Alabama Gymnastics Defeats No. 21 Missouri in Power of Pink Meet
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — In an emotional setting as Alabama hosted Missouri for its 16th-annual Power of Pink meet Friday night, the Crimson Tide posted its best score since the 2016 season.
No. 7 Crimson Tide closed with a 197.550-196.850 victory over No.21 Missouri.
“Tonight is my favorite night of the season," junior Lexi Graber said. "It is just a great reminder that the things we deal with on a daily basis are not even comparable to the things some of these women have fought through. That is what it is all about tonight.”
As the Alabama gymnasts were introduced at the start of the meet, a cancer survivor stood arm and arm next to them. For sophomore Jensie Givens it was her aunt, a 15-year cancer survivor.
“There is something very special with this team, and I want to repeat what I said last week – tonight was a complete, 1,000% team effort," Crimson Tide coach Dan Duckworth said. "As a coach you watch their hearts to become one, you watch them literally be selfless. It doesn’t matter who is going, they all want everyone to be successful.
"It is so amazing, so fun to watch and I can’t wait for them to continue to have this chemistry that is so dense and unique and be able to shine.”
Sophomore Shallon Olsen tied her career high on floor exercise with a 9.900 after nailing a double-twisting double-back and a front punch through a double tuck.
She also has an early-morning flight to Calgary to fulfill her obligations for Team Canada this weekend.
“We are so proud of Shallon and that she wants to take this journey to hopefully qualify for Canada to compete in the 2020 Olympics,” Duckworth said. “Her steps are to compete this weekend at the Elite Canada on Sunday. She has to do vault and a bar routine. She won’t be doing beam or floor. In the end of May, she will have to go back Canadian Nationals and hopefully solidify her position.”
“Shallon is so talented and she has the wear and tear ability on her body to be able to do both. Not a lot of athletes can handle doing the Elite routines one day and then doing the college routines another day. I can speak volumes to the effort she is putting in and the improvement she is making, but she still wants to have the commitments to Alabama which speaks highly for her.”
Junior Lexi Graber led the team to the win after scoring a 9.9 or better on every event, matching her career high of 39.65 while placing first in the all-around. Freshman Makarri Doggette also nailed a fantastic score of 39.500 during her first time completing in the all-around.
Freshman Ella Burgess got things started for the Crimson Tide with a 9.850 on vault. Graber threw the highest score for the first round with a 9.925. Graber was the only gymnast from Alabama to score above a 9.900 on the event. The Crimson Tide finished vault with a 49.375.
Junior Kylie Dickson led Alabama into the bar routine with a 9.800. Senior Shea Mahoney and Doggette tied for the highest score from Alabama with a 9.925. The Crimson Tide walked out of bar with a 49.450, 98.825 overall.
As Alabama entered the third rotation, it got to see Olsen open up on beam with a 9.800. Graber snagged the rotation high for Alabama with a 9.925. The fans also got to see sophomore Emily Gaskins perform her exhibition bar routine before moving on to the fourth and final rotation. Alabama finished the bar rotation with a 49.250, 148.075 running score.
Mahoney kicked things off for the last routine after throwing a 9.875 on floor. Senior Maddie Desch made her presence known after finishing her routine with a 9.925. Freshman Louisa Blanco also got to work on her routine while she performed an exhibition round. The Crimson Tide closed out the last routine with a 49.475 and a 197.550 overall.
Alabama will remain at home for the next meet as it takes on the Arkansas Razorbacks on Friday (5:45 p.m. CT, SEC Network).
