The Extra Point: Takeaways from the 2022 Alabama Gymnastics Season

The Crimson Tide's season came to a close on Thursday after they were eliminated in the NCAA Championships Semifinals.

Author:
Clay Miller
Publish date:
Apr 15, 2022 4:00 PM EDT

It was a bit of a disappointing end to the 2022 season for the Alabama gymnastics team as they were eliminated from the NCAA Championships in the semifinals with a score of 197.100, one of their lowest of the year.

The Crimson Tide came into the meet with a lot of momentum after scoring well at their last couple of meets but were unable to sustain that good form on Thursday.

Starting out on the uneven bars, which is usually Alabama's best exercise, multiple Crimson Tide gymnasts had mistakes which led to a less than perfect start and an opening score of 49.200.

Alabama rebounded well on the balance beam and the floor exercise but once again had some mistakes on the vault causing them to take some lower scores. Those mistakes coupled with facing the best competition in the country unfortunately sealed the Crimson Tide's fate and the end of their season.

However, while the result on Thursday was certainly disappointing, it was still an extremely successful season for the Alabama gymnastics squad.

Making it to the NCAA Championships Semifinals is no small feat, and the team scored 198 or more three times this season. At the Seattle regional, the Crimson Tide's score of 198.175 was the second-best score in school history and the highest postseason score ever.

The consistent scoring by the team showed the depth of the roster and the type of culture that has been built at Alabama.

Looking forward to next year, the Crimson Tide will have high expectations. This year's junior class consisting of Luisa Blanco, Ella Burgess, Makarri Doggette, and Mati Waligora will be the leaders next season and have been exceptional talents. Add Lily Hudson and Jordyn Paradise, two freshman who were excellent this year, to the equation and this is a team that will have hopes of winning a national championship.

While this year's team was certainly disappointed to be eliminated on Thursday, it was an excellent season with the Crimson Tide gymnastics team proving they are among the very best in the country.

Check out the video at the top of the page where BamaCentral's Clay Miller and Katie Windham discuss the Alabama gymnastics team's performance this season.