| GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s Trinity Thomas is the Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Year and Jenny Rowland is the SEC Coach of the Year, the league announced today. A vote of the league coaches determines the SEC award winners. 2020 SEC Gymnastics Awards Gymnast of the Year: Trinity Thomas, Florida Specialist of the Year: Helen Hu, Missouri Freshman of the Year: Kiya Johnson, LSU Scholar-Athletes of the Year: Shae Mahoney, Alabama Coach of the Year: Jenny Rowland, Florida Gators on All-SEC Teams All-SEC Team Rachel Gowey Savannah Schoenherr Trinity Thomas Thomas provided many highlights in 2020’s shortened season: · All-America first-team for all-around, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise and second-team for vault in the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) regular-season awards – one of three in nation to claim five honors · 2020 Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Region 5 Gymnast of Year for second consecutive season · Set collegiate all-around best (39.825) to win title at Georgia. Nation’s third-highest total of 2020 and equals Florida record · Only 2020 gymnast with a 10.0 in three different events: * 14th Gator to earn a 10.0 with winning mark in LSU dual uneven bars competition * 10.0 on balance beam versus Denver & Iowa State. Beam 10.0 again in next meet at Auburn * 10.0 won floor exercise at Penn State. All-arounder in every meet. Owns four of 2020’s top seven all-around totals (No. T3: 39.825; No.T7: 39.775 3x) · Among the four finalists for the 2020 Honda Award (season’s top collegiate gymnast) · Led Gators with 28 event wins in 2020 – eight all-around, floor, six bars, five beam, one vault. Won final seven all-around competitions of 2020. · Earned fourth consecutive U.S. Senior National Team spot at 2019 U.S. Championships. One of eight gymnasts since 1987 to earn a U.S. Senior National Team spot after competing earlier at that season’s NCAA Championships. · SEC Academic Honor Roll She is the fifth SEC Gymnast of the Year for the Gator program and first since Alex McMurtry received the 2017 honor<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2017_3_23_gymnastics-2Dalex-2Dmcmurtry-2Dis-2Dsec-2Dgymnast-2Dscholar-2Dathlete-2Dof-2Dthe-2Dyear.aspx&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=mS9iRtPw-7FNMMdfgUv523zCt5cjLdGjcRQxW9GlW58&s=geJS_pMeT6Splg2IwX19vr9SLqEFjn2Cuo2FN75bXDY&e= >. Thomas is the second Gator sophomore to claim SEC athlete of the year honors for their sport this season. Kieran Smith is the SEC Men’s Swimmer of the Year<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2020_4_14_mens-2Dswimming-2Ddiving-2Dgators-2Dflood-2Dsec-2Dpostseason-2Dawards-2Dlist.aspx&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=mS9iRtPw-7FNMMdfgUv523zCt5cjLdGjcRQxW9GlW58&s=TWstJfRKaQ8y5yltDnECHfhQstb7KH9HzcUm3fKkEl8&e= >. Jenny Rowland: SEC Coach of the Year: Rowland earns another 2020 coaching honor, receiving the WCGA Region 5 Coach of the Year earlier this month<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2020_4_9_gator-2Dgymnastics-2Dsweeps-2Dwcga-2Dregion-2D5-2Dawards.aspx&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=mS9iRtPw-7FNMMdfgUv523zCt5cjLdGjcRQxW9GlW58&s=NGpauo1KMSvz7Qe8Qv8QdYtFvVhY_KU2zc-PoOCZZj0&e= >. This is Rowland’s second SEC Coach of the Year, claiming the 2016 award in her first season with the Gators. She is Florida’s second SEC Coach of the Year this season, as Anthony Nesty claimed the men’s swimming honor earlier this month. * Florida was 10-0 in 2020 and No. 2 on final Road to Nationals standings<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__roadtonationals.com_results_standings_season_2020_10_0_5&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=mS9iRtPw-7FNMMdfgUv523zCt5cjLdGjcRQxW9GlW58&s=ITb_4nYPLo8prvOFj58dzxQ2KhV7JdANTVrxjwWhoeE&e= >. * The Gators won their second consecutive SEC title with a 7-0 league record. It was UF’s first undefeated league season since 1992 when all league teams began meeting during regular season action. * Florida held the No. 2 position throughout the Road to Nationals rankings after being picked No. 3 in the preseason vote. * Gators rank in top three in each of the final event rankings – No. 1 (beam), No. 2 (floor), No. 3 (vault & floor) * Florida’s team total of 198.375 (Jan. 24 vs LSU) is nation’s No. 3 total for 2020 and also is No. 3 total all-time for Gator program. * Four Gators – Alyssa Baumann, Rachel Gowey, Savannah Schoenherr, Trinity Thomas – earned nine WCGA All-America honors<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__floridagators.com_news_2020_3_24_gymnastics-2Dfour-2Dgators-2Dearn-2Dwcga-2Dregular-2Dseason-2Dall-2Damerica-2Dhonors.aspx&d=DwIF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=o5LKAX7slotfFMyE71jI7L22NYBIi1-KbRGNSXudTPo&m=mS9iRtPw-7FNMMdfgUv523zCt5cjLdGjcRQxW9GlW58&s=HSA0qAdzkjz1e2WS93Acrek7S2Xkl3t7TuX_UgGuKx0&e= > * School Records Equaled in 2020: Uneven Bars: Trinity Thomas 10.0 (Jan. 24) Balance Beam: Rachel Gowey 10.0 (March 7) Trinity Thomas 10.0 (Feb.7 & Feb. 14) Team 49.675 (Jan. 24 & Feb. 21) Floor Exercise: Trinity Thomas 10.0 (March 7) All-Around: Trinity Thomas 39.825 (Feb. 28) All-SEC Teams Criteria Changes Due to COVID-19: The COVID-19 pandemic shortened season required criteria revisions to determine 2020 All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman teams. 2019 criteria (34 total on 2019 All-SEC team / 11 on SEC All-Freshman team): Top two event scores (including ties) in each session of the SEC Championships made up the All-SEC team. The freshmen with the top event score (including ties) in each SEC Championships’ session filled out the SEC All-Freshman team. 2020 criteria (12 total on 2020 All-SEC team / 8 on SEC All-Freshman team): Top two gymnasts based on final national qualifying score (NQS) on each of the five events in the projected 2020 SEC Championships competition sessions earn All-SEC honors. Top SEC freshman based on final NQS on each of the five events in the projected 2020 SEC Championships competition sessions make up SEC All-Freshman team. 2020 SEC Championships’ projected sessions: Session 1: Kentucky, Missouri, Auburn, Arkansas Session II: Florida, LSU, Alabama, Georgia All-SEC Gators: Florida led all programs with three on the 2020 All-SEC team. Rachel Gowey – Senior 2020 All-SEC All-SEC qualifying events: Final Road to Nationals rank of No. 6 in balance beam (9.945 NQS) · Third consecutive All-SEC honor · 10.0 balance beam routine won title at Penn State. Fifth gymnast in Florida gymnastics’ 48-season history to earn a perfect beam mark · Performance at March 7 Penn State claimed Southeastern Conference Specialist of the Week honor · Equaled or set beam best three times in 2020 – equaled then best of 9.95 versus Arkansas, upped to near-perfect 9.975 versus LSU and scored perfect 10.0 at PSU · Eight 2020 beam routines scored 9.90 or better Savannah Schoenherr – Sophomore 2020 All-SEC All-SEC qualifying events: Final RTN rank of No. T11 for uneven bars (9.910 NQS) · Nearly perfect uneven bars mark of 9.975 shared second versus LSU · Won first collegiate uneven bars title with 9.95 versus Denver & Iowa State. · Shared bars win at Penn State (9.95) · Placed among the top three bar performers in eight 2020 meets · Five 2020 bars routines scored 9.90 or better – with three 9.95 or better Trinity Thomas – Sophomore 2020 All-SEC All-SEC qualifying events (final RTN rank): No. 1 floor exercise (9.965 NQS) No. 2 all-around (39.75) No. T2 balance beam (9.965) No. T4 uneven bars (9.945) · Second consecutive All-SEC honor · Eight SEC Gymnast of the Week accolades is most in a single season in the honor’s 21-year history · See SEC Gymnast of Year notes above for more on Thomas’ 2020 season All-SEC Team Sophia Carter Arkansas Kennedy Hambrick Arkansas Derrian Gobourne Auburn Drew Watson Auburn Rachel Gowey Florida Savannah Schoenherr Florida Trinity Thomas Florida Josie Angeny Kentucky Mollie Korth Kentucky Kennedi Edney LSU Kiya Johnson LSU Helen Hu Missouri SEC All-Freshman Team Luisa Blanco Alabama Makarri Doggette Alabama Bailey Lovett Arkansas Cassie Stevens Auburn Raena Worley Kentucky Kiya Johnson LSU Helen Hu Missouri Sienna Schreiber Missouri |
