197.650 and UCLA a 197.00. Kristin Parker is such a hoot! She is delightful, spending time hugging the Tide gymnasts and taking a picture with Jordan Patterson and the Bruin team. The Bruins are something else. Jamie Dantzscher and Onnie Willis are now helping Valarie Velasco increase her bust size by putting two of the smaller balloons that are flying around under her tee shirt. This team has a great sense of humor and really know how to ham it up. Kondos is being interviewed by the local press (Andrew Carroll of the Tuscaloosa News). The little tykes are all screaming for Andree Pickens and she is busy signing autographs across the way. The parents will be joining the gals for the Medalist Club after the meet snackaroo. What a great way to send off our seniors but don't forget that there will be two more opportunities to see them in action. Next week in the SEC Championships in Birmingham and April 18-20 (hopefully, if Bama qualifies at regionals) the NCAAs, the BIG SHOW! That's all for now. You missed a great one Tide fans! Goodnight from Coleman Coliseum.

wins the vault, bars (with Thompson of UCLA), beam and floor. What an awesome accomplishment. She finishes with an all around score of 39.85 which is a career high for her and the highest ever by a Bama gymnast (bests Dee Foster's 39.800 record).

is exhibiting on the floor and is through her first three passes and will finish with a front handspring, round off, layout, stepout. Beckerman of UCLA finishes with a 9.80 on the beam and she has her knee iced now. Valarie Velasco just received flowers from Coach Sarah Patterson for being UCLA's lone senior. The Bama seniors are now being called to the Big A to salute the crowd. Balloons are being dropped on them as the cameramen are taking many shots of them.

opening pass of the pike full in but it will not count in the final score. She is smiling as she moves into her second pass. She completes the whip to a 2 1/2 twist beautifully and will now dance her way to a whip through to a double twist, which she lands very well. On the pike full in, she almost had it, just needs a little more push off her back handspring as she moves into the pike.

is up on the beam for the Bruins. Full cat turn into a wolf jump is solid, followed by an aerial to an immediate back handspring. She dismounts with a roundoff to a gainer off the side of the beam. Brion gets a 9.925 for her floor routine. Jeana Rice is up next.

team, Alabama's coaches and the crowd, are crying because Andree is back! She completed an awesome routine, two double tucks on her first and final passes and the crowd really likes her new dance moves in the middle of the routine (she gets down!). Malia Jones received a 9.825 for her beam routine. The Bruins are steady but not throwing spectacular difficulty tonight. Tousek is having a little trouble on the beam and may have missed a required element; she dismounts with a double twist, one small step forward on the landing; one judge has her start value at 9.8 and the other at 9.9. On floor, Andree Pickens receives one 10 and a 9.95 from the other judge for a 9.975. Awesome! Alexis Brion is now up and through her first two passes with no problems. She will finish with a double tuck (nice and high). The crowd is close to giddy now. Tousek receives a 9.675 for her beam routine.

lifts her leg on her flight series as well but is otherwise looking confident. She dismounts with a round off to a gainer off the side of the beam. Tomasek receives a 9.925 for a great routine. Andree is up next. The crowd can hardly stand it!

is not holding anything back tonight folks! She just threw her double front Arabian sky high, followed by a soaring double tuck and is dancing and juking with the crowd totally behind her. She finishes with a front handspring, front layout, punch front and salutes the crowd with a wave as she is embraced by her team mates. Roll Tide! Parker gets a 9.85 for her beam routine.

9.825 for her beam routine (they are deducting closely for the balance checks tonight). Kristin Parker is up next for the Bruins. She throws a switch leap to a gainer back; every move is deliberate. Two straddle leaps and she dismounts with a gainer off the side of the beam. Reeser gets a 9.875. She was a little low on her last pass (front handspring, front layout, front with a 1/2, layout stepout).

her opening pass of a front through to a double twist, her second pass of front, front full, front layout. She finishes strongly and the crowd erupts. Thompson receives a 9.80 on beam. Dantzscher also has trouble on her flight series but pulls it around. Two nice straddle leaps, a punch front, a Korbut, and she dismounts with a back handspring to a 1 1/2 twist. Kite receives a 9.825 for her routine. Michelle Reeser is up next.

because the electricity and heat is palpable in the arena tonight! Doni Thompson is starting off on beam for the Bruins. She has to lift her leg high to stay on after completing her flight series. Nice front walkover and she dismounts with a back pike off the front of the beam (takes a step forward). Stephanie Kite is up on floor for the Tide.

are cheering in two sections and the Tubas are running around the floor to fire up the crowd. They are now in the student section getting them even more riled up!

a 9.925 and the Tide has a beam score of 49.275. The running score is 148.125. Great routine by Natalie Barrington, we will try and get a score on her. Tousek gets a 9.925. UCLA has a floor score of 49.275 and a running score of 147.900. Bama leads by a mere .225.

and the crowd is hushed as she completes a super flight series, followed by her full turn, her punch front and dismounts with a double tuck. Her team mates are attacking her with hugs and the crowd is on its feet, cheering loudly! Parker gets a 9.875 (perhaps deducted for the weaker second pass and a step on the first and second passes). Tousek is now up and opens with a triple twist (pulls it around but just a little loose). Beautiful dance. She throws a 2 1/2 twist to a punch front but it is landed low and suffers from cowboy form. Her team mates are urging her on to greatness as she throws a front, front full, front punch to end the routine. Very nice. Natalie Barrington is exhibiting on beam for the Tide.

9.875 for her floor routine. Kristin Parker is up next for the Bruins. She just threw a super gorgeous double front Arabian but her second pass was rather weak (backhandspring layout stepout) but she finishes with an awesome double pike! Nice job! This will score well. Rice gets a 9.90 for a truly great beam routine.

is up now and has all front tumbling on her three passes. Jeana Rice is now up for the Tide. We need these next two ladies to stay on or the meet will be hard to hold onto. Sterner gets a 9.300 for her routine. Rice is through her two layouts (beautiful) and her wolf Popa, her gymacro series and her standing back gainer, and full turn. Now the double twist, nailed! Way to go! We needed that one!

is looking very nice and she dismounts with a super double pike! The crowd cheers ROll Tide ROLL! Malia Jones gets a 9.825. The first three ladies up did not have the difficulty we are used to from UCLA, hence the lower scores perhaps.

for the Tide and promptly falls on her layout (flight series, third element). Martinez gets a 9.825 for her beam routine.

awesome music and throws a whip through to two back handsprings to a double pike, landed very nicely. Two front layouts to a layout half and then she dances on the floor reminiscent of Mohini Bhardwaj for about 10 seconds before finishing with a front through to a front full.

Alexa is doing very well, she is through her flight series, her two Popas and will dismount with a rudi (one step back). Velasco gets a 9.775 for her routine on floor as well.

double tuck, a little cowboy in the form and landed just a little low. Martinez is up on the beam for the Tide. We need to build the scores! Conway gets a 9.775 for her floor routine.

a 9.775 (?) and Hrozek is now up. She is through her flight series and is doing her leaps well so far, no obvious deductions. Gorgeous switch leap to a wolf jump combination. She will now dismount with a double twist and must nail the landing....she takes a step. Velasco is up for UCLA. She takes a step back on her double pike (opening pass). Good music and interesting choreography but not much affect in her presentation. Hrozek gets a 9.85!

with a nice double pike and dramatic music. She throws two illusions on the floor in combination, followed by a front through to a front full to a front layout. She ends with a double tuck and a big smile. The crowd claps politely.

is Raegan Tomasek, who mounts with a punch front (she is on!). Gorgeous flight series (three elements), switch leap, to two straddle leaps, front walkover, wolf jump to 1/4 dive handstand, full turn, dismount of a back handspring to a gainer layout. Nice routine! Pour it on Tide!

UCLA will have: Michelle Conway, Valarie Velasco, Malia Jones, Alyssa Beckerman, Kristin Parker, and Yvonne Tousek going. On the balance beam for Bama: Raegan Tomasek, Shannon Hrozek, Alexa Martinez, Kristin Sterner, Jeana Rice, Andree Pickens.

just threw two solid exhibition uneven bars routines. Tiffany gets a 9.825 for hers and Whitney a 9.825 as well! Way to go!

9.90 for her vault and Parker just threw a nice pike 1/2 as well. Tomasek gets a 9.85 for a solid bars routine. We need to push the scores up on the next two routines. Natalie just completed her routine and landed it well. Parker gets a 9.85 for her vault and Dantzscher just walked out of hers and gets a 9.80. Barrington gets a 9.925 and Andree Pickens just hung the moon with her full in dismount (what a landing!). Smooth as silk. She gets a 9.95 (tiny miss of one handstand but she still has the hardest routine out there tonight). Roll Tide Roll! Bama scores a 49.400 on the bars and has a running score of 98.850. UCLA has a vault score of: 49.325 and a running score of 98.625. Now comes crunch time!

9.825 for her vault, Willis a 9.90 and Tousek gets a 9.85 for her Hristakieva (went in flat and gained no distance). The crowd is in awe of UCLA's difficulty on this event. Rice gets a 9.90 for her bars, Hrozek a 9.775 and Sterner just threw a solid routine but hopped forward on her dismount (double front). She gets a 9.775. Raegan Tomasek is looking good so far and takes a tiny step forward on her dismount of the double full. Bama is giving away tenths to the Bruins on their dismounts, they must be brave!

first for the Bruins on the vault. Kristin Maloney is working the vault number sign. Conway vaults a Hristakieva but it suffers from lack of distance from the horse and loose form, as well as being landed off to the side. Jeana Rice is doing well on the bars so far, going for every handstand and nailing her Tkatchev and the full in dismount. Awesome! Willis is next and throws a beautiful Yurchenko 1/1 but takes a small step back and then salutes the judges.

we will see for UA: Jeana Rice, Shannon Hrozek, Kristin Sterner, Raegan Tomasek, Natalie Barrington, and Andree Pickens. On the vault for UCLA: Michelle Conway, Onnie Willis, Yvonne Tousek, Jeanette Antolin, Kristin Parker and Jamie Dantzscher.

vault was just shown again on the jumbotron. She landed it like a dart! Whitney Morgan has that double layout on the bars down beautifully. Too bad we don't have four more years to see her throw it!

of 49.450 on the vault and UCLA a 49.300.

just threw her vault exhibition (pike 1/2) and landed it beautifully (one foot back to stop her momentum). The crowd gives her a roar of approval, glad that she is healthy and back. Thompson gets a 9.95 for her bars routine. Antolin is exhibiting bars.

9.825 for her vault. Alexis Brion just vaulted her pike 1/2 and gets incredible height and distance; alas one small hop back. Tousek gets a 9.80 for her bars. Dantzscher is looking great so far but caught her second release a little too close. She lands a full in very solidly and the crowd claps loudly. Alexis gets a 9.875 and Andree Pickens just nailed her vault once again! No wonder she is #1 in the country on the vault! Stupendous! It's a 10, no doubt about it and the crowd is standing! By the way, Coach Sarah Patterson is dressed in a silver sequined jacket and capri silk shantung pants. Coach Sarah has just gone over to Coach Kondos to apologize for the delay (the crowd will not sit down!) and they hug each other with chuckles). Dantzscher gets a 9.925 for her routine and Doni Thompson just completed a grand routine of her own.

next on the vault and had to turn around and go back because she thought she heard the coach say stop! The green flag had not been lifted by the judges yet, so thank goodness our coach caught it in time to stop Stephanie's forward progress. She got a rousing cheer from the fans prior to her official vault run and then kicked her vault into high gear, taking one step back on the landing. Willis gets a 9.325 after falling on her release move. Tousek is on and doing great with her pike Jaeger and the pak salto but takes two steps forward on her double layout dismount (great distance).

on her booming reverse Hecht on the uneven bars and almost kissed the high bar on her straddle release to the high bar but lands a full in with only a small step.

threw her pike 1/2 twist and landed it deep but she stood it up! Parker gets a 9.85 for her routine on bars. Onnie Willis is up next. Raegs gets a 9.775. on vault.

a nice bars routine (straddle Jaeger a little close to the bars) and missed two handstands but landed her double layout very well. Jeana Rice just threw her Yurchenko 1/1 and took a small hop back as she raised her hands to the rafters. Holdefer gets a 9.85 for her vault and Rice a 9.90. Jones gets a 9.775 for her bars routine. Kristin Parker is up, misses one handstand but nails her double layout (pike jaeger release had nice form).

First up on the vault is Erin Holdefer. She throws a front pike and nails it! The 10 Troupe is standing up screaming Roll Tide Roll!

for the Crimson Tide: Erin Holdefer, Jeana Rice, Raegan Tomasek, Stephanie Kite, Alexis Brion, Andree Pickens (five 10.0 vaults, one 9.90 vault). For UCLA on bars: Malia Jones, Kristin Parker, Onnie Willis, Yvonne Tousek, Jamie Dantzscher, Doni Thompson.

Raegan Tomasek on the vault tonight, at least for an exhibition. Onnie Willis is struggling a bit on the bars but will likely pull it through when showtime arrives.

One of the parents is leading the cheers in their section in front of the balance beam and is doing a bang up job! We didn't know that he could rotate that fast with a sign that says "Roll Tide Roll". David Patterson just brought over a ladybug he found, a sure sign of good luck since it is attired in red! Bama is wearing the cranberry velveteen with the waffle weave contrast on the sleeves and gold spangles on the bodice. Looks great on our ladies!

is now being introduced and the crowd is drowning out Tony Giles as he tries to share all of the honors she has accrued over four years. A biology major, she is planning to pursue a career in family or sports medicine. Her father hugs all of the coaches, he is so overwhelmed with emotion (likewise are we!). We love you Bama seniors. Thanks for all you have given to the University of Alabama!

gets a rousing cheer from the Bama Nation. She is the first international gymnast for the Tide, hailing from Missasauga, Canada. She scored a perfect 10 on the bars last year and is the reigning SEC bars champion. She will return to Canada to pursue a teaching career in sports medicine. Her parents are thrilled and she is crying as she hugs her coaches.

is next, joined by her parents, Bruce and Carmela Tomasek. She earned a perfect 10 on the balance beam as a freshman and is a second team all american on this event. She has earned Scholastic and SEC All Academic honors! Yowza!

She was the J.O. all around champion in 1997 and came through last year for the Tide big time at regionals on vault and at Nationals on vault and bars when Andree went down with an achilles injury. She is joined by her parents as well and gets a rousing cheer from the crowd!

team manager was also honored after Krista. Now Alexa Martinez is coming down the stairs as Tony shares all her honors from the past four years. She will enter graduate school in marketing and advertising this fall. She is joined by her parents, who give her a big hug.

No matter where I lay my head! My home's in Alabama, southern born and southern bred! We've never seen this many parents on the floor for senior night, a tribute to the Bama coaches for keeping our seniors healthy through four years. Krista Gole is up first, since she competed two years and continues as a team manager (had to retire after her sophomore year due to a shoulder injury). She gave us a great number of routines her freshman and sophomore years, including the electric floor routine at regionals in 1999 (9.90 score) and the steady beam performance in 2000 at Athens that helped the Tide win the inaugural Super Six Challenge.

Bama is walking out to their favorite music from Bon Jovi (thank you Rararuss for suggesting this). Jeana Rice is chuckling about something as she follows her team mates to the big "A" circle for introductions.

introduced to the partisan crowd. Now the introductions of the team before our seniors are honored. The crowd is into it now! We can barely hear Tony Giles!

recognized Bama 2002 signee, Larissa Stewart, who is being escorted by David Patterson and Bryan Raschilla to the best seat in the house to watch her future team go up against the UCLA Bruins. Stewart is a US National Team member from Oklahoma (Bart Conner Gymnastics) and will enter the University in August of 2002.

in, perhaps due to the baseball game that just ended but it looks like we may get at least 10,000. Posters are being given away tonight in the lobby so if you're not here, tough luck! Early fashion report: UCLA is dressed in black velveteen with several swirls that border a diamond blue bodice. We await with bated breath the Crimson Tide's attire. Will they be dressed in a brand new leo or will we have to wait until SECs? Stay tuned.

that says "SENIORS" above the portal entry that Bama's five graduating seniors will come through, making their way down to the floor with their official escorts for the evening. They will then be joined by their parents on the floor as they are recognized by Coach Sarah Patterson and the Bama fan base tonight. There will not be a dry eye in the arena after they finish with Andree Pickens, the undisputed leader of this fine group of ladies. It seems just like yesterday that they started, how the years have flown.

use of every practice moment left on the beam while UCLA left the arena about three minutes ago. Onnie Willis is getting taped near the bars. Kristin just threw her double pike dismount and seems fine. Natalie is warming up better this week on the beam (she was really off last week against Kentucky but pulled through a great competitive routine). Bryan is encouraging Hrozek to relax and do her best on the beam. She gives him a huge grin in return. No problem Coach! Sarah and the coaches are giving a final word to the girls before they depart to dress for the meet. Twenty minutes until showtime!

former offensive coordinator of the University of Alabama football team, is hugging Val Kondos and introducing her to some of his friends. He is known to Val through her husband, Bob Fields, former defensive coordinator for the UCLA Bruins. Homer Smith was also the offensive coordinator at Arizona and at UCLA at one time.

parents in the audience, looking on as their gals finish their long warm-up on the balance beam. Kristin Sterner and Andree Pickens are super-focused on their beam routines, wanting to get every extra tenth possible. Sterner resumed her double pike dismount in practice this week so we expect to see it tonight.

as ever for the UCLA Bruins on floor. Michelle Conway and Allysa Beckerman are dancing to some really nice tunes. Bama has now moved to the balance beam for final warm-ups. Sterner, Barrington, Hrozek, Martinez, Pickens, Rice, Byrd, and Tomasek are getting the majority of reps.

bar routine is very fluid but she is separating her legs during transition moves, so we will look to see if she can clean this up during competition. Brion is ON! Her pike 1/2 is looking better and better each week.

warm up pike with a 1/2 twist lacked repulsion off the horse, due to mis-placement of the hands. Likewise Kristin Sterner's, her hands almost missing the front of the vault. Alexis Brion however just boomed her pike 1/2 twist and it is there! Good landing on Hrozek's front pike.

just threw a pike 1/2 twist vault and stood it up beautifully (great toe point as well). Great front pike by Lauren Holdefer as well. Kristin Sterner is looking good, throwing a front pike first before the pike 1/2 twist. Andree looks strong on the vault as well.

first up is Jeana Rice, followed by Andree Pickens, Stephanie Kite, Raegan Tomasek, Lauren Holdefer, Kristin Sterner, Alexis Brion, Erin Holdefer, Shannon Hrozek, Alexa Martinez and Whitney Morgan!

UCLA will have Doni Thompson, Malia Jones, Yvonne Tousek, Onnie Willis, Kristin Parker, Jamie Dantzscher and Jeanette Antolin warm up.

going to have Jeana throw her pike full in one more time before the ladies move to the beam and vault. She nails it without spotting from Bryan. The team is now in a huddle prior to moving to the next warm ups (perhaps Sarah is giving them extra encouragement to make the most of the remaining practice time). Line ups are also being checked with the team by David Patterson for bars and floor.

was experiencing some difficulty on her full turn in to the Gienger release move but finally got it down with encouragement from Coach David Patterson and additional reps. Jeana Rice may not be ready to throw her full in tonight; the double pike might be thrown instead as her opening pass. Andree is dancing through her floor routine and gets a hearty cheer from the early arriving fans. Nice front through to a double twist from Stephanie Kite. Jeana just threw her pike full in, so maybe we will see it tonight after all! Yowza!

exercise mat while UCLA has Kristin Parker and Malia Jones warming up on the vault. Kristin Sterner is warming up on floor as well and has her left ankle wrapped.

beam UCLA has Doni Thompson, Malia Jones, Alyssa Beckerman, Valarie Velascoe and Kristin Parker warming up. On vault, Yvonne Tousek, Jamie Dantzscher, Michelle Conway, Jeanette Antolin and Onnie Willis are warming up. Great routine on bars just thrown by senior Raegan Tomasek!

from Coleman Coliseum on the campus of the University of Alabama. We are watching the UCLA Bruins warm up on vault and balance beam while our Tiders are rotating on the uneven bars. Alexa Martinez has added a half turn into her reverse Hecht (Tkatchev)and got an extra high five from her coaches for her efforts. Kristin Maloney is standing right in front of PBAs as she helps the UCLA coaches move the mats back and forth. Kristin Sterner is working the bars confidently, followed by Jeana Rice.