Pair of Gator Gymnasts Claim SEC Weekly Honors
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Two Gators – Trinity Thomas and Kayla DiCello – open the 2023 season claiming Southeastern Conference weekly gymnastics honors after the first weekend of competition.
DiCello is the SEC Freshman of the Week and Thomas is the SEC Specialist of the Week. This is Thomas’ fifth SEC Specialist of Week honor of her career.
DiCello claims her first SEC Freshman of the Week honor at the end of week one. DiCello is the fifth freshman Gator to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honor after the Gators’ opening meet (2011: Alaina Johnson; 2013: Bridget Sloan; 2018: Jazmyn Foberg; 2019: Trinity Thomas)
Trinity Thomas – SEC Specialist of the Week:
* Won or shared a win for each of three events competed in season opener – vault, bars, beam.
* Nation’s first 10.0 in any event with fourth beam 10.0 of her career.
* 21 career 10.0s is No. T6 among the nation’s 10.0 leaders.
* Seventh 10.0 in last five meets – floor (4x), vault, bars, beam 1x – there’s a GymSlam in that 10.0 run!
* Career wins total now is 116. No other Gator in the program’s 51-season history has 100.
Kayla DiCello – SEC Freshman of the Week:
* One of seven Gators to win all-around in first meet since 1986 (Sloane Blakely/2022; Kytra Hunter/2012, Ashanée Dickerson/2010, Melanie Sinclair/2007, Corey Hartung/2006 and Melissa Miller/1986).
* 39.475 is the highest all-around among SEC freshmen, second among nation’s freshmen and tied for nation’s 10th highest for the opening weekend.
* 39.475 is tied with Trinity Thomas (2019) for Florida’s top all-around in collegiate debut meet.
* Shared second on balance beam title with teammate Ellie Lazzari at 9.90. Also third on bars (9.925) and floor (9.875).
UP NEXT FOR THE GATORS:
The nation’s top dual meet of the weekend – No. 2 Florida versus No. 5 Auburn – is this Friday in the Exactech Arena. When these two teams closed league action at Auburn in 2022, they tied at 198.575.<https://floridagators.com/news/2022/3/4/gymnastics-no-3-gators-claim-sec-title-outright-with-tie-at-no-6-auburn.aspx>
All of the SEC week 1 award recipients will be in the Exactech Arena Friday, as Auburn’s Sunisa Lee claimed the SEC Gymnast of the Week honor.
When: Friday, Jan. 13 at 7:15 p.m. ET
Venue: Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center<https://www.oconnellcenter.ufl.edu/events/gymnastics-vs-auburn-equality-night/>
TV: ESPN2<https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/34e519ac-8c6d-497c-bb55-798eb83e5f9f>
Live Scores: StatBroadcast<http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=438597>
Tickets: Sold<https://floridagators.com/sports/2015/12/10/_tickets_gymnastics_.aspx> out
Purchase tickets to future home meets at FloridaGators.com/Tickets<https://floridagators.com/sports/2015/12/10/_tickets_gymnastics_.aspx>
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