ll do my best to get everyone’s routines, but I will prioritize Florida and then Denver, since they’re the top-ranked two of the three.

          Florida is expected to win this meet, but don’t expect Denver to make it easy on them. Maddie Karr and Lynnzee Brown are the one-two all-around punch on this team and finish almost every lineup with consecutive 9.9+ routines. The Pios also owned the first perfect 10.0 of the season, with sophomore Alexis Vasquez earning it on the very first week of competition on beam.

          Iowa State is no slouch either. The Cyclones have a slew of international recruits with incredible pedigrees, including Peru’s first-ever Olympic gymnast Ariana Orrego and Puerto Rican Worlds team member Andrea Maldonado, the latter of whom recently got the front triple full named for herself at a recent World Cup. They’re led by seniors Sydney Converse and Casandra Diaz, and the team is already off to one of its best starts in recent years.

          The Gators will have several things to pay attention to tonight to gauge their progress as the season marches into February. Vault and floor landings are a huge key to increasing their scores on those events, so if the gymnasts can keep those secure and tight, that will indicate good progress from where they were in January. The bars squad will want to watch their landings as well as their handstands – floppy, imprecise handstands, especially on the low bar, will not cut it come postseason. Beam has been very strong for the Gators in the last few weeks, so if they can keep that up tonight and dial in the aspects of other events, they’ll count tonight as a win, whether that’s the actual outcome or not.

          Warmups are over now, so I should be getting lineups soon. Some notes I already have:

          https://twitter.com/mycluttereddesk/status/1225917871261306880?s=20

          https://twitter.com/mycluttereddesk/status/1225924414044135424?s=20

          Finally! Lineups for you.

          https://twitter.com/mycluttereddesk/status/1225930320836317184?s=20

          Wonder if Alexander is sick or if Skaggs and Foberg are just edging her out on landings. Also, regarding Denver –

          https://twitter.com/mycluttereddesk/status/1225929007234859008?s=20

          6:57pm: Touch warmup is underway! I’m so out of practice with tri-meets, so we’ll see how this goes, ha!

          7:01pm: Foberg, VT: FTY, looked like a good landing from here.

          Ruiz, UB: Good opening handstands, good height on Tkachev but not a lot of distance. Bail was okay from what I saw, stuck her DLO! Nice!

          Steinmeyer, BB: Split positions were good from what I saw. Missed most of this. Roundoff 1.5 stuck!

          7:02pm: Skaggs, VT: FTY, small slide I think. Replay confirms that.

          Subject, UB: Transitions good. Short on last handstand. Stuck DLO!

          7:04pm: Baumann, VT: Y1.5, stutter step back.

          Brown, UB: Pak is great, van Leeuwen, good, slight leg sep. DLO with a hop.

          Turner, BB: series good, lean on the last loso but controls it. Full turn, good. Dismount looked stuck from here!

          7:06pm: Schoenherr, VT: Y1.5, decent sized hop forward.

          Glynn, UB: Short first handstands. Gienger is good, good next handstand. Bail is okay. Good last handstand, stuck full in!

          Burns, BB: Side aerial lovely. Bobble on her dance series, though good positions in the air. Bobble on what I assume was her series. Small adjustment on dismount.

          7:08pm: Thomas, VT: Y1.5, another hop forward. Almost a carbon copy of Schoenherr.

          7:09pm: Richards, VT: Y1.5, small hop to the side.

          Karr, UB: Good first handstands, pirouette right on top, falls on her release. Rechalks, gets back up. She’s doing the whole thing again, wow. Pirouette into Gienger to overshoot, all good this time. DLO stuck! A shame she missed the Gienger the first time.

          Semple, BB: Switch half very short of 180. Stuck dismount – sorry, that’s all I got.

          7:10pm: Johnson-Scharpf, VT exhibition: FTY, small slide. Good for her!

          Morton, UB: Good first handstand. Tkachev, not much amplitude but gets it. Bail is fine. Short last handstand. DLO is super close, her knees buckle but she doesn’t let it take her down.

          Palacios, BB: several bobbles and some low split positions.

          7:13pm: Converse, BB: pretty mount sequence. Bhs loso series, small bobble but covers well. Split to straddle half, maybe a little shy of 180. Front toss is pretty, to beat jump. Full turn good. Roundoff 1.5, hops into salute.

          AFTER ONE: UF 49.225, ISU 49.2, DU 49.1

          Iowa State is ahead of Denver after the first rotation – some of those beam scores felt a BIT generous to me, considering all the bobbles and short splits. Honestly, same with the bars scores and short handstands, but I’m not the judge.

          Rotation two time!

          7:22pm: Richards, UB: Maloney to bail is good, if a little floppy in the handstand. DLO with a lil slide.

          L Brown, BB: Front toss is great. Switch to split is good, front leg maybe a little low but she’s facing away from me. Wolf jump is good. Gainer full stuck!

          Langkamp, FX: First tumbling pass hit. Front to half to split is super out of control but she stays in. Double tuck is a little low but not crunchy in the ankles.

          7:23pm: Gowey, UB: Ray is huge! Good handstand. Pak is lovely. DLO, slide back.

          E Brown, BB: Front aerial to back tuck, bobble. Sheep jump is pretty! Side aerial, nice. Sticks dismount!

          Diaz, FX: Love this salsa music! Hits combo pass, and I believe first pass was fine too. Double pike to close, nice and high.

          7:26pm: Hundley, UB: Maloney to pak is gorgeous. Missed her van Leeuwen but team screams like it’s good. College sticks her full in dismount.

          7:28pm: Skaggs, UB: Tkachev to pak, HUGE! And pak was glued together. DLO stuck, couldn’t have moved if she wanted to! That’ll be a great one.

          Ruiz, BB: Pretty mount sequence, lots of great toe point. Dance series is good. Floaty bhs loso. Side aerial to beat is good. Gainer pike off the end, a little off balance, stumbles at least once back.

          Diab, FX: Front double full to punch front, wow! Dance series is good. Second pass clean. Rudi to loso SO FLOATY! Good for her.

          7:30pm: Thomas, UB: Maloney to uprise is gorgeous. Pak is way better than warmup, not nearly as whippy. van Leeuwen is good. DLO slide back. Crowd explodes! It’s not a 10 though, and they know that.

          Lockhart, BB: Triple series, ooh bobbles but stays on. Stuck dismount it sounded like.

          7:32pm: Schoenherr, UB: Jaeger good. Bail is dead on. Last handstand is patient, maybe a little shy? I need the protractor graphic! Stuck her double front half out though!

          Cooke, FX: Front double full, almost goes out! But stayed in, I didn’t see a hand. 1.5 to front full, nice!

          7:33pm: Karr, BB: Lovely series, straight on. Hitchkick to side somi is great. Split full is definitely short of 180. Roundoff 1.5 stuck!

          Clapper, UB exhibition: Short first handstand. Release good, short on next handstand. Bail is good. Full in, slings it out but sticks!

          Converse, FX: Double arabian, a little bouncy out of it. Front through to double full looks a little wild in the air, but lands it okay. Positions are good in her dance series. Rudi to close, much cleaner. A good finish for her.

          7:35pm: Vasquez, BB: Front aerial to bhs loso, snaps those arms down but can’t avoid a bobble. Splits are gorgeous in her dance series. Y turn, gorgeous and perfectly steady. Side aerial to back full, looks like she almost missed the end of the beam on her punch but figured it out, and stuck!

          Andrea Maldonado, FX: This is amazing! Front 2.5 (aka a Randi), that’s awesome. Front double full to punch front, even this crowd is recognizing how good she is. Double pike, perfect control to finish. She is so entertaining to watch.

          7:38pm: Schlottman, BB exhibition: Side aerial is good. Bhs gainer full, single step. Sorry, missed the rest watching floor – Maldonado is just that good!

          Alondra Maldonado, FX exhibition: Double back, nice and high. Rudi to straddle, very low finishing her twist but the jump hides it a little bit. First split is a little low in the front leg, but the straddle position following is good. Clearly a stamina thing keeping her out of the lineup, I think. Front lay to front full to finish, sister gives her a big hug after she’s done. Very nice.

          AFTER TWO: UF 98.675, DU 98.525, ISU 98.425

          Honestly, I see a lot more separation between these teams than the scores are indicating, I feel like the beam judges are being very generous tonight.

          Ready for rotation 3? This is going to be difficult, I’ll do my best to get beam and floor covered but I can’t promise vault.

          7:48pm: Hundley, BB: Front aerial to sissone, great. Bhs loso, soft in the knees and can’t save it, falls off to the side. Gets back up, beat to switch side, good. Roundoff 1.5 stuck! That’s not the start they would have wanted.

          Glynn, FX: This opening choreo is great! Double back to open, good. Split positions way better than in warmup. Double pike, great. Headstand, whaaaat? That’s cool.

          Converse, VT: FTY, big bounce back.

          Turner, VT: Didn’t see what she vaulted but it was clearly great, their vault coach is roaring with excitement at the end of the runway!

          7:51pm: Johnson-Scharpf, BB: Punch front, dead on, good for her. Bobble on her series but keeps it small. Full turn is fine. Beat to switch half, not 180. Handstand to bhs back full, looked stuck to me! Replay confirms the stick.

          Subject, FX: So much power in this routine. Double pike to open, solid. Front lay to front full, pretty in the air. Double tuck to finish, crunchy on the landing, couldn’t see if she put a knee down or not.

          Think I missed Boychuk on vault, cuz I think this is Steinmeyer.

          Steinmeyer, VT: Y1.5, small hop, gorgeous in the air! Good for her.

          7:54pm: Richards, BB: Full turn to open, lovely. Bhs loso loso, straight on, great. Switch to straddle, switch might’ve been a lil short of 180. Side aerial back full, hop in place.

          Maxwell, VT: Y1.5, small slide forward? HUGE scream from the team and the ISU contingent here in the crowd. Must be a big deal for her to hit that, good for her.

          7:56pm: Andrea Maldonado, VT: Y1.5, hop to the side.

          Baumann, BB: Switch to split, good. Bhs loso, small check. Dance series is gorgeous. Full turn great. Side aerial is so steady. Roundoff 1.5 stuck!

          Ruiz, FX: Hiiigh double back to open. Straddle positions are good. Combo pass, layout a little low. Double pike landed chest down, but overall a needed hit.

          7:59pm: Lockhart, FX: An MJ medley, this is fun, but I have to wonder about sensitivity after Ohashi’s very public thing about changing her music last year. First pass is good. There’s some awkward fades in this music I’m not a super fan of, but she works it in the choreo sections. Rudi, wild legs, very separated. Double pike to finish, nice and high.

          Gowey, BB: Dance elements lovely as always. Bhs loso loso, DEAD on. Front aerial to sissone, great. Gainer full stuck!

          8:02pm: Karr, FX: Bringing Bridget Sloan’s senior music in here, woof. 2.5 twist is great. Performing the heck out of this routine, good for her. Last pass is clearly a hit.

          Thomas, BB: Bhs loso super steady. Split, beat to korbut is great. 1.5 stuck! AND IT’S A TEN HOLY COW! That makes her second ten, in two consecutive outings here in the O-Dome.

          8:05pm: Apparently Clapper is exhibitioning here too? Jenny told me Skaggs was going. She looks great so far though, series solid. Dance elements lovely and extended.

          Brown, FX: DLO to open, gorgeous. 1.5 to front lay, so floaty, and into a split jump. Great control. Great musicality through this final choreo section. Double back to close, great. Team is shouting 10 but she ends up with a 9.95.

          AFTER THREE: UF 148.275, DU 147.925, ISU 147.425

          https://twitter.com/samisadancer/status/1225949112308322310?s=20

          https://twitter.com/mycluttereddesk/status/1225948575886008321?s=20

          https://twitter.com/samisadancer/status/1225950821449392128?s=20

          This is a great point. If Florida’s beam team can continue to show this kind of fight, it looks like it could bounce back from just about anything.

          8:15pm: Richards, FX: DLO, beautiful! Dance elemnts good. Front through to double back is a little low, but pops it up quick.

          Subject, VT: FTY, big lunge back. That didn’t look like her? But lineup says it is.

          Sounds like Iowa State bars was a hit, but I didn’t see any of it.

          Ruiz, VT: FTY, much better landing.

          Another hit for ISU, this time from Diaz.

          8:17pm: Gowey, FX: I love that she’s become a lineup mainstay here this year, I’m so proud of her. Front to Rudi to stag, great control. Dance elements great as always. Double back to finish, gorgeous.

          Glynn, VT: Tsuk full (I think) with a lunge.

          8:19pm: Burns, UB: Tkachev is good, great handstand after. Bail is okay, good last handstand. DLO a little close to the bar, hop in place.

          Couldn’t see Brown’s vault at all, Adrian was standing in my way, but it was clearly a good one.

          8:20pm: Johnson-Scharpf, FX: Double arabian to open, way better than in warmups, a little knee bendy but fine. 1.5 to front lay, good control into her dance out. Double back, chest a little low but better than it has been. She’s definitely hitting her stride this season.

          Karr, VT: Y1.5, little slide forward I think but again, coaches standing in front of me. Apparently, not, she scores a 10.0!!!

          Cooke hits bars too. Sorry I’m not catching more of the Cyclones for y’all.

          8:22pm: Vella-Wright, UB: Maloney to pak is gorgeous. Van Leeuwen glued to together. Full in, slings it out a little but sticks!

          Hundley, FX: Whip double back is good to open. Crowd is not as fired up for her this week. Double pike, chest up, good. Oh now the crowd is getting into it, ha. Combo pass to finish is great. As great as she was in the anchor spot against LSU, I like this order better. I think she’s a good energizer right before Thomas and Baumann finish things out.

          Ros Vaquer, UB: Maloney to pak is good here as well, half pirouette right on top of the low bar. Great last handstand, wow. DLO, stuck! A huge rotation for Iowa State.

          8:26pm: Thomas, FX: DLO, just slow mo lays it into the lunge. 1.5 to front lay, floaty into her stag jump out. Super secure on her dance elements, great positions in the air. Hitting all her notes in the choreo here. I think my favorite choreo moment in this year’s routine is the knuckle crack. Double pike to finish, nice and high. Came reeeeally close to the line but I didn’t see a hand. It’s another 9.975 for Thomas, but her time will come.

          Maxwell, UB exhibition: Huge Jaeger, wow. Great handstand. Missed her transition, but she had a big hop back on her DLO.

          8:29pm: Baumann, FX: The meet may already be won, but she gets to take the victory lap. Double back still, no DLO, but it’s a great double back – super high, great control in the landing. 1.5 to front full is great, dances right out. Double pike to close, another huge one and great landing. Gowey TACKLES her in a hug after she’s done. Another 9.975, but wow was it an electric performance.

          8:32pm: Schoenherr, FX exhibition: Fur Elise remix, here we go. Just a super high double back to open, she’s ditched the front double full she showed at Orange and Blue. Dance positions are good. 1.5 to front lay, single controlled step out. Double pike, that’s another great lineup option for the Gators, wow.

          https://twitter.com/samisadancer/status/1225955571184087040?s=20

          FINAL: UF 197.875, DU 197.25, ISU 196.8

          I think each team will go home with an event title if I remember correctly.

          Vault will go to Karr with her perfect 10.0, bars is a tie between Schoenherr and Ros Vaquer with 9.95s, beam will be Thomas with her 10.0, and floor will be a tie between Thomas and Baumann with 9.975s. Thomas will almost certainly win the AA – yes, with a 39.775. That’s huge.

          These should be useful away scores for both Denver and Iowa, though if Denver wants to stay top 5, they’ll want this to be one of their lower counting away scores.

          Thanks for hanging out tonight guys! Check out my Twitter @mycluttereddesk for post-meet updates, and I’ll have a recap for y’all this weekend.

        • LAX: Young Gators begin 2020 campaign Saturday

          LAX: Young Gators begin 2020 campaign Saturday

          Photo by Kristen Oliff / ChompTalk.com

          14 true freshmen brand Florida’s young lacrosse roster as the Gators head into their 11th season this weekend with a home game against No. 18 Colorado on Feb. 8.

          “We lost nine seniors, eight of which started throughout the season last year, so we’re going to see a lot of new faces out there this year, and I think that’s just super exciting for us,” coach Amanda O’Leary said. “Our seniors and our upperclassmen have done a great job of taking those underclassmen and those freshmen under their wings and just doing their thing and making sure that they understand the culture, the work ethic.”

          A young squad and a clean slate have players eager to hit the field running Saturday afternoon.

          “We’re really excited to get started on Saturday,” junior captain Shannon Kavanagh said. “We’ve been waiting a while for our season opener, and it’s really exciting that it’s at home this year.”

          Florida — ranked No. 14 in the IWLCA Preseason Poll — are poised to win the 2020 American Athletic Conference championship, having received four more first-place votes in the AAC Preseason Poll than any other team in the conference.

          Before any talk of tournaments and titles become pertinent, the Gators have a tough slate of opponents to face during the regular season. This non-conference schedule could give Florida, as a lacrosse team in the south, an opportunity to prove that it can compete with the best of the best, including those in the northeast.

          “Every single one of our non-conference and conference games are huge,” Kavanagh said. “But it’s going to be even more important to come out and play strong in those [non-conference] games so that we can prove to the rest of the country that we can be competitive.”

          In just the second week of play, the Gators will travel to College Park, Maryland, Feb. 15 to take on the defending national champion Terrapins, who will begin the 2020 season ranked No. 1 overall.

          Florida will tussle with nine top-25 teams over the course of the season, three of which — Maryland, UNC (No. 2) and Princeton (No. 6) — are ranked in the top ten.

          In the ten seasons of the program’s history, the Gators have a win percentage of .811. Under head coach Amanda O’Leary, Florida has gone 90-21 at home and received nine NCAA tournament bids.

          The Gators will play 17 games before the AAC tournament with eight at home in Donald R. Dizney Stadium. Florida is scheduled to host the conference championship in Gainesville, with the semifinals on April 30 and the title game on May 2..

          After last year’s tough loss in the second round, the Gators will seek redemption in the NCAA tournament this year, which will be held May 22-24.

          But for now, their sights are set on Saturday’s opener. Senior captain Cara Trombetta speaks for her team when she says that she is eager for the season to start.

          “Just being able to go out on Saturday and put it all out there is what we’re really most excited for.”

        • BSB: Gators Voted Second in SEC East in Coaches Poll

          BSB: Gators Voted Second in SEC East in Coaches Poll

          Photo by Cliff Welch / Getty Images

          With a little over a week before the season, the Florida Gators baseball program was voted as the second best team in the SEC by the 14 SEC head coaches. The Gators also received multiple first-place votes. Florida only finished behind the Vanderbilt Commodores who are coming off a National Championship.

          2020 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll:

          Eastern Division

          1. Vanderbilt (9) – 87

          2. Florida (3) – 77

          3. Georgia (2) – 76

          4. Tennessee – 50

          5. South Carolina – 48

          6. Missouri – 32

          7. Kentucky – 22

          Western Division

          1. Arkansas (5) – 82

          2. Mississippi State (4) – 73

          t-3. Auburn (2) – 67

          t-3. LSU (3) – 67

          5. Texas A&M – 44

          6. Ole Miss – 38

          7. Alabama – 21

          () – First place votes

          Vanderbilt received the most votes (8) as the SEC Champion. Florida received the second most amount of votes as they got two. Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia and Mississippi State all received a vote for SEC Champion.

          Sophomore outfielder Jud Fabian was also voted Preseason All-SEC Second Team. Fabian was an early enroll at the University of Florida and made an impact instantly. As a freshman, Fabian was the starting center fielder and started in 54 games. He batted .232 with nine doubles, seven home runs, 26 RBIs and a .993 fielding percentage.

          The Gators opens its season next Friday with a three-game weekend series against the Marshall Thundering Herd. First pitch is February 14th at 6:30 PM ET at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium. It will also be the last opening day at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium as the Gators will move into their new stadium for the 2021 season which is currently being built.

        • Gators Add Elite Recruiter To Staff in Tim Brewster

          Gators Add Elite Recruiter To Staff in Tim Brewster

          Photo by Jim Hawkins / Inside Carolina via 247Sports
          Florida has found their replacement for tight ends coach, Larry Scott. Tim Brewster will bring his 25 years of exoerience in coaching tight ends to the Gators.
          The veteran assistant has served under the likes of Mack Brown and Jimbo Fisher, as well as a short stint with Mullen at Mississippi State.

          Brewster is well known throughout the talent-rich recruiting hotbeds of Texas and South Florida. Bringing him aboard will be a big step in the right direction for Mullen’s goal of locking down in-state talent. The Gators finished the 2020 recruiting cycle with the No. 8 class but continue to seek ways to improve their recruiting processes.

          Although the specifics of the deal are not clear just yet, Brewster was recently courted by Jimbo Fisher to join the Texas A&M staff but opted to remain at UNC with Mack Brown. At the time of his most recent contract extension, Brewster was receiving $500,000 per year in Chapel Hill. One can only speculate that Mullen and Company made him a substantial offer to lure him to Gainesville.