Alabama Gymnastics Puts up Highest Score of Season in Quad Meet Win

Alabama gymnastics got back on track with its best performance of the season Monday afternoon.

The Crimson Tide put up a 197.625 on the road in Denton, Texas to take down Arkansas (197.375), Arizona (196.950) and Texas Woman's University (195.725) in a quad meet. Alabama slightly trailed Arkansas heading into the final rotation but put on a show on the uneven bars to pull away with the comfortable victory.

"That was a really good reset for this team as we head into the second half of the season starting off with a season-high performance," Alabama head coach Ashley Johnston said after the meet.

Gabby Gladieux led the charge for Alabama. Competing in the all-around for just the second time in her Crimson Tide career, the sophomore won the all-around with a 39.525.

"Another breakthrough performance for Gabby," Johnston said. "She has been working on finding the right cues and the right approach to just nail her landings. She's such a dynamic gymnast, but has had a few issues over the past few weeks finding her landings. And so tonight, she was really able to dial in and find those cues that worked for her. And so that was a good breakthrough as we go into a very competitive few weeks."

The uneven bars had been Alabama's best event for the first month of the season, but the Crimson Tide struggled the previous two meets. However on Monday, Alabama proved once again why its one of the best bars teams in the country, tying its season high with a 49.600.

Every gymnast scored a 9.875 or higher, and Cam Machado capped the rotation with a nearly flawless routine and a career high 9.975.

"Cam just exudes a steady, calm confidence," Johnston said. "This was her first time in the anchor position on bars, which can add a bit of pressure in wanting to maximize what that can look like at the end of a lineup. And she just carried herself so smoothly, so steadily... Everyone can see the work she puts in, and to see that pay off was a big celebration."

Alabama also set a new season high on the floor exercise with a 49.550. Lilly Hudson paced the rotation with a 9.95, but four of the Crimson Tide's six gymnasts on floor scored a 9.9 or higher.

It will be a quick turnaround for the Crimson Tide with a home meet this Friday against Georgia at 7 p.m.

Score Updates:

Final score: Alabama wins

1. Alabama- 197.625

2. Arkansas- 197.375

3. Arizona- 196.950

4. Texas Woman's- 195.725

Rotation 4 scores:

Arkansas, vault- 49.300
Alabama, bars- 49.600
Arizona, beam- 49.225
TWU, floor- 49.350

Rotation 4 (Alabama uneven bars, TWU floor, Arkansas vault, Arizona beam)

Alabama uneven bars lineup:

1. Gabby Gladieux- 9.875

2. Mati Waligora- 9.925

3. Chloe LaCoursiere- 9.9

4. Makarri Doggette- 9.925

5. Luisa Blanco- 9.875

*Regardless of what Machado scores, Alabama has done enough to win this meet.

6. Cam Machado- 9.975

Alabama bars total: 49.600

*This ties Alabama's highest bars score of the season and gives the Crimson Tide its highest overall score of the year at 197.625.

Exhibition: Natalia Pawlak

Score after Rotation 3:

1. Arkansas- 148.075

2. Alabama- 148.025

3. Arizona- 147.725

4. Texas Woman's- 146.375

Rotation 3 scores:

Alabama, vault- 49.275
Arizona, bars- 49.300
TWU, beam- 48.624
Arkansas, floor- 49.575

Rotation 3 (Alabama vault, TWU beam, Arkansas floor, Arizona bars)

Alabama vault lineup:

1. Karis German- 9.8

2. Lilly Hudson- 9.8

3. Chloe LaCoursiere- 9.85

4. Makarri Doggette- 9.9

5. Luisa Blanco- 9.85

6. Gabby Gladieux- 9.875

Alabama vault total: 49.275

Exhibition- Corinne Bunagan

Score after Rotation 2:

1. Alabama- 98.750

2. Arkansas- 98.500

3. Arizona- 98.425

4. Texas Woman's- 97.750

Rotation 2 scores:

Arizona, vault- 49.000
TWU, bars- 48.700
Arkansas, balance beam- 49.200
Alabama, floor exercise, 49.550

Rotation 2- (Alabama floor exercise, TWU uneven bars, Arkansas balance beam, Arizona vault)

Alabama floor lineup:

1. Mati Waligora- 9.875

2. Ella Burgess- 9.9

3. Cam Machado- 9.9

4. Lilly Hudson- 9.95

5. Luisa Blanco- 9.875

6. Gabby Gladieux- 9.925

Alabama floor total: 49.550

*Highest floor score of the year

Exhibition- Makarri Doggette

Score after Rotation 1:

1. Arizona- 49.425

2. Arkansas- 49.300

3. Alabama- 49.200

4. Texas Woman's University- 49.050

Rotation 1 scores:

Texas Woman's University, vault- 49.050
Arkansas, uneven bars- 49.300
Alabama, balance beam- 49.200
Arizona, floor exercise- 49.425

Rotation 1- (Alabama balance beam, TWU vault, Arkansas uneven bars, Arizona floor exercise

Alabama beam lineup:

1. Lilly Hudson- 9.825

2. Mati Waligora- 9.825

3. Ella Burgess- 9.825

4. Gabby Gladieux- 9.85

5. Shania Adams- 9.85

6. Luisa Blanco- 9.85

Alabama beam total: 49.200

*Ties Alabama's second-highest beam total of the season

Exhibition- Cam Machado