Alabama Gymnastics Soars to 197.500-196.775 Win over Missouri
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. —One of the biggest advantages of competing at home in college gymnastics is getting to finish the meet on the floor exercise. By that point in the meet the crowd is revving up, and that was the case on Friday night in Coleman Coliseum.
By the time super senior Lexi Graber performed on floor, the crowd had reached its peak, and Graber rewarded them with a performance that earned a 9.975 to cap another successful night for the Alabama gymnastics team.
With the strong finish on floor, No. 7 Alabama beat No. 9 Missouri 197.500-196.775. Alabama is continuing to display consistency with its sixth straight score of 197 or better with four at home and two on the road.
"They're doing phenomenal as a team continuing to get 197 plusses, but it's not only the performance, it's just the way they're carrying themselves," said Alabama head coach Dana Duckworth.
It's the second meet in a row that Graber has received a 9.975 (last meet at LSU she got one on vault), which means at least one judge scored the routine a 10. Luisa Blanco also scored a 9.975 last meet. The Crimson Tide is inching closer and closer to a perfect 10 this season.
"It’s a subjective sport, so at the end of the day, we're really just focused on on going up and doing our best, and you know a 9.975 or 9.95 isn’t too bad," Graber said with a smile. "So you kind of take what they give you and you still work hard to not give them that half a tenth in the next practice. Yeah I'm hoping that 10 is coming. That's a great goal, but at the end of the day, I'm just happy to be here."
Blanco competed in the all-around for the fourth time this season and won the individual all-around competition with a season high 39.725. Her highest scores came with 9.95s on the uneven bars and floor, but the highlight for Blanco may have been the vault where she scored a season high 9.925.
Coming off an offseason shoulder surgery, Duckworth said that vault has been the event that's taken Blanco the most time to come back from, and when Blanco landed her Yurchenko 1.5, a huge smile lit up her face. She scored at least a 9.9 on all four events.
"The best part is that I do that in practice all the time, and this entire season it’s been special because I’m coming back from injury," Blanco said. "I think overall I'm just really proud of myself for keeping that consistency.”
Alabama is ranked in the top eight in the country on every apparatus, but had its two highest scores on its two usually lower scoring events— vault and floor— and then struggled some on bars and beam where the girls are ranked No. 4 and No. 3.
One highlight from bars was the return of Makarri Doggette after suffering an injury on floor against Georgia on Feb. 11. She delivered a solid routine, scoring a 9.9. The smile on her face was huge as she landed the dismount.
"It's amazing just seeing her resilience coming back from injury," Blanco said. "She's such a strong person, and I say that because she's my best friend, she's my roommate. I see the good, bad and the ugly, and I'm just so proud of her for coming out there and doing her job tonight."
Makarri Doggette's first routine back from injury
Alabama Athletics
Alabama Athletics
Alabama Athletics
Alabama Athletics
The Crimson Tide had falls on both bars and beam, but came back strong both times. There have been multiple meets this season where Alabama has had a gymnast fall on those events, but have yet to count a fall this season because of the way the team has responded.
"I think that we continue to build an unbelievable amount of team resilience, and it happens because someone has an error, and then you bounce back," Duckworth said. "And that’s how you develop more mental toughness.”
