11 » JOHNSON, BRANTLEY, KITCHENS SUFFER SCARY INJURIES
Plenty of Florida student-athletes suffered injuries in 2011 but three in particular caused fans to gasp and remain worried about the future of said player. Participating in the semifinals of the 2011 SEC Tournament, Gators baseball wound up dropping a close game 4-3 to Georgia, a loss that forced an elimination game which Florida would later win. However, UF sophomore right-handed pitcher Brian Johnson was taken off a stretcher in the top of the first inning after giving up two earned runs and accidentally being beaned in the back of the head with the baseball by sophomore catcher Mike Zunino. Trying to pick off a runner stealing second, Zunino got his leg tangled with the batter, tripped and flung the ball into the head of a crouching Johnson. He was quickly stabilized, brought to the hospital and deemed responsive though he had a massive headache and was diagnosed with a minor three concussion (no skull fractures or bleeding). Johnson missed the entire Gainesville Regional but returned to action in the Super Regional after being sidelined for more than two weeks.

Redshirt senior quarterback John Brantley was in the middle of playing the best game of his collegiate career (despite throwing a costly pick-six) when he went down with an ugly lower leg injury at the end of the first half against Alabama. Brantley had thrown a pretty 65-yard touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Andre Debose on the first play of the game and was in the middle of driving Florida in for another score before being sacked twice and having his lower leg contorted the second time. Brantley was nearly immediately ruled out of the team’s next game against powerhouse LSU with a high-ankle sprain, and UF was forced to start a true freshman who had not even taken a snap in the team’s first five games in consecutive road contests against LSU and Auburn. Needless to say, the Gators lost both of those contests.

Brantley was never the same after the injury. He nearly helped Florida beat Georgia but was pretty much immobilized in the pocket and threw three interceptions in the team’s first five possessions against Florida State before being knocked out of the game with a head injury that was equally painful to watch. However, that was not the Gators’ only major injury in that game. Perhaps the scariest incident of the year came on kickoff coverage when sophomore linebacker Darrin Kitchens was hit hard from his blindside and laid motionless on the field while trainers attended to him. To this day Kitchens does not remember anything about being hit. Lucky for him, he was cleared that evening with “just” a concussion, released from the hospital and allowed to return to practice with the team just before Christmas. He is expected to play in the 2012 Gator Bowl.

10 » LACROSSE WINS FIRST CONFERENCE TITLE, REACHES ELITE EIGHT

The Florida lacrosse program has been making history since the day it signed the nation’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class prior to the team’s inaugural season in 2010. The Gators were a young but talented group and won over the school even if falling short of some of their goals one year ago. Florida took the next step in 2011, ending the regular season with an 11-0 record at home and on a 13-game winning streak. The Gators capped their stellar regular season by defeating Northwestern for the 2011 ALC Championship just 419 days after the team played its first game in school history. Florida would fall to Northwestern just over three weeks later in the finals of the 2011 ALC Tournament, splitting the season’s conference title down the middle, but took home a number of awards from the league. Sophomore midfielder Kitty Cullen won Player of the Year honors while head coach Amanda O’Leary was named Coach of the Year in just her second season. Two more players were All-ALC first team selections and three others earned spots on the second team. The ladies made it all the way to the Elite Eight of the 2011 NCAA Tournament as well before being taken down 13-9 by Duke, their only loss at home on the season. The Gators were the first program in the history of the sport to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament in only their second year of existence and defeated some of the top teams in the country on the way to an unforgettable season that sets Florida up as a favorite heading into 2012.

9 » 10 NAIL-BITER FINISHES FOR GATORS BASKETBALL
Florida basketball had some struggles at the start of the 2010-11 season, dropping two games to unranked non-conference opponents but things appeared to be heading in an upswing for the team when UF defeated Tennessee 81-75 in overtime on Jan. 11 even after allowing UT to score the last four points in regulation and force the extra period. However, just four days later, the Gators suffered another upset by blowing a six-point lead at home and allowing South Carolina to earn a 72-69 win on the back of Bruce Ellington. Instead of getting down on themselves, Florida regrouped and pulled off three close victories (two against ranked opponents) in 12 days against some of the best competition in the SEC. The Gators started with a nail-biter on the road against Georgia that was forced into a second overtime after junior point guard Erving Walker hit a three-pointer from about 30 feet out at the end of the first extra period (UF wound up dominating the second OT and winning 104-91). Florida then hosted Vanderbilt at home and was forced into another overtime; sophomore guard Kenny Boynton‘s heavily contested trey with 1:04 left gave the Gators another win. UF was forced into another tight spot at home against Kentucky, down one with just under four minutes to play. Florida hit three clutch free throws in the waning seconds and senior forward Alex Tyus made a nice hook shot to give the Gators a 70-68 win over their SEC East rivals. UF did not have to wait too long for another opportunity to stun their fans, utilizing a go-ahead layup from Walker with 14 seconds remaining to defeat Tennessee 61-60 on Feb. 12.

Florida had a bit of a break from nailbiters until the NCAA Tournament, which saw them go into overtime against BYU for the second-straight year. This time the Gators got a measure of revenge as Tyus led them with 19 points and 17 rebounds as UF triumphed 15-6 in extra time and 83-74 in the game. Florida, however, would suffer its most crushing defeat of the season in the very next game, blowing a late lead against Butler in regulation and missing three shots at the end of overtime to be eliminated from the Elite Eight. With the new season still young, the Gators have already seen two close calls. Florida beat Arizona 78-72 in overtime after a questionable foul call gave their opponent a chance to tie the game at the end of the second half (they did). UF also suffered a shocker on Dec. 29, losing in two overtimes on the road at Rutgers. The Gators had a seven-point lead with 2:06 to play but turned the ball over twice in under 30 seconds, allowing RU to keep the pressure on and eventually pull out a win. With the entire SEC slate ahead of them in 2012 and high expectations once again, Florida basketball is sure to provide plenty of breathtaking moments in the new year.

8 » BASEBALL, SOFTBALL REACH CWS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES; TEAMS PRODUCE PLENTY OF EXCITING MOMENTS, BIG ACCOMPLISHMENTS
So much happened in 2011 that the baseball and softball teams are forced to share a spot here on the countdown but that should not at all lessen the achievements of both squads this past year. The regular season saw its share of prime performances. Senior pitcher Stephanie Brombacher tossed the second perfect game of her career in just 67 pitches on Feb. 14 as the softball team won an astounding five games in three days. Almost one month later to the day, Gators baseball rallied back from a four-run deficit as a walk-off single by junior left fielder Daniel Pigott propelled Florida to a 5-4 extra innings win against in-state rival Florida State. Gators baseball also swept LSU on the road for the first time in school history in March and swept Alabama on the second-to-last weekend of April though something else even more notable occurred over the course of a two-day stretch. Senior LF Kelsey Bruder, leading a scorching hot softball team, hit a walk-off three-run homer that Saturday against No. 3 Alabama and followed it up with a walk-off infield single in extra innings the next day to send her squad to consecutive wins.

Florida cleaned up the annual SEC awards to end the regular season. For softball, Bruder earned Player of the Year honors, while head coach Tim Walton was named Co-Coach of the Year. Three Gators earned spots on both the All-SEC first and second team, while two more made the Freshman All-SEC team and a pair earned SEC All-Defensive team honors. Zunino captured Player of the Year honors for baseball and was one of three placed on the first team. Three more Florida players made the second team with a pair each being placed on the freshman and defensive teams. It was the first time in school history that student-athletes representing the school won Player of the Year honors in baseball and softball. Baseball began its postseason by blanking Vanderbilt 5-0 to win UF’s first SEC Tournament title since 1991. It was then softball’s turn to shine, staving off elimination in the 2011 Women’s College World Series with a 5-2 victory over California. The Gators went on to stun the Crimson Tide 16-2 and 9-2 in consecutive wins on June 5 to advance to the WCWS Championship Series, reigning victorious in three consecutive elimination games on their way to the title series. Unfortunately things did not go swimmingly for Florida after that. The Gators were left questioning the officiating in their first game against Arizona State and wound up being swept in consecutive games to lose the championship for the second time in three years. Florida’s path on the baseball diamond was a bit more dominant but nonetheless ended with the same result. The Gators walked off in the bottom of the ninth with a 5-4 win over rival Miami in the Gainesville Regional and crushed the Canes 11-4 the next day to advance to the Super Regional. Florida then fought off Vanderbilt 6-4 to advance to the 2011 College World Series Championship Series but was similarly silenced when playing for the title. SEC rival South Carolina swept UF in consecutive games, giving the Gamecocks 16-straight NCAA Tournament victories and their second national championship in as many seasons. The Gators head into the 2012 campaign considered the No. 1 team in the country but have the ‘Cocks firmly nipping on their heels hoping to square off once again late in June.

7 » RYAN LOCHTE SETS WORLD RECORD IN 200-METER IM

Already gaining the upper hand on 14-time Olympic gold medalist and U.S. teammate Michael Phelps at the World Swimming Championships in China earlier in the year, former Gators standout Ryan Lochte continued his efforts to become the face of USA Swimming with a world record performance on July 28. Previously the owner of four world records, Lochte added a fifth by topping Phelps for the second-straight race and finishing the 200-meter individual medley with a world-best time of 1:54.00 in Shanghai, China. Lochte shaved 0:00.10 off his previous best and set the first world record since high-tech bodysuits were banned at the beginning of the year. “I wanted to do something that everyone thought was impossible,” he said after the race. “Since they banned those suits, everyone thought a world record would never get touched again. I just wanted to show everyone that can happen. That’s why we have records — they’re meant to get broken. Hopefully everyone now can start realizing that, ‘Hey it’s possible,’ so hopefully a lot more records will fall.” Lochte will represent his country and Gator Nation at the 2012 London Olympics next summer and will have plenty of opportunities to win more gold medals and set additional world records.

6 » MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD WINS NCAA, SEC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ranked as the top team in the country all season and attempting to continue dominating both their league and the nation, the Gators men’s track and field team captured their sixth conference title and first since 2004 in February, winning the 2011 SEC Indoor Championship. Sophomore sprinter Jeff Demps won the SEC 60-meter dash championship with a 6.55 (one-hundredth of a second faster than his record-setting time a year ago), and seven other Florida athletes captured individual titles, too. Junior Gray Horn won the first heptathlon title in school history, junior Christian Taylor earned his third-straight triple jump crown, and junior Dumisane Hlaselo won the 3,000-meter run for the first time since 1993. (Florida also finished 1-2-3 in the triple jump with Gators taking home the silver and bronze). Just over two weeks later, Florida went on to win the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championship and became just the fourth different program in event history to win back-to-back national titles. Demps (60 meters) and junior Will Claye (triple jump) each won individual titles, while Taylor ended up grabbing the silver in the latter event. Though Demps may not compete in 2012 and Hlaselo was dismissed from the team after the season, the Gators have a number of seniors looking to make it three-straight national championships for Florida next year.

5 » BASKETBALL TAKES HOME SEC TITLE, LONG OVERDUE YEAR-END AWARDS; BILLY DONOVAN WINS CAREER GAME NO. 400

The storybook season for Florida basketball had its share of bumps in the road but in the end the Gators still captured their first SEC regular season title since 2007 by dominating Alabama 78-51 on Senior Night. Fittingly, Florida’s trio of senior forwards – Tyus, Chandler Parsons and Vernon Macklin combined to score 50 of the team’s 78 points in the game. The Gators won the SEC title outright just a few days later and earned a No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament by taking down No. 20 Vanderbilt 86-76 on the road. All five of Florida’s starters scored in double figures in the game and the team was obviously motivated to prove their worth with an impressive 11-3 offensive rebounding margin. Florida’s impressive – and to many somewhat unexpected play – landed head coach Billy Donovan the first SEC Coach of the Year award of his career despite the fact that he had coached in three national championship games, won two titles and been victorious in three prior SEC Tournaments. The Gators’ team leader in rebounding and assists as well as a double-digit point scorer, Parsons became the first UF men’s basketball play to ever win the SEC Player of the Year award, learning about the honor the same day Donovan received his. Though the 2010-11 season ended in disappointment, Donovan has already gotten Florida out to a hot start in the 2011-12 campaign. Two of the Gators’ three non-conference losses have come to two of the top three teams in the country, and the Florida coach added another notch to his quickly expanding belt. On Nov. 28, Donovan picked up the 400th victory of his head coaching career as UF routed Stetson 96-70 in Orlando, FL. He became the youngest active coach with at least 400 Division I victories but lauded his players for his success. The Gators were sure to reward Donovan with a Gatorade shower in the locker room and hope to thank him further as they try to win another conference and national title in 2012.

4 » TEBOWMANIA DOMINATES THE NFL, ESPECIALLY ON THE FIELD

A Heisman Trophy winner and two-time national champion with the Gators, Florida fans already knew what quarterback Tim Tebow could do and hoped that the Denver Broncos and the rest of the NFL would realize the same as the year went on. Tebow was the talk of the league all year long for plenty of off-the-field reasons. His religion is always a topic of conversation, his legions of fans posted billboards trying to get him to replace Kyle Orton as Denver’s starting quarterback, his book became a New York Times’ bestseller and his pre-darft documentary was well-received both on ESPN and DVD. However, Tebow’s on-the-field accomplishments were undeniable as well and are what landed him on this particular list. Finally named the Broncos’ starter on Oct. 11, Tebow had a tall task ahead of him trying to rescue Denver from a 1-4 start. He started that journey by leading an improbable come-from-behind 18-15 victory against the Miami Dolphins on the road in his first game at the helm. Tebow’s team was down 15-0 when he engineered an eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. After the Broncos recovered an onside kick, he led a 10-play, 56-yard scoring drive that ended in a two-point conversion to tie the game. Denver eventually won with a field goal in overtime. All of this occurred, ironically enough, as Miami hosted Gator Day at Sun Life Stadium. After a tough loss to Detroit the following week, Tebow led the Broncos on a six-game winning streak including five-straight close victories. A fourth-quarter touchdown pass led Denver over Kansas City 17-10 on Nov. 13, and Tebow really became the talk of the sports landscape the following week after his 20-yard rushing touchdown with just 58 seconds left sent the Broncos to an upset victory over the New York Jets. Tebow kept Denver in a shootout against Minnesota and led consecutive field goal drives in the fourth quarter for a 35-32 win, and his kicker again helped him lead another victory after a fourth-quarter touchdown pass and two 50+ yard kicks gave the Broncos an overtime win at home versus Chicago. Tebow ended 2011 with back-to-back losses including the worst performance of his career against Buffalo but can begin 2012 on a high note by beating Kansas City and sending Denver to the playoffs.

3 » BLACK’S PICK-SIX ENDS OUTBACK BOWL, SENDS MEYER OUT SMILING; GAME BALL PRESENTED TO LOCKWOOD IN PRESS CONFERENCE

A play, victory and moment that occurred on Jan. 1, 2011 stood for months as the likely No. 1 moment of 2011; in fact it took two pretty amazing accomplishments to knock it all the way down to No. 3 on this list. With former Florida head coach Urban Meyer looking to go out with a bang and the Gators in desperate need of a victory to end an underwhelming 2010 season, senior safety Ahmad Black truly came through in the clutch. With Penn State threatening to score a potential game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter of the 2011 Outback Bowl, Black intercepted QB Matthew McGloin and returned the ball 80 yards for a touchdown to ice a 37-24 win for Florida. The Gators celebrated on the field, Meyer got a Gatorade shower prior to his wife joining him to cheer the team on and chants of “Urban Meyer, Urban Meyer” rained down from Florida’s side of the stadium during the post-game interview and as the team walked off the field.

Black, the team’s leader all season and Meyer’s favorite player on the squad, was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Meyer said after the game that he felt it was “rather appropriate that Ahmad Black, the best safety in college football, won that award.” He also called Black “one of my closest friends” and a “family” member who has “turned into a grown man, a grown man who is going to pay taxes some day, a grown man who is going to have a family some day. He’s going to be a great father and a great husband because Ahmad Black is a grown man now.” Meyer continued to wax poetic about Black after the game, again calling him the “best safety in college football,” and Black responded in kind saying that the most important thing about the game was Meyer going out with a victory. “I just wanted to go out there and do it for him,” he said. In perhaps an even more touching moment following the bowl win, Meyer and Black presented the game ball to Ian Lockwood, a high school football player who had to stop playing on Oct. 8 and became patient at Shands Hospital who was receiving treatment for brain cancer. Black gave Lockwood the very ball he intercepted to ice the game and said “it was our goal and objective to win the game for Ian.” Lockwood embraced Meyer and Black after saying a few words, capping a day that could not have gone any more perfect for either of the three men or any member of Gator Nation. Lockwood passed away later that month at the all too young age of 18.

2 » EMBREE’S LATE-MATCH HEROICS PROPEL WOMEN’S TENNIS TO NCAA TITLE

Florida women’s tennis, from a national standpoint, is the most accomplished program in school history, and sophomore Lauren Embree ensured that the Gators added a school-high fifth national championship to their catalog with a heroic and historic performance on May 24. After four hours of action between No. 1 Stanford and No. 2 Florida, the Gators defeated the Cardinal 8-6 following Embree’s third-set come-from-behind victory against Mallory Burdette. Florida defeated Stanford on their home court and served the Cardinal a loss for the first time in 12 years; Stanford had been undefeated at home over 184 matches dating back to Feb. 27, 1999. The Gators took the doubles point right away but fell behind 2-1 with a pair of singles defeats. The Cardinal then brought UF to the limit in three matches that all advanced to a third set. Each took one victory and Stanford held a 3-2 lead but as Embree and Burdette were doing battle, freshman Olivia Janowicz won her match to tie the contest up 3-3.

No. 22 Burdette had fought back from a 5-1 deficit in the first set to win 7-3 but gave up the second set 6-3 to No. 17 Embree. The former had a 4-0 advantage on the latter in the third, but Embree turned the tide by winning five-straight games to take a 5-4 lead. Attempting to break Burdette’s serve and win the match, Embree had double match point with a 40-15 lead but gave it up as Burdette powered her way to deuce and then to victory tying the third set 5-5. Embree answered back to take a 6-5 lead, but Burdette responded by winning the next game to once again tie the match 6-6 and force a tiebreaker. Burdette started with two quick points but the duo kept trading pairs of makes and found themselves knotted up at 6-6. With the home crowd and history against her, Embree forced Burdette into consecutive errors and watched the ball sail long as she won the third set 6-6 (8-6) and clinched the title for the Gators. Not only did Embree pull out the victory for UF, she also earned a measure of revenge for former teammate Marrit Boonstra, who was in a similar situation as Embree one year ago facing Burdette with the national title on the line. Boonstra fell to Burdette 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-5 and was devastated by the loss but was on the court as a student coach that Tuesday, smiling as Embree redeemed her failure one year prior. Florida finished 31-1 on the season and handed Stanford (28-1) their first loss of the year, all while winning a national title and completing a mesmerizing match that will be remembered for years to come.

1 » WAMBACH SHOCKS WORLD, LEADS U.S. IN WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

There is only one way to a pair of moments that make an entire fan base scream in delight and cry in happiness – making an entire nation (and most of the world) do the same. That is why former Gators striker Abby Wambach’s run with the U.S. Women’s National Team in the 2011 Women’s World Cup is OGGOA’s top moment of 2011.

On the brink of the earliest elimination from a World Cup in U.S. history, the Americans were snatched from the jaws of defeat on July 10 as Wambach directed a sharp header into the net two minutes into injury time during extra time to tie the match with Brazil 2-2 and force a penalty kick finish. The USA made all five PKs to complete the incredible come-from-behind victory and remain alive in the World Cup, and Wambach (along with teammate and fellow former Florida player Heather Mitts) celebrated with Gator Chomps after the match. Wambach, however, was far from done.

Just three days later with the United States facing elimination once again in a 1-1 match with France, Wambach again saved the day with a deft header from the far post to give the Americans a 2-1 lead and propel her team to a 3-1 victory that sent the U.S. to the finals of the World Cup for the first time since 1999. Later that evening, Wambach’s header against Brazil from three days prior won the ESPY award for Best Play. A late entry into the category, the play was voted by sports fans as the winner, immediately jumping all of the other accomplishments that year.

Four days later, Wambach nearly did it all again. For the third time in as many matches she appeared to be the savior for the United States, heading in a goal 14 minutes into extra time to put the Americans ahead 2-1 on Japan in the World Cup finals. Unfortuantely, for the second time in the match, the U.S. squandered its lead and allowed Japan to score an equalizer. The Americans eventually fell 3-1 to the Japanese in a highly-contested penalty kick finish, losing the World Cup in Germany. Wambach earned both the Bronze Boot and Silver Ball Awards for her amazing effort and left the event with 13 World Cup goals, more than any other American in the history of the sport.

The United States’ run was fueled by Wambach’s passion and desire, and she took the entire nation on a roller coaster of emotions as she did everything she possibly could to help bring a victory home to the U.S. No one had as many “I can’t believe that just happened” moments on the field in the whole year as Wambach did in the month of July and there is no denying that her efforts in Germany placed her firmly at No. 1 on this list.

Photo Credits (in order): Matt Stamey/The Gainesville Sun, USA Swimming, University of Florida, Associated Press, Rob C. Witzel/Matt Stamey/The Gainesville Sun, University of Florida, Unknown, Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Exactly one year ago today, Stanford Cardinal tennis player Mallory Burdette won her team the 2010 NCAA Championship. Squaring off against the higher-ranked Florida Gators, Stanford captured their 16th title when Burdette battled and eventually upended then-senior Marrit Boonstra 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-5 in the final match of the afternoon.

Boonstra, understandably, was devastated. Her 17-match singles winning streak came to an end and, more importantly, her inability to close that day cost her team a title. No one blamed her for the loss, but she heaped plenty of it on herself.

What a difference 12 months can make.

After falling to the Cardinal in that match and once again at the 2011 USTA/ITA Indoor Championships, the Gators had revenge on their minds entering the 2011 NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 overall seed.

And wouldn’t you know it? Fighting their way through the bracket with relative ease, Florida wound up face-to-face with Stanford on their home court, a place where the Cardinal had not lost in the last 184 matches spanning more than 12 years.

Tuesday night, it became sophomore Lauren Embree’s job to release that frustration and exact the revenge her team had been building up. What a coincidence it was Embree would be given that opportunity for the Gators…against the exact opponent who ended their party a year earlier.

Embree’s match with Burdette at Taube Tennis Center in Stanford, CA was one for the books. It may not have set records for match length or points won, but something special happened on the court that is tough to capture in words.

Fans in attendance and watching around the world saw two players scrape and claw their way to the brink. Label it determination, tenacity or perseverance; whatever you choose to call it, Embree-Burdette turned into Ali-Frazier and someone had to win.

Click to expand and read the remainder of this post.

OGGOA RELATED: Top 10 for 2010: Off the Field Stories of the Year

10 » FLORIDA WINS INAUGURAL LACROSSE GAME (2/20/10)
When Florida decided it wanted to start another women’s athletics program, the University Athletic Association did extensive research and found out that women’s lacrosse would be the perfect fit. In preparation for their first season, the Gators and head coach Amanda O’Leary secured the country’s No. 1 recruiting class (according to Inside Lacrosse Magazine). All the hard work and preparation to get the team ready paid off on Feb. 20 when lacrosse debuted in the brand new Donald R. Dizney Stadium to a boisterous crowd of 2,114 spectators. Florida defeated Jacksonville 16-6 behind four goals and four assists from freshman sensation Ashley Bruns. All-in-all the Gators faced 16 championship-caliber teams and played so well that they reached the 2010 ALC Tournament semifinals. In just their second year of existence, Florida women’s lacrosse is ranked as the No. 17 team in the country going into the 2011 season.

9 » NEAR VICTORIES/HEARTBREAKING LOSSES (5/25/10 * 3/18/10 * 10/9/10)

It is rare for teams to go undefeated and even less likely that an entire athletic program can go through a season without its share of close losses and nail biting finishes. Such was the case for the Gators in 2010. On May 25, No. 3 women’s tennis was barely defeated by the No. 8 Stanford Cardinal for the 2010 NCAA National Championship. Stanford won 4-3 after Florida rallied when they were just two individual games away from being defeated. The Gators forced third sets in two singles matches; sophomore Joanna Mather took down her opponent but senior No. 65 Marrit Boonstra was not as lucky. Losing her first set 6-4, Boonstra fought back to even her match with No. 33 Mallory Burdette by taking the second set 6-7 (4). Down 2-0 in the third, she pushed ahead with a valiant effort to take a 5-4 lead but ended up losing her final three games, the match itself and the championship.

Returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons, No. 10-seed Florida got in a bit easier than some might have expected. Matched up against the No. 7-seed Brigham Young Cougars in the event’s opening game, the Gators fought hard but could not stop Cougars star guard Jimmer Fredette. Allowing BYU to jump ahead 59-46 in the second half, UF came back behind freshman G Kenny Boynton and junior forward Chandler Parsons. Florida missed potential game-winners during regulation (Parsons) and the first overtime (Boynton) and eventually fell to Brigham Young 99-92 in a double-overtime heartbreaker with Fredette adding to his game-high 37 points.

Though losing a national championship and NCAA Tournament game are both difficult, Gators fans will probably look back on No. 12/14 Florida’s shocking loss to the No. 9/12 LSU Tigers on Oct. 10 as the worst near-victory of the season. Wearing orange jerseys for the first time since 1989, the Gators came back from a 12-point deficit when freshman wide receiver Andre Debose returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown, sophomore running back Mike Gillislee rumbled in for a touchdown and redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley completed a two-point conversion to sophomore WR Frankie Hammond, Jr. to cap a 10-play, 80-yard drive. All Florida wanted when its defense came out was a stop, but LSU put together a 62-yard game-winning drive that included numerous third down conversions and a converted fake field goal attempt on fourth down from UF’s 36-yard line with 35 seconds remaining. Back-to-back passes to WR Terrence Toliver (of 28 and 3 yards, respectively) and the Tigers left The Swamp with a 33-29 victory. Players have noted that the loss was a negative turning point in the season, one that may or may not have led to the team dropping their third-straight game one week later at home to Mississippi State.


8 » MOMENTS OF RAW EMOTION (11/20/10 * 5/12/10)

What gets most fans to rise to their feet during athletic contests are spectacular plays, but in 2010 there were three on the field moments that received standing ovations for simply being emotional. After back-to-back 13-1 seasons including wins in two BCS bowl games, Gators football was expected to live up to the same level of greatness in 2010. Faced with a fractured locker room, rabid fan base and disappointing record, the team celebrated Senior Day prior to facing the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Though Florida would go on to win the game 48-10, the two most memorable moments from the game were not game-winning plays or athletic feats.

Running on the field individually to be recognized by head coach Urban Meyer and the roaring crowd, seniors safety Ahmad Black and center Mike Pouncey broke down crying. Black was so overcome with emotion that he took a knee in the end zone before sprinting to Meyer, while Pouncey kept his helmet on to hide his tears before running to Meyer and giving him a bear hug. “I don’t use the word ‘cry’ – that’s soft,” Meyer said after the game. “Whimper? Eye moisture and whimper. [Does] ‘whimper’ sound tough enough? Balled my eyes off then. I was emotional, those are good guys.”

That day was also special for redshirt senior walk-on Gary Beemer, a workhorse practice player who Meyer made sure scored a touchdown on Senior Day. After getting into the end zone on his third attempt, Beemer celebrated like he had won a championship by ripping off his helmet and letting his long hair flow. His jovial post-game press conference only furthered his 15 minutes of fame. “[It was] overwhelming,” he said of scoring the touchdown. “When you’re a kid you dream of something like this. And I’m a lineman, so the chance that – if I was a starter here – to score a touchdown as a defensive lineman is astronomical in itself. For them to just come up to me with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter and say, ‘Hey, would you like the ball on the goal line?’ I’m still trying to process it and make it a reality right now.”

In the same category as these moments was one that occurred on the baseball diamond. Recovered from a fractured face that kept him out two months and occurred when a line drive hit him directly in the mug, sophomore right-handed pitcher Tommy Toledo took the mound and received a standing ovation from the McKethan Stadium crowd of 3,147. Toledo was overcome with emotion during the moment. “That was probably one of the best feelings I’ve ever had here at Florida,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting that at all. […] I was shaking out there. The fans were amazing.” Freshman catcher Mike Zunino said the moment gave him and most of his teammates chills. A starter, Toledo came in as a relief pitcher during the game and helped his team complete a 7-3 victory.

7 » TWO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN EIGHT DAYS (3/13/10 – 3/21/10)
No. 1 Florida men’s track & field captured its first NCAA Indoor Championship in 2010 and did so with a 13-point margin of victory over the second-place finisher (Oregon). Fantastic individual performances by senior Charlotte Browning (mile), freshman/sophomore Jeff Demps (60-meter dash), senior Mariam Kevkhishvili (shot put) and sophomore Christian Taylor (triple jump) propelled the Gators to victory. Pulling off an equally impressive feat was Florida’s women’s swimming and diving team, which captured the 2010 NCAA Championship with a near 2.5-point victory over second-place Stanford just eight days later. In all, 12 Gators were named All-Americans and five school records were set in the event. It was Florida’s first national title in women’s swimming since 1982.

6 » ENEA SETS HOME RUN RECORD, GETS ENGAGED ON SENIOR DAY (5/9/10)
Her final home game in the orange and blue was an emotional day for senior softball player Francesca Enea – for more than one reason. In addition to hitting her Southeastern Conference record 61st career home run and winning her final game with the Gators on Senior Day, Enea was surprised when her longtime boyfriend Christian Bruey proposed to her at the pitcher’s mound before the game in front of over a thousand fans. She said yes and, at the end of the season, traded in the black Florida jersey she was wearing that day for a bright white wedding dress. “I had a dream two years ago,” Enea said during the post-game press conference. “I told him, ‘I had a dream you proposed to me on Senior Day,’ and he said, ‘Well, that will never happen because I’ll never make enough money for the ring you want, and I said, ‘Yeah, you’re probably right.’ He said he wasn’t going to be able to make it [to the game] and I was giving him [grief] about it for weeks. […] All of a sudden someone shouted his name out from the crowd, I looked and saw him. He didn’t waste any time, he went right down on one knee. I was just shocked. Everything with Mother’s Day, my family being here, Senior Day, my engagement, it’s just amazing. I’m happy.”

5 » TEBOW DELIVERS SWEET FINALE WITH SUGAR BOWL PERFORMANCE (1/2/10)
Disappointed after losing the 2009 SEC Championship and coming off a week filled with seemingly endless questions and distractions, the No. 5 Gators routed the No. 3 Cincinnati Bearcats 51-24 in the 2010 Sugar Bowl. In the final game of his college career, Florida senior quarterback Tim Tebow delivered arguably his best performance, completing 31-of-35 passes for a career-high 482 yards passing and three touchdowns through the air to go along with 51 yards and another touchdown on the ground. Tebow, who won the game’s Most Outstanding Player award, completed his first 12 consecutive passes and finished with 533 total yards – more than anyone in both BCS and Sugar Bowl history. “It was incredible,” Tebow said of the contest. “Just a great game. It was exactly how you want to go out with these seniors and these coaches in your last game and your last time together. It just really doesn’t get any better than this.”

4 » BASEBALL ADVANCES TO COLLEGE WORLD SERIES WITH EXTRA INNINGS COMEBACK vs. MIAMI IN GAINESVILLE (6/13/10)

Looking to advance to the NCAA College World Series for the first time since 2005, No. 4 Gators baseball defeated the No. 11 Miami Hurricanes 4-3 in extra innings due to the Hurricanes tying a postseason school record with seven errors including three in the final two innings. In a rare position as the away team in their home stadium, Florida was down 3-2 with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning. Miami shortstop Stephen Perez was charged with a throwing error on a routine grounder by Zunino, which advanced all runners and tied the score. In the top of the 10th, freshman SS Nolan Fontana got on base after Canes right fielder Chris Pelaez misjudged a fly ball and eventually scored as his teammates drove him home for what would eventually be the game-winning run. The Gators also salvaged a 15-game home winning streak and extended their record to 30-9 all-time at home during NCAA play.

3 » VOLLEYBALL RALLIES TO BEAT FLORIDA STATE IN FIVE-SET THRILLER AND ADVANCE IN NCAA TOURNAMENT (12/4/10)

Having won 28 of their first 29 contests of the season, No. 1 Florida volleyball did not expect to be faced with too much opposition when they faced the Florida State Seminoles in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Championships at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Down two sets to one and facing elimination, the Lady Gators rallied together and pulled off a spectacular come-from-behind five-set victory to defeat their bitter rivals 3-2 (20-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-21, 17-15). After squeaking out a win in the fourth set, Florida trailed by four points (11-7) in the final set and was facing a seemingly insurmountable deficit (considering it takes 15 points to win). Fighting to even things up, the Gators found themselves down 13-11 after senior outside hitter Callie Rivers nailed a service ace. The officials believed UF touched the ball four times on the next point and whistled them for illegal contact, giving FSU a temporary 14-11 lead before they decided to negate the call and play the point over. Florida would go on to tie the set at 13 and eventually win it outright after junior OH Kristy Jaeckel hit consecutive kills to win it 17-15. The Gators were so thrilled with their victory that they formed a dogpile at center court as the crowd erupted in applause.

2 » OVERTIME MIRACLES: HILL’s INTERCEPTION / HENRY’s FIELD GOAL (10/30/10)

Trying to stop the bleeding after losing three games in a row for the first time since 1988, Florida football entered the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party against the Georgia Bulldogs and surprised their opponents with an up-tempo offense that kept them in the game despite the defense struggling for a third-straight contest. Nevertheless, the most memorable plays of the game did not come from the offensive side on the ball but instead from the secondary and special teams. Though only two of his three interceptions will count when looking at the box score 10 years from now, junior safety Will Hill’s performance will be remembered for some time. Following in the footsteps of some of the Gators’ other terrifying free safeties, Hill came through when it counted by saving a two-point conversion with a pick and starting Florida’s celebration early with an 89-yard interception return that was stopped four yards short of the goal line in overtime. “I was struggling earlier in the season and coaches never gave up on me, teammates never gave up on me,” Hill said after the game. “And for me to come out and playing like this, it’s just like paying the team back.’’

Though Hill’s play was the most electric, senior punter/kicker Chas Henry’s performance is likely the most memorable. After missing his initial field goal attempt wide left in the first quarter, Henry nailed two in a row including a 37-yarder in overtime to ice the game, start a massive celebration and allow the Gators to go 5-1 against the Bulldogs under Meyer. “It was the best feeling I’ve ever had,” he said in a post-game press conference. “The main thing that went through my mind was how I let my team down two weeks ago against Mississippi State. That was one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through. I got so much support through the coaches, my family and friends, and my brothers in the locker room. The internal family we have is as strong as you can get. I let them down one time. I was never going to let it happen again. It felt great. Unbelievable.”

Hill, Henry, their teammates and fans were not the only ones emotional about their performances. “Big play of the day,” Meyer said of Hill’s overtime pick. “We’ve been waiting for that all year. Will Hill played very well tonight.” He also commented on Henry’s game-winning kick, one which made Meyer drop to his knees on the field. “After he hit that field goal? It was Chas Henry hitting a damn field goal. Think about that for a minute. That’s not easy. I didn’t realize I [dropped to my knees]. It was a good moment.”

1 » OH MY! PARSONS HITS TWO BUZZER BEATERS IN JANUARY! (1/3/10 * 1/23/10)

Hitting a buzzer beater in a game will automatically get you a spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10. But hitting two not only in less than a month? That gets you on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of the Year. Who are we to deny Parsons a similar honor here at OGGOA? Down two with 2.6 seconds left in overtime, Parsons converted a missed free throw into a 75-foot buzzer-beating, game-winning three-pointer to give Florida a big road win over the N.C. State Wolfpack. Just 20 days later, chants of “Chandler! Chandler! Chandler!” rang throughout the O’Connell Center as Parsons did it again with another game-winning, buzzer-beating three-pointer. South Carolina Gamecocks guard Devan Downey hit a dynamic layup and left 5.1 seconds on the clock. Senior F Dan Werner grabbed the ball and immediately inbounded it to sophomore point guard Erving Walker, who drove the length of the court before dishing it to Parsons, who was waiting beyond the arc. Keep your eyes pealed for Werner calling Parsons’s shot in the N.C. State video and injured F Adam Allen limping down the court to celebrate with Parsons after the USC win.

Photo Credits: John Raoux/Associated Press, The Gainesville Sun, University of Florida, Stephen Morton/AP

Nevertheless, neither a single one of her teammates nor any Florida fans nor anyone in the athletic department blamed her for the loss – especially seeing as she took her opponent to the brink before falling 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 in a wild third set.

While Boonstra and her entire team were crushed, so was head football coach Urban Meyer, who was watching on television alongside his family back in Gainesville, FL. Rather than stand idly by as Boonstra wallowed in the outcome, Florida Today reports that he decided to do whatever he could to make her feel better.

“[Meyer called me and] told me he and his family had watched the match and they were all cheering and they were all so proud of me,” Boonstra told the paper. “That call made me feel a lot better. It helped me out a lot.”

That wasn’t all.

Meyer also went out of his way to send her a personal card, applauding her efforts and calling her “special.” “Every coach dreams of having a team of competitors,” Meyer wrote. “Unfortunately, there are not enough like you.”

Boonstra has since returned to her home country of The Netherlands and will do her best to compete internationally as a representative of Holland. She finished her Gators career with a fantastic 77-16 singles record, 60-9 dual match mark and 75-22 doubles record (24-4 this season with freshman Allie Will). Her championship match loss also ended a personal 17-match singles winning streak.

Photo Credit: University of Florida

2 » The Gators’ No. 5 doubles pair of senior Marrit Boonstra and freshman Allie Will was eliminated from competition for the 2010 NCAA National Championship Saturday, falling 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 to Tennessee’s No. 1 duo of Natalie Pluskota and Caitlin Whoriskey at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, GA. Florida tennis – both men’s and women’s – has now been completely removed from NCAA competition for this season.

Find out which Gators qualified for the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships and what sport Georgia is going after Florida in…after the break!

3 » Finishing up a third day of competition Saturday in the 2010 NCAA East Preliminary Round at Irwin Bell Track, Gators track & field athletes qualified 21 slots in the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The list of those athletes who have qualified, along with their respective events, can be found below in alphabetical order.

- Charlotte Browning – Women’s 1,500m Run (3rd)
- Omar Craddock – Men’s Triple Jump (3rd)
- Evelien Dekkers – Women’s Javelin (1st)
- Jeff Demps – Men’s 100m Dash (4th)
- Gray Horn – Men’s Decathlon (N/A)
- Josh Izewski – Men’s 10,000m Run (12th)
- Fidela James – Women’s Shot Put (10th)
- Mariam Kevkhishvili – Women’s Shot Put (1st)
- Tony McQuay – Men’s 400m Dash (10th)
- Keely Medeiros – Women’s Shot Put (5th)
- Kemal Mesic – Men’s Shot Put (1st)
- Julie Northrup – Women’s Steeplechase (7th)
- Shara Proctor [2] – Women’s Long Jump (3rd), Women’s Triple Jump (4th)
- Calvin Smith – Men’s 400m Dash (2nd)
- Christian Taylor [2] – Men’s Long Jump (1st), Men’s Triple Jump (1st)
- Terrell Wilks [2] – Men’s 100m Dash (9th), Men’s 200m Dash (4th)
- Men’s 4x100m Relay (1st)
- Men’s 4x400m Relay (2nd)

4 » Think football is the only sport that the Georgia Bulldogs are worried about Florida in? Think again. Georgia’s new head soccer coach, Steve Holeman, realizes that his school’s main rival has been just as dominant in soccer recently. Just take this exchange printed by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution between Holeman and athletic director Damon Evans as an example. “In our short time that we have had soccer in this league, who has won the majority of the championships,” Evans asked. “Florida,” Holeman replied. “I knew the answer, but we need to start changing that. That’s all,” Evans quipped. “It used to be Florida,” Holeman surmised.

2 » Five more members of Gators track and field advanced to the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships on Friday while competing at the 2010 NCAA East Preliminary Round at Irwin Belk Track. Junior thrower Kemal Mesic (first – men’s shot put) and sprinters sophomore Jeff Demps (fourth – men’s 100m dash), junior Terrell Wilks (ninth – men’s 100m dash), senior Calvin Smith (second – men’s 400m dash) and freshman Tony McQuay (10th – men’s 400m dash) are all earning trips to Eugene, OR, to compete for titles. They join the seven other Florida track & field stars who qualified on Thursday.

3 » The No. 5-ranked Florida doubles pair of senior Marrit Boonstra and freshman Allie Will have advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2010 NCAA National Championship after squeaking out a three-set victory over Stetson’s pair of Carolina de los Santos and Valentina Galbrini – 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 – at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, GA. As a singles competitor, No. 8 will fell 6-1, 6-5 to Georgia’s No. 12-ranked Chelsey Gullickson earlier in the day.

4 » No. 4 Gators softball (46-8) is set to begin 2010 NCAA Super Regional action Saturday at 7:30 p.m. when they host the No. 13 Arizona State Sun Devils (44-15) in up to a three-game series at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, FL. The first game will air live on both ESPN and ESPN3.com, while the second game will take place on Sunday at 3:30 p.m., airing live on ESPNU and ESPN3.com. Game three, if necessary, will be played Sunday evening.

2 » Still making touchdowns – but now for the Jacksonville Sharks of the AFL – former Gators wide receiver Dallas Baker was faced with an injury scare Saturday night in a 46-44 win over the Cleveland Gladiators. “I thought I tore something,” Baker told The Florida Times-Union. Instead Baker, who scored twice during the game before falling to the turf, suffered a sprain according to an MRI exam after the game. He is second on the team this season with 416 yards and nine touchdowns in five games played.

Four more BITS on track & field qualifiers, tennis’ NCAA wins and losses and a Gator winning Rookie of the Year…after the break!

3 » Competing in the first day of the 2010 NCAA East Preliminary Round at Irwin Belk Track on Thursday, seven members of Florida’s highly ranked track and field teams qualified for the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships. They include throwers senior Mariam Kevkhishvili (first – women’s shot put), Keely Medeiros (fifth – shot put), Fidela James (10th – shot put) and Evelien Dekkers (first – women’s javelin), sophomore jumper Christian Taylor (first – men’s long jump), senior jumper Shara Proctor (third – women’s long jump) and freshman runner Josh Izewski (12th – men’s 10,000m run). Nine other Gators, including sophomore sprinter Jeff Demps (first – men’s 100m dash), qualified for 2010 NCAA Quarterfinals action.

4 » Florida’s No. 8-ranked freshman Allie Will advanced to the third round of the 2010 NCAA National Championship tournament with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win over UCLA’s Andrea Remynse at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, GA. Later in the day, the No. 5 pair of Will and senior Marrit Boonstra moved into the second round of doubles competition with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Michigan’s No. 19 pair of Whitney Taney and Rika Tatsuno. Unfortunately, the No. 26 duo of freshman Lauren Embree and senior Anastasia Revzina fell to California’s No. 9 pair of Mari Anderson and Jana Juricova 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-1, knocking them out of the tournament. Will is set to take on a chief rival, Georgia’s No. 12 Chelsey Gullickson, in the round of 16 Friday; she and Boonstra will compete later in the day in a doubles match against a team from Stetson.

5 » News was not as positive for Gators men’s tennis and junior Alexandre Lacroix, who lost twice Thursday. Lacroix first dropped his singles match 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 to Pepperdine’s Bassam Beidas before teaming with redshirt senior Antoine Benneteau to fall in straight sets – 6-4, 6-3 to Oklahoma’s pair of Andrei Daescu and Costin Paval. Men’s tennis is now eliminated from National Championship competition.

6 » Easily the most dominant force on Florida lacrosse during its inaugural season, freshman attacker Ashley Bruns was named the 2010 Rookie of the Year by WomensLax.com on Friday. Leading the Gators in three categories – points (79), goals (48) and assists (30), this is the second such honor won by Bruns, who was also named the 2010 ALC Rookie of the Year a few weeks ago.

2 » Though the Florida men’s tennis team was ousted early in the 2010 NCAA National Championship, individual players are still competing for singles and doubles titles. On Wednesday, No. 8-seed junior Alexandre Lacroix won his first-round match in straight sets (6-1, 6-1) over No. 104-ranked Charles Bottoni of East Tennessee State at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, GA. Lacroix will move on to face No. 32-seed Bassm Beidas of Pepperdine on Thursday. He will actually participate in two matches Thursday, also teaming with senior Antoine Benneteau in doubles competition.

3 » Members of the National Championship runner-up Gators women’s tennis team were not afforded much rest as two were already back in action Wednesday. No. 7-seed freshman Allie Will (47-4) won her first-round singles match against Washington State’s Liudmila Vassilieva easily (6-1, 6-1), advancing to the second round on Thursday.

4 » On the other hand, Will’s classmate Lauren Embree (32-6), who led Florida on Tuesday, surprisingly fell in her singles match. She lost 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 to California’s Mari Anderson and was bounced from the tournament. Both women will compete alongside seniors Marrit Boonstra and Anastasia Revzina in doubles action Thursday.

Starving off a near spectacular comeback, No. 8 Stanford Cardinal women’s tennis (26-1) captured the 2010 NCAA National Championship with a 4-3 defeat of the No. 3 Florida Gators (29-3) on Tuesday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, GA.

The Gators were just two individual games away from defeat but battled back to force third sets in two singles matches while the Cardinal held a 3-2 lead. Florida sophomore Joanna Mather took down Stanford’s Carolyn McVeigh 5-7, 6-4, 6-0 in the second-to-last match, tying the score 3-3 and leaving the title in the hands of the final two competitors – senior No. 65 Marrit Boonstra and No. 33 Mallory Burdette

After losing her first set 6-4, Boonstra fought back to even her match with Burdette by winning the second set 6-7 (4). Down 2-0 in the third, Boonstra pushed ahead with a valiant effort to take a 5-4 lead. However, she ended up losing her final three games, allowing Burdette to tie it up and eventually reign victorious 7-5.

“My heart just aches for Marrit,” Gators head coach Ron Thornqvist said after the loss. “She has given this program everything she has. It’s just not fair for it to come down to a result like this for her. She’s going to be hurting for a long time. Our players will echo when I say that they love her for all she has done for them and how she gives them her heart. Marrit gave herself a chance in the match, leading 5-4 and was playing good tennis. It seemed like Mallory relaxed at 5-all and I thought that was the difference.”

The Gators won the doubles point with victories from the No. 29 duo of freshman Lauren Embree and Mather as well as the pair of freshman Carolina Hitimana and senior Anastasia Revzina. However, Florida’s No. 5-ranked team of Boonstra and freshman Allie Will uncharacteristically fell 8-4 to No. 2 Hilary Barte and Lindsay Brudette.

In singles action, No. 9 Embree held No. 4 Barte set-less with a 6-4, 6-4 victory. Mather joined her with a singles win, but No. 8 Will (6-3, 6-3), Boonstra, No. 102 Revzina (6-2, 6-2) and No. 107 Hitimana (6-3, 7-5) were all out-matched by Stanford.

“That was probably one of the better matches I’ve been involved with in a match of this magnitude,” Thornqvist reflected. “I thought we played terrific in doubles all year and today was no different. For some reason, we got off to a slow start in singles. It looked really grim there for a while, but just like we talked about all year long, we were resilient. I really thought our team showed tremendous courage, heart and pride. In the end we came up short, but I was really, really proud of our effort and our play in a championship round like this. Stanford played at a high level from the beginning of the match. In the first 20 minutes of singles, balls were whipping past us left and right. For us to slow that down and use our athleticism and neutralize some of that pace was great.”

The Gators women will now break apart from the team and compete in singles and doubles for individual NCAA National Championships beginning on Wednesday. Embree and Will are set to represent Florida in singles action, while Will/Boonstra and Embree/Revzina will pair in the doubles draw.

With the victory, the Cardinal captures their 16th title in 29 years and first over the Gators. Florida and Stanford squared off in the 2003 championship match with the Gators winning 4-3, but the Cardinal began their revenge with a 4-0 semifinal victory in 2006, the last time the two teams had faced until Tuesday.

Photo/Quote Credits: University of Florida

The Gators’ top three players – freshmen No. 8 Allie Will, freshman No. 9 Lauren Embree and senior No. 65 Marrit Boonstra – all won their singles contests (in reverse order). Boonstra triumphed 6-2, 6-2; Will won 6-3, 6-3; and Embree’s match went three sets ending 6-2, 1-6, 7-5.

In doubles competition, the No. 5 team of Boonstra and Will led 6-3 in a shortened match after the No. 29 duo of Embree and sophomore Joanna Mather prevailed 8-4 and the combination of freshman Caroline Hitimana and senior Anastasia Revzina ran through their competition 8-1.

Also still playing at the event’s conclusion were No. 102 Revzina (tied 4-6, 6-5, 3-3), Mather (up 6-2, 3-6, 4-3) and sophomore Claire Bartlett (down 5-7, 2-2).

Florida will face No. 8 Stanford (25-1), which defeated No. 5 Notre Dame 4-1 in the other semifinal, on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the championship match live on ESPNU.

The Gators beat the Cardinal 4-3 for the 2003 title but lost 4-0 the last time the two teams squared off in the 2006 semifinals Should Florida prevail, it will be the program’s fifth National Championship and first since 2003. Stanford is the sport’s most storied college program, having won 15 of 28 titles.