The University of Florida gymnastics team holds the No. 3 spot in the 2011 preseason poll released by GymInfo this morning. This is the fifth consecutive year Florida appears among the top four teams in the preseason poll (2007: 3rd; 2008: 2nd, 2009: 3rd; 2010: 4th). Florida has ranked among the preseason top 10 each year since the poll’s inception in 1992.
Defending NCAA champion UCLA holds the top spot with 32 first-place votes. Rounding out the preseason top five are No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Florida, No. 4 Oklahoma and No. 5 Utah.
| Florida’s Returning All-Americans in 2011 | ||
| Name | Year | All-America Year/Events |
| Ashanée Dickerson | SO | 2010 Vault & Floor Exercise |
| Alicia Goodwin | SR | 2010 & 2009 Uneven Bars |
| Marissa King | SO | 2010 All-Around, Vault, Balance Beam & Floor Exercise |
| Elizabeth Mahlich | JR | 2009 Balance Beam |
| Maranda Smith | SR | 2009 All-Around, Vault & Floor Exercise; 2010 Uneven Bars |
Nine opponents Florida will face in the 2011 dual meet season appear in the poll, including four in the preseason top 10. The Gators open the 2011 season Friday, Jan. 7 with a home dual meet versus No. 10 Nebraska. Each of Florida’s five home meets includes a team that appears among the 2011 preseason top 25.
In 2010, the Gator gymnastics team claimed the Southeastern Conference Championship, won the program’s sixth consecutive NCAA Regional title and took fifth in the NCAA Super Six team final. The Gators return five gymnasts in 2011 who own a total of 13 All-America honors.
