Despite the pressures of postseason action, the Gators have plenty of reasons to feel comfortable Saturday.
Coming off its eighth Southeastern Conference title in school history, No. 1 Florida (17-1, 5-1 SEC) will return to Raleigh, N.C., the site of its season opener, to take part in its NCAA Regional Championships at 4 p.m.
In UF’s first meet of the season against North Carolina State on Jan. 6, it dominated the Wolfpack, 196.025-194.675.
“N.C. State by far is the best place we could have been placed,” junior Randy Stageberg said. “It’s three hours away from my home, so I have a lot of family and friends coming. Most of them haven’t seen me compete before in a college meet.”
Along with No. 20 N.C. State, Florida’s competition will consist of No. 12 Ohio State, No. 13 Penn State, Kent State and North Carolina. The two top-scoring teams Saturday will advance to the NCAA Championships on April 20.
The Gators hope previously competing in Reynolds Coliseum will prove to be a benefit. Many Gators have said that the Wolfpack’s apparatuses feel similar to their home equipment.
“We’ve been to N.C. State, the athletes remember the arena, we know visually what the setup of the equipment is like, we’ve been on the equipment,” coach Rhonda Faehn said. “It’s not going to be something that’s unfamiliar to them.”
UF’s rotational order also looks to be favorable. After starting out on uneven bars and balance beam, the team will take a bye and then compete on floor exercise and vault before finishing out with another bye.
The Gators are currently No. 1 in the country on both bars and beam.
“It’s a great draw,” Faehn said. “It’s nice to finish out on a bye because you just get your job done and you don’t have to sit out another rotation and then come back again into the competition.”
As the Gators should feel accustomed to their location for regionals, Faehn said she believes her squad is also in a great place mentally.
“This team is a completely different team. Different group, different mentality,” Faehn said. “We feel like they’re confident and ready to go.”
Ellis likely out on vault: Faehn said senior Nicole Ellis might not take part in the vault lineup Saturday due to a hip injury she suffered against Utah. If Ellis is a no-go, she said freshmen Kiersten Wang or Jamie Shisler would step in to take her place.
Faehn added that Ellis might compete on bars if she feels up to the task Saturday afternoon.
