Tag Archives: Rachel Gowey

Season Preview

Florida 2017

11 Comments
FLORIDA ROSTER 2017
Seniors
Claire Boyce
  • Missed 2016 season with injury
  • Weekly BB, FX, backup UB in 2015
  • 2015 RQS: BB – 9.905, FX – 9.860, UB – 9.825
Juniors
Kennedy Baker
  • Constant in the AA in 2016
  • 2016 RQS: FX – 9.940, VT – 9.915, BB – 9.870, UB – 9.860
Grace McLaughlin
  • Leadoff FX in 2016
  • One routine each on UB (9.800) and BB (9.775)
  • 2016 RQS: FX – 9.825
Alex McMurtry
  • Leader of VT, UB, BB lineups in 2016
  • Competes FX when physically able
  • 2016 RQS: BB – 9.945, UB – 9.940, VT – 9.925
  • 2016 average: FX – 9.885
Rachel Slocum
  • Transfer from Eastern Michigan
  • Weekly VT, FX for EMU in 2016
  • 2016 RQS: VT – 9.875, FX – 9.855
Sophomores
Alicia Boren
  • Competed AA in all but one meet in 2016
  • 2016 RQS: VT – 9.910, FX – 9.905, BB – 9.890, UB – 9.860
Amanda Cheney
  • Competed VT twice in 2016 for 9.713 average
Lacy Dagen
  • Missed freshman year with injury
Ashley Hiller
  • Backup FX, VT in 2016
  • 2016 average: FX – 9.725, VT – 9.700
Freshmen
Sierra Alexander
  • West Broward FL
  • 2016 Region 8 VT 4th
Maegan Chant
  • World Class CAN
  • 2014 World Championship team
  • 2016 Canadian Nationals 8th AA
Rachel Gowey
  • Chow’s
  • 2014 Classic AA 4th
  • 2015 Pan Am UB champion
Amelia Hundley
  • Cincinnati
  • 2016 Olympic Trials 9th AA
  • 2015 Pan Ams 4th AA

*NOTE: Ericha Fassbender has been deemed ineligible for 2017 and removed from Florida’s team. For the gossip about why, please see the entire internet.

Recent History
2016 – 4th
2015 – 1st
2014 – 1st
2013 – 1st
2012 – 2nd
2011 – 7th
2010 – 5th

The last eight months have suddenly become an era of turnover and turmoil for Florida, with the graduation of a program-defining senior class, the transfer of Peyton Ernst, the injury to Alyssa Baumann, recruit departures from Bailie Key and Laurie Hernandez, and now the ineligibility of Ericha Fassbender. This team looks a lot different than it did last year, but also a lot different than we expected it to look this year. Much can change in the course of eight months.

This turmoil has stunted expectations for Florida in 2017, but looking past the ambiguous notion of public expectations, this remains a Super Six-quality roster that stands among the five most likely winners of the national title. A title is certainly not the presumptive result it has been in recent seasons, but it’s still squarely in the picture. Because of the dramatic turnover in the roster, however, much of that potential success will rest on how well the accomplished freshman class can hit the ground Sloaning and not only fill empty lineup spots but replace multiple missing 9.9s on multiple events. Continue reading Florida 2017 →

Season Preview

2017 Freshman Preview: Florida

3 Comments

How does one live without a Sloan of one’s own?

Returning Routines – Florida
VAULT
McMurtry – 9.925
Baker – 9.915
Boren – 9.910
Fassbender – 9.830
Cheney – 9.713
Hiller – 9.700		 BARS
McMurtry – 9.940
Boren – 9.860
Baker – 9.860
McLaughlin – 9.800
BEAM
McMurtry – 9.945
Boren – 9.890
Fassbender – 9.880
Baker – 9.870
McLaughlin – 9.775		 FLOOR
Baker – 9.940
Boren – 9.905
McMurtry – 9.885
Fassbender – 9.835
McLaughlin – 9.825
Hiller – 9.725

I suppose we’re about to find out. Florida’s slate of returning routines gets pretty unlovely once you go past the third (or so) person on each event, but the Gators will be relying on a batch of injury comebacks (Boyce and Dagen) and transfers (Slocum) along with this season’s four freshmen to not only match but potentially increase the team’s depth over last season on each event. Except bars. Less bars.

The most important lineup augmentation for Florida this year will come courtesy of the little engine that could, Amelia Lee Hundley. A gymnast whose first sojourn to the ranch was met by Martha going, “What is this? Why do I have to look at it?” has gradually climbed the ranks during her 786-year elite career to become the star of Florida’s freshman class.

Encouragingly, 2016 turned out to be Hundley’s best year yet, so she seems to be on the rise heading into NCAA, the stage of gymnastics to which she always appeared best suited. Olympic Trials certainly brought out Hundley’s best-ever DTY, a vault she has occasionally had to downgrade away from while dealing with various MLTs. Sorry, I meant injuries.

Those years of not being able to do the DTY may actually come in handy in college as she has plenty of experience landing the 1.5. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see that from her. Now, about getting rid of this “Meals” nickname… Continue reading 2017 Freshman Preview: Florida →

Secret Classic

Secret Classic Podium Training

I haven’t been obsessively refreshing the USAGym youtube page all day. You’ve been obsessively refreshing the USAGym youtube page all day. What is obviously the most important day of your life, Secret Classic podium training, is finally here and the videos are flooding in for our intense dissection needs, providing us with…WAIT.

Has Skinner gotten rid of both tomato-armpit AND stab-a-boob???

THIS WILL NOT STAND. This better just be a podium training acro-through, and she’s saving the difficult and important parts of the routine for competition. Otherwise, I don’t know what I’ll do. Shut up with that full-in dismount whatever, I WANT TOMATO ARMPIT. I mean, we do get “rigor mortis pottery” at the beginning of this video, and then “I’m nervous about my upcoming hip replacement surgery” toward the end, but THAT’S IT. Not good enough. She also appears to have added in her own homage to Ol’ Flappy. Derivative.

In important upgrade news, Laurie Hernandez showed up like a monster to upset the bars cart with this upgraded 6.4 bars routine.

Serious team final implications with this, as it potentially gives Hernandez a second event to help make her case (along with beam). This separates her from the pack of 6.1 bars options (like Biles and Nichols) and helps turn the attention away from vault (and who has an Amanar) and onto what Hernandez can potentially add on bars and beam, which could total more than an Amanar adds anyway. The execution is fine, though not ideal (those damn stalder full legs), so we’ll need to see how this is evaluated to see how much she’s really gaining here. To be a viable bars option, you have to beat Biles by at least a couple tenths since the team could always just put up Biles and be fine. Continue reading Secret Classic Podium Training →