Advancing to the Final Four for the second-straight season and 21st time in the last 25 years, No. 2 Florida Gators women’s tennis (29-1) won a nail-biter against the No. 7 Miami Hurricanes (21-7), beating them 4-1 in the Elite Eight of the 2011 NCAA Tournament at Taube Tennis Stadium in Stanford, CA on Sunday.

With the No. 2 pairing of sophomore Allie Will and freshman Alex Cercone down 7-5 to Miami’s No. 5 duo, Florida wound up winning the other two doubles matches to take the doubles point. The No. 45 team of sophomore Lauren Embree and freshman Sofie Oyen won their match 8-4, and the pair of sophomore Caroline Hitimana and junior Joanna Mather took their contest 8-5 to clinch the point for the Gators.

No. 53 freshman Olivia Janowicz captured the first singles point (6-4, 6-2) for Florida, but Miami answered when Gabriela Mejia beat No. 91 Oyen 7-6(1), 6-1. No. 7 Will defeated No. 6 Bianca Eichkorn in straight sets (6-2, 6-1) to give the Gators a 3-1 advantage with three matches remaining in the contest.

Two of the final three matches entered in the third set and both were within a game of each other; UF was well behind in the third. No. 54 Cercone wound up finishing first, clinching the victory for Florida with a 2-6, 6-1, 7-5 win. No. 42 Mather led her opponent, but No. 17 Embree was trailing in her match as the day came to a close.

The Gators will participate in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament on Monday evening; Florida is set to take on No. 6 UCLA (22-5) at 7 p.m. in Stanford.

Tags: Alex Cercone, Allie Will, Caroline Hitimana, Elite Eight, Final Four, Joanna Mather, Lauren Embree, Miami Hurricanes, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, Olivia Janowicz, Sofie Oyen, Taube Tennis Stadium, tennis

Sunday was a special day for the Florida Gators tennis program as both the No. 8 men’s and No. 2 women’s teams advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament after sweeping their opponents on a sunny day at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, FL.

After a weather delay forced their contest to continue Sunday, the Florida men (20-8) got the day started early and shut out the No. 27 Miami Hurricanes (15-9) 4-0.

The No. 17 duo of senior Alexandre Lacroix and sophomore Sekou Bangoura, Jr. led the doubles teams, winning their match 8-2. Joining them to cinch the doubles point was junior Nassim Slilam and sophomore Billy Federhofer (7-6).

No. 7 Lacroix (6-1, 6-1), No. 89 Slilam (6-2, 6-2) and freshman Spencer Newman (6-0, 6-4) all won their singles matches; Newman’s victory clinched the contest for the Gators. Lacroix’s singles win propelled him to historic status. He is now the all-time overall wins leader in school history with 209 career victories.

The Florida women (27-1) wrapped up the afternoon in similar form, shutting out the South Carolina Gamecocks (14-11) 4-0 behind a strong team performance.

The 45th-ranked team of sophomore Lauren Embree and freshman Sofie Oyen made short work of their opponents, beating them 8-2 for the Gators’ first doubles win. Freshman Olivia Janowicz and junior Joanna Mather followed them with an 8-3 victory, clinching the doubles point for Florida.

No. 7 sophomore Allie Will absolutely trounced No. 44 Anya Morgina of South Carolina, stifling her in straight sets (6-0, 6-0). Helping her complete the sweep for the Gators were No. 42 Mather (6-2, 6-2) and No. 54 freshman Alex Cercone (6-0, 6-3); the latter victory clinched the match.

Florida men’s and women’s tennis will play later this week in Stanford, CA. The men compete on Thursday at 3 p.m., while the women take the court on Friday at 3 p.m.

Tags: Alex Cercone, Alexandre Lacroix, Allie Will, Billy Federhofer, Joanna Mather, Lauren Embree, Linder Stadium, Miami Hurricanes, Nassim Slilam, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, Olivia Janowicz, Ring Tennis Complex, Sekou Bangoura, Sofie Oyen, South Carolina Gamecocks, Spencer Newman, Sweet 16, tennis

No. 1 Florida Gators baseball (10-1) completed a three-game series sweep of the No. 24 Miami Hurricanes (4-7) over the weekend with a 5-3 win on Sunday.

Florida was also victorious 8-3 on Friday and 1-0 on Saturday to sweep Miami in Gainesville, FL for the first time in school history.

The Gators have now won nine of their last 10 match-ups against the Hurricanes including six-straight. This weekend they did so in front of a combined crowd of 13,552.

Friday: Sophomore left-handed pitcher Brian Johnson (3-0) struck out nine in five scoreless innings to help Florida prevail. Senior second baseman Josh Adams (3-3, 3 RBI, R) and sophomore third baseman Austin Maddox (2-5, HR, 2 RBI, R) led the way for the offense as the Gators scored eight unanswered runs and eventually won 8-3.

Saturday: Sophomore right-handed pitcher Hudson Randall picked up right where Johnson left off, tossing seven one-hit innings while striking out five before being relieved by RHP Anthony DeSclafani in the top of the eighth. After DeSclafani (2-0) forced three consecutive ground outs, Florida decided to bring in senior Bryson Smith to pinch hit with Adams on second after a lead-off walk. Smith (1-1, RBI) knocked Adams home with a single to right center and DeSclafani struck out two in the top of the ninth to end the game. The 1-0 series-clinching win marked UF’s first shutout of UM since 2004.

Sunday: Tied 2-2 heading into the sixth, the Gators rallied for three runs and eventually prevailed 5-3 over the Hurricanes. Freshman RHP Karsten Whitson took the hill for Florida but gave up seven hits and two earned runs while striking out four in five innings of work. Junior RHP Tommy Toledo (2-0) bridged the gap with two strikeouts in 2.2 shutout innings before DeSclafani (S1) eventually came on for the save opportunity in the ninth. Junior right fielder Preston Tucker (3-4, RBI, R) hit a solo shot to start off the sixth inning rally, and junior left fielder Daniel Pigott (1-4, 2 RBI) completed it with a two-run double. Florida also saw sterling offensive efforts from freshman 3B Zack Powers (2-4, RBI, R) and sophomore catcher Mike Zunino (0-2, 2 BB, 2 R).

UF, which has won 24-straight games at McKethan Stadium, looks to continue their winning ways next week with a pair of contests against Georgia Southern and USF as well as a three-game weekend series vs. Rhode Island.

Tags: Anthony DeSclafani, Austin Maddox, baseball, Brian Johnson, Bryson Smith, Daniel Pigott, Hudson Randall, Josh Adams, Karsten Whitson, McKethan Stadium, Miami Hurricanes, Mike Zunino, Preseton Tucker, Tommy Toledo, Zack Powers

1 » The third day of the 2011 Southeastern Conference Swimming Championships, held at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, FL, was just as eventful for the Florida Gators as the previous two. Senior Conor Dwyer, who had already set three SEC records combined, broke yet another on Friday by swimming the 400-yard individual medley in 3:37.75. Freshman Elizabeth Beisel matched his accomplishment on the women’s side, also breaking the SEC record in the individual medley with a time of 4:00.35. Both competitors, in addition to now owning the top SEC mark in the event, broke the pool and school records in the event. Though both teams are performing well, neither leads their gender’s team category. Saturday is the final day of competition.

2 » Performing in their home finale Friday, No. 1 Florida gymnastics (8-0, 5-0 SEC) remained unbeaten by defeating the No. 22 Auburn Tigers (2-5, 2-4 SEC) 196.850-194.950. The Gators once again swept the event titles with sophomore Marissa King winning the vault (9.95), senior Maranda Smith taking the floor exercise (9.90), freshman Mackenzie Caquatto conquering the uneven bars (9.90) and both Caquatto and freshman Ashanée Dickerson winning the balance beam (9.875).

3 » Competing in the round of 16 at the 2011 ITA National Team Indoor Championships Friday, No. 2 Florida women’s tennis (8-0) defeated the No. 9 Miami Hurricanes (5-1) 4-1. No. 7 sophomore Allie Will, No. 19 junior Joanna Mather and No. 31 freshman Olivia Janowicz all won their singles matches with the No. 30 duo of sophomore Lauren Embree and Mather also taking home a doubles win. The No. 1 doubles pairing of Will and freshman Sofie Oyen did not finish their doubles match (which they led 7-3); No. 36 Embree and No. 40 freshman Alex Cercone were tied in their respective singles matches but also did not finish.

4 » Also victorious in the round of 16 at the ITA Team Indoor Championships on Friday was No. 10 Gators men’s tennis (7-1), which defeated the No. 7 Stanford Cardinal 4-3 and gave head coach Andy Jackson his 400th career victory. Though the No. 15 duo of senior Alexandre Lacroix and junior Nasslim Slilam fell to their No. 11-ranked opponents, No. 9 Lacroix’s three-set 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory over No. 7 Bradley Klahn, the defending NCAA singles champion, clinched the match for Florida. Slilam also lost his singles match, but No. 43 sophomore Sekou Bangoura, Jr. was victorious both on his own and when paired up with freshman Andrew Butz. The Gators will advance to the quarterfinals for the second-straight year.

Tags: Alex Cercone, Alexandre Lacroix, Allie Will, Andrew Butz, Andy Jackson, Ashanée Dickerson, Auburn Tigers, Bradley Klahn, Conor Dwyer, Elizabeth Beisel, gymnastics, ITA National Team Indoor Championship, Joanna Mather, Lauren Embree, MacKenzie Caquatto, Maranda Smith, Marissa King, Miami Hurricanes, Nasslim Slilam, O'Connell Center, Olivia Janowicz, SEC, SEC Championship, Skou Bangoura, Sofie Oyen, Stanford Cardinal, swimming, tennis

With running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Stan Drayton departing for the Ohio State Buckeyes last week, Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp announced Wednesday during his National Signing Day press conference that some changes have been made to his first coaching staff.

Muschamp hired Derek Lewis to coach tight ends and shifted former TE coach Brian White‘s responsibilities to coaching running backs. Additionally, wide receivers coach Aubrey Hill will take over Drayton’s recruiting coordinator duties.

Lewis, Minnesota’s tight ends and assistant special teams coach since 2007, was a graduate assistant with the Texas Longhorns from 2005-06. He had a solid career as a four-year letterman at Texas from 1995-98 and spent two seasons in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams (1999-2000), with whom he earned a Super Bowl ring.

“A lot of Gator fans will remember him,’’ Muschamp said of Lewis. “He caught the pass against Nebraska [in 1996] that won Texas the Big 12 Championship and vaulted Florida into the national championship game. He has helped the Gators in the past.”

A running backs coach from 1991-92 with UNLV and 1995-2006 with Wisconsin (where he was also offensive coordinator from 1999-2006), White takes over a job he has plenty of experience doing. Some of the players White has seen succeed under his tutelage as RB coach include Ron Dayne, Michael Bennett, Anthony Davis and Brian Calhoun – all four of whom were selected in the NFL Draft. He also produced eight 1,000-yard rushers in his first eight seasons with Wisconsin.

As projected by OGGOA on Jan. 27, Hill steps into the recruiting coordinator role after holding the position for the Miami Hurricanes in 2010.

“I’m really pleased with the job he did recruiting and what he brings to the staff, especially as a former Gator,” Muschamp said of his decision to give Hill the added responsibilities.

*McCarney was also assistant head coach; Heater held the role of co-defensive coordinator. Muschamp has not named an assistant (or associate) head coach as of press time.

Photo Credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Tags: Aubrey Hill, Brian White, Derek Lewis, Draft, Miami Hurricanes, National Signing Day, NFL, St. Louis Rams, Stan Drayton, Super Bowl, Texas Longhorns, Will Muschamp

1 » Rutgers Scarlet Knights sophomore quarterback Tom Savage, who decided to transfer after the season when head coach Greg Schiano permanently gave his starting job to freshman Chas Dodd, will be allowed to pursue opportunities with the Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes, according to ESPN’s Joe Schad. Schiano had previously blocked Savage from speaking with Florida and Miami. It appears as if Savage is primarily interested in joining the Hurricanes, though the Gators could be an option for him should Miami sign a QB in their 2011 recruiting class. Considering four-star QB recruit Jacoby Brissett (West Palm Beach, FL) is also considering UF and UM (in addition to Wisconsin and Washington), his decision to go to one school or the other could, theoretically, dictate where Savage winds up.

Starting all but one game in 2009, Savage threw for 2,211 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 52.3 percent of his passes. He also started Rutgers’ first three games of the 2010 season and finished the year with 521 yards, two TDs and three INTs along with a 51.8 completion percentage. Why did Schiano change his mind? Savage’s grandparents live in South Florida, hence the reason he is interested in attending college in the stat.e “I have a better understanding of his reasons for wanting to contact those schools after speaking with him,” Schiano told the Newark Star-Ledger. “Because of my relationship with Tom and everything he has meant to the program I have given him permission to contact the University of Miami and Florida.”

2 » After having a pin taken out of his injured thumb, Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah had a cast removed from his hand on Monday and will begin non-contact drills on Tuesday, ESPNChicago.com reports. “I just want to come back as soon as possible,” Noah said. “As soon as my hand is healthy, I want to be back there, regardless of what game it is.” He will begin traveling with the team this week and hopes to be active after the NBA All-Star break. “He’ll start the non-contact part of practice, and from there once he clears that he can practice with contact,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Once he practices with contact then he’ll be able to play. He’s still pretty much on schedule. He’s probably, the way we’re looking at it right now, right after the All-Star break.”

3 » According to the Austin American-Statesman, Texas Longhorns head coach Mack Brown was planning on hiring none other than new Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis for the same position prior to then-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp taking the Gators head coaching job. The paper notes that two sources believe Weis-to-Texas was “all but considered a done deal” until Muschamp took the Florida gig.

4 » Two former Gators – wide receiver Carl Moore and defensive lineman Brandon Antwine – will be participating in the 2011 Dixie Grid Iron Classic on Saturday at noon. The event, which like many of its kind allow graduating seniors the opportunity to showcase their talents for NFL scouts, is mostly made up of players from western states.

Tags: Brandon Antwine, Carl Moore, Charlie Weis, Chas Dodd, Chicago Bulls, Dixie Grid Iron Classic, Greg Schiano, Jacoby Brissett, Joakim Noah, Mack Brown, Miami Hurricanes, NBA, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Texas Longhorns, Tom Savage, Tom Thibodeau, Will Muschamp

Florida Gators running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Stan Drayton, a native of Cleveland, OH, has officially been hired by the Ohio State Buckeyes as the team’s new wide receivers coach, the school announced on Thursday. One of three assistants retained by new head coach Will Muschamp, Drayton will leave Florida before National Signing Day and begin work with Ohio State on Monday.

“Stan Drayton first and foremost is a fine person and family man. He is a Buckeye born and bred, and will add a tremendous dimension to our football family,” Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel said in an official statement. “We are fortunate to gain one of the finest coaches in America to serve our kids, school and community.”

Drayton has almost exclusively coached running backs since 1993 and has spent four years with the Gators (2005-07, 2010). He was on Florida’s staff when the team captured the 2007 BCS National Championship by defeating Ohio State 41-14.

In addition to his duties as WR coach for the Buckeyes, Drayton is also expected to coordinate Ohio State’s recruiting for the state of Florida.

Muschamp addressed the topic late Thursday. “Our focus will always be on the staff that are here, current players and the prospective student-athletes,” he said.

With the 2011 recruiting cycle coming to a close on Feb. 2, Muschamp will likely wait until it has concluded to hire Drayton’s replacement. New wide receivers coach Aubrey Hill, who coordinated recruiting for the Miami Hurricanes in 2010, may be at the front of the pack to take on those responsibilities for 2012 and beyond.

*McCarney was also assistant head coach; Heater held the role of co-defensive coordinator. Muschamp has not named an assistant (or associate) head coach as of press time.

Tags: Aubrey Hill, BCS National Championship, Jim Tressel, Miami Hurricanes, National Signing Day, Ohio State Buckeyes, Stan Drayton, Will Muschamp

For as much as the Florida Gators were in the news off the field in 2010, the Gator Nation was making plenty of headlines on it as well. From game-winning baskets to displays of pure emotion, Florida experienced some unique athletic moments in 2010. Below are OGGOA‘s Top 10 On the Field Moments of the Year.

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.

Continue Reading » Top 10 for 2010: On the Field Moments of the Year

Tags: Adam Allen, Ahmad Black, ALC Tournament, Amanda O'Leary, Andre Debose, Appalachian State Mountaineers, Ashley Bruns, baseball, BCS, Brigham Young Cougars, Callie Rivers, Chandler Parsons, Charlotte Browning, Chas Henry, Chris Pelaez, Christian Taylor, Cincinnati Bearcats, College World Series, Dan Werner, Devan Downey, diving, Dizney Stadium, Erving Walker, field, Florida State Seminoles, Francesca Enea, Frankie Hammond, Gary Beemer, Georgia Bulldogs, Jeff Demps, Jimmer Fredette, Joanna Mather, John Brantley, Kenny Boynton, Kristy Jaeckel, lacrosse, LSU Tigers, Mallory Burdette, Mariam Kevkhishvili, Marrit Boonstra, McKethan Stadium, Miami Hurricanes, Mike Gillislee, Mike Pouncey, Mike Zunino, Most Outstanding Player, N.C. State Wolfpack, National Championship, NCAA, NCAA Championship, NCAA Championships, NCAA Indoor Championship, NCAA Tournament, Nolan Fontana, O'Connell Center, SEC, SEC Championship, Senior Day, softball, South Carolina Gamecocks, Stanford Cardinal, Stephen Perez, Sugar Bowl, swimming, Terrence Toliver, Tim Tebow, Tommy Toledo, track, University Athletic Association, Urban Meyer, volleyball, Will Hill, World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party