Alabama Gymnastics Picks Up First SEC Win with 197.650 at Arkansas

Alabama gymnastics coach Ashley Johnston told the ESPN commentators calling the Crimson Tide's Friday meet that her team has been winning the warmups the last few weeks, but it was now time to actually win a meet.

The Crimson Tide delivered. Alabama put up its best performance of the season on Friday night at Arkansas to hand the Razorbacks their first home loss with a 197.650-197.425 victory.

More importantly, the season high will improve Alabama's National Qualifying Score, which will determine who gets to compete at the SEC Championship meet and the seeding for the NCAA Tournament.

"Really proud of the team tonight," Johnston said after the meet. "Gosh, they fought and worked so incredibly hard to be able to come out there and just be their average. And it was just really exciting to see them translate all of their work in the gym out onto the competition floor and put a lot of those puzzle pieces together to create what was a really beautiful masterpiece tonight.

"So many individual breakthroughs, but I think the most important thing was just the fire in their soul that just continues to ignite. And a night like this reminds you that all the work, the failures, the losses, the hard moments along the way are absolutely part of every story, and they lead to the breakthroughs and the highest of highs when you see those things pay off.”

Alabama started the meet with a season-best score on the uneven bars with a 49.475 with 9.95s from Chloe LaCoursiere and Shania Adams, which set the tone for the night. The Tide also had a season high on floor exercise with a 49.675 in the third rotation. All five counted scores were 9.9 or higher capped by a 9.975 from junior Gabby Gladieux.

Sandwiched in between, Alabama scored a 49.250 on the vault, highlighted by a career best 9.925 from junior Karis German, who stuck the landing on her Yurchenko 1.5.

Because of those performances, Alabama had a comfortable lead of more than six tenths heading into the final rotation. Since the Tide was the road team, Alabama would have to finish the meet on the balance beam, which has been its worst event this season.

It wasn't a standout rotation on beam, but Alabama did what it needed to do. Senior Corinne Bunagan nearly fell off the beam in the four-spot, but managed to stay on and salvaged a 9.725 instead of putting pressure on the final two competitors with a fall. Gladieux ended the rotation with a 9.9 to secure the team win and the individual all-around title with a 39.525.

"If anything, this is an increased fire," Johnston said. "A reminder that they are one of the best teams in the country, and even when it’s hard, they have to keep their sights set on where they want to go. All the opportunities and things they want to accomplish this year are still right in front of their face, and they’ve got to have a clear vision, turn down the distractions on the outside and just keep going for it.”

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