Gymnastics coach ready for child

Rhonda Faehn will be taking on a new challenge this winter. Florida's head gymnastics coach will also be a mother.

Faehn, and husband Jeremy Bayon, are expecting their first child in six weeks, Faehn said this week.

"It's wonderful," Faehn said. "I've had no problems whatsoever."

The couple has decided to wait until the birth to learn the sex of the child. Regardless of sex, it's a safe bet the child will be an athlete.

Bayon, who is an assistant coach for Florida's men's tennis team, played tennis for Mississippi State from 1997-2000. Faehn, meanwhile, was an All-American gymnast at UCLA from 1990-92 and was a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team.

"We don't know what sport it's going to play," Faehn said. "I am pushing for tennis, not gymnastics. So, we'll see."

It should be a hectic spring for Faehn and Bayon, who married in June of 2006. Their child is expected just days before the gymnastics and men's tennis seasons kick into gear.

The gymnastics season-opening meet will be on Jan. 11 against Illinois-Chicago in the O'Connell Center while the men's tennis team opens its spring season at the SEC Indoors in New Orleans Jan. 17.

Faehn, 36, said both her and Bayon's parents will help care for their child while they coach their respective teams. Faehn added that she has received plenty of advice from fellow gymnastics coaches who have also juggled the long hours of coaching with being a mother.

"Many, many female head coaches in collegiate gymnastics who have had children are already offering up advice on how to travel, and this is the easiest thing to do," Faehn said. "I've had a lot of support and great advice. I think I'll be able to handle it."

Volleyball, soccer to give thanks in L.A.

There won't be much time to celebrate Thanksgiving for Florida's volleyball and soccer teams. In fact, both teams will spend the holiday in Los Angeles.

Florida's volleyball team will close out its regular-season schedule at the Baden Thanksgiving Tournament at Long Beach State. The seventh-ranked Gators (26-1) will face Yale Friday and Long Beach State Saturday at The Walter Pyramid.

The Gators soccer team, meanwhile, will fly to Los Angeles Thursday in preparation for Saturday night's NCAA Championships third-round match at Southern Cal.

"I think they're going to serve turkey sandwiches on the plane for our Thanksgiving dinner," soccer coach Becky Burleigh said.

Florida's volleyball team had their Thanksgiving dinner Monday night at coach Mary Wise's house, a meal cooked by the players themselves. Wise's group will continue a Thanksgiving tradition that dates back to 1992 by visiting the pediatric ward at Shands today.

Then, it's off to California for one final postseason tune-up.

"The mindset of our team is, we're playing Thanksgiving and beyond," Wise said. "We'll take a moment to say thanks, then we'll get on the court."

Florida's soccer team is expected to be in attendance Friday night to support the volleyball team at Long Beach State, Burleigh said.

Gator soccer to play at L.A. Coliseum

It has hosted two Olympic Games, NFL and Major League Baseball games, and, of course, Southern Cal football.

But on Saturday, the Los Angeles Coliseum will be the home of NCAA soccer.

Florida's third-round NCAA Championship match against Southern Cal will be held at Los Angeles' historic Coliseum. It will be the first NCAA soccer match held at the Coliseum since 2001.

The Coliseum is home to the USC football team, which also shared the venue with USC soccer until McAlister Field became the fulltime home to Trojan soccer in 2002. This is the Women of Troy's first trip to the NCAA third round.



Hudson out for Gators

The moment KeLeigh Hudson slumped to the turf, Becky Burleigh knew what had happened.

Hudson, a senior forward for Florida's soccer team, injured her right knee during Florida's NCAA second-round match against Central Florida Sunday.

An MRI on Monday confirmed that Hudson tore her ACL, but Florida knew right away what the injury was.

"Anyone who saw the injury, I don't think you really have to be a doctor to figure out what it was," Burleigh said. "It looked like (Dennis) Dixon from Oregon the other night, just plant and the knee goes out."

Hudson, who was second on the team with nine goals, is out for the remainder of the season.