Alabama Gymnastics Rebounds from Rough Start for Highest Event Score of Season
Early on, things just weren't going Alabama's way in a home meet against Florida. For the first time this season, the Crimson Tide had to count a fall on an event with back-to-back falls in the middle of the uneven bars lineup.
But something changed about halfway through the meet after the tough bars rotation.
Head coach Ashley Johnston normally gathers the team after every rotation to deliver a message heading into the next rotation, but she said something different happened as the team got together before the final event inside Coleman Coliseum Friday night.
"This time they started speaking, and they started owning it," Johnston said after the meet. "They kind of came together and we're like, 'This is what we're gonna do. This is our house. We're gonna commit. We're gonna go big. We're gonna be bold and courageous.' And those are the breakthrough moments where you're not always going to see on the outside, but I think those are the pivotal things that are going to bring this team to the next phase."
In front of a capacity student section, the Crimson Tide finished with its highest balance beam and floor exercise scores of the season with four straight scores of 9.9 or better from Shania Adams, Gabby Gladieux, Lilly Hudson and Luisa Blanco to close out the meet on floor.
In her first appearance on the event of the season, Adams tied a career high on floor with a 9.9, and Blanco capped the night with the meet's highest score of a 9.95 tied with Florida's Trinity Thomas. Alabama finished with a 49.425 on floor, well higher than the 49.250 scored in the opening meet, and the highest single score on any event this season.
Because Alabama had to count a fall, it was the lowest overall team score of the season with a 196.450. It was not enough to beat the 197.325 scored by the Florida Gators, and the Crimson Tide lost a meet for the first time this season.
But Johnston is proud of the way her team was able to finish strong after a shaky start on bars and vault.
"This team is resilient," Hudson said. "We're strong, and we just we have so much more in the tank. It's the beginning of the season. We're getting all the kinks out. And so I think it just shows like how much we have in us and there's a lot more to see from us."
Alabama needed the strong finish because of what happened on bars. In her debut on the apparatus, freshman Lauren Little fell in the second spot in the lineup. Sophomore Jordyn Paradise came up right after and also fell, leading to a season low on any event of 48.675.
The Crimson Tide also had a few bumps to start out the meet on vault with Adams, Little and Sania Mitchell all competing in the vault lineup for the first time this season filling in for Makarri Doggette, Shallon Olsen and Blanco. Alabama had trouble finding stuck landings and had three scores below 9.8 on the way to a 49.100 on the event.
"Mistakes are inevitable," Gladieux said. "And it's not about the mistake you made. It's about how you respond, and I think this team did a tremendous job with that."
After the meet, Johnston said Doggette rolled her ankle Thursday at practice and was held out in a precautionary manor. Olsen also had a minor, tweaked injury that should not keep her out long, but the coaching staff was trying to keep her long-term health in mind. Blanco competed in all the other events outside of vault.
Despite the large gap in the final score, Johnston feels like her team showed that it can hang with one of the best teams in the country. After scoring three perfect 10.0s in last weeks meet, the Gators weren't as sharp Friday night. If the Crimson Tide didn't have to count the fall, it would have been a lot more competitive meet.
"I think this meet helped us get better," Johnston said. "And I think we'll continue to see people step up and get a few people healthy as we move forward throughout the season."
Next up for the Crimson Tide is a road meet against Kentucky Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m.
See also:
Live Updates: No. 11 Alabama Gymnastics vs. No. 2 Florida
Nate Oats: Alabama G Nimari Burnett Could Return as Soon as Next Week
