UF MBK: Isaiah Brown Opens FIBA U18 AmeriCup. Brown returns to international competition for the second straight summer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida men's basketball incoming freshman guard Isaiah Brown will represent Puerto Rico in the FIBA U18 AmeriCup, opening Monday in Argentina. The team will play three pool-play games in three days June 3-5 before advancing to the knock-out stage, which runs June 7-9.
Brown returns to the Puerto Rican national program for the second straight summer after averaging 13.8 points and 5.2 rebounds and earning MVP honors while leading his team to a first-place finish in the 2023 Centrobasket U17 Championship.
Over the past year, Brown has also led Orlando Christian Prep to a state runner-up finish this Spring and competed in the 2024 Slam Dunk Nationals.
Brown is one of two Gators competing on the international stage this summer, as Alex Condon is set to represent Australia<https://floridagators.com/news/2024...ex-condon-named-to-australia-select-team.aspx> in the Nissay Cup in Japan on June 22-23.
Trio of Gators Named to U.S. Senior National Team & Advance to Olympic Trials
FORT WORTH, Texas - A trio with Gator ties earned a spot on the 2024-25 U.S. Senior National Team and advance to the U.S. Olympic Trials after their performances in the final day of the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships held in Dickie's Arena.
Gators Skye Blakely, Kayla DiCello and Leanne Wong are among the 16 named to the 2024-25 U.S. Senior Team. These gymnasts also advance to the Olympic Trials<https://usagymolympictrials.com/info/> later this month to determine the five gymnasts who will represent the U.S. in Paris.
Blakely (113.85) and DiCello (110.80) took second and third, respectively, in the all-around. Wong was eighth (108.65). Simone Biles claimed her ninth U.S. Championships all-around title with her winning two-day total of 119.75.
All three Gators are making a return to the U.S. National Team roster.
Skye Blakely 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021
Kayla DiCello 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
Leanne Wong 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019
Blakely was the 2024 U.S. Championships silver medalist for vault and took bronze on uneven bars and balance beam. DiCello was floor exercise runner-up and Wong shared fourth on the event.
Florida's Trinity Thomas only competed on uneven bars Sunday after a couple of low floor landings on her first event in Friday's opening day of competition. She turned in the day's T11th high bars mark of 13.55.
Collegiate-U.S. Championships in Single Year
Wong and Jade Carey of Oregon State were the only two in the Xfinity U.S. Championships who competed as a collegiates in 2024.
The pair tied for second in all-around and earned four All-America honors in 2024 NCAA Championships competition.
Skye Blakely U.S. Championships Scores:
Place
Event
Day 1
Day 2
Total
2
Vault
15.00<>
14.40
29.40
3
Bars
14.40<>
14.45
28.85
3
Beam
14.45<>
14.20
28.65
8
Floor
13.20<>
13.75
26.95
2
All-Around
57.05
56.80
113.85
Kayla DiCello U.S. Championships Scores:
Place
Event
Day 1
Day 2
Total
Vault
14.40<>
14.35
28.75
9
Bars
14.50<>
12.60
27.10
8
Beam
14.10<>
13.05
27.05
2
Floor
13.85<>
13.95
27.80
3
All-Around
56.85
53.95
110.80
Leanne Wong U.S. Championships Scores:
Place
Event
Day 1
Day 2
Total
5
Vault
14.20<>
14.25
28.45
7
Bars
13.90<>
13.55
27.45
20
Beam
13.75<>
11.70
25.45
T4
Floor
13.70<>
13.60
27.30
8
All-Around
55.55
53.10
108.65
Complete U.S. Championships results<https://myusagym.com/meets/live/89745/results/256688/>
Up Next:
The U.S. representatives for the 2024 Olympics are determined June 28 and 30 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn.<https://usagymolympictrials.com/info/>
U.S. Women's Olympic Trials Schedule
Friday, June 28 8 p.m. ET NBC
Sunday, June 30 8:30 p.m. NBC
About the Gators at the U.S. Championships:
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.
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. At the Winter Cup in February, Blake claimed all-around silver.
Thomas finished her highly decorated Gator career in spring of 2023. Winner of the 2022 and 2023 Honda Awards as the nation's top collegiate gymnast, Thomas earned 34 All-America honors and her 28 10.0s shares the NCAA career record. She qualified for the 2024 U.S. Championships with her fourth-place all-around performance at February's Winter Cup and was named to her fifth U.S. Senior National Team.
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's earned a spot on the last five U.S. Senior National Teams.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida men's basketball incoming freshman guard Isaiah Brown will represent Puerto Rico in the FIBA U18 AmeriCup, opening Monday in Argentina. The team will play three pool-play games in three days June 3-5 before advancing to the knock-out stage, which runs June 7-9.
Brown returns to the Puerto Rican national program for the second straight summer after averaging 13.8 points and 5.2 rebounds and earning MVP honors while leading his team to a first-place finish in the 2023 Centrobasket U17 Championship.
Over the past year, Brown has also led Orlando Christian Prep to a state runner-up finish this Spring and competed in the 2024 Slam Dunk Nationals.
Brown is one of two Gators competing on the international stage this summer, as Alex Condon is set to represent Australia<https://floridagators.com/news/2024...ex-condon-named-to-australia-select-team.aspx> in the Nissay Cup in Japan on June 22-23.
Trio of Gators Named to U.S. Senior National Team & Advance to Olympic Trials
FORT WORTH, Texas - A trio with Gator ties earned a spot on the 2024-25 U.S. Senior National Team and advance to the U.S. Olympic Trials after their performances in the final day of the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships held in Dickie's Arena.
Gators Skye Blakely, Kayla DiCello and Leanne Wong are among the 16 named to the 2024-25 U.S. Senior Team. These gymnasts also advance to the Olympic Trials<https://usagymolympictrials.com/info/> later this month to determine the five gymnasts who will represent the U.S. in Paris.
Blakely (113.85) and DiCello (110.80) took second and third, respectively, in the all-around. Wong was eighth (108.65). Simone Biles claimed her ninth U.S. Championships all-around title with her winning two-day total of 119.75.
All three Gators are making a return to the U.S. National Team roster.
Skye Blakely 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021
Kayla DiCello 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
Leanne Wong 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019
Blakely was the 2024 U.S. Championships silver medalist for vault and took bronze on uneven bars and balance beam. DiCello was floor exercise runner-up and Wong shared fourth on the event.
Florida's Trinity Thomas only competed on uneven bars Sunday after a couple of low floor landings on her first event in Friday's opening day of competition. She turned in the day's T11th high bars mark of 13.55.
Collegiate-U.S. Championships in Single Year
Wong and Jade Carey of Oregon State were the only two in the Xfinity U.S. Championships who competed as a collegiates in 2024.
The pair tied for second in all-around and earned four All-America honors in 2024 NCAA Championships competition.
Skye Blakely U.S. Championships Scores:
Place
Event
Day 1
Day 2
Total
2
Vault
15.00<>
14.40
29.40
3
Bars
14.40<>
14.45
28.85
3
Beam
14.45<>
14.20
28.65
8
Floor
13.20<>
13.75
26.95
2
All-Around
57.05
56.80
113.85
Kayla DiCello U.S. Championships Scores:
Place
Event
Day 1
Day 2
Total
Vault
14.40<>
14.35
28.75
9
Bars
14.50<>
12.60
27.10
8
Beam
14.10<>
13.05
27.05
2
Floor
13.85<>
13.95
27.80
3
All-Around
56.85
53.95
110.80
Leanne Wong U.S. Championships Scores:
Place
Event
Day 1
Day 2
Total
5
Vault
14.20<>
14.25
28.45
7
Bars
13.90<>
13.55
27.45
20
Beam
13.75<>
11.70
25.45
T4
Floor
13.70<>
13.60
27.30
8
All-Around
55.55
53.10
108.65
Complete U.S. Championships results<https://myusagym.com/meets/live/89745/results/256688/>
Up Next:
The U.S. representatives for the 2024 Olympics are determined June 28 and 30 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn.<https://usagymolympictrials.com/info/>
U.S. Women's Olympic Trials Schedule
Friday, June 28 8 p.m. ET NBC
Sunday, June 30 8:30 p.m. NBC
About the Gators at the U.S. Championships:
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.
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. At the Winter Cup in February, Blake claimed all-around silver.
Thomas finished her highly decorated Gator career in spring of 2023. Winner of the 2022 and 2023 Honda Awards as the nation's top collegiate gymnast, Thomas earned 34 All-America honors and her 28 10.0s shares the NCAA career record. She qualified for the 2024 U.S. Championships with her fourth-place all-around performance at February's Winter Cup and was named to her fifth U.S. Senior National Team.
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's earned a spot on the last five U.S. Senior National Teams.
