Freshman Bridgette Caquatto was held together by tape all summer long.
Caquatto arrived at Florida following shoulder and knee surgeries, as well as two stress fractures in her shins. She did only rehab and conditioning until Thanksgiving.
Now at full health, Caquatto — along with her fellow freshmen — is playing an integral role in Florida’s postseason success.
“Our freshman class has done a really great job up to this point,” coach Rhonda Faehn said. “Just very consistent and also very personable, loud and enthusiastic.”
With senior Randy Stageberg out with a dislocated shoulder she suffered during practice on March 29, Florida’s depth has been tested. It had to replace an anchor on both balance beam and floor.
During the NCAA Regional Championships, freshmen Bridget Sloan, Bianca Dancose-Giambattisto and Caquatto stepped up to fill the void.
Caquatto, who had only performed exhibition on two events since March 1, assumed the sixth spot in Florida’s floor rotation. She was fluid in her tumble passes en route to a career-best event score of 9.925 on the floor.
Dancose-Giambattisto, who has earned high praise from Faehn as a “tremendous bar swinger,” has been a consistent producer on uneven bars since making her debut in the rotation during Florida’s 197.65-196.025 win against Auburn on Jan. 25.
She ranks 30th in the NCAA on the event with a 9.875 average, and she executed on Saturday. Dancose-Giambattisto led off the rotation for the first time in 2013, recording a 9.85 and springboarding a lineup that produced a 49.6 — Florida’s sixth-highest total in program history.
“Bianca going first on bars — I mean, anyone going first — having that in your mind that you’re first up could probably scare anyone,” Kytra Hunter said. “It might’ve scared me.”
Meanwhile, Bridget Sloan, the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year, has reveled in high-pressure situations. Sloan’s performances have paid dividends for the Gators.
Sloan ranks in the top two nationally in two of four events, including a first-place spot on uneven bars with a 9.955 regional qualifying average. Sloan, like UF’s other freshmen, has been a mainstay in Faehn’s lineups. Sloan has competed in every meet this season, including nine all-around performances.
Florida freshman gymnast Bridgette Caquatto performs her floor routine during the NCAA Regionals on April 6 in the O’Connell Center. Caquatto has filled in for injured starters this season.
