Hosting Regionals Provides Alabama Gymnastics Familiarity in Starting NCAA Postseason Journey

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama gymnastics head coach Ashley Johnston has often used a runway analogy to describe her team this season. Some teams just need a little more time to get going, but the runway is starting to disappear as the Crimson Tide begins postseason play on Friday.

The good news for the Crimson Tide is that No. 11 Alabama gets to begin its NCAA postseason journey at home in the friendly confines of Coleman Coliseum. Tuscaloosa was a pre-determined regional site this season for NCAA gymnastics, which creates a little home-field advantage for the Tide during the toughest part of the season.

"It’s a tremendous opportunity for us to get to host right here at home," Johnston said. "It’s definitely an advantage for us from a standpoint of, it’s familiar. There’s already so many unfamiliar factors that go into a regional championship, or any competition for that matter. So to be able to walk into a familiar arena with fans that we recognize, with the sights and the sights and the sounds that are all the same— I think it just brings a comfort, a confidence.

"We know that our fans are on our side, and that’s exciting knowing that we can go out there and make our community proud by being us.”

Gymnastics is a very subjective sport being judged and scored by human judges that can have different points of views on the same routine, while also being affected by momentum and the crowd. Traditionally, home teams score higher in college gymnastics, and that was true for Alabama this season with three of its top five overall scores (LSU, Auburn and Florida) happening at home.

And when it comes to the postseason, every hundredth and tenth of a point matters and can be the difference in a season ending, or a team advancing to the next round.

It also gives the advantage of not having to travel and put that wear and tear on their bodies. With the SEC championship meet being in Birmingham in late March, the team hasn't had to leave the state of Alabama in three weeks while some SEC teams are having to travel as far as Seattle to compete.

For senior Corinne Bunagan, it's a bonus opportunity to compete in front of the home fans.

"Competing at home is going to be super, super fun," Bunagan said. "I love our fans, and every time I’m in Coleman, it really does feel like home. I’ve been competing here for obviously about four years now. And so, it’s our same equipment. It’s our same fans. I’m just excited to go out there and haves some fun.

"I think when we’re in a comfortable environment like that, it’s just really easy for us to settle into our rhythm and do what we know how to do best. For Team 51, that’s been embracing the moment, having fun and going big in our gymnastics.”

Alabama will compete against No. 6 Cal, Iowa and North Carolina in the first Friday session inside Coleman Coliseum at 1 p.m. The evening session features No. 3 Florida, No. 14 Oregon State, NC State and Clemson at 7 p.m.

The top two teams from each session will compete in Sunday's regional final at 5 p.m. Whichever two teams score the highest in the regional final, will advance to nationals in Fort Worth, Texas. Alabama is looking to make it back for the second year in a row under Johnston, but will technically be an underdog at home behind Florida and Cal.

However, it all has to start with a strong performance on Friday to even get to that point. Alabama has had an up-and-down season by its own standard, but Johnston has been impressed by the resilience and no-quit attitude her team has displayed throughout.

"I know Friday, from the moment we walk in there for warmups to whatever it is we face in that moment, they’re going to figure that out, too," Johnston said.

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