Alabama Athletics
Alabama Gymnastics Pounds Rival Gymdogs During Final Home Meet
It was a Senior Night to remember on Saturday.
While No. 8 Alabama honored Wynter Childers, Maddie Desch and Shea Mahoney during their final meet at at Coleman Coliseum, the trio helped lead a big win over rival Georgia, 197.450-196.050
Alabama had the top score in all four events, and junior Lexi Graber won the all-around (39.450).
With the win, Dana Duckworth improved to 15-1 against Georgia, including a 7-0 mark in regular-season meetings. Since 2010, the Crimson Tide is 27-2 against the Bulldogs in all meetings and 6-0 in Tuscaloosa.
“I always say that senior night can go a lot of different ways because they can over try and I think these ladies really trusted their training and they were beautiful with everything they did," Duckworth said during the post-meet press conference. "We had to fight for a lot of little things here and there — we definitely gave away some landings that I think could benefit us in the future — but overall, the way they finished on the floor was just beautiful.
"I thought there were a lot of little lessons here and there from every event and we really closed out a great home season.”
The Gymdogs found themselves in a big early hole after its final two competitors on the uneven bars both fell.
After sophomore Shallon Olsen and Graber both scored 9.90 to anchor the Crimson Tide on vault, and senior Maddie Desch posted a season-best 9.875, Alabama was quickly ahead 49.325-48.225 after the first rotation.
With senior Shea Mahoney landing a 9.90 on bars, the Crimson Tide extended its lead during the second rotation, 98.550-97.400.
Needing a big finish to improve its season average road score, which is used to help determine rankings, No. 10 Georgia meandered through floor exercise until Soraya Hawthorne posted a 9.875, followed by 9.90s from Rachael Lukacs and Sabrina Vega.
However, it wasn't able to close the gap much even after a fall and a pair bobbles by the Crimson Tide on balance beam. The Gymdogs still trailed by more than a full point, 147.850-146.750, heading into the final rotation.
Freshman Luisa Blanco all but ended any come back hopes with her 9.925 on floor exercise, followed by Mahoney and Desch scoring 9.90 and 9.925 respectively, during their final Coleman performances. Graber and Makarri Doggette also posted a 9.925 for a team floor score of 49.600.
It was Alabama's highest tally on the event since scoring 49.650 to close the 2017 regular season against Iowa State.
Alabama will close its regular season at the Elevate the Stage meet against Auburn in Birmingham on Friday. The Crimson Tide opened the season with a 196.625-196-025 road loss to the Tigers, but Auburn is first competing at the New Hampshire Quad Meet on Sunday.
Vault
Ella Burgess 9.825
Maddie Desch 9.875
Shea Mahoney 9.825
Luisa Blanco 9.825
Shallon Olsen 9.900
Lexi Graber 9.900
Total 49.325
Uneven Bars
Wynter Childers 9.850
Emily Gaskins 9.800
Lexi Graber 9.800
Kylie Dickson 9.825
Shea Mahoney 9.900
Makarri Doggette 9.850
Total 49.225
Balance Beam
Alonza Klopfer 9.875
Emily Gaskins 9.200
Shallon Olsen 9.850
Makarri Doggette 9.850
Luisa Blanco 9.900
Lexi Graber 9.825
Total 49.300
Floor exercise
Shallon Olsen 9.825
Luisa Blanco 9.925
Shea Mahoney 9.900
Maddie Desch 9.925
Lexi Graber 9.925
Makarri Doggette 9.925
Total 49.600
Final score: 197.450-196.050
