The Gators are excited for their home opener tonight against Illinois-Chicago, but coach Rhonda Faehn is looking ahead.
Instead of having her top gymnasts exhaust themselves as all-around competitors every weekend, Faehn said she will hold back some of her players for the sake of finishing strong.
“One thing we’re really trying to focus on is not getting caught up in what’s going to happen right now,” she said.
“We have to look at what our goal is for the long-run of the season. Of course, every competition that we go out and compete in, we want to win.”
Pacing was an issue for UF throughout last season. After peaking at the end of February, then-No. 1 Florida stumbled to finish the year, placing second at the Southeastern Conference Championships to eventual 2011 national title winner Alabama.
At Session II of NCAA Gymnastics Championships’ semifinal competition in April, the Gators placed seventh, missing out on a spot in the NCAA Super Six team final by .075 points.
“We were so strong throughout the end of February, and it was a little bit hard to hold on physically to the end of the season,” Faehn said.
“We’re working on making sure we start very slow this season and pace ourselves and continue to get better and build up.”
So when No. 3 Florida (1-0) takes on UIC (1-0) in the O’Connell Center tonight at 7, Faehn said her freshmen will get many opportunities to compete while the upperclassmen rest.
Faehn said it’s challenging to hold back her more experienced gymnasts, but some are embracing leadership roles.
Although they are only juniors, All-Americans Ashanée Dickerson and Marissa King have become role models for the freshmen gymnasts and have gradually gained their trust and respect.
“I’ve really tried to step up to that position through just giving the girls advice,” said King, who won 2011 NCAA Vault title.
Dickerson, on the other hand, has taken a different approach to leading the youngsters.
“I’m more like the person who leads by example,” Dickerson said. “Marissa’s the outgoing person and she’s more talkative than I am. She’s the vocal leader.”
While Dickerson and King are rallying the troops, Faehn is focused on the Gators’ long-term durability.
“(We have to) make sure that we have everyone at the end of the season at their best freshness, their best health,” Faehn said.
“The regular season isn’t as important as the end of the season.”
Injury update: Florida will likely be without one of its key contributors tonight.
Sophomore Mackenzie Caquatto is out with an ankle injury she sustained at the final selection camp for the U.S. world championships team back in September, although she is working on balance beam and uneven bars routines in practice.
Faehn said last Friday that Caquatto would return to the bars lineup in a couple of weeks, and to beam in about four-to-six weeks.
Florida plans to utilize more freshmen early this season, and juniors Ashanée Dickerson (left) and Marissa King have taken on leadership roles.
