Florida
made it four in a row for Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year and
Coach of the Year honors as the league announced its annual individual awards
on the eve of Saturday’s SEC Championships. Bridget
Sloan (Pittsboro, Ind.) is the league’s pick as SEC Freshman
of the Year and Rhonda Faehn was voted Coach of the Year – both marking
fourth consecutive honors for the Gator program.
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The
2013 Florida roster contains four who have earned the SEC Freshman Gymnast of
the Year. From left: Kytra Hunter (2012), Bridget Sloan (2013), Ashanée
Dickerson (2010), Alaina Johnson (2011) with SEC Coach of the Year Rhonda
Faehn.
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Florida All-Time SEC Freshman of the Year
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2013
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Bridget Sloan
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2012
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Kytra
Hunter
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2011
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Alaina
Johnson
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2010
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Ashanée
Dickerson
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2007
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Amanda
Castillo
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2002
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Orley
Szmuch
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1998
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Betsy
Hamm
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Florida’s SEC Coach of the Year
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2013
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Rhonda Faehn
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2012
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Rhonda Faehn
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2011
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Rhonda Faehn
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2010
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Rhonda Faehn
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2007
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Rhonda Faehn
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2006
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Rhonda Faehn
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1997
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Judi
Markell
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1994
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Judi
Markell
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1992
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Ernestine
Weaver
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1989
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Ernestine
Weaver
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LSU
sophomore Rheagan Courville is the SEC Gymnast of the Year and Alabama junior
Kim Jacob is the SEC Scholar-Athlete in the other awards announced Friday
afternoon.
Sloan
is the seventh overall Gator to claim the SEC Freshman of the Year honor. A
six-time honoree by the league this season, Sloan is the only freshman to be a
two-time SEC Gymnast of the Week recipient. She also picked up four SEC
Freshman of the Week awards in 2013.
Sloan,
the only World Championships all-around titlist (2009) ever to compete as a
collegiate, is a four-time all-around winner for the Gators. Her total of 39.75
on March 1 is the nation’s second-highest of 2013 and the second-highest earned
since 2009. Two other all-around totals also rank among the nation’s 2013
leaders. Sloan’s 39.70 set last Saturday at Utah shares the nation’s
third-highest of season and the 39.675 versus Alabama shares the No. 7 spot.
Each
of Sloan’s apparatus best marks are a 9.925 or above, including 9.975 for bars
& beam.
For
the sixth time of her 11-year Gator career, Faehn is the league’s vote for SEC
Coach of the Year. The 2013 Gators are the nation’s top-ranked team and enter
Saturday’s SEC meet as the top seed. Four of the nation’s current top-10 team
totals belong to the Gators. Florida’s school-record of 198.425 on March 1 is
the nation’s top total since 2004 and shares eighth all-time.
She
is the seventh Gator coach to pick up SEC Coach of the Year honors this season,
joining Becky Burleigh (soccer), Billy Donovan (men’s
basketball), Will Muschamp (football), Paul Spangler (women’s
cross country), Gregg Troy (men’s swimming) and Mary Wise
(volleyball).
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2013 Southeastern Conference Gymnastics Awards
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Gymnast of the Year
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Rheagan Courville, LSU
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Freshman of the Year
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Bridget Sloan, Florida
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Scholar-Athlete of the Year
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Kim Jacob, Alabama
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Coach of the Year
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Rhonda Faehn, Florida
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