Brooke Beyma a fervent enthusiast of college sports, frequently delves into the thrilling world of collegiate athletics. Today, Brooke Beyma highlights the University of Florida Gymnastics – from gravity-defying routines to unwavering dedication, Beyma uncovers the excellence in UF’s gymnastics.

First formed in the fall of 1973, the University of Florida’s women’s varsity gymnastics team had a strong start when they were hailed champions at the 1982 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) championship.

Now 50 years later, the Florida Gators Women’s Gymnastics team remains as strong as ever, with numerous wins, titles, and championships to their name throughout the past few decades. They have also propelled countless athletes to success, both in collegiate competitions and on the national stage.

Brooke Beyma says from its top-tier coaching staff and state-of-the-art facilities to its continued dedication to excellence, the Florida Team continues to serve as an inspiration to aspiring gymnasts across the country.

Brooke Beyma Highlights the Gators: A Brief History

Gymnastics was among the first women’s sports that the University of Florida adopted, creating a varsity gymnastics team in 1973. After the team’s AIAW championship in 1982, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) became the facilitator of collegiate sports.

The Gators have since then secured a consistent spot in the NCCA top twelve championships, except for one year. Brooke Beyma says that they have also reached the NCAA championships’ “Super Six” finals for a total of nineteen times.

In 1998 and 2012, the Florida team finished as a runner-up but won the national championships thrice in a row – in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

Coaches

Ernestine Weaver, the Gators’ head coach for twelve years, contributed significantly to the team’s competition achievements in the AIAW, NCAA, and SEC. Under her, the team won the 1982 AIAW national finals, five NCAA championships, and five AIAW and NCAA individual championships.

Judi Markell became the next head coach of the Gators in 1993. Under her, the Gators appeared in nine out of ten NCAA finals, which includes a top two spot in 1998, three Super Six spots, and three individual championships, reports Brooke Beyma.

Rhonda Faehn succeeded Markell and coached the Gators from 2003 to 2015. The team won four SEC finals, participated in ten “Super Six” appearances, a runner-up spot in 2012, a three-streak national championship wins from 2013 to 2015, and nine individual championships under her wing.

Brooke Beyma reports that the Florida Women’s Gymnastics Team hired Jenny Rowland after Faehn resigned in 2015. In her first year of coaching, the team won its tenth SEC title.

Gators in Flight: The Team’s Standout Athletes

In its 50 years of existence, the Florida Gators Women’s Gymnastics Team has nurtured some of the most accomplished gymnasts in collegiate gymnastics. Here are the team’s standout athletes who won individual championships throughout the years:

• Ann Woods Smith: 1982 AIAW uneven bars, floor exercise, and all-around champion. She is the winner of the 1982 Broderick Award winner for gymnastics, receiving honor as the country’s top collegiate gymnast of the year. Ann is also the seventh Gator inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
• Lynn McDonnell: 1982 AIAW balance beam champion. She is a five-time All-American gymnast and was inducted into the UF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.
• Maria Anz Jacobs: NCAA floor exercise champion (1984) and Florida’s first NCAA individual gymnastics champion.
• Susan Hines: Two-time NCAA vault champion (1997 and 1998) and six-time All-American gymnast.
• Betsy Hamm: 1998 NCAA balance beam champion, four-time All-American, and All-SEC gymnast.
• Marissa King: 2011 NCAA vault champion, 11-time All-American team, and three-time All-SEC Second Team from 2010 to 2012.
• Kytra Hunter: 2012 NCAA all-around and vault title champion and 2015 floor and all-around champion. She is a twenty-five-time All-American (15 NCAA / 10 NACGC Regular Season), a two-time Honda Award winner (2012 and 2015), a four-time All-SEC Team, and the 2015 SEC Gymnast of the Year.
• Alaina Johnson: Brooke Beyma says that Alaina is a 2013 NCAA bars champion. She is also a 16-time All-American (14 NCAA / 2 NACGC Regular Season) and three-time All-SEC Team.
• Bridget Sloan: 2013 NCAA all-around and beam champion, 2014 bars champion, and 2016 NCAA bars, beam, and all-around champion. She is also a 31-time All-American (16 NCAA / 15 NACGC Regular Season), a two-time Honda Award winner (2013 and 2016), three-time All-SEC Team, 2016 SEC Female Athlete of Year, and a 2008 Olympian for the United States.

• Alex McMurtry: 2017 NCAA all-around and bars champion and 2018 NCAA vault champion. She is also a 22-time All-American (14 NCAA / 8 NACGC Regular Season), 2017 SEC Gymnast of the Year, recipient of the 2017 Honda Award, and 2018 SEC Event Specialist Gymnast of the Year.
• Alicia Boren: Brooke Beyma says that Alicia is a 2019 floor exercise champion and 2018 SEC floor exercise champion. She is also an 18-time All-American (8 NCAA / 10 NACGC Regular Season), three-time All-SEC team, and three-time SEC Gymnast of Week.
• Trinity Thomas: 2022 NCAA all-around, floor exercise, and uneven bars champion. She is also a 34-time All-American (11 NCAA / 23 WCGA Regular Season), a two-time Honda Award recipient (2022 and 2023), a top 3 Finalist for 2022 Honda Cup and an NCAA Career 10.0 Co-Leader (28).