GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s Trinity Thomas claims her third Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Year honor and teammate Kayla DiCello is the SEC Freshman of the Year, the league announced today. A vote of the league coaches determines the SEC award winners.
2023 SEC Gymnastics Awards
Gymnast of the Year:
Trinity Thomas, Florida
Co-Specialist of the Year:
Derrian Gobourne, Auburn
Freshman of the Year:
Kayla DiCello, Florida
Scholar-Athletes of the Year:
Cassie Stevens, Auburn
Coach of the Year:
Tim Garrison, Kentucky
Gators on All-SEC Teams
All-SEC Team
SEC All-Freshman Team
Sloane Blakely
Kayla DiCello
Kayla DiCello
Victoria Nguyen
Trinity Thomas
Leanne Wong
Thomas joins Alabama’s Andreé Pickens (2002, 2001, 2002) as the only three-time SEC Gymnast of the Year recipients since the honor began in 1993. Thomas also earned the honor in 2020 and 2022. She is among five Gators ever to be named SEC Gymnast of the Year and the only one with multiple honors.
DiCello is the 10th Gator voted SEC Freshman of the Year and first since Thomas in 2019.
Thomas in 2023:
· Nation’s top all-around total (39.80) in 2023 conference championships competition successfully defended SEC title
· One of two in league history with two 10.0s in a single SEC Championships. Defended floor exercise title with 10.0 and completed 2023 Season Slam with uneven bars 10.0. Part of All-SEC team
· Owns nation’s No. 3 (39.85), No. 4 (39.825) and No. 5 (39.80) all-around totals in 2023 – the most of any SEC gymnast.
· Seven 10.0s shares nation’s 2023 high with Oregon State’s Jade Carey. Career 10.0s (27) is one behind the all-time collegiate leaders
· Three titles in 2023 league championship meet pushed SEC career event titles total to seven, which shares No. 3 all-time among league leaders
· Leads Florida with 28 event wins (9 floor, 7 bars, 5 all-around, 4 vault, 3 beam)
· Owns Florida’s career events titles record (141)
· Finalist for AAI Award (given to nation’s top senior gymnast)
DiCello in 2023:
· Shared second in Southeastern Conference balance beam and floor exercise with marks of 9.95.
· Top freshman all-arounder at SEC Championships, placing sixth overall (39.60)
· One of five freshmen to earn 2023 All-SEC honors
· Nation’s first freshman to earn a 10.0 in 2023 (uneven bars – Feb. 10 vs Missouri). One of three freshmen with a 10.0 in 2023.
· Set league record for number (8) and consecutive (6) SEC Freshmen of the Week accolades. Week 2 Specialist of the Week.
· Collegiate bests: 10.0 (bars 1x), 9.975 (beam 2x), 9.95 (vault 1x, floor 2x), 39.75 (all-around)
· All-around best of 39.75 is No. 2 among nation’s 2023 freshmen.
· Seven event wins – bars (3), beam (2), all-around & floor (1)
All-SEC Gators:
Five Gators earned All-SEC honors in SEC Championship meet competition.
All-SEC Criteria: 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.
Sloane Blakely – Sophomore
* Shared SEC vault title at 9.95
* Ninth Gator to win SEC vault
* First All-SEC honor
Kayla DiCello – Freshman
* Shared second on balance beam and floor exercise with marks of 9.95
* Top freshmen in SEC Championship meet all-around
* Also earned spot on SEC All-Freshman team
Victoria Nguyen – Junior
* Shared second on uneven bars with mark of 9.95
* 9.95 equals collegiate bars best
* Also earned All-SEC honors as a Georgia sophomore in 2022
Trinity Thomas – Graduate
* Qualified for 2023 All-SEC honors by winning three events outright – all-around (39.80), uneven bars (10.0) and floor exercise (10.0)
* Second consecutive season with three SEC event titles. Joins Gator Great Melissa Miller (1988) as only Gators with three SEC individual titles in a single SEC meet
* Fourth All-SEC honor (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023)
Leanne Wong – Sophomore
* Qualified for 2023 All-SEC honors by winning second consecutive balance beam title (9.975) and tying for second on bars (9.95)
* One of three Gators to win consecutive SEC beam titles (Lynn McDonnell – 1981 & 1982; Alyssa Baumann – 2018, 2019, 2021). One of seven in meet history to repeat as beam champ.
* Second All-SEC honor (2022, 2023)
All-SEC Team
Luisa Blanco
Alabama
Gabby Gladieux
Alabama
Lilly Hudson
Alabama
Shallon Olsen
Alabama
Norah Flatley
Arkansas
Frankie Price
Arkansas
Cami Weaver
Arkansas
Lauren Williams
Arkansas
Aria Brusch
Auburn
Derrian Gobourne
Auburn
Olivia Hollingsworth
Auburn
Gabby McLaughlin
Auburn
Cassie Stevens
Auburn
Sloane Blakely
Florida
Kayla DiCello
Florida
Victoria Nguyen
Florida
Trinity Thomas
Florida
Leanne Wong
Florida
Haley de Jong
Georgia
Vanessa Deniz
Georgia
Soraya Hawthorne
Georgia
Shealyn Luksik
Kentucky
Isabella Magnelli
Kentucky
Haleigh Bryant
LSU
Aleah Finnegan
LSU
Bryce Wilson
LSU
Amari Celestine
Missouri
Helen Hu
Missouri
Jocelyn Moore
Missouri
Sienna Schreiber
Missouri
Alisa Sheremeta
Missouri
SEC All-Freshman Team
Gabby Gladieux
Alabama
Reese Drotar
Arkansas
Frankie Price
Arkansas
Cami Weaver
Arkansas
Lauren Williams
Arkansas
Kayla DiCello
Florida
Naya Howard
Georgia
JaFree Scott
Georgia
Next Up:
No. 2 seed Florida heads to Pittsburgh, Pa., for NCAA Regional action. The Gators begin regional competition on Friday, March 31.<https://floridagators.com/news/2023/3/20/florida-is-2023-ncaa-gymnastics-championships-second-seed.aspx>
Coverage for all four NCAA Regionals can be found on ESPN3.
