Florida freshman Kayla DiCello announced via Twitter she will take a gap year to pursue her goal of the 2024 Olympics.
DiCello earned the title of Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year. This accolade came less than a week after the team’s SEC title win.
She earned six straight SEC Freshman of the Week honors and eight total throughout the season; she also earned the Week 2 Specialist of the Week. DiCello became the first gymnast since graduate student Trinity Thomas in 2019 to earn nine weekly SEC honors.
Among all these accolades, DiCello posted impressive scores throughout the season. She was the first of three freshmen to earn a 10 in the 2023 season. Her highest all-around total of 39.75 was second in the nation among all freshmen. DiCello held the highest freshman all-around score in the SEC Championships and the sixth-highest overall in the tournament.
DiCello was the all-around champion at the NCAA Pittsburgh Regional. She earned the nation’s top total in regional competition with a score of 39.80.
DiCello plans to return home to continue her training under former U.S. Olympic team head coach Kelli Hill in Maryland.
She will return to UF for the 2025 season following her gap year.
Contact Jori Rzepecki at jrzepecki@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @jorirzepecki.
Jori Rzepecki is a first-year journalism major and the Gymnastics reporter for The Alligator. In her free time, she enjoys binge-watching television shows and reading books.
