GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida women’s basketball head coach Kelly Rae Finley has announced the hiring of assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Cynthia Jordan to her staff.
Jordan joins the Gators coaching staff after serving as the Director of Women’s Basketball Operations at South Carolina for the past 10 seasons.
“CJ is a star within the women’s basketball community,” Finley said. “She is a connector of people, a competitor with a diligent work ethic and charismatic presence. She is a proven winner who will positively impact our student-athletes and staff daily. We are excited to welcome CJ to Gainesville!”
As the director of operations with the Gamecocks, Jordan coordinated all team activities, including all aspects of the team’s travel arrangements. She was responsible for game scheduling, assisting with oversight of student-athlete academic success and served as the program’s liaison with various other areas within the athletics department.
“I am thrilled and excited to be joining such a strong program,” Jordan said. “I would like to thank Kelly for including me in her overall vision. Kelly’s passion for the game is palpable and positions her and the program for greatness. I am honored to play a role in the program’s build as a championship contender and am committed to contributing in any way I can. I also look forward to becoming an active member of the greater Gators community.”
Prior to serving as the director of operations, Jordan acted as the video coordinator for the Gamecocks from 2008-2011. As the video coordinator, Jordan was responsible for taping games and practices, breaking down film and coordinating the ongoing video needs of the coaching staff. She began her career in collegiate athletics as a graduate assistant at Temple in 2007. As a graduate assistant at Temple, she began working with editing opponent films for the coaching staff while also evaluating high school prospect videos.
On the court, Jordan was a four-year letterwinner for Temple women’s basketball under head coach Dawn Staley before playing professionally overseas in Switzerland and Turkey. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing in 2004 and her master’s degree in sports and recreation administration in 2009, both from Temple.
What They’re Saying About CJ
“One of the greatest moments as a coach is seeing your former players live out their dreams. Today is that day for Cynthia ‘CJ’ Jordan, who has been a key part of our championship success. As a player, CJ was the ultimate point guard, a good teammate and a coachable student-athlete who was not going to be outworked. It’s that same tenacious attitude that will make her a great assistant coach for the Florida Gators. Coaching is about teaching, relationships and passion – CJ has a great understanding of all three, and couple with her knowledge of the game, the student-athletes will benefit greatly from what she will add to the staff.”
Monthly Archives: April 2022
Spring Game TV Special
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – This year’s Gators Spring Football Special, presented by Sunniland will debut Sunday, May 1 at 6 p.m. ET on Bally Sports Florida. The one-hour show features exclusive content from Florida’s first spring under Head Coach Billy Napier, as well the 2022 Orange and Blue Game.
Hosted by voice of the Gators Mick Hubert and Jeff Cardozo, the show features interviews with Napier, Associate Head Coach / Director of Football Strength and Conditioning Mark Hocke, Assistant Head Coach – Defense / Cornerbacks Coach Corey Raymond, Inside Linebackers Coach Mike Peterson and Senior Director of Player Relations and GatorMade Savannah Bailey.
The show will re-air throughout the first week of May. See air dates and times below and check local listings.
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Sunday, May 1 at 6 p.m.
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Monday, May 2 at 7 a.m.
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Thursday, May 5 at 1 p.m.
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Saturday, May 7 at 10 a.m.
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Saturday, May 7 at 6 p.m.
Major Signings!
Florida Gators
Florida Women’s Basketball Announces Signing of Three Athletes for 2022-23
Posted: Thursday, April 28, 2022
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida women’s basketball head coach Kelly Rae Finley has announced the signing of three athletes to join the Gators for the 2022-23 campaign. Leilani Correa, KK Deans and Ra Shaya Kyle will each make their way to Gainesville to take the court for the Orange & Blue next season.
“We are excited to welcome Leilani, KK and Shay to Gator Nation! We believe that they bring added depth to our roster and are high character people that exemplify the Gator standard on and off the court,” Finley said.
As a collective group, the three signees, while not an incoming freshman class, would mark one of the highest-rated signing classes in Florida history. Kyle, in the class of 2020, was a five-star recruit and the No. 36 overall recruit in the nation. In the 2019 class, Dean was also a five-star out of high school, sitting at the No. 51 overall recruit in the country while Correa earned four-star status and was the No. 83-ranked recruit.
The last time that Florida signed three prospects in the ESPN Top-100 coming out of high school came in 2014 with Haley Lorenzen (36), Isis Young (59) and Brooke Copeland (70).
The trio joins Zippy Broughton and Jordyn Merritt, both of whom were five-star recruits with Broughton entering college the No. 24 prospect and Merritt the No. 27-rated recruit.
Leilani Correa | Senior | G | 6-0 | Manchester, N.J. | St. Johns
Correa joins the Orange & Blue following a three-year stay at St. Johns where she was twice named an All-Big East First Team honoree. During the 2021-22 campaign, Correa led the Red Storm in points per game at 17.3, while also averaging 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. A unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST selection, Correa posted 20 or more points in 11 games, eight of which came against conference opponents. The junior tallied 35 points against DePaul on Dec. 19 to tie her career best, eclipsing the 30-point mark for the ninth time as a Johnnie. On Jan. 14 against Providence, Correa became just the 27th St. John’s player to reach the 1,000-point mark for her career.
As a sophomore, Correa also earned All-Big East First Team honors and All-Met First Team honors after leading the Red Storm 17.6 points per game to rank fifth overall in the Big East. With 387 points through 22 games, she recorded the 11th-highest single-season scoring average in school history while being named the Big East Player of the Week once and was a six-time Big East Weekly Honor Roll selection. During her freshman campaign, Correa received the Big East Sixth-Woman award in addition to being a unanimous selection to the All-Freshman Team. She was a four-time Big East Freshman of the Week recipient and selected by ESPN as one of the top-10 impact freshmen in women’s college basketball.
Coach Finley on Correa: “Leilani is a great addition to our Gator family! She has a high IQ and is an elite three level scorer. Her ability to create for others as well as for herself will allow us to have versatility in how we play. She is excellent at reading defenses and has a great feel for the game. Off the court, Leilani is charismatic and fun loving – Gator fans will love getting to know her!”
Correa on Joining the Gators: “As soon as I stepped on campus and spoke to the staff and girls, I knew it’d be a perfect fit. It’s nothing like I’ve ever felt before – the family environment, the toughness and the way Kelly pushes everyone to be their best. I can’t wait to play for her and the coaching staff because they are going to have me playing my best game.”
KK Deans | Senior | G | 5-8 | Greensboro, N.C. | West Virginia
Deans heads to Gainesville as graduate transfer after spending the previous three seasons at West Virginia where she twice earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors. Deans earned the honor during the 2021-22 season despite suffering a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 29. Prior to her injury, she was averaging a team-high 14.5 points per game while also recording 3.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. She led the team in scoring 10 times throughout the first 18 games. Ahead of the season, Deans was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention team.
During her sophomore campaign, Deans was also an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selectee in addition to earning Academic All-Big 12 First Team honors. Starting in all 27 games, she averaged 13.7 points per game and was second on the team in assists with 104. She led the Mountaineers from deep, shooting 41.5% from three. She posted 22 double-figure scoring games, including five 20-point games and one 30-point contest, and led WVU in scoring in seven games. As a freshman, she was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team, while also playing in all 29 games.
Coach Finley on Deans: “KK brings passion and additional leadership to Gainesville! She is a strong two-way player that takes pride in her defense. She has proven that she makes tough plays down the stretch on both ends of the floor, from big time shots to taking the necessary charge. She is an exciting player in the open floor, one that Gator fans will love to watch. Off the court, KK has a warm inviting personality that will be infectious to both our team and community. We are thrilled to welcome KK to The Swamp!”
Deans on Joining the Gators: “I am super excited to enter this next chapter of my life with the Gators. The atmosphere and support Gator Nation brings is mind blowing and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Ra Shaya Kyle | Junior | C | 6-6 | Marion, Ind. | Purdue
Kyle joins the Gators following two years at Purdue in the Big Ten. During the 2021-22 season, she appeared in nine games for the Boilermakers before suffering a season-ending injury against Ohio State, averaging 11.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. She put together a top-outing of 20 points against Dayton on Nov. 20 while also recording double-doubles against Marshall on Nov. 22 (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Florida State on Nov. 27 (13 points, 10 rebounds).
As a freshman at Purdue, Kyle saw action in all 23 games, averaging 5.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per game while shooting an impressive 57.3% from the field. She was one of just three freshmen in the Big Ten to pull down at least 30 offensive rebounds and was also ranked fifth in the nation among freshman with a defensive rebounding percentage of 25.3% and 10th with a 18.9% total rebounding percentage.
Coach Finley on Kyle: “We are excited to welcome Ra Shaya to Gator Nation! On the court, she is a competitor who brings additional inside presence on both ends of the floor. She is an elite finisher who works hard to get position allowing us added versatility in our lineups. Off the court, Shay is a joy to be around and we are looking forward to having her on campus!”
Kyle on joining the Gators: “I am extremely excited to be joining the Florida Gators family and am looking forward to being an instrumental part of the program moving forward. Let’s go Gators!”
“We are excited to welcome Leilani, KK and Shay to Gator Nation! We believe that they bring added depth to our roster and are high character people that exemplify the Gator standard on and off the court,” Finley said.
As a collective group, the three signees, while not an incoming freshman class, would mark one of the highest-rated signing classes in Florida history. Kyle, in the class of 2020, was a five-star recruit and the No. 36 overall recruit in the nation. In the 2019 class, Dean was also a five-star out of high school, sitting at the No. 51 overall recruit in the country while Correa earned four-star status and was the No. 83-ranked recruit.
The last time that Florida signed three prospects in the ESPN Top-100 coming out of high school came in 2014 with Haley Lorenzen (36), Isis Young (59) and Brooke Copeland (70).
The trio joins Zippy Broughton and Jordyn Merritt, both of whom were five-star recruits with Broughton entering college the No. 24 prospect and Merritt the No. 27-rated recruit.
Leilani Correa | Senior | G | 6-0 | Manchester, N.J. | St. Johns
Correa joins the Orange & Blue following a three-year stay at St. Johns where she was twice named an All-Big East First Team honoree. During the 2021-22 campaign, Correa led the Red Storm in points per game at 17.3, while also averaging 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. A unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST selection, Correa posted 20 or more points in 11 games, eight of which came against conference opponents. The junior tallied 35 points against DePaul on Dec. 19 to tie her career best, eclipsing the 30-point mark for the ninth time as a Johnnie. On Jan. 14 against Providence, Correa became just the 27th St. John’s player to reach the 1,000-point mark for her career.
As a sophomore, Correa also earned All-Big East First Team honors and All-Met First Team honors after leading the Red Storm 17.6 points per game to rank fifth overall in the Big East. With 387 points through 22 games, she recorded the 11th-highest single-season scoring average in school history while being named the Big East Player of the Week once and was a six-time Big East Weekly Honor Roll selection. During her freshman campaign, Correa received the Big East Sixth-Woman award in addition to being a unanimous selection to the All-Freshman Team. She was a four-time Big East Freshman of the Week recipient and selected by ESPN as one of the top-10 impact freshmen in women’s college basketball.
Coach Finley on Correa: “Leilani is a great addition to our Gator family! She has a high IQ and is an elite three level scorer. Her ability to create for others as well as for herself will allow us to have versatility in how we play. She is excellent at reading defenses and has a great feel for the game. Off the court, Leilani is charismatic and fun loving – Gator fans will love getting to know her!”
Correa on Joining the Gators: “As soon as I stepped on campus and spoke to the staff and girls, I knew it’d be a perfect fit. It’s nothing like I’ve ever felt before – the family environment, the toughness and the way Kelly pushes everyone to be their best. I can’t wait to play for her and the coaching staff because they are going to have me playing my best game.”
KK Deans | Senior | G | 5-8 | Greensboro, N.C. | West Virginia
Deans heads to Gainesville as graduate transfer after spending the previous three seasons at West Virginia where she twice earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors. Deans earned the honor during the 2021-22 season despite suffering a season-ending knee injury on Jan. 29. Prior to her injury, she was averaging a team-high 14.5 points per game while also recording 3.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. She led the team in scoring 10 times throughout the first 18 games. Ahead of the season, Deans was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention team.
During her sophomore campaign, Deans was also an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selectee in addition to earning Academic All-Big 12 First Team honors. Starting in all 27 games, she averaged 13.7 points per game and was second on the team in assists with 104. She led the Mountaineers from deep, shooting 41.5% from three. She posted 22 double-figure scoring games, including five 20-point games and one 30-point contest, and led WVU in scoring in seven games. As a freshman, she was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team, while also playing in all 29 games.
Coach Finley on Deans: “KK brings passion and additional leadership to Gainesville! She is a strong two-way player that takes pride in her defense. She has proven that she makes tough plays down the stretch on both ends of the floor, from big time shots to taking the necessary charge. She is an exciting player in the open floor, one that Gator fans will love to watch. Off the court, KK has a warm inviting personality that will be infectious to both our team and community. We are thrilled to welcome KK to The Swamp!”
Deans on Joining the Gators: “I am super excited to enter this next chapter of my life with the Gators. The atmosphere and support Gator Nation brings is mind blowing and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Ra Shaya Kyle | Junior | C | 6-6 | Marion, Ind. | Purdue
Kyle joins the Gators following two years at Purdue in the Big Ten. During the 2021-22 season, she appeared in nine games for the Boilermakers before suffering a season-ending injury against Ohio State, averaging 11.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. She put together a top-outing of 20 points against Dayton on Nov. 20 while also recording double-doubles against Marshall on Nov. 22 (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Florida State on Nov. 27 (13 points, 10 rebounds).
As a freshman at Purdue, Kyle saw action in all 23 games, averaging 5.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per game while shooting an impressive 57.3% from the field. She was one of just three freshmen in the Big Ten to pull down at least 30 offensive rebounds and was also ranked fifth in the nation among freshman with a defensive rebounding percentage of 25.3% and 10th with a 18.9% total rebounding percentage.
Coach Finley on Kyle: “We are excited to welcome Ra Shaya to Gator Nation! On the court, she is a competitor who brings additional inside presence on both ends of the floor. She is an elite finisher who works hard to get position allowing us added versatility in our lineups. Off the court, Shay is a joy to be around and we are looking forward to having her on campus!”
Kyle on joining the Gators: “I am extremely excited to be joining the Florida Gators family and am looking forward to being an instrumental part of the program moving forward. Let’s go Gators!”
Quality of Life
Newberry Road development causing dangerous levels of traffic, diminishing quality of life
Mary Jo Banken
Guest columnist
Gainesville and Alachua County residents be aware: Continuing development along Newberry Road between Interstate 75 and 143rd Street in Jonesville continues to increase traffic to dangerous levels, destroying homes of native wildlife that live in wooded areas that are being demolished to build more and more multi-story apartment complexes and businesses.
This continuing development not only diminishes the quality of life for residents adjacent to areas being razed; it also impacts everyone who travels on Newberry Road. Traffic along Newberry Road has reached a critical point. Enough is enough! Please join us in urging the Alachua County Growth Management department and Alachua County commissioners to consider the following before any more development plans are approved on Newberry Road:
How can Newberry Road possibly handle the addition of hundreds of more vehicles from apartment residents and business customers when it already is dangerously congested? It is almost impossible and increasingly dangerous during certain times of the day to exit neighborhoods. We urge you to conduct a traffic study of this section of Newberry Road before any additional development plans are considered.
Consider how the quality of life of the residents adjacent to these development plans will be affected. Not only will it be more dangerous and difficult to exit our neighborhoods, but our quality of life will be greatly diminished due to sound and light pollution from four-story apartment buildings a mere 50 feet from existing homes in some instances.
Consider the history of Alachua County and how you can make a difference in its future. Gainesville was once touted as a Tree City. Many of us moved here from other states because we believed that Alachua County valued natural habitats for animals and a good quality of life for its citizens. Please, we ask you to carefully consider these plans so that our history of retaining our natural beauty and thus, quality of life for our animal and human residents, may be maintained and continue into the future.
I urge you to visit the sites of these additional development plans before you make your decisions which affect so many residents who rely on you to represent us. Please safeguard our neighborhoods, our quality of life and our native animals that live peacefully among us.
I urge all Gainesville and Alachua County residents to get involved. If you are troubled by the destruction of woods, increasing traffic accidents along Newberry Road and diminished quality of life, write to our county commissioners and voice your opinions.
They are elected by us and are obligated to listen to our concerns and make decisions accordingly. Their address is: 10 SW 2nd Avenue; Gainesville, FL 32601. The Alachua County Growth Management department can also be reached by mail to the same address.
Mary Jo Banken lives west of Gainesville.
Florida Parting Ways with Tony Amato
Posted: Wednesday, April 27, 2022
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida has parted ways with soccer head coach Tony Amato, Athletics Director Scott Stricklin announced Wednesday.
Amato was hired May 24, 2021 and coached the Gators for the 2021 season. UF turned in a 4-12-4 record and tied for 10th in the Southeastern Conference with a 3-6-1 record. The 2021 campaign was Amato’s 19th season as a head coach – Rollins (2003-04 – 2009-10), Stephen F. Austin (2010-11 – 2012-13) and Arizona (2013-14 – 2020-21).
“This decision was extremely difficult. My thorough evaluation of the soccer program is that there is a disconnect between Tony and his athletes. We have worked diligently with Tony since last fall when I first became aware of challenges with relationship building and communication. As the issues continued to be brought to my attention, it became apparent that sufficient progress was not being made and Tony was not a fit for the University of Florida. Therefore, it is my assessment that in order to have the program we all expect, this change is necessary. I appreciate Tony’s hard work during his time here and wish he and his family the best.
“I fully recognize the disruption this causes our athletes and our program. We all wanted this to work, but ultimately it is my responsibility to do what is in the best long-term interest of this program, and thus this decision. We are totally committed to having an outstanding soccer program. I assure everyone this is extremely important to all of us as we begin the search for our new coach.”
– Scott Stricklin – University of Florida Athletic Director
Listen to our Sheriffs.
National Sheriff’s Association Calls on Congress to Extend Title 42
Dozens of American sheriffs have asked Congress to take immediate steps to maintain the Trump-era Title 42 public health order to avoid even greater chaos at the southern border. Joe Biden has declared his intention to lift the order on May 23.
Law enforcement agencies have warned of a huge spike in illegal border crossings that will result from ending Title 42 enforcement. The public health order was put in place at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and allows border agents to immediately expel illegal immigrants when they are apprehended.
The National Sheriff’s Association sent the letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Thursday. It told the senators that Title 42 is the only remaining policy that can help stop border crossings without COVID testing by “millions of illegal entrants.”
The letter explains that with Biden’s termination of border wall construction and the Remain in Mexico policy, there is “simply no border left.” It says that there are untold numbers of immigrants inbound to the U.S. with unknown health conditions and potentially carrying COVID as well as other diseases.
The sheriffs state that the letter is about Title 42 and so they have not addressed the specifics of the amount of fentanyl, unmarked guns, and ammunition currently flowing into the county as well as the “more than a million migrants” encountered so far in the fiscal year.
Schumer has been a vocal advocate for ending Title 42, calling it a “disastrous” policy for persons coming here to “escape from the horrors” in their home nations.
McConnell has described Biden’s decision to end Title 42 as “outrageous.” He has warned that a “gusher” of illegals will come to the border when it is lifted.
Border officials have said that up to 18,000 illegal migrants per day can be expected when the order is terminated.
The letter from the sheriffs follows the introduction of legislation by a bipartisan group of senators that would delay lifting Title 42 enforcement by a minimum of two months. It would also require the Biden administration to develop a meaningful plan for handling the result of lifting the order.
A recent poll conducted by Morning Consult indicates that 56 percent of all Americans oppose the termination of Title 42.
Gator Lacrosse AAC Conference Champs!
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – 11-straight. That’s how many regular season conference championships the No. 10 Florida lacrosse team has taken home in the 13-year history of the program.
The Gators defeated the Temple Owls 18-7 on Senior Day at Donald R. Dizney Stadium to clinch at least a share of the American Athletic Conference title. With a win against ECU on April 30, Florida can secure the outright championship. In the three complete seasons in the AAC, the Gators have won the regular season title in each of them.
UF has now won 56-straight conference games and 44-straight regular season conference contests en route to its 11th regular season title.
With the victory, Florida has now won nine-consecutive games and moves to 11-4 on the year and 4-0 in league play, while Temple drops to 10-5 overall and 3-1 in the conference.
Danielle Pavinelli led the way offensively with five goals on the afternoon, while Emerson Cabrera notched her second hat trick of the season, finishing the day with three.
Emma LoPinto, Emily Heller, Josie Hahn and Shelton Sawers each found the back of the cage twice for Florida, while Ashley Gonzalez and Paisley Eagannetted one goal apiece.
LoPinto also dished out a team-high three assists in the game, followed by two apiece from Gonzalez, Maggi Hall, Heller and Pavinelli.
Florida won the battle in the draw circle, coming up with 15-of-29 in the game. Heller posted a career-high seven to lead the way, while Hahn tallied a personal-best three.
The Gator defense held the Owls to 7-of-28 shooting in the game, just a .280 shooting percentage. Emma Wightman posted a team-high two caused turnovers on her Senior Day.
Hall picked up three groundballs in the victory to lead the Gators, while Leigh Lingo and Sarah Reznick each registered two.
Reznick recorded six saves on a .426 save percentage during her 52:31 in cage on Saturday afternoon. Julia Hammerschlag registered two saves of her own, while allowing no goals for a 1.000 save percentage between the pipes.
The Gators close out the home portion of their schedule on Wednesday when the 22nd-ranked Jacksonville Dolphins come to town. Opening draw is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
Records
No. 10 Florida (11-4, 4-0 AAC)
Temple (10-5, 3-1 AAC)
How it Happened
- Florida struck first, with Emma LoPinto finding a cutting Danielle Pavinelli for her 49th goal of the season with 2:40 gone in the first.
- Emerson Cabrera followed with a score of her own just over five minutes later, this time finding the back of the cage on a pass from Pavinelli.
- The Gators pulled ahead three when the duo of Pavinelli-LoPinto combined for another score, with Pavinelli tallying her second goal of the day.
- Temple cut the deficit to two goals with 2:50 left in the frame, but Florida answered with two-straight goals in the last 15 seconds of the quarter from the sticks of Josie Hahn and Pavinelli to take the 5-1 lead into the break.
- The Gators continued the scoring momentum into the second quarter, with Shelton Sawers recording her first goal of the season to put Florida up 6-1.
- The Owls got one back less than a minute later, but Florida strung together a 3-0 run behind scores from Hahn, Pavinelli and Sawers to pull ahead 9-2 with 11 minutes left in the half. Temple tallied back-to-back goals to pull back within five at 9-4, but once again, the Gators answered – this time with a 4-0 run.
- The run started on an Emerson Cabrera goal – her eighth of the season – then LoPinto followed with her first score of the day to put the Gators up 11-4.
- Ashley Gonzalez and Emily Heller kept the scoring going, putting the Florida up 13-4 going into the halftime break.
- Out of the locker room, the Owls found the back of the cage first, pulling to within eight goals at just over two minutes gone in the frame.
- Florida scored the next three goals of the game, with Paisley Eagan, Cabrera and Pavinelli each finding the back of the cage to put the Gators up 16-5 and secure the running clock.
- Temple responded with back-to-back goals to cut Florida’s lead to nine at 16-7, but the Gators found the back of the cage twice more before the final horn sounded. The first of the two goals came from the stick of Heller on a free-position conversion.
- LoPinto scored her second goal of the day and final goal for either team with 8:13 left in the game, securing the 18-7 victory for Florida.
Notables
- Florida has won a regular season conference championship in 11 of the 13 years the program has existed
- This puts the Gators at 265 conference team titles (254 SEC Championships; 11 lacrosse championships)
- The Gators have not dropped a conference game since April 18, 2015 and have not lost a regular season conference game since that same day
- That’s 56 games overall and 44 regular season games that Florida has won in conference
- Florida is 10-0 this season against teams not ranked in the IWLCA/ILWomen Top-25 poll
- When scoring at least 14 goals, the Gators are 161-2 (.988) in program history
- In the confines of Donald R. Dizney Stadium, Florida is 113-21 (.843) in program history
- Streaking: Sarah Reznick has recorded a save in 44-straight games, the second-longest streak in program history
- Streaking: Danielle Pavinelli has registered a point in 17-straight games
- Streaking: Emma LoPinto has tallied a point in 11-straight games
- Streaking: Emily Heller has recorded a draw control in 14-straight games
- Streaking: Liz Harrison has recorded a draw control in 11-straight games
Career-Highs
- Emily Heller recorded a career-high seven draw controls and career-best two assists
- Josie Hahn registered a new career-high in draw controls (3) and tied her career-best with two goals
- Catherine Flaherty tied her career-best with one caused turnover
- Maggi Hall tied her career-high with three groundballs
- Shelton Sawers tallied a career-best two goals and tied her career-high in points (2)
- Emerson Cabrera tied her career-high in goals (3), points (3) and draw controls (1)
- Julia Hammerschlag tied her career-best with a 1.000 save percentage
Insight from O’Leary
- “This was a total team effort today. We were making things work on the offensive end, our defense came out and played really solid. Sarah did a great job in the goal and when Julia came off the bench, she was lights out in the goal. We were able to honor our seniors exactly how we wanted to today.”
Up Next
- The Gators close out the home portion of their schedule on Wednesday when the 22nd-ranked Jacksonville Dolphins come to town
- Opening draw is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
Gators Tennis Wins the SEC
Gators Claim SEC Tournament Title With Sweep of No. 10 Kentucky
Posted: Sunday, April 24, 2022
ATHENS, Ga. – After making their 11th SEC Championship finals appearance, the No. 3 Florida Gators sweep the SEC after winning both the regular season and tournament titles with a 4-0 victory against the No. 10 Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday afternoon at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. This win marks the sixth tournament title for Florida, while sophomore Ben Shelton became the fifth Gator in program history to be named the Tournament MVP.
Florida (23-2) came out strong again in doubles play against the Wildcats (21-7), earning their 18th-consecutive doubles point. After providing the clinching doubles match yesterday against No. 5 Tennessee, the tandem of Nate Bonetto and Duarte Vale continued their winning ways with a 6-3 victory over No. 55 Liam Draxl and Alexandre Leblanc at court three, making it their first ranked doubles win of the season.
Clinching the team’s 20th doubles point of the season was the No. 10-ranked duo of Sam Riffice and Ben Shelton at court one. Taking on No. 75 Francois Musitelli and Millen Hurrion, the Gators duo only allowed their opponents to win two games for a 6-2 victory. They now have 15 total doubles wins on the season with nine coming against ranked teams.
Needing three singles wins to claim the SEC Tournament title, the Gators put their foot on the gas and never let up, claiming five of the six first sets.
First off the court was No. 116 player Josh Goodger, who pulled off an impressive straight-set win at court six against JJ Mercer, 6-4, 6-1. With this victory, Goodger reached the 100 career singles wins milestone and totals 17 singles wins on the year.
No. 27 Riffice had one of his best matches of the year as he took on No. 16 Gabriel Diallo at court two, winning in two sets by 6-3 scores. Riffice moves to 18-5 on the dual season and 15-1 at the two position, while adding his seventh ranked victory.
It was No. 1-ranked Shelton, who for the sixth time this year, would clinch the match for the Gators. Taking on No. 8 Draxl at the one spot, Shelton had a tall task ahead of him, but stepped up big time. The Gainesville native defeated the Wildcat by a score of 6-4, 7-5 for his 30th singles win and 20th ranked victory of the season.
Florida moves to 23-2 overall and extends their win streak to 18 matches. The Gators are also 19-2 against ranked teams and have an impressive nine wins over teams in the top-10. In addition, for the third time in Florida tennis history, the Gators won both the regular season and SEC Tournament in the same year (2000, 2005, 2022).
NOTABLES
- Florida made its 11th SEC Tournament final appearance, winning its sixth tournament title in program history and first since 2016.
- Florida won the SEC Tournament championship in 1994, 2000, 2005, 2011, 2016 and 2022.
- Ben Shelton joins Jeff Morrison (2000), Ryan Sherry (2005), Alexandre Lacroix (2011) and Gordon Watson (2016) to win the SEC Tournament MVP award.
- Senior Duarte Vale was also named to the All-Tournament team.
- The Gators move to 2-0 against the Wildcats in the championships finals as Florida faced Kentucky one other time in 2011, pulling out a 4-0 win in that match.
- Since 2000 when the SEC began awarding a regular season title, Florida was the conference champions in both the regular season and in the SEC Tournament three different times: 2000, 2005 and 2022.
QUOTEABLES
Florida Head Coach Bryan Shelton
On being SEC Champions…
“This is the best conference in America, it really is. When you look at this league, when you look at it top to bottom, top-10 teams, top-20 teams. I mean we’ll have more teams in the NCAA tournament than any other conference for sure. On top of that, it’s humbling. We represent the best conference in the country, so to kind of lead the way in our conference is pretty special. It’s something that we think is a responsibility that we have to go out there every single time and give our very best and have our best character, be the best sports and compete as hard as we possibly can. This is fun for all of us to be a part of this.”
On the tournament…
“It was gritty; three days of competition, but so much fun. We had perfect weather, we a lot of fans that came out to support, Georgia did a great job hosting this event. So, it was just a lot of fun for us to be here throughout this weekend and to have such perfect weather. It is just a blessing to be able to compete on a stage like this.”
Florida sophomore Ben Shelton
On his last point to clinch the match…
“It was definitely electric having all my teammates next to me on the sidelines. They definitely pushed me over the finish line. It was a high-pressure situation, and I was glad to get out of it with a win and an SEC title for us.”
On what it means to be an SEC Champion particularly with his father as the coach…
“It means a lot. Obviously, this group hasn’t won an SEC tournament. The last time the Florida Gators did it was 2016, so it’s special to be able to send our five seniors off with one last title.”
On how he feels going into the NCAA tournament…
“I feel great. I think our team is really ready to make a deep run and be a contender. I think that everyone is really mentally tough, and hopefully we’re going to come out on top.”
UP NEXT: The Gators look to the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, which will take place on Monday, May 2 at 6 p.m.
SINGLES RESULTS
1. #1 Ben Shelton (UF) def. #8 Liam Draxl (UK), 6-4, 7-5
2. #27 Sam Riffice (UF) def. #16 Gabriel Diallo (UK), 6-3, 6-3
3. #87 Duarte Vale (UF) vs. #102 Millen Hurrion (UK), 6-2, 4-6, unfinished
4. #122 Andy Andrade (UF) vs. Francois Musitelli (UK), 6-7 (7-9), 4-2, unfinished
5. Mattias Siimar (UF) vs. #108 Joshua Lapadat (UK), 6-4, 4-3, unfinished
6. #116 Josh Goodger (UF) def. JJ Mercer (UK), 6-4, 6-1
Order of Finish: 6, 2, 1
DOUBLES RESULTS
1. #10 Sam Riffice/Ben Shelton (UF) def. #75 Francois Musitelli/Millen Hurrion (UK), 6-2
2. #37 Andy Andrade/Mattias Siimar (UF) vs. Gabriel Diallo/Joshua Lapadat (UK), 4-5, unfinished
3. Duarte Vale/Nate Bonetto (UF) def. Liam Draxl/Alexandre LeBlanc (UK), 6-3
Order of Finish: 3, 1
