In the final meet of the regular season, the top ranked Florida gymnastics team traveled to Tuscaloosa to take on the sixth ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. The meet would decide if Florida would be the sole champion of the SEC for regular season play, or if it would share the title with Alabama. About a half hour before the meet began, the team’s Twitter account announced unfortunate news; junior and reigning SEC Gymnast of the Week Trinity Thomas would not compete due to an ankle injury suffered in warm ups. However, the Gators would rally together and pull out a win on the road, defeating Alabama 197.425-197.225.
Finding motivation over the course of a long, tiring season is a subject of concern for many athletes across all sports. Some use “bulletin-board material,” some use music, and some use pre-game rituals. For the No. 1 Gator Gymnastics Team, that motivation can be found in a chain with a wooden, rhinestone-encrusted “F.”
This year, the team adopted what has been titled, “The Stick Chain.” Taking inspiration from the turnover chain originally created by the Miami Hurricanes, gymnasts earn the right to don the chain by sticking landings.
“I think the stick chain is super exciting,” junior Trinity Thomas said. “Nya made the stick chain, brought it into practice and we loved it, so we’re super excited about it.”