Seniors Final Home Meet

Friday night was the last home meet of the season for the Florida gymnastics team. And for a few of the Gators, it was their last home meet ever.

Seniors Nicole Ellis, Amy Ferguson, and Elizabeth Mahlich were all honored after the meet for their four years with the gymnastics team.

Senior Kailey Tissue, a student coach, was also honored for her time. As a freshman, she was injured so badly that she was told she would not be able to compete anymore.

She was then brought on as a student coach and was able to essentially stay a part of the team.

Nicole Ellis, Elizabeth Mahlich, Kailey Tissue, and Amy Ferguson were honored Friday for Senior Night. By GatorZone.com

Mahlich, affectionately refered to as “Beebs” finished her final event on beam.

 

Ellis competed in both the vault and the bars, scoring above a 9.8 on both.

Ellis was moved to tears during the senior night ceremony where was was surrounded by family and friends.

“I was just telling myself to soak it up,” Ellis said, “because this is a once in a lifetime experience being a college athlete, and it being the last meet, I just wanted to take everything in, and enjoy every second of it.”

The team held itself together until Ferguson finished her final floor routine. After she was finished, she ran to the sidelines to hug her teammates, and several of them burst into tears.

“I think for the first time I actually paid attention to what was going on around me,” Ferguson said.

According to Ferguson, she is usually so nervous and excited that she does not notice the crowd or her teammates.

“I think this time I really just stood there and took it all in and really soaked in every minute of it. It’s something that I’ll never forget,” Ferguson said.

This group of seniors was able to observe the way the Florida gymnastics team improved over the years, at times having to sacrifice playing time for newer, younger athletes.

“They could have easily said this is going to be too tough,” Head Coach Rhonda Faehn said. “But instead, they have made the team better by their performances.”

The younger players are going to miss having the seniors around, too.

“They’ve definitely been leaders,” sophomore Alaina Johnson said. “Our seniors have made us who we are and made us come together as a family, and we’re just so close. If the seniors are closer, it makes the whole team closer."

Seniors Amy Ferguson and Nicole Ellis, junior Marissa King, and sophomore Alaina Johnson talk about senior night.