Team; Happy Gators 2023 Gators Gymnastics University of Florida March 18, 2023 โ€“ Southeastern Conference Championship meet No. 3 Florida 198.425 No. 10 Alabama 197.925 No. 6 LSU 197.800 No. 8 Kentucky 197.675 No. 12 Auburn 197.100 No. 17 Missouri 197.000 No. 16 Arkansas 196.825 No. 18 Georgia 196.600

Two Gators Gymnasts Claim SEC Honors

Scarlett Cooney March 22, 2023 Gators Gymnastics, Gators Sports, Gymnastics, NCAA, SEC 654 Views

Gators gymnastics stars Trinity Thomas and Kayla DiCello have added another SEC Honor to their collections.

Thomas was named the 2023 SEC Gymnast of the Year, while DiCello took the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year. DiCello was also named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

The Unstoppable Trinity Thomas

This season marks Thomas‘ third SEC Gymnast of the Year title (2020, 22). She defended her title with the nation’s highest all-around score (39.800) at the SEC Championship. Thomas added in two perfect 10.0s to claim the floor exercise and uneven bars titles. She is now one of two in league history with two 10.0s in a single SEC Championships.

Thomas has posted seven perfect 10.0s this season, tied with Oregon State’s Jade Carey. She is the recipient of 27 career 10.0s, just one behind the all-time collegiate leaders.

If that wasn’t enough, the graduate student leads Florida with 28 event titles this season, and 141 career event titles.

Dynamite DiCello

DiCello had an incredible 2023 season, with more yet to come in postseason. She was named the SEC Freshman of the Week a league record eight times (six consecutive).

At the SEC Championships DiCello placed sixth overall in the all-around (39.600), higher than any freshman. She posted a 9.950 on balance beam and the floor exercise, earning her second on both events.

Earlier in the season, DiCello was the first freshman to score a perfect 10.0 at the Feb. 10 meet versus Missouri.

Other Gator Standouts

Five Gators gymnasts earned All-SEC honors in the SEC Championship meet (Sloane Blakely, DiCello, Victoria Nguyen, Thomas, Leanne Wong).

Blakely, a sophomore, shared the SEC vault title with a 9.95. She is the ninth Gator to claim this title. This is her first All-SEC honor.

Junior Victoria Nguyen tied for second on the uneven bars (9.950), equaling her collegiate best. This is her first All-SEC honors as a Gator, after earning the honor as a sophomore at the University of Georgia.

Sophomore standout Leanne Wong is the fifth Gator to claim the All-SEC honor this season. She won her second consecutive balance beam title with a near-perfect 9.975, and tied for second on the bars (9.950).

Up Next for the Gators

The No. 2 seed Florida Gators will compete March 31 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for the NCAA Regional Gymnastics Championships.

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About Scarlett Cooney

Scarlett Cooney is a senior journalism student specializing in sports and media.

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