Florida came into this season without two of its best all arounders from 2023, leaving a lot of open lineup spots that needed to be filled. A strong freshmen class, led by Anya Pilgrim and Sylar Draser, have answered that call and stepped into the all around for the Gators.
Though they have had successful seasons, the transition to college can be challenging, so it was expected to take some time before the newcomers would fully be able to fill the roles of previous all-around competitors Trinity Thomas and Kayla DiCello. The team used that time wisely, and it translated directly into scores; Florida had an almost unprecedented streak of continuously improving its scores each week, doing so over the first eight weeks of the season.
With over a third of scores coming from freshmen, Head Coach Jenny Rowland attributes their success not to the traditional concept of pacing but rather to the confidence they’ve built throughout the season. Rowland said, “for our freshmen and returners, you know, the more you compete throughout the season, the more confidence you get.” There is the confidence the athletes have in themselves, as well as the confidence they have in one another: each athlete trusts that their teammates will hit.
Coming into regionals, Florida…
