Kytra Hunter had just closed out Florida’s final rotation on floor with a 9.925.
Her double layout, one-and-a-half twist was enough to give the Gators a 0.25 edge against Alabama in the 2012 NCAA Championship just before the Crimson Tide headed into its final exercise.
Ashley Priess’ near-perfect 9.95 balance beam routine gave Alabama a 49.5 on its last event to edge Florida 197.85-197.775, dashing any hope of UF claiming a national championship.
“That second place finish at nationals wasn’t a good feeling,” Hunter said. “I hate losing more than I love winning.”
The fresh wound has only driven Hunter — and her teammates — to achieve more.
Hours spent training during the Summer A semester with All-American teammate Ashanee Dickerson has aided in Hunter’s execution in two performances this season.
“I trained with her in the summer, and she worked then exactly how she works now,” Dickerson said. “She’s amazing, and it doesn’t look like she’s missed a beat.”
Less than a year removed from the Gators’ second-place finish behind the Crimson Tide, Hunter continues to make her claim as the nation’s top collegiate female gymnast.
Competing as Florida’s first-ever NCAA all-around title winner, Hunter started the 2013 season with two event titles — uneven bars and floor — on Jan. 4 against Ball State.
But Hunter shined brightest last Friday against LSU in Baton Rouge, La., where the defending NCAA all-around and vault champion won the event title at 39.675, marking her seventh career all-around win.
Scores of 9.95 and 9.9 on vault and uneven bars, respectively, secured two more event titles for Hunter, giving the sophomore standout 26 event titles in total.
Coach Rhonda Faehn was convinced Hunter’s vault exercise could have earned a score of 10.
“That’s what makes her really so incredible is that she is able to pick up so quickly from last season,” Faehn said.
Hunter will aim to reach new heights in tonight’s home meet against Missouri at 7 p.m. in the O’Connell Center.
“I just want the team to follow after my role because I do feel I work hard and give it all that I can — and so do the other girls — but sometimes you need a little extra push, and I think that’s what I can be,” Hunter said.
Sophomore Kytra Hunter performs her beam routine in a dual meet against Ball State on Jan. 4 in the O’Connell Center. Hunter won the all-around title at the NCAA Regionals on Saturday.
