Throughout the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships, it was evident the field could not match the top-ranked Gators’ talent.
Strong all-around performances from junior Ashanée Dickerson and sophomore Alaina Johnson propelled No. 1 Florida to a 197.325 total to cruise to its 30th NCAA Championships on Saturday afternoon in the Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C. The regional win is UF’s first since 2010 and seventh in eighth years.
“I’m really pleased with how the athletes performed,” coach Rhonda Faehn said. “From top to bottom, there were so many great pluses. There are a few things, of course, that will give us motivation in the gym to sharpen and clean up heading into the national championships.”
No. 12 Ohio State placed second overall with a 196.225, and will also advance to the NCAA semifinals on April 20 in Duluth, Ga. The eliminated teams from Saturday’s competition include No. 13 Penn State, regional-host No. 20 North Carolina State, Kent State and North Carolina.
All meet long, Dickerson electrified from start to finish, winning her second regional all-around title in her career with a season-best 39.65. In 2010, she tallied a 39.70 for the individual win at the NCAA Salt Lake City Regional.
“She did amazing,” Faehn said. “She stuck every single landing in every single event, and that’s why she was able to win. She went out and competed very aggressively. I had no doubt that she was going to do a great job.”
Johnson recorded a 39.55 to place second in all-around, while junior Marissa King scored a 39.325 to place fourth. After winning the all-around title at the Southeastern Conference Championships with a 39.625, freshman Kytra Hunter came in sixth (39.25).
Dickerson and Johnson shared the vault title at 9.95 and also tied for the bars win with N.C. State’s Rachel Fincham (9.9).
Hunter picked up the floor title with a 9.95, while King notched the beam title (9.925) for her eighth win on beam this season. Dickerson placed second on both events with two scores of 9.9.
UF, the No. 1 bars and beam squad in the nation, finished both rotations with impressive team scores despite some mistakes. On beam, freshman Rachel Spicer wobbled for a 9.675 and Hunter touched the beam for a heavy deduction (9.6).
After their first two events, the Gators entered their bye period leading the pack with a 98.5.
“Starting right on bars, they came out with a lot of energy,” Faehn said. “It just really kind of energized the group and helped them carry that momentum over to beam. We had a few wobbles here and there, but overall just a solid beam performance.”
Although junior Randy Stageberg (9.75) and King (9.7) both received deductions for stepping out of bounds on floor, Florida rebounded to finish the event with a 49.275. But on vault, its final event, the team used a multitude of stuck landings to notch its second-highest total of the season (49.55).
“Heading into vault, the team was really confident and comfortable,” Faehn said. “We came up with quite a few of the stuck landings, which was helpful.”
With the NCAA semifinals approaching, Florida now has two weeks to refine itself in practice before facing the nation’s heavyweights.
“We’re all excited that were heading back to Duluth. We’re heading into another environment we’ve already experienced (at SECs),” Faehn said. “They’re very motivated. They feel like they’ve learned from last year not to take anything for granted.”
