Perhaps a fireworks display is just what the Gators need to spark a solid warm-up.
Tonight, No. 1 Florida will face No. 5 Utah on the Utes’ senior night, which will kick off with a fireworks show in a pre-meet ceremony.
Biding farewell to seniors and ogling over Fourth of July-style entertainment goes hand-in-hand with an expected packed house.
“We’re treating it similar to Georgia,” UF coach Rhonda Faehn said. “It’s going to be a large crowd, probably the largest crowd that we’ve seen all year.”
The biggest struggle on road trips is staying focused, so tonight will be a perfect test of Florida’s ability to stay in the zone.
But looking at Utah may evoke more feelings of familiarity than discomfort.
Both are young teams; Utah carries seven freshmen, while UF possesses five.
As far as season records go, both squads have suffered one loss.
Junior Elizabeth Mahlich said Utah had a lot of injured gymnasts last year, but those athletes are back, so she expects the meet to be challenging.
The Gators have also been struck with a slew of injuries this season, and many of those athletes aren’t likely to return.
Freshman Brittney Noble only performed in one meet before she was injured, leading to a five-meet hiatus.
Although Noble was recently diagnosed with tendonitis and cleared for competition at Auburn and West Virginia, she struggled in her return, posting a 9.625 and a 9.3 in her floor performances.
Because of her condition, Noble, who stretched apart from her team in Wednesday’s practice, will not be traveling with the team this weekend.
“A four- or five-hour plane ride is really not going to help [her],” Faehn said. “It’s best we just leave her at home this weekend.”
Though one Gator is experiencing setbacks with her injury, another is emerging on the other side.
Sophomore Marissa King has been slowly creeping back into her all-around position after a shoulder injury, competing in three events against Arkansas last week.
Faehn said she might put King on the all-around roster tonight along with Alaina Johnson and Ashanée Dickerson.
Since this is the last competition before the Southeastern Conference Championships, Faehn is honing in on solidifying the lineups the Gators will be using for postseason.
