The Alabama Gymnastics Team decided to get the weekend competition against the Florida Gators started in a decisive fashion by notching another commanding win in front of the home crowd this past Friday Night at Coleman Coliseum. The UA Men's Basketball Team then iced the cake on Saturday afternoon and sent the Gators packing for good. Alabama went 23 for 24 routines and had their finest performance of the season on the balance beam, despite missing seven of their regular routines (Kristin Sterner was out with a sore ankle and Jeana Rice was restricted to one event after a grueling week of exams).

Vault

Freshman Shannon Hrozek has been throwing steady front pike vaults this season and, as a result, was anointed to lead off the Tide on this opening event. She had very nice toe point, extension, and distance and rocked the landing for a 9.775. Deductions likely came for the split leg entry onto the horse. Sophomores Lauren (9.725) and Erin (9.700) Holdefer rocketed their front pikes and were mainly deducted for too much forward progress on the landing. Freshman Alexis Brion threw her pike with a ½ twist with more confidence this week and earned a 9.800 for her awesome height and distance (one hop backwards on the landing). Senior Andree Pickens showed once again that she has mastered the Yurchenko with a full twist, notching another 9.975 (she is now ranked number one in the nation on this event). Sophomore Stephanie Kite threw her first pike with a ½ twist and was rewarded with a 9.675 (took several steps back but stood it up nicely). Bama scored a 48.975 on the vault while Florida was experiencing some difficulties on the uneven bars (redshirt freshman Erinn Dooley fell twice on the same move, a Shaposhnikova). Freshman Orley Szmuch salvaged the event for the Gators with a solid 9.85. Florida had a total score on bars of a 48.950.

Uneven Bars

Moving to one of their strongest events (ranked 1st nationally), Alabama again decided to start off with freshman Shannon Hrozek (9.800 for nice amplitude on the Geinger release and a stuck landing of her double tuck), followed by the reliable sophomore, Tiffany Byrd (a 9.85 for reaching all but one handstand and sticking her dismount as well). The coaches next inserted senior Alexa Martinez in Kristin Sterner's position. What is remarkable about Alexa's performance Friday night is that, in four years of competition at UA, she has never competed a bars routine for the Tide. Her hard effort in fall practices paid off with an impressive debut score of a 9.800. She was mainly deducted for just missing perfect vertical positions on her handstands and taking a hop on her super high and laid out double back. Her toe point and extension, as well as her tight reverse giants, obviously caught the judges' attention. Senior Raegan Tomasek had a really nice routine going as well but unfortunately sat down her double front dismount (9.175). Raegan had a needle handstand position maintained for a full second right before she went into this dismount and perhaps lacked rotation speed as a result, causing her to under-rotate her landing. Senior Natalie Barrington rode to her rescue with a super routine that consists of an inverted giant, a pak salto release and she landed her double tuck dismount chest high out of a full turn on top of the bar for a 9.875. Andree Pickens concluded a strong bars set with a 9.900 performance (she was a little close on her Hindorff release and she just missed one of her handstands by over-extending a bit). The Tide totaled a 49.225 on the bars and had a running score of 98.200. The Gators had a strong Hristakieva vault from Orley Szmuch (9.800) and a super pike with a ½ twist from junior Lindsey Miner (9.900). Florida scored a 48.875 on vault and had a running score of 97.825.

Balance Beam

Alabama was noticeably relaxed yet focused as they moved to the balance beam and it showed in their corresponding performances, going six for six for the first time this year. Raegan Tomasek tried to squeeze every tenth from the judges and performed one of her best routines of the season for a 9.85. Shannon Hrozek followed with her best performance by far (9.825) and her flight series of back handspring, layout, back handspring was absolutely perfect. Tiny balance checks on her hitch kick to immediate sheep jump and her switch leap to wolf jump were the only noticeable deductions. Next, Alexa Martinez and Natalie Barrington performed their best routines of the season as well and yet their parallel scores of 9.775 were rather perplexing. Alexa had a minute balance check after completing her wolf Popa and scooted just a bit on her dismount while Natalie Barrington's routine was flawless until a similar scoot on her landing of the gainer full. Sophomore Jeana Rice matched these performances before but earned a higher score of 9.900 for her beautiful flight series of two layouts, a wolf Popa, a standing gainer and a double twist dismount. Andree Pickens served notice to the Bama Nation that she is just about at 100% confidence level on the beam by performing one of her most elegant routines of the year for a 9.900 as well. Bama's team score on the beam was a 49.250 and their running score was a 147.450. Florida picked up the pace on the floor exercise with solid routines by sophomore Kara Waterhouse (9.875), Lindsey Miner (9.875) and senior Hilary Thompson (9.925). The Gators had a team total on floor of 49.300 and a running score of 147.125.

Floor Exercise

The Tide had a solid lead over the Gators and felt they could increase this even more on their strongest event. Steady Stephanie Kite once again performed at her best and earned a 9.825 from the judges, while Shannon Hrozek sashayed her way to an impressive 9.85 (marred only at the end by a one-footed balance check on her landing of the third pass, a double twist, which in turn delayed her movement into her last dance sequence and caused her to be off her music at the very end). Unfortunately, Alexa Martinez fell on her opening pass of a front through to a double twist but completed the remaining three tumbling passes with great effort and style for a very respectable 9.350. Up next in the hot seat, freshman Michelle Reeser got the house rocking with her electrifying routine to "Devil Went Down to Georgia" and came away with a 9.900. She inserted the front handspring, front layout, front with a half twist, layout, step-out as her final tumbling pass this week, to the delight of the crowd. Hoping to top this performance, another awesome double front Arabian was thrown by Raegan Tomasek and she garnered her highest mark of the season (9.950). This was a gutsy call by the coaches and Raegan after Alexa had fallen earlier. Debuting some new boogie dance moves (as the prelude to her first and second tumbling passes), Alexis Brion was able to easily pull the crowd into her routine. The judges watched her throw a whip through to an awesome double tuck (major hang time once again) and her perfect timing on each dance move was rewarded accordingly (9.95). The Tide finished with a 49.475, a final score of 196.925. The Gators experienced three falls on the beam and were thus unable to match the Tide's final score. Lindsey Miner (9.825) and Erinn Dooley (9.825) had strong routines that led to a beam score of 47.825, with a final total score of 194.950.