by Tom Borish (12/19/03)

Front Row: Candice Scott, Rachel Longfors & Karen Freberg. Back Row: Jukina Dickerson, Kim Barrett & Quanda Cotten (Frebergsports.com)

Some call it total domination. Some describe it as one of the best talented group of athletes ever put together. Either way, the Florida women's throwing program has hit the highest of notes last season and could succeed even more in 2004 which is a scary thought.

2003 was a banner season for the Gator throwers, who are arguably the nation's top throws group. Under the guidance of Associate Head Coach Larry Judge, two athletes won individual national titles, eight athletes earned 13 All-America honors, two athletes won NCAA East Region titles and four Gators claimed SEC titles.

At the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships, the Lady Gators tied for second with South Carolina with 44 points as 36 points were from the throwers alone. The lady Gators then went on to place 4th with 36 points at the 2003 Outdoors NCAA Championships behind 29 from the throwers.

To put this into perspective, if the Florida women's throwers would have competed alone as a group at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships, they would have placed 5th overall as a team and 8th overall as a team at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Behind Candice Scott, Rachel Longfors, Karen Freberg, Jukina Dickerson, Kim Barrett and LaQuanda Cotten, the lady Gators are returning six All-Americans from last season. Their focus and strive for success hasn't missed a beat even after the long break from competition from the outdoor season.

“Our goal as a team is to sweep the weight and to place 3-4 people in the shot for Indoors,” says the confident Cotten. “As a team outdoors, we want to place as many people in all the events and win NCAA's as a team indoor and outdoor.”

Karen Freberg, who was a two-time SEC Champion in the shot put, couldn't agree any more with Cotten. “We want to win the SEC's again, and there is some hope of bigger things down the road -- but who knows? We take it as my West Point educated sister says -- one day at a time!”

None of this success on the field wouldn't be possible without the tutelage of Larry Judge, who is entering his 17th year of collegiate coaching and fourth at Florida . Candice Scott, the collegiate record holder in the hammer throw, is one of his key prizes to the program.

“I have learned that nothing comes easy,” said Scott who also claimed the NCAA hammer title the past two seasons. “If you want something bad enough, you have to work hard for it.”

Rachel Longfors, who placed fourth in the discus at the 2003 NCAA Championships and added an NCAA East Region title, couldn't be happier where she is as well.

“I have learned a lot about technique, the reasoning behind technique, and the importance having an open communication with the coach,” said Longfors.

Kim Barrett, who earned a team-high three All-America honors in 2003, said “I have learned that consistency is everything, to not take success for granted or to take failures to heart.”

“The key to any coach is the team that he helps build,” continued Freberg. “Having a competitive environment with top flight teammates is the driving force to success.”

The warm weather and popular climate in Gainesville makes training easy as all are able to focus on their outdoor events during all of the indoor season.

“I have focused a lot on the discus early because I have intentions on winning this event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships,” said Cotten. With the 2004 East Regional Championships at Gainesville as well, the lady Gators will surely feel right at home to take that next step to the ultimate goal.

Dickerson is part of one of the top throwing programs in the country (frebergsports.com)

Longfors focuses on her outdoor event “a couple days a week so I can focus on the discus” while Freberg recognizes that they must prepare early because, “everyone is aware of their obligation to not be rusty when the outdoor season begins.”

Every student-athlete knows that it's the weight room and other exercises that help pay off all that hard work in the long run. The Florida women's throwing program is no exception. With a tremendous facility to work with as well, their focus in the weight room never stops.

“I believe the bench and incline for shot helps the most,” said Barrett. “For the hammer and weight throws would be cleans, snatch, and squat. Overall, always have to hit up abs really well every day.”

Jukina Dickerson, who placed second in the NCAA weight throw last season, works hard to get where she is at as well. “Our Olympic lifts basically include bench, cleans and squats,” said Dickerson. “Many people forget about the abs and that's just as important."

“I would have to say cleans from the knee, shrugs and the bench press,” said Freberg. “I also do several different types of isolation lifts.”

In the end, this is a special group of student-athletes who realize that they are a part of something great that may never be assembled again.

“It's great to be with this group because you know that someone has your back,” said Dickerson. The belief and dedication has made the lady Gators shine on and off the track.

“My dad always said that part of being on 3 NCAA Championships at UCLA in the early '70's was the friendships he made with his teammates,” said Freberg, who is originally from California.

“We not only have a great group of throwers, but we have a great team after all we were runner-up in the NCAA indoors and 4th outdoors and you don't go that far with throwers alone!”

Is it too early to call them the greatest group of throwers ever put together? With several years still to come, including another great recruiting class, it seems everything is pointing in the right direction.

“It feels like I am part of the greatest tradition of throwers ever.” LaQuanda Cotten couldn't have said it any better.