No. 1 Florida is filled with youthful talent capable of all-around competition, but its seniors play the most crucial roles on the squad as “spark plugs.”
Though seniors Nicole Ellis, Amy Ferguson and Elizabeth Mahlich are not all-arounders, they set the pace for the rest of the rotation as the first or second gymnasts in the lineups.
“The starter is always the most important position because it sets the tone for the lineup, calms everyone down and gets everybody ready,” coach Rhonda Faehn said.
“[The seniors] didn’t come into the fall thinking, ‘Oh my gosh. We have all of these unbelievable freshmen and sophomores. How am I ever going to make the lineup?’ They’ve continued to push and increase their confidence level, and they’re competing extremely well.”
Beginning each lineup is a tough task and requires focus, leadership and maturity, but UF’s seniors, along with junior Randy Stageberg and freshman Rachel Spicer, have been able to handle the duty.
This season, Ellis averages a 9.828 vault and a 9.822 on uneven bars, and Ferguson holds a 9.814 average on her specialty event, floor exercise. Mahlich, who has seen action four times this year, averages a 9.8 on bars.
The three seniors also haven’t scored less than 9.7 on any event in 2012.
“If the first person goes in and has a bobble and messes up, then there’s so much pressure on the next person,” Ferguson said. “I wanted to be the one to go in there and hit a routine, give the team hype and create as much enthusiasm for the team as I can.”
The trio will be honored in their final home appearance when No. 1 Florida (10-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) faces No. 7 Utah (7-2, 3-1 Pac 12) in its last regular-season meet tonight at 7 in the O’Connell Center.
In the group’s tenure at Florida, the team has won two NCAA Regional titles and claimed the 2010 SEC Championship. Ellis, Ferguson and Mahlich were also key contributors when the Gators placed fourth at the NCAA Super Six in 2009 and fifth in 2010.
“There’s going to be a lot of tears (tonight),” junior Ashanée Dickerson said. “They’re really supportive of me and the other girls, so it’ll be hard to see them leave.”
While tonight will be emotional for UF, as the seniors’ families watch from the stands, the Gators will try to keep everything in perspective as they square off against a quality opponent in the Utes.
“Obviously the win would be the cherry on top,” Ferguson said. “It would be nice to get a win on Senior Night, but I wouldn’t say it is as important as getting a solid score and a good foundation heading into the postseason.”
