UF Gymnastics: Seven Gators earn WCGA Regular-Season All-America honors
Photo by Erin Long
Courtesy of University Athletic Association
BY MARY HOWARD
Florida led the nation in 2021 with seven earning 13 All-America honors
Florida led the nation with seven earning 2021 Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) regular-season All-America honors. This is the ninth year the WCGA has recognized regular-season All-Americans.
Final national qualifying scores (NQS) in the Road to Nationals rankings determines the WCGA All-Americans. The top eight gymnasts on each event and the all-around receive first-team honors, and gymnasts Nos. 9-16 receive second-team honors with all ties included.
The seven Gators tallied a national high 13 WCGA All-America honors.
Thomas is the nation’s only gymnast to collect the maximum five All-America honors – all-around, vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. Thomas also earned five All-America honors in 2020. She is the second Gator to earn five regular-season All-America honors, joining Gator Great Bridget Sloan in 2016 and 2014.
A pair of seniors collected a pair of honors. Alyssa Baumann appears on the balance beam and floor exercise lists, bringing her career total of regular-season All-America honors to six.
Megan Skaggs picked up All-America honors for all-around and uneven bars, bringing her career total to three regular-season All-America honors.
Four other Gators claimed honors – Leah Clapper (beam), Ellie Lazzari (beam), Nya Reed (floor), and Savannah Schoenherr (vault).
Meet the Gator All-Americans:
Photo by Erin Long
Alyssa Baumann – Senior
2021 All-America honors:
        Second Team: Balance Beam
        Second Team: Floor Exercise
* Claimed third Southeastern Conference balance beam title to become the first in the 40-year history of the SEC Championship meet to claim three balance beam titles.
* Equaled collegiate floor best of 9.975 to share event title at Alabama
* 2021 All-SEC
* Six consecutive floor marks of 9.90 or better
* Six beam marks of 9.925 or better
Leah Clapper – Junior
2021 All-America honors:
        First Team: Balance Beam
* 10.0 balance beam routine won title versus Kentucky. Sixth gymnast in Florida gymnastics’ 49-season history to earn a perfect beam mark
* Followed that performance with a near perfect 9.975 to share beam win versus Auburn (Feb. 26)
* 2021 All-SEC
* Five 2021 beam routines scored 9.90 or better
Photo by Tiffany Franco
Ellie Lazzari – Freshman
2021 All-America honors:
        First Team: Balance Beam
* Shared SEC balance beam title at 9.95. First freshman to claim title since Baumann in 2018.
* Set collegiate best with a near perfect 9.975 to share beam win versus Auburn (Feb. 26)
* Only freshman to earn All-America first-team honors on beam
* 2021 All-SEC
* Six 2021 beam routines scored 9.90 or better
Photo by Walt Beazley
Nya Reed – Junior
2021 All-America honors:
        Second Team: Floor Exercise
* Every floor routine of 2021 scored 9.925 or better. Two-time floor winner
* Set collegiate floor best of 9.975 to take win versus Georgia
* Three-time SEC Specialist of the Week in 2021
Photo by Susan Erdelyi
Savannah Schoenherr – Junior
2021 All-America honors:
        Second Team: Vault
* Set collegiate vault best of 9.95 to win title at Arkansas. Performance earned SEC Specialist of the Week honor
* Equaled that mark to take win versus Auburn (Feb. 26)
* Four vault marks of 9.90 or better
Photo by Erin Long
Megan Skaggs – Senior
2021 All-America honors:
        Second Team: All-Around
        Second Team: Uneven Bars
* Won all-around at Arkansas (39.50) and that performance claimed SEC Gymnast of the Week accolades
* Six all-around performances tallied 39.50 or better. Twice posted collegiate-best 39.60 (Jan. 29 and Feb. 26)
* Equaled or set collegiate bests for vault (9.925), uneven bars (9.95) and beam (9.95) in 2021
* Five bars routines were 9.925 or best
* Six beam routines scored 9.90 or better.
* 2021 All-SEC
Photo by Susan Erdelyi
Trinity Thomas – Junior
2021 All-America honors:
        First Team: All-Around, Vault, Uneven Bars, Floor Exercise
        Second Team: Balance Beam
* Nation’s only gymnast with maximum five All-America honors in 2021 WCGA regular-season awards.
* Set nation’s 2021 high and Florida record all-around best (39.90) to win title at then No. 2 LSU. Nation’s fifth-highest total all-time.
* Owns four of 2021’s top 11 all-around totals (No. 1: 39.90; No.T-8: 39.75 3x). No other gymnast with more than two scores among 2021 top 11 all-around totals
* One of three in nation with three 10.0s in 2021 (bars; floor-twice)
* Second Gator ever with a pair of 10.0s in single meet (uneven bars and floor exercise) versus Auburn on Feb. 26
* Leads Gators with 19 event wins in 2021 – four all-around, vault, bars, floor; three beam.
* Four SEC Gymnast of the Week led all league gymnasts in 2021 and gives her 15 for career – the most in the 22-year history of the honor.
