See you there Bama Nation!

Georgia does exactly what they need here today to bring home the victory – good showmanship on floor to close out and steady, confident execution on the opening three events.  The return of Noel Couch seemed to give them a boost as well – she scored 9.875 on beam and floor and the rest of her teammates carried the load elsewhere, including junior Kaylan Earls on beam (9.95) and floor (9.875).  

Alabama captured a high road score but continues to give away vital tenths with uncharacteristic balance checks – so more clean up work in the practice gym as they get ready for another tough SEC foe, the #1 Florida Gators, in Gainesville. 

Coach noted some struggle with the adjustment to the bars equipment here – but likes how other gymnasts stepped up on vault and floor in Ashley Sledge’s place when she strained her shoulder a bit trying to keep that cast handstand from going over. Frost had a solid effort on floor in her place for a 9.850 and Jacob did great on vault as well in Sledge’s place and arguably should have scored higher (9.825). 

Coach was happy to get Carley Sims some experience on bars with a solid exhibition routine and on vault, floor and beam – Lauren Beers.  Hats off to the Georgia Bulldogs and the atmosphere here today with their fans – it was a reported sell-out but far from that in actual attendance numbers, which is fine because those that were here (roughly 9000) were loud and enthusiastic for their team.  Coach is pleased with the score – feels the team earned every tenth.  Team was excited and ready for this meet but had to be rebooted energy-wise after the problems on bars – will use this experience to get ready for Florida, who Coach has great admiration for with their mega-talented squad that is performing lights out right now and is deservedly the #1 team.

Kayla Williams – confident routine – only balance check seen was on the Popa – checks it just as she was pulling it around, so will not get full credit for a 1/1, more likely for a 3/4.  Nails the flight and leap series elements and the 1.5 twist dismount. 9.800

Kaitlyn Clark – solid routine – one step forward on the landing of the 1.5 twist dismount.  Pretty choreography and toe point/extension – 9.800

Marissa Gutierrez – balance check on the second element of her bhs to loso – hitch kick to gainer full twist – sticks the landing. 9.825

Sarah DeMeo – tentative on the front aerial – has to lift her leg – then falls on the second element of the flight series – very uncharacteristic of her – double pike dismount – scoots back on landing. 9.150

Ashley Priess -solid routine from the senior – no major balance checks – sticks the switch split leap to gainer full twist dismount. 9.875

Kim Jacob - strong routine as well – hop forward on the 1.5 twisting dismount – 9.850

Lauren Beers – Exhibition: no problems with her elements – flight and leap series – switch split leap to gainer back pike – stuck!

Georgia on Floor Exercise

Kaylan Earls – opens with a double pike and closes with a double tuck – very sassy, entertaining music and dance. 9.875

Christa Tanella – beautiful dance interpretation and showmanship from the senior! Pops out just a bit on her final pass of the double twist. 9.875

Sarah Persinger – checks the double tuck forward – dances out of it – double pike is more solid as her second pass – dramatic music! Rudi to close? 9.800

Brandie Jay – opens with a tuck full in – some form problems on her second pass – 1.5 to front tuck? – closes with a double tuck – legs separated in the air – stands it up well – looks a little fatigued in executing this routine. 9.90

Shayla Worley – opens with a double pike – bounds forward and out of bounds on the front tumbling sequence – they’ll drop this score.  She closes with a punch front to Rudi final pass. 9.600

Noel Couch – pike full in to open – double pike to close – happy gal! 9.875

Sarah DeMeo – opens with the double pike – large step back right into the corner, other leg has to lift to hold the landing – no problem with her second pass – 1.5 to front layout – full turn jump (straight body) – 2.5 twist to close – solid finish! 9.800

Brooke Parker – opens with double front Arabian and then a tuck full in (form problems, hops back on landing to control it) – switch split leap  – wolf full – closes with a double pike – nice landing – off the music a bit at the end. 9.825

Lora Leigh Frost – opens with the double layout – not much amplitude – legs split as well in the air – punch front 1/1 twist to front layout – a little moon walk of her own receives some hearty claps – finishes with a double tuck – 9.850

Marissa Gutierrez – opens with the solid double layout – step back to control the landing – a little extra energy on the second pass – front 1/1 to front layout right into that corner – closes with a solid double pike. 9.900

Kim Jacob – great routine – nails the full in double back pike – double pike as her second pass and the closing 1.5 to front 1/1.  9.950

Diandra Milliner – great effort from the junior – huge double front Arabian – excellent amplitude – closing with a terrific double pike for exclamation.  9.950!

Lauren Beers – Exhibition – solid double tuck to open and double pike to close – much more confident execution this time around compared to Missouri meet.  9.825

Georgia on Beam

Lindsey Cheek -falls on her flight series, third element.  Crowd cheers to help her get back up and compose herself.  Switch side straddle leap – side aerial – moon walk – switch split leap to side straddle jump combination – gainer full twist off the side – legs split on landing. 9.250

Sarah Persinger – full turn with leg horizontal – balance check at the shoulder – rotates past her ending point just a bit – front aerial to beat jump – flight series is fine – front aerial kickover – slight shoulder drop – switch split leap to side straddle jump combo – dismounts with a 1.5 – nice landing. 9.850

Noel Couch – nice flight series – bhs to loso – big smile on her face – switch side straddle – front aerial kickover but has to balance her self as she stands back straight – split leap to 1/4 straddle turn (repeat skill?) – bhs to bhs to gainer full twist – stuck.  9.875 – crowd gets credit for that score, as they were really pulling for her and cheering heartily.

Brittany Rogers – solid routine – a few balance checks here and there – sticks the dismount – bhs to bhs to full twist. 9.875

Shayla Worley – nice routine – problems only near the end with her dismount – switch split leap – stopped and then throws the gainer full twist – hop back on landing.  9.875

Kaylan Earls – confident routine – no major balance checks – 9.950!

Kaitlyn Clark – sticks the Y 1/1 – great recovery after that tough opening bars routine.  9.90!

Lauren Beers – Y 1.5 – bent knees landing it and a sharp step to the left. 9.775

Kim Jacob – solid Y 1/1 – hops in place, bent forward a bit as well – 9.825

Kayla Williams – Y 1.5 – hop forward on landing – 9.850

Marissa Gutierrez – Y 1/1 – excellent vault – well centered this week – hop back – huge in the air. 9.900

Diandra Milliner – impressive distance on the Y 1.5 – one step forward – 9.900

Ria Domier – Exhibition: Pike 1/2 – 9.775  – solid effort – one step back – head down.

Georgia on Uneven Bars

Lindsey Cheek – solid routine – pikes the double layout flyaway, just missing the perfect stick on landing. 9.800

Christa Tanella – pretty handstands – straddle Jaeger – double tuck – head down and hop forward on landing – knees bent as well. 9.825

Brandie Jay – shaposh – lots of form problems, jammed landing of the tuck full in as well. 9.825

Brittany Rogers – 9.850

Shayla Worley – 9.800

Chelsea Davis – 9.925

Kaitlyn Clark – casts over on the high bar after a great start and has to jump off – full twisting double layout – head down, one step on landing. 9.275

Becca Alexin – clean routine – small foot shuffle on landing the double tuck dismount. 9.825

Kim Jacob – head down on dismount – step forward on the double layout dismount – just missed vertical on at least two of her handstands as well. 9.625

Sarah DeMeo – great routine – tiny shuffle scoot on landing of the double layout – limited distance from the bars. 9.875

Ashley Sledge – overcasts a bit on two giants – 9.775

Ashley Priess – great routine – step back on the double layout dismount. 9.850

Carley Sims – Exhibition: solid routine – Tkatchev – full turn to double tuck dismount, small foot check on landing. Needs to point those toes and get better amplitude on the release for maximum scoring.

Georgia on Vault

Chelsea Davis – Y 1/1 – clean vault – big hop back.  9.850

Sarah Persinger – Y 1/1 – hop back. 9.825

Lindsey Cheek – Y 1/1 – great vault – stuck.  9.925

Brittany Rogers – Y 1.5 - good distance but limited amplitude – hop back towards the vault table on landing. 9.90

Cat Hires – Y 1/1 – step back on landing – 9.85

Brandie Jay – Y 1.5 – bent legs in the air but she sticks it – some separation as well on landing. 9.95

The fiercest rivalry in collegiate gymnastics for the past three decades, the Alabama vs. Georgia gymnastics meet each year almost always ensures that the fans present will see a superb competition between two historic SEC foes that may also foreshadow the post-season outcomes.  First year coach, Danna Durante, has been impressive in leading her new team in the first month’s competitions, with the Bulldogs ranked #8 in the nation but surging forward with confidence in their meets so far. They expect senior All American Noel Couch back tonight on beam and floor exercise, which should give them an extra scoring boost if she can nail her first routines of the young season. Look for freshmen Brandie Jay and Brittany Rogers, along with seniors Christa Tanella and Shayla Worley to lead the way with big scores for the Bulldogs as well.

Meanwhile, Alabama is currently ranked #5 and itching to push past the 197 score by hopefully not having to count a fall this week, which has kept them out of the higher scoring range the last two weeks with errors counted on the beam against Kentucky and on the floor the week prior against LSU.  The coaches are again mixing the line-up a bit more here today on all four events, so the results could tell them alot about this team going forward. 

Bama’s opening routine on the uneven bars will set the tone and sophomore Kaitlyn Clark will have to execute that Ray release with precision and stick the difficult full twisting double layout to garner the highest starting score possible.  This will set up Alexin, Jacob and Demeo who in turn will need to stay focused and execute their bars routines with confidence so that seniors Sledge and Priess can deliver the big scores on the back end.

Alabama will throw three Y 1.5 vaults, as Beers will enter the competition line-up for the first time this year.  Coaches will be looking for big amplitude and tight form in the air before a stuck landing – Bama needs to spot those vaults cleanly for maximum scoring.

On the floor, Brooke Parker returns to the line-up to try and get the higher scores from the judges – she will throw two E tumbling passes consecutively but must stay up and in bounds. But DeMeo is the one that sets the tone for the Tide on this event and last week she struggled on keeping that opening double pike pass in bounds, so tonight she must be crisp and spot on.  Gutierrez, Jacob and Milliner will be throwing E tumbling passes in the clean-up spots, and these final routines will need to have super showmanship and sparkle to impress the judges. 

Bama finishes on the balance beam and they need to get in that Bama Bubble immediately, like they did two years ago here in Athens.  Tentative execution will get you nowhere, which the coaches have drilled into them this past week in practice.  Kayla Williams will set the pace for the Tide on this final event and sophomore Kaitlyn Clark will follow for her first competion routine on this event.  Likewise, we must have confident executions from Gutierrez and DeMeo, the middle meat of the line-up, before Priess and Jacob anchor with the final routines respectively. 

Looking forward to a fantastic meet here today – fans have arrived in good numbers – let’s get it on!

Bama now moves to their final 15 minute warm-up site, the balance beam.

Kayla Williams has been moved to the lead-off position for today’s meet and will be followed by Kaitlyn Clark, Gutierrez, DeMeo, Priess and Jacob.  The Tide will give Milliner a rest on beam this week because she will be the final participant on floor, and would have limited recovery time, as she usually competes in the 2nd position.

Guti looks focused – DeMeo sits the first double pike dismount attempt – Priess not liking that wonky front aerial attempt – redoes it perfectly – nice lo lo sequence from Jacob and a stuck 1.5 dismount.  Milliner and Beers now warming up – DeMeo tries the double pike again before team exits – much better. 

Teams retreat to the locker room to dress for the competition. Let’s get ready to tumble Tide!

Alabama now moves to the floor exercise for an extended 15 minute warm-up while UGA is on the balance beam.

Warming up on floor for the Tide this afternoon: Demeo, Parker, Sledge, Gutierrez, Jacob, Milliner, Frost, and Beers.

DeMeo and Jacob working their toughest tumbling passes into the left corner (pike full in and a 2.5 twist).  Frost cranking up that double layout – looking solid!  She will be in the exhibition slot (7) and Beers will follow with an exhibition (8). Tide looks confident!

Tide moves to the vault next for extended warm-ups. 

Clark, Milliner, Domier, Williams, Gutierrez, Sledge, Beers, Jacob will make up the official line up in some order. 

Super amplitude on the front double pike (timer) by Ria Domier.  She will add a 1/2 twist shortly, which pulls it to a 10 start value.  A beautiful vault when done properly.  Bama gymnasts still trying to adjust to the table – doing timers a little longer than usual – but beautiful Y 1.5 just then from Milliner.  Kim Jacob is twisting that Y 1/1 so much better this year – think she likes this vault table here in Stegeman Coliseum.