The Florida Gators, according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America are ranked #20 in the preseason poll. This is a good ranking for Florida since they lost a few players from their SEC Championship season and went to the Sweet Sixteen as well. They will be playing 5 top 25 teams this season as well. ALL of them will be in the month of September. #4 Florida St., t-6th Portland, #13 Tennesseee, #18 Georgia, and #19 Illinois. This is truly going to be a test for the Gators as they start early in the 2008 season.
Rest of the Top 25 (and a surprising one at that……)
USC, the defending National Champions are atop the polls at #1.
The Lady Gators first couple of games aren’t too great…however, they travel to Boulder Colorado to play the Colorado Buffaloes. They return back to Florida to play Florida Atlantic, and then plays Central Florida. This schedule looks pretty tough for the lady Gators, however, the SEC Championship looks still possible. Georgia and Tennessee will try to keep the Gators from winning another SEC title.
The University Of Florida is known for two things. Championships education. And championship sport’s programs. While education is the main focus at the university; athletics isn’t far behind. And with great reason too. Whether it is football, basketball, softball, swimming, or volleyball; The University of Florida has vastly become a haven for student athletes to garner championships and accolades. Both on and of the field.
While the actions of the teams on the field and court are widely publicized, for obvious reasons, it is off the field and court where The Gators really like to shine. Most notably at the children’s hospital. Where the student athletes truly become champions. Week after week throughout the year different Gator sports teams take time to go and visit sick children and their families at Shands Children Hospital week after week you see the faces of children light up as their favorite team’s players come to visit them. Whether it be the most famous of Gator athletes such as Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin to the much lesser know athletes such as Lady Gator Tennis players Julia Cohen and Megan Alexander; the smiles always seem to be the same. And that is the goal. To brighten a child’s day with social interaction that doesn’t involve the words medicine or shot. To take a child’s mind off of nurses and doctor’s.
Even though these student athletes are extremely busy, they realize that it doesn’t take long to make a sick child and their family feel better. To make themselves feel better. Because even if it only lasts two minutes its great to know that it means the world to a sick child and his/her family to see that their favorite players from their favorite team aren’t to busy to come out and show support for them just like the children and their families show support for The Gators each and every time they step out onto the field or court. While it might take a trophy to declare you a champion; at The University of Florida it takes more then just sports.
Hey everybody! If your reading this post, please take 5 seconds to click this link and vote Gainesville, FL as titletown USA. Follow the link below and it should give the list of the top 20 places to vote for. So look for Gainesville and let’s have your vote!!! Do it for them Gators!
Gainseville, Florida is one of the Nation’s top cities to be named as “Titletown USA”. WHY should Gainesville be the next TitleTown? Just look at what the Gator Basketball teams accomplished in 2006 and 2007. Back to back Basketball Championships and a Football Championship in the same year. Not to mention the Softball team broke an incredible NCAA record by reaching 70 wins this year, and our Volleyball team winning 17 straight SEC Championships. Also, look at how much the Gator baseball team improved. From falling in a huge slump last year, to hiring a new coach “O’Sullivan” and defeating key teams such as Miami, Georgia and LSU, the Gator Baseball team is well on its way back to national prominence. The University Of Florida is an awesome place to be, and it gives you goose bumps every time you go to a game and hear the Gator fight song. “WE’RE GATOR NATION, IT’S EVERY WHERE!” Why should Florida NOT be selected as USA’s TitleTown?
There are three Gator soccer athletes which this is there first year at UF, were named the SEC Freshman Academic Honors on Tuesday. Mike Slive is the man who has chosen and made the decisions. The 2008 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Award is based on the grades from the year of 2007 and 2008. It is quite of an accomplishment for the three.
The three Gator Freshman Academics are recognized as Meghan Berlingo, Gianna Marie Cavuoto, and Alyshah Smith have all been rewarded with this Honor. Earlier in the year, Stacy Bishop, Jessica Eicken, Bianca Gibbs, Ashley Harris, Caitlin Howard, Lauren Hyde, Megan Kerns, Shelley Lyle, Angela Napolitano, Vanessa Rangel, Anne Rose, Liz Ruberry, Jenny Taylor, and Tricia Townsend were all put up on the SEC Academic Honor roll as well. Congrats to the 14 as well. In the future, to be recognized as a SEC Academic Honor athlete, you must have a GPA of a 3.0, you must complete a full 24 semester hours, and last you have to b a member/player of the varsity team throughout the NCAA championship part of the year.
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