UF coach Rhonda Faehn has said several times the team’s goal is to get better as the season progresses and prepare itself for the postseason, and according to her, her young squad is right on schedule.
Coming off two consecutive victories against Southeastern Conference opponents, No. 4 Florida (2-1, 2-0 SEC) will play host to No. 13 LSU (3-2, 1-1 SEC) on Friday at 7 p.m. in the O’Connell Center for the fourth annual Gators Link to Pink meet.
The meet marks the fourth-straight top-15 team the Gators have faced to start this season, having already gone up against then-No. 9 Oklahoma, then-No. 7 Arkansas and then-No. 12 Kentucky.
Faehn tries to give her team a tough schedule every season, as she said it will help the squad prepare mentally for the tough challenges it will face in the postseason.
“It makes the team perform under pressure because it’s a really strong, quality team,” Faehn said. “We get to see early on who can handle the pressure, so we know when it comes to SEC Championships or NCAAs and there are 10,000 people watching.”
The test of seeing who can handle the pressure is sure to continue against the Tigers.
Three of the Gators’ four meets against LSU last season were decided by less than half a point each, with the narrowest margin (.075) coming during NCAA Team Qualifying.
LSU also boasts the top-ranked all-around gymnast in the nation, Susan Jackson (39.475), while Florida’s Ashanée Dickerson (39.358) is tied for fourth but is the highest-ranked freshman.
Facing a ranked team and an elite gymnast such as Jackson could be a good test to see how Dickerson and the rest of the team perform under the pressure that Faehn spoke about.
Faehn said Jackson is a talented gymnast, but the team’s focus is on getting the win and continuing to improve — not on individual accolades.
“That’s kind of icing on the cake,” Faehn said. “If Ashanée happens to win the all-around again, that’s awesome.”
But the team’s only focus Friday isn’t on LSU.
The Gators are also on helping raise awareness for breast cancer, as both teams will shed their team colors in favor of pink leotards. Each team in the SEC hosts one meet each year to help the cause.
Faehn said it is a great opportunity for the team to help out the community and the American Cancer Society, especially as female athletes.
“There’s going to be great gymnastics,” Faehn said. “But we’re really just trying to tie both worlds in together … to be able to get the word out on all the different steps on helping to raise awareness.”
