This, That, and More on a Thursday (6/27)
Trio of Gators at U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials. Three with Gator ties - Skye Blakely, Kayla DiCello and Leanne Wong - look to earn a spot on U.S.'s 2024 Olympic team
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Three Gators - Skye Blakely, Kayla DiCello and Leanne Wong - compete this weekend in the U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Team Trials at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn.
All compete in the senior division on Friday and Sunday:
* Friday, June 28: 6:30 p.m. ET
* Sunday, June 30: 7 p.m. ET
The 2024 Trials features 16 women competing to be among the five-member team for the U.S. Olympic Team. Both DiCello and Wong were replacement athletes for the 2020 Olympics. The U.S.'s gold-medal 2023 World Championships team included the Gator trio (DiCello - replacement athlete) and Blakely and Wong won gold with Team USA at 2022 Worlds.
Rarity: Collegiate to Olympian
Among the 16 in Minneapolis this weekend are five who competed as collegiates since the 2020/21 Olympics:
Name
School
2022
2023
2024
Jordan Chiles
UCLA
FR
SO
Suni Lee
Auburn
FR
SO
Jade Carey (Individual)
Oregon State
FR
SO
JR
Kayla DiCello (alternate)
Florida
FR
Leanne Wong (alternate)
Florida
FR
SO
JR
Florida's Leanne Wong and Oregon State's Jade Carey competed each of the last three season with their collegiate teams. Kayla DiCello was the 2023 Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year with Florida and then took a gap year in 2024 to train for the Olympics.
Since 1980, 75 different gymnasts represented the U.S. at the Olympics. Six earned Olympic berths after competing a collegiate season:
Gymnast
Olympics
Freshman Season
Kathy Johnson Clarke
1980, 1984
1979 at Centenary
Kelly Garrison Steves
1988
1987 at Oklahoma
Mohini Bhardwaj
2004
1998 at UCLA
Alicia Sacramone
2008
2007 at Brown
Anna Li
2012*
2007 at UCLA
MyKayla Skinner
2016*, 2020
2017 at Utah
*replacement athlete
About the Gators:
All three Gators are multi U.S. Senior National Team members, earning their most recent team spot earlier this month at the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships
Skye Blakely 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021
Kayla DiCello 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
Leanne Wong 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019
DiCello claimed the 2023 Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year honor, led the nation's freshmen with two 10.0s and earned five All-America honors in her first season with the Gators.
She announced after the 2023 season she would take a gap year to pursue a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. DiCello was alternate for the U.S. gold medal team at the 2023 FIG World Championship. Later in October 2023, DiCello led the U.S. to Pan Am Games team gold and won the all-around. She won the U.S. Gymnastics Winter Cup all-around in February and took all-around bronze at the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Championships.
Blakely signed with Florida in the fall of 2022 and announced in spring of 2023 she would defer enrollment to pursue an U.S. Olympic berth. Blakely earned gold with the U.S.'s 2022 and 2023 World Championship teams. She took all-around silver at the Winter Cup in February and earlier this month at the Xfinity U.S. Championships.
Wong finished her junior season by claiming the 2024 NCAA uneven bars title. She also took second in the all-around and vault to be the only gymnast with three top-2 individual finishes in 2024 NCAA competition. A member of the U.S.'s gold medal team at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, Wong took all-around silver at the 2021 World Championships. She was in Tokyo as a 2020 U.S. Olympic replacement athlete.
How to Watch:
2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials airs live:
* June 28 | 8-10 p.m. ET - Women - NBC (Gainesville/Ocala Cox Cable 9) and Peacock
* June 30 | 8:30-11 p.m. ET - Women - NBC (Gainesville/Ocala Cox Cable 9) and Peacock
Holtorf Signs with Gators. Rylee Holtorf will have one year of eligibility remaining and is set to compete for UF during the 2025 season.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida softball head coach Tim Walton announced the addition of graduate transfer infielder Rylee Holtorf to the program Monday afternoon. Holtorf, a graduate transfer from Washington, will have one year of eligibility remaining and will compete during the 2025 season.
"We are extremely excited to add experience and depth to the youngest team at the Women's College World Series last year." Walton said. "Rylee Holtorf brings a wealth of experience and the desire to continue to get better. We are looking forward to getting back on the dirt this fall."
Holtorf, a 2024 All-PAC-12 First Team shortstop for the Huskies, holds a career batting average of .290 (108-for 372) with 21 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 78 runs scored and 56 RBI. Overall, she received 140 starts in 148 games played through three seasons at Washington, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications with a minor in education.
The Peoria, Ariz., native's experience extends to the world stage as she was a 2021 Junior World Cup Gold Medalist with Team USA where she hit .417 (5-for-12) with a pair of doubles, five RBI and three runs scored.
In addition to being an All-PAC 12 First Team selection last season, Holtorf also earned numerous accolades over her career as she is a two-time NFCA All-Pacific Region (2023 & 2024) honoree, an All-PAC-12 Defensive Team (2023) selection, earned PAC-12 All-Tournament Team (2023) honors, was a member of the PAC-12 All-Freshman Team (2022) and was honored by being tabbed a College Sports Communicators (CS) Third Team Academic All-American (2024).
Prior to the start of her collegiate career, Holtorf was named the 2020 Gatorade Player of the Year for the State of Arizona and helped lead Sandra Day O'Connor High School to a state championship alongside Jocelyn Erickson in 2019.
Latin Basketball Team Panteras De Aguascalientes Sign Leilani Correa. After being named SEC's Sixth Woman of the Year, Florida alum Leilani Correa will travel to Mexico and play for Latin Basketball Team, Panteras de Aguascalientes.
Aguascalientes, Mexico - Florida's Leilani Correa has announced that she has been signed to Latin basketball team, Panteras de Aguascalientes. Correa travels to the Mexican state after being drafted by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Leilani Correa was just short of being named to the official 12-player WNBA roster but will continue to pursue her professional career overseas. Correa closed out her senior year at Florida averaging 17 points a game and shooting 44-percent from the field. Correa also reached an elite collegiate milestone during her final season in the swamp, notching over 2,000 career points.
The SEC Sixth Woman of the Year will now put on Black and Gold and take the court for the Panteras de Aguascalientes. The team name translates to "Panthers," which was derived from the competitive and aggressive style of play displayed by the Mexican based team. The Panteras are also known for their agility, speed, and ability to close out games.
The Panteras de Aguascalientes currently sit fourth in the league standings and have already qualified for the playoffs. The team's next matchup will be a homestand starting on Jun. 28.
Markey to Join Florida as Grad Transfer for 2025 Season. Jenny Markey will come over from Syracuse after redshirting in 2024.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Midfielder Jenny Markey will join the Florida lacrosse team as a graduate transfer in 2025, becoming the third addition for the Gators via the transfer portal. Markey spent the previous four seasons as a member of the Syracuse Orange.
A native of Mount Sinai, N.Y., Markey is coming off a 2024 season where she redshirted due to a season ending injury in 2023 after 12 games. The graduate transfer has 28 goals, 15 assists, 22 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers, and 18 draw controls in 52 career games played and 19 starts. The midfielder totaled four goals, three assists, five ground balls, four caused turnovers and one draw control in 12 games and three starts during the 2023 season.
Markey's best statistical season came in 2022, when she posted career highs in goals (15), assists (6), points (21), ground balls (12), caused turnovers (6) and draw controls (15). She totaled five multi-goal games and one hat-trick.
The midfielder was a member of the 2021 ACC All-Freshman Team, appearing in 20 games and totaling nine goals and six assists. Markey recorded her first career hat-trick in the semifinals of the 2021 NCAA Tournament against Northwestern, putting up four total points. She will have one year of eligibility remaining.
Transfers brought in for 2024-25 season:
Name
Position
Hometown
Previous School
Jordan Basso
Attack
Rye, N.Y.
Gettysburg
Cali Bishop
Midfield/Draw Specialist
Weare, N.H.
Louisville
Jenny Markey
Midfield
Mount Sinai, N.Y.
Syracuse
Cahalan Finds New Home with Gators. Kenleigh Cahalan will have two years of eligibility remaining and will be eligible to compete during the 2025 season.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida softball head coach Tim Walton announced the addition of transfer infielder Kenleigh Cahalan to the program Tuesday afternoon. Cahalan will have two years of eligibility remaining and will compete during the 2025 season.
"We are extremely excited to add Kenleigh Cahalan to our program." Walton said. "Kenleigh is a hard worker and an ultra-competitor. We were very fortunate to recruit her a second time through the recruiting process as we followed her throughout her entire high school career and recruited her to be a Gator the first time around. We are looking forward to getting to work!"
Cahalan, a 2024 All-SEC Second Team selection, owns a career .290 batting average (113-for-390) with 65 runs scored, 24 doubles, five triples, nine home runs, 50 walks and 61 total RBI over 126 games played.
The Trussville, Ala., native has started every game, primarily at shortstop, since her freshman season at Alabama in 2023. The left-handed hitter started her career with a 14-game hit streak, which was the longest by any freshman at Alabama to start their career. She finished her freshman campaign as a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-South Region Third Team selection.
Cahalan followed her freshman campaign, where she hit .284 (58-for-204), with solid sophomore year where she increased her batting average to .296 (55-for-186) and hit five triples en route to being an All-SEC Second Team selection.
Peterson to Don Stars & Stripes for Collegiate National Team. The Palm Harbor, Fla, native is the 22nd unique Gator since 2008 to receive an invitation.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - USA Baseball on Monday announced the roster for the 2024 Collegiate National Team Training Camp that will compete in a two-game Stars vs. Stripes intrasquad series, with Florida right-hander Liam Peterson making the cut.
The 2024 roster features 55 primarily non-draft-eligible players from across college baseball. Peterson is the 22nd unique Gator to receive an invitation to CNT Training Camp and the 17th to attend since 2008. Jac Caglianone and Brandon Neely both suited up for the CNT one year ago while Cade Fisher earned an invitation to camp.
"The talent across college baseball this year has been nothing short of fantastic," said Eric Campbell, USA Baseball's General Manager of Professional and Collegiate National Teams. "We had an incredibly deep pool of players to select from for this year's Collegiate National Team Training Camp and we are confident in the fifty-five players who will be arriving to Cary tomorrow. We are excited to get our Stars versus Stripes series underway."
The Collegiate National Team Training Camp begins on June 25, with game one of the Stars vs. Stripes series following on June 26 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina. The second game of the series will be on June 27 before the 55 players are split into two rosters: one that will compete in the 21st USA vs. Chinese Taipei International Friendship Series and another that will play in a four-game Summer League Tour against select teams from the Appalachian League and Coastal Plain League. The summer will then conclude with a matchup between the two U.S. rosters on July 4 at Segra Stadium in Fayetteville, N.C.
Overall, 37 schools and nine conferences are represented on the 2024 Training Camp roster. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) boasts 10 athletes on the roster to lead all conferences, followed by the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which has eight.
As a true freshman in 2024, Peterson made 18 appearances including 16 starts and finished with a 3-6 record and 6.43 ERA across 63 innings. The Palm Harbor, Fla. native held opposing hitters to a .257 batting average and fanned 77 batters against 44 walks.
Tickets for this year's Collegiate National Team Training Camp, along with all tickets to Team USA's games this summer, can be found HERE.
Florida Players on USA CNT Since 2008 (25 invitations / 22 unique invitations / 17 members)
2024: RHP Liam Peterson
2023: LHP/1B Jac Caglianone, RHP > Brandon Neely, LHP Cade Fisher (invite only)
2022: OF Wyatt Langford
2021: LHP Hunter Barco, RHP Brandon Sproat
2019: RHP Tommy Mace (invite only)
2017: RHP Brady Singer (invite only)
2016: RHP Alex Faedo, INF Dalton Guthrie, C Mike Rivera
2015: LHP A.J. Puk, OF Buddy Reed, C/DH JJ Schwarz, RHP Logan Shore
2012: RHP Jonathon Crawford
2011: INF Nolan Fontana, LHP Brian Johnson, C Mike Zunino (invite only)
2010: INF Nolan Fontana, LHP Brian Johnson, C Mike Zunino (invite only)
2009: OF Preston Tucker (invite only)
2008: OF Matt den Dekker
2024 Collegiate National Team Training Camp Roster
*Ben Abeldt; LHP; Texas Christian
Jamie Arnold; LHP; Florida State
*RJ Austin Jr.; UTL; Vanderbilt
Max Belyeu; OF; Texas
Tucker Biven; RHP; Louisville
Caden Bodine; C; Coastal Carolina
Tyler Bremner; RHP; UC Santa Barbara
Brooks Bryan; C; Troy
*Drew Burress; OF; Georgia Tech
Cooper Consiglio; LHP; North Carolina State
^Dean Curley; INF; Tennessee
^Daniel Cuvet; INF; Miami (FL)
Gabe Davis; RHP; Oklahoma State
Alton Davis II; LHP; Georgia
Jason DeCaro; RHP; UNC
Danny Dickinson; INF; Utah Valley
Jacob Dudan; RHP; North Carolina State
Anthony Eyanson; RHP; UC San Diego
Patrick Forbes; OF/RHP; Louisville
Henry Ford; INF; Virginia
Gabe Gaeckle; RHP; Arkansas
Jamal George; C/INF; Alabama State
AJ Gracia; OF/LHP; Duke
*^Gavin Grahovac; INF; Texas A&M
Miller Green; LHP; Vanderbilt
Marek Houston; INF; Wake Forest
Ben Jacobs; LHP; Arizona State
Kyle Johnson; OF/LHP; Duke
Nelson Keljo; LHP; Oregon State
*Jace LaViolette; OF; Texas A&M
Justin Lebron; INF; Alabama
^Anthony Martinez; INF; UC Irvine
*Matthew Matthijs; RHP; UNC
*^Ethan McElvain; LHP; Vanderbilt
*^Steven Milam; INF; Louisiana State
Trey Newmann; RHP
^Liam Peterson; RHP; Florida
Tre Phelps; INF; Georgia
Brett Renfrow; RHP; Virginia Tech
Luis Rodriguez; RHP; Alabama State
Zion Rose; C; Louisville
*Nolan Schubart; OF/INF; Oklahoma State
Matt Scott; RHP; Stanford
Eric Segura; RHP; Oregon State
Brennan Seiber; RHP; Vanderbilt
Kolten Smith; RHP; Georgia
Derrick Smith; RHP; North Carolina State
Luke Stevenson; C; UNC
Devin Taylor; OF; Indiana
Pablo Torres; RHP; Bethune-Cookman
Dominic Voegele; RHP; Kansas
Joey Volchko; RHP; Stanford
Kyle Walker; INF; Grambling State
Kyson Witherspoon; RHP; Oklahoma
Malachi Witherspoon; RHP; Oklahoma
* USA Baseball alum
^ participated in a National Team Development Program
