Upcoming SEC Championships

Now that the Gators have finished their regular season, the team is shifting its focus to the upcoming SEC championships. 

On March 24, Florida will travel to Duluth, GA, to compete against some other top teams in the nation for the SEC title.

Besides No. 1 Florida, some other teams among the SEC are No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Georgia, No. 9 Arkansas and No. 10 LSU.

According to Head Coach Rhonda Faehn, the Gators do not have much time to prepare for the upcoming meet.

They will meet in the gym for a short practice on Sunday and have practices on Monday and Wednesday. Thursday, the Gators depart for Georgia.

“We have to be very efficient, and instead of having a down time, we’re coming in Sunday and building up heading into SECs,” Faehn said.

Faehn believes that the team is more prepared for the championships this year in strength and ability.

“I feel that this team is doing a better job in not only health, but also in the peaking area,” Faehn said. “Last year the athletes were sore, and they were tired, and they were exhausted.”

Coach Faehn cheers the Gators on at the SEC championships in 2011. By GatorZone.com

The athletes agree that the team has peaked at the right time.

“We learned a lot from last year, and I think we’re definitely on the right track and we’re peaking at the right time,” sophomore Alaina Johnson said. “I’m excited to go into SECs, and we’re doing really well. I’m proud of the team.”

According to senior Amy Ferguson, the amount of conditioning the team has been doing has kept them strong and healthy.

“I think we’re peaking at the right point, and I think we’re really going to carry it over to SECs,” Ferguson said. “I think we’re going to have a great post season.”

Junior Marissa King said that the skills are all there. Everyone has been doing gymnastics since they were very young, and now it’s all mental.

“It’s kind of a mind game now,” King said. “It’s about staying on track and not getting distracted. There’s still time to get all the sleep that we need, eat right, make more improvements in the gym, and just stay positive in our minds and believing in ourselves.”