The Florida gymnastics team is showing no signs of slowing down.
And with the season drawing to a close, UF is as spirited as ever — both on the practice mat and at postseason meets.
In training, coach Jenny Rowland leads by example.
"(Rowland) is always in a good mood," senior Bridgette Caquatto said.
"She’s always encouraging us to have great energy and (to lift) up our teammates, which really helps us on hard days."
It’s a theme that travels with them.
On the competition floor, it’s common to see all 13 girls loudly supporting a teammate, lauding her after a solid performance or lifting her spirits after a fall.
This weekend’s NCAA National Championship, though, presents a twist in that formula.
For just the second time this season, Florida’s meet-day schedule includes a bye, a period where gymnasts must return to their locker rooms in order to accommodate for the number of teams competing.
For some clubs, this cooldown period could spell trouble. Removed from the action, team energy could suffer and momentum could shift.
The Gators have found a unique way of counteracting it.
And it is unlike anything their head coach had seen in her career.
"Do you really want to know?" Rowland said Monday. "We like to have dance parties.
"... Really, it’s a time to stay light, to kinda let things go if you’ve already competed a couple events, and in the last couple minutes reel them back in and get focused and ready to go for the next event."
That focus will prove paramount when Florida lines up against a strong semifinal field on Friday afternoon, one that boasts three national top-10 opponents.
Opening on a bye, the Gators will wait until the second rotation to make their championship debut on floor.
They’ll be ready.
"I don’t think we ever have disadvantages, to be honest," sophomore Alex McMurtry said. "We get the energy going (and) we never get cold.
"Yes, it’s a 15 to 20 minute break, but we’re getting each other pumped up in the locker room, and then we’re gonna come out and hit floor like we always do."
Contact Alejandro Lopez at alopez@alligator.org and you can follow him on Twitter @ajlb95.
Alex McMurtry poses after finishing a routine during Florida's win against North Carolina on March 11, 2016, in the O'Connell Center.
