Alabama Gymnastics Wins First SEC Championship since 2015
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Earlier this week, Alabama coach Dana Duckworth said that starting on floor and ending on beam would be an awesome rotation for her team at the SEC Championships on Saturday night.
It proved to be absolutely true.
Alabama gymnastics posted its best score of the season to win the 2021 SEC title with a 197.875. It's the Crimson Tide's first SEC championship since Duckworth's first season as head coach in 2015, and 10th overall.
"I loved how Nate Oats said you know we're not a football school, we're not a basketball school, we're just a championship school and how cool it is to be able to be a part of that legacy," Duckworth said.
The Crimson Tide had to close out the meet on arguably the most challenging and nerve-wracking event, the balance beam. But instead of falling and failing, it hit six straight routines capped by a 9.95 from Luisa Blanco to clinch the title.
Although Alabama led from the first rotation on, both Blanco and Duckworth said they didn't know what the scores were before the title-clinching performances. Blanco wanted to go into her routine with the same laser focus and confidence no matter what the situation presented.
"Obviously I get really nervous before, but it's kind of funny because as soon as I touched the beam it's like everything is silent, and I just shut out [the noise] and it's just like automatic," Blanco said.
She looked automatic while continuing her dominance from the regular season, and captured the all-around SEC title with a 39.800.
Alabama came into the meet ranked eighth in the nation behind fellow competitors Florida (No. 1) and LSU (No. 4.) However it was the Crimson Tide which prevailed with the 197.875 in the neutral floor.
LSU finished second with a 197.775, and the Gators took third with a 196.975.
Competing in front of a home-state crowd, the energy was evident from the very first rotation. Alabama scored a 49.45 on the floor exercise to open the meet, its second highest total of the season on the event, and never relinquished the early lead.
"I think our team has been really good at bringing that energy anywhere we go, but hearing it tonight surrounded by most everybody, it was amazing," Alabama senior Lexi Graber said.
In the middle two rotations of vault and uneven bars, Alabama either matched or surpassed its season-high scores on each event.
The 49.550 on vault was led by four scores of 9.9 or higher including a career-high 9.925 from Shallon Olsen, a 9.925 from Kaylee Quinn and another 9.95 from Luisa Blanco.
After a shaky start on bars, Alabama closed the rotation with three straight 9.95s from Blanco, Shania Adams and Makarri Doggette. The score was good enough that they shared the individual title for the event.
Graber said this championship moment during her senior season made all long, draining year, including constant COVID testing, masking up and social distancing, worth it.
"To watch it pay off is so emotional, I can’t even put it into words," Graber said.
Even though this was a major milestone for this team, Duckworth noted that that there's still more to accomplish. With a lot of momentum on its side, Alabama continues into the postseason with NCAA regionals coming up in two weeks.
"It's kind of like you have these roller coaster moments, and this time they just kept fighting, and I'm really proud of their fight," Duckworth said. "I'm really proud of where we are right now, and we're not done.”
