Multiple Falls on Beam Eliminate Alabama Gymnastics from NCAA Championship Meet Contention

With four of six gymnasts falling on the balance beam, the Crimson Tide put up its worst score of the season by more than 1.5 points in the NCAA Championships Semifinal meet.

Alabama had not counted a fall on any event at any point in the entire 2024 season. And then the inexplicable happened in Thursday night’s NCAA Championship Semifinal meet. 

Four of the Crimson Tide’s six gymnasts in the balance beam rotation fell off the beam, meaning Alabama had to count three falls. This essentially eliminated the Tide from the competition after just two rotations.

Alabama finished in last place with by far its lowest score of the season with a 195.4125 as the season once again ends in the semifinals. However, it wasn't just the Tide that struggled. Back-to-back defending champion and No. 1 overall seed Oklahoma (196.6625) also had to count multiple falls on the night and will not advance to the championship meet.

No. 4 Florida (197.8750) and No. 5 Utah (197.9375) advanced from the semifinal to face No. 2 LSU and No. 3 Cal in the championship meet on Saturday.

The Crimson Tide had only scored below a 197 one time this season. The previous season low was a 196.975 against Kentucky back on Feb. 2.

Oklahoma has been seemingly inevitable all season long, but the Sooners struggled out the gate with multiple falls on vault, leaving the door open for Alabama, Utah and Florida. The Crimson Tide was in second place after the first rotation with a strong 49.4875 on the uneven bars.

But then things fell apart in the second rotation. Junior Lilly Hudson started the event on a great note with a 9.9 on the beam. Starting with Mati Waligora in the two-spot, four of Alabama's next five gymnasts fell. All four of those gymnasts were super seniors or seniors, including Luisa Blanco, who won an individual title on the apparatus in 2021.

"Mati had a mistake and following that we just really lost momentum and you know, once you dig yourself in the hole, it's really hard to recover and in battle that expectation and pressure and unfortunately we just lost that battle," Alabama head coach Ashley Johnston said after the meet.

Alabama finished well on the floor exercise (49.4125) and vault (49.2625) in the final two rotations, but was so far behind at that point for it to make a difference.

Overall, it was a super uncharacteristic night for the Crimson Tide. It concludes the Crimson Tide career of seven gymnasts: Blanco, Waligora, Ella Burgess, Makarri Doggette, Cam Machado, Shania Adams and Isabella Martin.

Alabama has not made it to the final championship meet of the season since 2017.

"They've had an incredible season," Johnston said. "Tonight does not define what they've done this season, the work they've put in. Unfortunately, it just didn't go our way tonight and sometimes that happens, but I also believe that it's moments like this that can really propel and drive the next era that what it's going to look like in the weeks to come in the months to come in the season to come. And I'm excited about the group that we have here, the culture they built and how we're going to move forward."