Last postseason, one apparatus stood in the way of the Gators’ quest for a national title.
At the semifinals of the 2011 NCAA Championships, Florida stumbled on balance beam, posting a season-worst 48.125. UF’s beam performance prevented it from advancing to the Super Six as it placed fourth with a 196.125 to be edged out by third-place Utah by .075 points.
The Gators also had trouble on beam prior to last year’s NCAAs. At the North Central Regional in Denver, Colo., errors by Ashanée Dickerson (8.475) and Elizabeth Mahlich (9.225) forced the team to a beam total of 48.425.
UF almost collapsed under its own weight but managed to finish second overall with a 196.425. On their other three events, the Gators scored at least a 49.225.
“It’s different for each team and it’s different for each year,” coach Rhonda Faehn said. “We were falling on bars when we hosted NCAAs (in 2010). That was the event that was hard for us. Other times we’ve had it where it was vault, so you just never know. Last year, it just happened to be beam.”
But this season, beam has been a strong suit for the Gators rather than a weakness.
Florida is currently the top-ranked beam squad in the country with a 49.271 average, almost .3 points more than last year’s. UF also has four of the top-25 beam performers in the nation.
“It’s funny how it’s completely switched this season,” junior Marissa King said. “Beam was our weakest event last year, and now it’s one of our strongest events. Last year, no one went in competition with confidence that we’re going to hit beam. We would cross our fingers and toes and stuff.”
The main key to UF’s improvement on beam has been chemistry. In 2011, UF’s beam lineup often fluctuated as Liz Green (back) and King (foot) missed significant time with nagging injuries. But this year, the Gators have found continuity with everybody healthy and performing consistently.
“[Familiarity in the lineup] can play a difference in an event like beam because it is very mental and very precise, and it’s very easy to let things go in that event,” junior Randy Stageberg said. “Having a steady lineup, knowing what each person is capable of doing and going week to week and trusting that lineup, that’s played a big role in it.”
Another driving force has been King’s development on beam. Her 9.884 average, which is almost .2 points more than her mark last season, is good for third in the country. She has also has won seven beam titles in 2012.
“I had to start fresh this season,” King said. “When people ask me if I did beam, I’m like, ‘No, I didn’t do beam last year. That wasn’t me.’ I’m like a new person now.”
Stageberg’s emergence in the leadoff position of the lineup, the addition of freshman Rachel Spicer and sophomore Alaina Johnson’s revamped beam composition are also reasons for UF’s recent beam success.
No. 1 Florida will approach beam, its second event after uneven bars, with certainty this Saturday when it travels to Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C., to compete at NCAA regionals.
“This year, everyone is really confident with everyone who goes up,” King said. “It’s a great feeling.”
