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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2015 15:54:33 GMT -5
Bombshell News: Rhonda Faehn stepping down to make move to USA Gymnastics: Rhonda Faehn: www.gatorzone.com/gallery/photos/3114/FaehnThankYou-Thumb.jpgFriday April 24, 2015 Faehn Steps Down for VP Post at USA Gymnastics Rhonda Faehn is leaving UF after 13 seasons --- one of two UF coaches to win three straight NCAA titles. By Chris Harry GatorZone.com Senior Writer GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Talk about going out on top. Rhonda Faehn, who last weekend led the Florida gymnastics team to a third straight NCAA title, is leaving her post as Gators head coach to become senior vice president of USA Gymnastics. Faehn, 43, informed UF administrators of her decision to move on Thursday and told her team in an emotional meeting Friday after the squad posed for a national championship team photo. “It was incredibly hard,” Faehn said. “I absolutely love Florida and what the University of Florida stands for. At the same time, I really feel there is another plan for me. I’m still going to be doing what I love and hopefully making an impact on the lives of a lot of athletes who will be representing our country.” Faehn was an assistant at Nebraska when tabbed as UF’s head coach in 2002 and over the next 13 seasons led the Gators to four Southeastern Conference titles, 10 Super Six berths, 10 top-five finishes and, of course, those NCAA championships of 2013, ’14 and ’15, the only NCAA crowns in Florida’s 43-year gymnastics history. The latter came just last Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas, where junior Bridget Sloan and freshman Alex McMurtry anchored the uneven bars lineup with 9.95 scores to edge Utah 197.85 to 197.80. Now at USA Gymnastics, Faehn will have a voice in the nation’s international competition on the Elite level, where she once starred. Faehn trained under famed coach Bela Karolyi, capturing the national title in the vault in 1987 and 1988. She competed for the USA at the 1987 World Championships and was an alternate on the 1988 Olympic squad. What she accomplished at Florida -- just the second coach in school history to win three straight NCAA titles -- will never be forgotten. “I have such mixed emotions right now,” UF athletics director Jeremy Foley said. “I’m happy for this wonderful opportunity for Rhonda. She will continue to make a difference in young athletes’ lives with USA gymnastics, just like she’s done at Florida. But also there is sadness. Rhonda came here 13 years ago, sharing our vision that Florida could be a national contender. She went to work and made that vision a reality.” The Gators reached the Super Six for the first time in five years during Faehn’s second season, and then began building a foundation for consistency and marquee success -- all in the nation’s toughest conference, no less. Over the course of the last six seasons, Faehn signed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class five times, with athletes like Sloan and Kytra Hunter -- both winners of the prestigious Honda Award as the nation’s top gymnast -- accounting for 142 All-America honors in NCAA competition. But now, it’s time to move on. Faehn and her family (husband and former UF assistant tennis coach Jeremy Bayon, plus sons Noah and Isaiah) will head to Indianapolis, home base for USA Gymnastics. “My time at Florida has been wonderful. It has been a dream come true," Faehn said. "But I’ve always had a passion for Elite gymnastics and being involved with all of gymnastics. This is the right time for me and my family.”
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2015 16:02:04 GMT -5
By SCOTT CARTER GatorZone.com Senior Writer Rhonda Faehn With Seniors & NC Trophy: www.gatorzone.com/gallery/photos/3114/Faehn-w-seniors_NCAA-Super-6-4-18-15_el763A6784_3x2.jpg GAINESVILLE, Fla. – She came, she saw, she conquered. If he were still around, Julius Caesar would undoubtedly approve of the work Rhonda Faehn did during her 13 seasons as the University of Florida’s gymnastics coach. Gators Athletic Director Jeremy Foley certainly does. Before Faehn leaves town next week for her new job as senior vice president of USA Gymnastics’ women’s program, Foley plans to celebrate a third consecutive national title with one of the best hires of his career. Foley got a hint of what was to come when he made a phone call on a Friday afternoon in 2002 to Faehn’s office at Nebraska, where she was an assistant coach. The Gators were searching for a coach to take over a gymnastics program idling in neutral. Foley recalls asking Faehn: “Why can’t we be special?” The next morning he received an email with a “pretty good position paper” on why the Gators could be among the nation’s elite. Faehn got the job and 13 years later, leaves the Gators in much better shape than she found them. When the Gators captured a third consecutive national title last weekend, she joined Gators track and field coach Mike Holloway as the only coaches in UF history to win three straight national championships (Florida’s men owned the NCAA Indoor title from 2010-12). Faehn, who turns 44 on Tuesday, is the poster girl for a coach in her prime. She woke up a sleeping giant at Florida and turned the Gators into a national powerhouse and a budding dynasty. When you win, and win big, people notice. The folks at USA Gymnastics did and presented Faehn an offer she couldn't resist. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,’’ Faehn said Friday. “I’m really hoping to help and make an impact with USA Gymnastics.” Don’t bet against her. Faehn leaves next week for Houston, where the U.S. National Team is holding a training camp as it starts to ramp up preparations for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. Faehn’s rise in the sport has a twist of irony that all who have fallen can find solace. Twenty-seven years ago at the Seoul Summer Olympics in South Korea, Faehn was a 17-year-old alternate on the U.S. Team. The Americans edged the East Germans by two-tenths of a point for the bronze medal. However, according to Olympic rules, coaches are not allowed to linger on the performance platforms while their athletes are performing on the four apparatuses. Faehn lingered to watch after retrieving the small springboard teammate Kelly Garrison-Steves used to mount the uneven bars. Faehn didn’t know of the rule and the Americans got penalized five-tenths of a point due to a statute written for overzealous coaches, not teenage alternates. The U.S. lost the bronze in a controversy that would have fed Twitter for days in this day and age. “Their missing the team bronze was like the Redskins losing the NFC title game because the water boy stood in the wrong place and Pete Rozelle ordered the winning point removed from the scoreboard.” – The Washington Post, Sept. 22, 1988 The highest all-around performer for the U.S. at the 1987 World Championships, Faehn moved past the storm, finished her college career at UCLA, and embarked on a coaching career that has now led her to the pinnacle of the sport. A journey that really took off a UF. She did more than win SEC and national titles here. Faehn met her husband, Jeremy Bayon, a former Gators assistant men’s tennis coach. They met in the gymnastics office one day the story goes. The couple has two young sons, Noah and Isaiah. Next stop: Indianapolis, home of the USA Gymnastics headquarters. Faehn will provide leadership for the women’s program from top to bottom, including supervision of Team USA alongside National Team Coordinator Martha Karolyi, wife of world-renowned gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi. Faehn trained under Bela Karolyi during her competitive career and has remained close to the couple in the decades since. Expect to see Faehn heavily involved with the team that will represent America in Brazil next summer. “Rhonda brings an incredible background to this role,” Steve Penny, head of USA Gymnastics, said in a release Friday. “Our women’s program has seen tremendous growth and success over the years, and Rhonda’s experiences as an athlete and coach will be valuable assets in this role.” Faehn said Friday she would have never considered leaving UF for another college coaching job. In some ways, her new job is her dream job. “I’ve always had a passion for Elite gymnastics,’’ she said. “It’s always been a very comfortable fit and it’s just the right time.” Faehn leaves behind a legacy of championships, a legacy of developing talent, a legacy of running a classy program with high-character athletes and staff. That’s why it was so difficult to break the news to her team Friday morning. There were tears. Lots of them. Faehn connected with her gymnasts, their families, and most everyone who crossed paths with the program. “I thanked every one of them for their loyalty, their passion, the way they represented the University of Florida,’’ Faehn said. “And they shared in their sadness, and at the same time their joy, for me. They understand -- and they know -- what that opportunity is.” As Faehn prepares to leave, Foley can look back on that Friday afternoon phone call 13 years ago as one that hit the gymnastics lottery. But before Faehn skips town for good, there is unfinished business. A party to celebrate the Gators’ three-peat. “We were blessed to have her for 13 years,’’ Foley said. “We have a marquee program because of Rhonda Faehn.” She came, she saw, she conquered.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2015 16:14:04 GMT -5
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida head gymnastics coach Rhonda Faehn announced this morning that she is leaving the Gator program to become Senior Vice President of USA Gymnastics.
Faehn just finished her 13th season as head of the Gator program, with Florida taking the last three NCAA Championships. She was a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic team and was a four-year member of the U.S. National Team.
2015 NCAA champions
2014 NCAA champions
2013 NCAA champions
Faehn said:
“The University of Florida has provided an opportunity of a lifetime for me, my family and our student-athletes and I am so grateful. I couldn’t have asked for a more rewarding and supportive atmosphere to do what I love.
“This amazing opportunity with USA Gymnastics provides a new and different way for me to impact young lives. I will always love the University of Florida and will treasure my time here. But my passion and excitement for Elite gymnastics is pulling me a different direction and the timing is right for me and my family. I want to have a positive influence on the athletes and coaches that will represent our country at the highest level.”
“I would like to thank the Florida administration, my staff and all my current and former student-athletes for helping to build such an amazing tradition of excellence. I know the program will continue to thrive and I will always be a Florida Gator.”– Rhonda Faehn
Jeremy Foley said:
“I have such mixed emotions right now. Of course, I’m happy for this wonderful opportunity for Rhonda. She will continue to make a difference in young athlete’s lives with USA Gymnastics, just like she’s done at Florida.
“But also there is sadness. Rhonda came in here 13 years ago, sharing our vision that Florida could be a national contender. She went to work and made that vision a reality. And in the last three years, she taken this program from nationally prominent to national champion. She’s done an absolutely spectacular job.
“Rhonda, her staff and her student-athletes have represented this program and this University with such spirit, class and integrity. We cannot thank her enough for all she has given the University of Florida. We wish nothing but the best for her and her wonderful family as they begin this outstanding opportunity.” – Jeremy Foley, University of Florida Athletics Director
Faehn at Florida
Faehn took the Gator program from national qualifier to national contender to NCAA champion during her tenure. The last three NCAA Championships have been claimed by the Gators – the first NCAA team titles in the program’s 43-year history.
Here’s a few of the many highlights of Faehn’s years with the Gator:
· Florida was the first head coaching position for Faehn when she took the position in May of 2002. In her second season, the Gators advanced to the 2004 NCAA Super Six team final for the first time since 1998. Since that time, the Gators have been a Super Six regular, advancing 10 of Faehn’s 13 seasons. Florida has 10 top-five NCAA finishes since 2004.
· In 2007, the Gators claimed their first Southeastern Conference title in 17 seasons. Since then, the Gators also won the conference crown in the nation’s most competitive gymnastics league in 2010, 2012 and 2013.
· Since 2011, four Gators have collected 11 NCAA event titles. Two – Kytra Hunter (2012) and Bridget Sloan (2013) – have earned the Honda Award as the top collegiate gymnast of the year. Under Faehn’s guidance, 34 Gator gymnasts have earned 142 All-America honors in NCAA competition.
· Faehn found success on the recruiting trail, as Florida’s classes have ranked as the nation’s No. 1 in five of the last six seasons (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015).
· Faehn was the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches (NACGC) National Coach of the Year in 2007, seven-time regional coach of the year and a six-time SEC Coach of the Year.
· Gator gymnastics was active in the Gainesville community. They are present at many events and activities throughout the year. The Harvest Food Drive, an annual gymnastics clinic which participants contribute canned food items, collected more the 1,340 pounds of food in the fall of 2014.
· Florida gymnastics has performed well in the classroom, collecting 108 Academic All-SEC honors since 2003. In the fall of 2014, the Gator gymnasts turned in a cumulative grade point average of 3.41.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2015 14:53:36 GMT -5
I finally got to watch the full coverage of the Super Six action. On the back to back 9.5s on the bars by Bridget Sloan and Alex McMurtry, Sloan was robbed. Her bars routine was described by the announcers as perfect, unequaled, and that nobody could physically do what Sloan was capable of doing on the bars. It should have been a 10. McMurtry's 9.5 was outstanding and deserving.
The other 4 bars routines, including Kytra Hunter, weren't clean and could have/should have been better. If they had been, UF would have finished above 198 like last season when UF and OU tied for the national championship.
Without Sloan and McMurtry hitting the last two bars routines, UF would have failed in its bid for a 3peat.
The judges loved this blonde girl from Utah, Dabritz (can't recall last name), giving her a 10 both days on her vault. From what I could see in the Super Six, it was a beautiful vault, but it lacked height/distance and the stuck landing left her off line left of the center of the beam. As pretty as the form was, it was a 9.5, not a 10. I've seen better out of Bridget Sloan, Kytra Hunter, and Alex McMurtry.
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2015 13:38:48 GMT -5
Friday May 1, 2015 Gainesville, Fla. www.gatorzone.com/gallery/photos/3114/Hunter-Kytra_HondaAward_3x24.jpgThe 2015 Honda Award for gymnastics again goes to Florida's Kytra Hunter. She also won the honor as a freshman in 2012. A big year just got a bit bigger for University of Florida senior and 2015 NCAA all-around champion Kytra Hunter. She is this year’s Honda Sports Award recipient for gymnastics, distinguishing her as the nation’s top collegiate female athlete in the sport. The honor was based on the results of national balloting among all NCAA member schools as part of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards program, now in its 39th year. This is the second such honor for Hunter, as she became Florida’s gymnast in 30 years to claim the honor in 2012. A Gator gymnast has claimed the honor three of the last four years, as Bridget Sloan was the 2013 recipient. Now What? The Honda Sports Award is presented annually by the CWSA to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. With this honor, Hunter becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2015 Honda Cup, which will be presented on June 29th in a live nationally televised broadcast on CBS Sports Network at 9 p.m. ET from Los Angeles, California. Hunter in her Senior Season - The Honda Award is the latest of a long list of 2015 honors for Hunter: ▪ Won a share of the NCAA all-around title and also became Florida’s first in 30 seasons to win the NCAA floor exercise title. Her two titles in 2015 along with her two wins as a freshman (2012 all-around, vault) makes her the Gators’ leader in NCAA event titles. ▪ SEC Gymnast of the Year – first such honor for Gator program since 2000. ▪ Four All-America honors earned at NCAA Championships brings her career total to a Florida all-time high of 15 honors earned in NCAA competition. ▪ National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC) Southeast Region Gymnast of the Year. ▪ Finished regular season as the nation’s top-ranked all-arounder with 39.625 RQS. ▪ Only gymnast to appear in final top-25 national rankings for each of the five events – No. 1 all-around (39.625 RQS), No. 2 in floor (9.96) and vault (9.955), No. T17 bars (9.900) and No. T22 beam (9.885). ▪ Four all-around totals among season’s top 12 leads the nation – No. T4 39.75 (twice) and No. T12 39.675 (twice). ▪ SEC Gymnast of the Week four times in 2015. Claimed nine such honors during career. ▪ All-arounder in each of Florida’s 14 meets in 2015, claiming a career season-high nine wins. ▪ Shared SEC vault (9.95) and floor exercise (9.975) to be one of five in the 35-year history of the SEC Championships to claim at least one league event title each season of collegiate career. Seven SEC event wins is a Gator career record. ▪ Led Florida in 2015 with 24 events titles (nine all-around, floor, four vault, two beam). ▪ Finished with UF records for career floor (32) and vault (21) wins ▪ Third all-time among Gators in event (83) and all-around (21) wins ▪ Earned All-SEC honors each collegiate season 2014-15 Honda Sports Award Recipients Each season, The Collegiate Women Sports Awards program recognizes the top collegiate female student-athlete in 12 sports. Below are the recipients named so far this season: Sport Name Yr School Basketball Breanna Stewart JR Connecticut Cross Country Kate Avery JR Iona Field Hockey Paula Heuser SO Albany Gymnastics Kytra Hunter SR Florida Soccer Sam Mewis SR UCLA Swimming/Diving Missy Franklin SO California Volleyball Krista Vansant JR Washington Honda Award winners in golf, lacrosse, softball, tennis and track & field will be announced later this season. They Said: “What a wonderful surprise to such an amazing season. The Honda Award is so special to women’s collegiate athletics and I am so honored to receive it on behalf of the University of Florida. I’d like to thank my teammates, coaches and all who cheered the Gators because their support means so much. It has been a privilege representing the University of Florida as a Gator gymnast.” – senior All-American Kytra Hunter “The Honda Award is an extraordinary honor and I’m so happy that Kytra is receiving it after her exceptional season. She took on much this year, performing as an all-arounder in every single meet and her contributions were a big part of the Gators’ success. I am very proud of all she’s achieved – Kytra’s represented Florida with such class and integrity during her career.” – Rhonda Faehn, who coached Hunter at UF throughout her collegiate career The Honda Award: The Honda Sports Award acknowledges athletic achievement as well as scholastics and community involvement, and is given to female athletes in 12 different NCAA-sanctioned sports throughout the year. Each Honda Sports Award winner is recognized as the top collegiate female athlete in her sport, and the award is considered by many as one of the highest honors a female college athlete can receive in the nation. In honor of Hunter winning the award, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., will donate $5,000 to the women’s athletic program at the University of Florida. A Gator has been recognized as a Honda Sports winner 17 times across six different sports. Gator Great and U.S. Olympic gold medalist swimmer Tracy Caulkins is the only Gator to win the Broderick Cup (renamed Honda Award in 1987), earning the top award in 1982 and 1984.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2015 13:09:32 GMT -5
Jeremy Foley has been busy this week. First he hired Michael White to coach the men's basketball team. He has now hired Jenny Rowland to coach the women's gymnastics team. I think both will prove to be excellent hires: www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=30595GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jenny Rowland - former U.S. National Team member, collegiate All-American and current National Collegiate Assistant Coach of the Year-is the University of Florida gymnastics head coach, UF Athletics Director Jeremy Foley announced Saturday. Just last month, Rowland was named co-National Assistant Coach of the Year after helping Auburn reach the NCAA Super Six for the first time in 22 years. She is the seventh head gymnastics coach in the program’s 43-year history. Rowland’s Coaching Career: Rowland joined the Auburn coaching staff as an assistant coach in October of 2010 and was elevated to associate head coach in March of 2013. Rowland worked with all aspects of the Auburn gymnastics program, coordinating all of the program's community outreach efforts and interactions on campus as well as playing an integral role in recruiting and in-gym activities. She served as the lead balance beam coach, as the Tigers put up the top beam totals of 2015 Southeastern Conference and NCAA Semifinal II competition. Three Tigers earned beam All-America honors in 2015. She also worked with the Tigers’ floor exercise and routine construction. Rowland, who is a Category 3 International Brevet judge, offered her judging expertise through video breakdown of Auburn's routines. During her gymnastics career, Rowland was a USA National Team member from 1985-1990 and was part of the U.S.’s 1989 World Championships team. During her collegiate career, she earned All-America honors for the uneven bars in 1993 for Arizona State. After retiring from competition, she returned to her home state, enrolling at the University of Oklahoma. She coached Elite gymnasts at Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy in Norman, Oklahoma, for five years and then joined the Oklahoma coaching staff in June of 2001. At OU, she helped coach the Sooners to the 2004 Big XIII title, three-time team NCAA qualifiers (2004-06) and three Big XIII Gymnasts of the Year. They Said: “I’m so excited for this opportunity to become the Gator gymnastics head coach. Obviously, Rhonda [Faehn] has built Gator gymnastics into a model program. A key focus for me will be developing relationships with the current and past Gators, as well as building a connection with the gymnasts who will represent the Gators in the future. “Jeremy Foley, Lynda Tealer and I all share a vision of continued success for Gator gymnastics. I look forward to working with this tremendous group of Gators and being a part of the Florida program.” Jenny Rowland Florida Gymnastics Head Coach “When we started this search, there was one name that kept coming up - Jenny Rowland. What Auburn has done over the past few seasons is quite impressive and she’s played a big role in the Tigers’ progress. We feel confident she’s ready to guide the Gator program. “She wants Gator gymnasts to thrive in all aspects of their student-athletic career – in the classroom, in the competitive arena and in developing the life skills to be successful following college. She knows what is like to be a competitor on the national, international and collegiate stages. She has what it takes to be a successful recruiter as she’s built relationships with so many in the gymnastics world. “We welcome Jenny, her husband, Garon and their daughters Ella and Emmy, to the Gator program.” Jeremy Foley University of Florida Athletics Director More Rowland Info: She graduated from Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in health and sports sciences in 1997. Rowland married Garon Rowland, an All-American gymnast for the Sooners, and the couple has two daughters – Ella and Emmy. Rowland is replacing Rhonda Faehn, who announced April 24 she was leaving to become USA Gymnastics Senior Vice President. She coached the Gators for 13 seasons, leading the team to four Southeastern Conference crowns and the past three NCAA titles. Jenny (Ester) Rowland File Birthdate: July 18, 1974 in Bedford, Texas Collegiate (Arizona State: 1993-94) ● All-American on uneven bars in 1993 ● Turned in the Sun Devils’ first 10.0 uneven bars mark ● Retired from competition due to injury, transferring to Oklahoma to finish degree Elite ● USA National Team member from 1985-90 ● Member of 1989 USA World Championship team Coaching Career ● Auburn Associate Head Coach (2013-15) ● Auburn Assistant Coach (October 2010 – March 2013) ● Oklahoma Assistant Coach (2001-06) ● Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy Elite Coach (1996-2000) Other Notables: ● A Level 3 International Brevet level judge (judged 2008 & 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials) ● Starred as Tracy Prescott in the 1986 movie “American Anthem”, which also starred Maria Anz, who won Florida’s first NCAA event title (floor exercise) in 1985 ● Won the all-around title when Florida visited Arizona State for a Feb. 25, 1993 dual meet in Tempe, Ariz.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2015 13:26:42 GMT -5
Jenny Rowland following Rhonda Faehn won't be easy. The bar has been set high and there is no going back. I think Rowland will prove to be a strong HC:
Gator Coaches Records
Name Year W L Tie Winning %
Linda Bittner 1973 2 2 0 50% Sandy Phillips 1973−75 1977−79 37 16 0 67% Kay Hury 1976 (interim) 11 1 0 91% Ernestine Weaver 1980−92 184 48 0 79% Judi Markell 1993−02 124 81 1 60% Rhonda Faehn 2003-15 214 48 2 82%
Totals 43 years 572 196 3 74%
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2015 14:03:06 GMT -5
Saturday May 9, 2015
A Perfect Pairing: Jenny Rowland and Gator Gymnastics By SCOTT CARTER GatorZone.com Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Jenny Rowland used to be a gymnast. A very good one.
Back then her name was Jenny Ester.
She was a member of the U.S. National Team for most of her teenage years. She was part of the 1989 U.S. World Championship team.
In college, she was an All-American on the uneven bars at Arizona State. She even won the all-around title when the Gators traveled to face the Sun Devils in 1993.
Much of Rowland’s life has revolved around gymnastics, the last five years as an assistant coach, and later as associate head coach, at Auburn.
There’s more. Lots more.
Between a stint as an assistant coach at Oklahoma and her run at Auburn, Rowland served as a high-level gymnastics judge at national and international meets.
Yeah, she even married a gymnast, former Oklahoma All-American Garon Rowland. Oh, and she once worked for a gymnast at 1984 Olympian Bart Connor’s Academy as an instructor for the highest level gymnasts.
If all that’s not enough, there was the time Rowland spent nearly three months in Phoenix for a role in a gymnastics movie. She was 11, had braces, and starred in some of the action scenes in the film “American Anthem.”
The one thing Rowland has not done is run her own program.
Until now.
Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley announced the hiring of the 40-year-old Rowland on Saturday to replace Rhonda Faehn. Rowland is the seventh head coach in the program’s 43-year history.
Rowland’s impressive background made a favorable impression on Foley and his administrative staff to entrust her to continue Florida’s success among the nation’s best.
She only enhanced her bid for the job during a visit to town this week to meet her potential future.
In 13 seasons under Faehn, who announced her resignation April 24 to become senior vice president of USA Gymnastics, Florida won the last three national championships.
Now it’s Rowland’s turn to take the Mercedes for a spin.
“She knows what it’s like to be a competitor on the national, international and collegiate stages,’’ Foley said. “She has what it takes to be a successful recruiter as she’s built relationships with so many in the gymnastics world.”
Rowland inherits a program that is built for success, led by returning senior Bridget Sloan, arguably the best college gymnast performing today.
It’s no accident that Sloan’s arrival three years ago elevated the Gators into another stratosphere.
So close for so long, the Gators won their first title in 2013, repeated in ‘14 as co-champions with Oklahoma, and last month finished in dramatic fashion to edge Utah for a three-peat.
Florida is one of only six women’s programs that can claim a national title in gymnastics, and two of those (Georgia and Alabama) are programs Rowland is very familiar with during her time in the SEC.
Rowland not only arrives highly recommended, but with recent credentials to back up her supporters.
She was named co-National Assistant Coach of the Year this season as Auburn qualified for the Super Six for the first time in 22 years.
In this case, Auburn’s loss is clearly Florida’s gain.
“Jenny is one of the top coaches in the country,’’ Auburn head coach Jeff Graba said in 2013 when he promoted Rowland to associate head coach. “I think it’s important to have Jenny in this role as we enter the next phase of our program.”
She proved ready for the job. And that next phase.
Next up, Rowland takes over a Florida team that loses four seniors but returns Sloan and a talented core, highlighted by upperclassmen Bridgette Caquatto and Claire Boyce, and underclassmen Kennedy Baker and Alex McMurtry.
The Gators will open next season in the national title conversation as they have the past several ones.
Rowland undoubtedly has big pumps to fill in Faehn, who took over the Gators in May of 2002 and elevated the Florida job into a winning lotto ticket.
The intangibles are in place, too.
The Gators have one of the most rabid fan bases in the country, turning the O’Connell Center into the place to be on Friday nights in early spring.
The Gators practice in a new studio that was built three years ago and their recent success has done nothing but help recruiting.
The opening drew ample interest from around the country. But in the end, Foley found Faehn’s replacement just a state away.
This is a marriage that has all the ingredients in place to make Rowland’s first time as a head coach one well worth the wait.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2015 16:48:05 GMT -5
Looks like Rhonda Faehn had input into her replacement - this from Gator Country:
Written by Kassidy Hill, May 9, 2015
The University of Florida athletics director has hired Jenny Rowland as the next head coach of the Gators gymnastics team. This is on the heels of hiring Michael White as the new basketball coach earlier in the week.
“A couple of dreams have come true this week”, Foley said on a conference call with local media on Saturday.
“Hiring people is what we do. You get the right coaches to take care of your program and we’ve done that week.” While Foley is getting some much needed rest, Jenny Rowland will be getting to work. Rowland comes to Gainesville after three years at Auburn University where she helped lead the Tigers as an assistant coach to their first Super Six in 22 years. Also while on the Plains, Rowland was named the co-National Assistant Coach of the Year.
Rowland started coaching the collegiate level at her alma mater, Oklahoma. Five years with the Sooners saw the assistant coach help bring back a Big XII title and three Big XII gymnasts of the year.
Before coaching, the 40 year old Texas native spent years in the elite field, a fact that she now feels is an advantage as she feels very comfortable recruiting there, having lived it as a competitor, then as a coach and judge.
It was her time from 1985-1990 that will give her perhaps the most credibility with her future subjects. During that time, Rowland was a member of the USA National Team which included the 1989 USA World Championship Team.
After years of serving as an assistant coach though, Rowland was ready to grow.
“It wasn’t until recently that I knew I was ready to take the jump”, Rowland said on the same conference call with director Foley.
“Now it’s time to spread my wings and I’m ready to fly.”
Those wings have brought her to the O-Dome home where she’ll have to step into very big footsteps left by Rhonda Faehn.
After 13 seasons and three straight national championships, Faehn resigned from Florida to take a position as the Senior Vice President with USA Gymnastics.
Faehn and Rowland have actually been friends for years both being apart of the USA National Team.
“Rhonda has been a huge impact on my life…I can’t thank her enough for all the support she’s given me. She’s given me all the blessings in the world [and] her support and faith in me to take the reins.”
That support was crucial to Jeremy Foley as well.
“Her strongest advocate was Rhonda who has a lot of credibility with us,” he laughingly reminded everyone.
“[But also] a great competitor…Auburns program this year as good as it has been in 22 years. Her reputation, character and integrity preceded her.”
Rowland says its actually been easy to take in that she’s the new head coach for the Florida Gators. And with that comes excitement.
“I was extremely humbled by the opportunity to come out and visit and even be considered for this honor. I feel like I’m a competitor and feel like [Jeremy] has seen that through my resume. I’m always looking to strive and achieve for greatness…Every season is definitely a new story and I look forward to building that story line. My expectation is a National Championship.”
She’ll have what she described as “golden talent” to chase a championship, with a team that will include returners like Alex McMurtry, Kennedy Baker and Honda Award winner Bridget Sloan whom Rowland has known since Sloan was 12.
Together they’ll all chase another Gator national championship. That’s what Jenny Rowland has her sights set on, no matter who else is in her line of vision.
“[Rhonda] and I come from a similar breed and background. Our values and expectations are similar. I will be able to encourage and motivate the athletes…They know how to compete, they don’t like to lose. I’m the same way. It doesn’t matter who’s across the mat, if they’re my friend, it doesn’t mean that I don’t want to win.”
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2015 11:12:25 GMT -5
Ashley Hiller Signs With UF: www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=30696Wednesday May 27, 2015 Ashley Hiller Signs with Gator Gymnastics Team Gainesville, Fla. Ashley Hiller is joining the three-time defending NCAA Champion University of Florida gymnastics team, Gator head coach Jenny Rowland announced Wednesday. Hiller signed a national letter of intent and joins the Gators for the 2016 season. Hiller is a Level 10 competitor from Pasadena, Texas, who just tied for second in the 2015 Junior Olympic National Level 10 – Senior D vault competition earlier this month in Des Moines, Iowa. Hiller’s signing gives Florida the top two vaulters in the 2015 J.O. Senior D competition, as Alicia Boren won the vault and all-around titles. Coach Rowland Says: “We are excited Ashley is joining the Gators. Her potential is high and we expect her to challenge for a spot in the vault lineup. She is totally focused on doing whatever she can to help the Gators. We welcome her the Gator program.” About Ashley Hiller: ▪ Shared second in vault in 2015 Junior Olympic National Level 10 – Senior D Championships ▪ Sixth in floor and seventh in both all-around and beam in 2015 Region 3 Level 10 – Senior D competition to advance to the J.O. National Championships ▪ Shared 2015 Texas Level 10 – Senior E vault title - also third on floor and sixth in all-around in same meet to qualify for Region 3 meet ▪ Won Senior B vault competition at the 2014 Junior Olympic National Invitational Tournament and took fifth on balance beam and sixth in floor exercise ▪ Fourth in Senior A Level 10 vault competition at the 2015 WOGA Classic ▪ Level 10 competitor since 2013 More info… ▪ Coached by Ashley and Dan Baker at Stars Gymnastics of Houston ▪ Will graduate from Pasadena Memorial High School this spring
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2015 11:20:43 GMT -5
Ashley Hiller (above) is the 4th member of the 15 recruiting class. These are the other 3 members of the class: www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=29187An outstanding trio of gymnasts signed with the two-time defending NCAA Champion University of Florida gymnastics team, Gator head coach Rhonda Faehn announced Friday. The three will join the Gators for the 2016 season. “We are thrilled to welcome this talented and highly motivated group to the Gator Gymnastics program,” Faehn said. “These student-athletes possess great technical execution, incredible work ethic and a desire that will continue the Florida Gators on the path of excellence athletically as well as academically.” This class includes a two-time U.S. Senior National team member – Peyton Ernst - and a pair of reigning Junior Olympic Level 10 champions – Alicia Boren and Lacy Dagen. · Ernst, a Senior International Elite competitor, was part of the 2013-14 and 2012-12 U.S. Senior National Teams. Since 2013, Ernst represented the U.S. in competitions in Canada, Italy, Mexico, Japan and Germany. She was fourth in 2013 P&G Championships’ all-around, uneven bars and balance beam competition. · Boren is the winner of all-around titles in the last three Junior Olympic National Level 10 Championships, claiming a total of seven J.O. event titles since 2012. Boren won the 2012 Nastia Liukin Cup floor exercise competition. · Dagen took the 2014 J.O. Level 10 – Senior A balance beam title, while also claiming third in all-around and fourth in vault. She qualified to Junior International Elite with runner-up finish at 2012 Gliders National Elite Qualifier. The same year, she won the American Classic Junior floor exercise competition. Meet the New Gators Alicia Boren – Franklin Lakes, New Jersey www.gatorzone.com/gallery/photos/2760/Boren-Alicia_2013-Nastia-Liukin-Cup_ls7439_4x6.jpg Three-time Junior Olympic National Level 10 all-around champion…2014 J.O. Level 10 – Senior B all-around, balance beam and floor exercise champion…shared the vault title with current Gator freshman Alex McMurtry…won 2013 J.O. Level 10 – Junior D all-around and floor exercise titles – also took second on uneven bars and third on vault…2012 J.O. National Level 10 – Junior B all-around champion – also runner-up on vault and third on beam…second on vault and tied for fifth on floor at 2013 Nastia Liukin Cup…also shared first on floor at 2012 Nastia Liukin Cup…2014 Region 7 Senior B all-around, beam and floor champion – also took second on vault…three-time member of U.S. J.O. National Team (2014, 2013, 2012)…member of North Stars Gymnastics Academy and coached by Tony Gehman. Coach Faehn Says: “Alicia is one of the most powerful and dynamic gymnasts to sign with a Gators. She is an incredibly tough competitor with wonderful consistency. Her team first attitude will only add to her many talents. I would expect Alicia to be an all-around competitor, but our fans will be amazed by her power on floor and vault. Alicia's love for the Gators runs deep, as both of her parents are Florida graduates.” Lacy Dagen – Pleasanton, California www.gatorzone.com/gallery/photos/2760/LacyDagen12sc69814_4x6.jpgPhoto by Heather Maynez 2014 Junior Olympic Level 10 – Senior A balance beam champion – also third in all-around and fourth in vault…member of 2014 Junior Olympic National Team…2014 Region 1 Championships – Senior A all-around, vault, balance beam and floor exercise champion…took floor exercise title in 2012 American Classic Junior 1 competition…seventh in vault in 2012 Visa Championships Junior Division…placed eighth in vault in 2012 Secret U.S. Classic Junior Division…qualified to Junior International Elite with runner-up all-around finish at 2012 Gliders National Elite Qualifier…fourth in all-around at 2012 WOGA National Elite Qualifier…sat out 2013 competition due to injury…member of San Mateo Gymnastics in Northern California and trains under coaches Armen Astoian and Oksana Bystrova. Coach Faehn Says: “Lacy is a dynamic competitor with great attention to detail. She has a passion for gymnastics that shows through her performances. Lacy is especially strong on the power events, as well as the balance beam. Lacy has an “all in” attitude and will be a tremendously positive presence on the team.” Peyton Ernst – Coppell, Texas www.gatorzone.com/gallery/photos/2760/Ernst-Peyton_jc4JC_8361_4x6.jpg Senior International Elite gymnast and two-time member of U.S. Senior National Team (2013-14 and 2012-13)…member of U.S. National team which won Pacific Rim and City of Jesolo Trophy team titles in 2014 – also second in all-around in Jesolo Trophy meet…second in all-around in both Mexican Open and Tokyo World Cup in 2013…fourth in all-around, uneven bars and balance beam at 2013 P&G Championships…won 2013 Secret U.S. Classic balance beam – also all-around and floor exercise runner-up and fourth on bars…tied for seventh in 2012 Visa Championships’ junior division all-around and eighth in both vault and balance beam…member of U.S. team which won USA-Germany-Romania tri-meet and City of Jesolo Trophy in 2013 – second in tri-meet and fourth at Jesolo Trophy all-around competitions…trains at the Texas Dreams Club in Coppell, Texas…coached by 1991 World Championships’ all-around gold medalist Kim Zmeskal-Burdette and Chris Burdette. Coach Faehn Says: “Peyton has already reached incredible heights on the international elite level and will bring excellence and poise to all four events. She is a skilled and confident competitor and will have an immediate impact on our program. I know that Peyton will have a tremendous Gator career. She has a beautiful and unique style to her gymnastics that will bring an artistic flair to the Gator line up.”
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2015 11:52:33 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2015 12:06:19 GMT -5
Wednesday June 24, 2015 Florida Women Finish Second in 2014-15 Capital One Cup
McLEAN, Va. – Two NCAA titles among a total of nine top-10 finishes in the 2014-15 season gives Florida a runner-up in the women’s Capital One Cup. In its fifth year, the Capital One Cup honors NCAA Division I athletics programs for their cumulative on-field performance across multiple men’s and women’s sports.
This past year, Gymnastics and softball repeated as NCAA champions in 2015. The gymnastics title was the third consecutive for the Gators, as its 0.05 winning margin equaled the slenderest in the meet’s 34-year history. Softball took its second straight Women’s College World Series title. The Gators are the first in the 11-year history of the WCWS Championship Series format to claim the title by winning Games 1 and 3.
The complete list of Florida women's 2014-15 top-10 teams includes: •Gymnastics (No. 1) •Softball (No. 1) •Women’s Indoor Track & Field (No. 4) •Soccer (No. T-5) •Women’s Tennis (No. T-5) •Volleyball (No. T-5) •Women’s Outdoor Track & Field (No. 8) •Women’s Swimming & Diving (No. 9) •Lacrosse (No. T-9)
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2015 15:13:32 GMT -5
I watched the replay of the Super 6 last night on ESPN. To say Bridget Sloan was peeved with the judges is an understatement. She put up several performance that should have been 10s, but were scored as 9.5s. The looks on Bridget's face after the scores were priceless. Let me put it this way, it was clear she didn't think much of the judges abilities to give a proper score for a perfect performance.
I also watched Georgia Dabritz of Utah closely. If her scores were 10s as given, the Gators should have had several 10.5s. For whatever reason, Utah seemed to be the favored school by the judges this year. That didn't stop UF from 3peating, but I'm not so sure Oklahoma shouldn't have been second and Utah third.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2015 8:42:43 GMT -5
Monday June 29, 2015
Florida’s Lauren Haeger Named Finalist at 2015 Honda Sports Award Ceremony
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Collegiate Women Sports Award presented by Honda went to Missy Franklin Monday evening in a nationally televised how on CBS Sports Network.
The Collegiate Women Sports Award brings the 12 student-athlete who represent the top in NCAA-sanctioned sport to Los Angeles. The 12 are narrowed to three finalists. This year, the three finalists were: Lauren Haeger, Breanna Stewart and Franklin.
Two of the top athletes were Gators – Haeger and Kytra Hunter. Haeger is the second Gator to win the Honda Award for softball. Hunter is a two-time winner of the Honda Award for gymnastics, also receiving the 2012 honor. A Gator gymnast has now won the honor four times.
This is the 39th year for this prestigious award. One Gator has twice been named the top collegiate female athlete of the year. Gator Great swimmer Tracy Caulkins shared the 1983-84 Broderick Cup (previous name of award) with Southern California’s Cheryl Miller and also won as a freshman in 1981-82. A Gator has been named their sport’s winner 18 times since 1978.
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