If you were to ask any Florida gymnastics fan what their worst nightmare was, many would likely say he was injured to VIP Trinity Thomas.
Unfortunately for the second-ranked Gators and their fans, that seemed to be the case Friday night at the NCAA Pittsburgh Regional as Thomas abruptly ended her floor routine before making out with Florida athletic trainer Janet Clark, visibly upset.
Thomas, who had already posted a 9.90 on the beam during the meet’s first lap, got out of her double layout and continued for the next few steps of her number before doubling her hands on her knees.
Once Thomas’ routine music paused, the audience fell silent as well as Clark helped Thomas off the floor and was briefly visited by head trainer Jenny Rowland. About 20 minutes later, Thomas walked out of the locker room and rejoined her teammates without any visible braces or tape. However, Thomas did not return to competition on Friday night.
Florida later revealed that Thomas had suffered an injury to her right lower leg and that she was listed as a diary.
Despite the absence of Thomas for the latter half of the night, the Gators were still able to sail to the regional final after scoring 197.875 points. Florida led Arizona (197,525), Penn State (196,825) and Maryland (196,675).
“I really don’t know what to say,” said Roland after that. “There comes a time when our athletes have to trust what’s going on, and we’re really grateful and thankful that she didn’t try to be a superhero and go on and on and really stop.”
Gymnasts listening to their bodies is something Thomas preaches often.
In fact, just before she and the Gators left for Pittsburgh, Thomas mentioned that it was one aspect that made the Florida team so successful in the postseason.
“This team has done a really good job of looking after themselves in and out of the gym and talking when we need to back off a little bit or push a little bit more,” said Thomas. “We have a very wise team, an older team, and so we know what’s best.”
Thomas, who hails from York, Pennsylvania, was excited to return to her home state and compete in front of a large entourage of family and friends.
“Before going to the SECs, it wasn’t like we were going to Pittsburgh,” said Thomas. “To be able to go second again and have Pittsburgh as a regional, it seems like a lot, right?”
Florida freshman Kayla DiCillo, who won SEC Freshman of the Year, led the way for the Thomas-less Gators, scoring a combined score of 39.800. DiCillo’s best mark of the night came on the uneven bars, where she achieved a perfect 10.
DiCillo also won the vault with a score of 9.950, while sophomore Leanne Wong claimed the floor title with a score of 9.975. “Very proud of the way the team handled that and how they reacted,” Rowland said. “They remained calm and carried on.”
After meeting Friday night, the Gators meet Arizona State, California and Michigan State in the District Final on Sunday. From there, the top two teams advance to the NCAA Tournament on April 14 and 15 in Fort Worth.
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