For the past two years, the University of Florida gymnastics team has missed its goals by just tenths of a point. In 2000, the Gators lost their bid to the NCAA Championships by less than a tenth, while in 2001, placed seventh at nationals, missing qualification to Super Six Finals by a half a point.

This year, the Gators are doing all they can to finish ahead, said Head Coach Judy Markell. "We have finished tenths short of accomplishing our goals in the past two years," Markell explained. "This year, these girls are hungry to meet those goals."

While their season opens at home with a tri-meet on Jan. 4, the Florida squad will be anticipating the third annual Super Six Challenge, which comes to Gainesville this year. With a schedule that boasts a number of schools flirting with the top spot year-in-and-year-out, including UCLA, Utah, Georgia, Stanford, and Alabama, the Gator's schedule will test the team's endurance.

"The Super Six Challenge has forced us to have an accelerated pre-season preparation," Markell explained. "We want to hit at that competition, and we are very excited to have the meet here. This will be a great challenge, and our crowd will start off seeing some wonderful gymnastics."

Markell's team boasts several top returners, including floor exercise All-American and senior Hilary Thompson and sophomore All-American Kara Waterhouse. She also looks forward to senior Krissy Dreger, juniors Lindsey Miner and Jenny Carow and sophomore Erin Pendleton hitting the floor once again in the 2002 season.

And while there are only two new faces in the gym this season, a third, Erinn Dooley, will face collegiate competition for the first time in her career after recovering from a broken tibia suffered in the warm-ups at the 2001 Super Six Challenge. She and freshman Orley Szmuch should immediately contribute all-around efforts to the Florida line-up. Freshman walk-on Kimberly Schatz will provide depth to the vault and floor charts, Markell added.

Markell's season outlook remains positive, and she maintains as long as her charges remain healthy, the team will re-establish itself as a Super-Six power. She and her team wish to open and end the season with higher scores. Moreover, they want to add more difficulty to routines and count no falls, especially in the more important meets. Markell emphasized all this is possible if her athletes retain the highest levels of physical condition and healthiness.

The Gators are set to accomplish one of their goals already-improved difficulty. Markell said the team will attempt harder dismounts on balance beam and have more difficult and stronger tumbling on floor. They are also concentrating on sticking dismounts on bars. "I see that each person on this team is improving from last season and even from the summer," Markell said. "That will contribute to our success."

Markell believes if there is one event Alabama fans should watch for, it is the Gators' floor exercise. "We are an entertaining team on the floor exercise," she said. Markell singled out freshman Szmuch as a dynamic floor worker with great difficulty. Thompson earned her All-American honors on the floor exercise in Athens last season.

On the other events, fans should watch for Waterhouse on all four events, but mainly on the balance beam where she executes "great difficulty," according to Markell. Thompson is a great beam worker, while Pendleton stands out in the bar line-up.

"I am really looking forward to this season," Markell said. "And I'm looking forward to competing in Tuscaloosa for nationals. I think outside of individual competitions, the SEC teams really put aside their differences and pull for each other at this competition. It will be great to have them at an SEC school, at Alabama."