The Alabama Crimson Tide Gymnastics team certainly left an impression in the coliseum on the campus of the West Virginia Mountaineers last Saturday night. Not only did they garner a season high score of 197.900, which was almost two full points higher than their closest competitor (Minnesota), they also quietly and confidently shattered the NCAA record for team total on the balance beam with a 49.725, in the final rotation.

Bama had a bye in the first rotation. Thanks to the loud cheering of a large contingent of fans who traveled far to support them, the Tide started off strong on the floor exercise in rotation two and never looked back. Steady performances by Stephanie Kite (9.85), Jeana Rice (9.875), and Alexa Martinez (9.85) prepared the way for the dynamic tumbling of Alexis Brion (9.925) and Andree Pickens (9.95). Senior Raegan Tomasek's floor routine was marred only by one step out of bounds following the landing of her double front Arabian (9.725).

Moving to the vault, the Tide was starting off strong once again with Erin Holdefer's front pike (9.825), Raegan Tomasek's pike 1/2 twist (9.80) and Jeana Rice's Yurchenko 1/1 (9.90). Alexis Brion threw her best pike 1/2 twist vault of the season (9.900), followed by Stephanie Kite's version of the same (9.725). Andree Pickens had a slip of the hand on the horse but still managed to pull the vault around in a tuck position for a 9.450.

After sitting out on a bye in rotation four, Bama moved to the uneven bars for rotation five and Jeana Rice set the bar high from the beginning with a stupendous routine (giant half turn, two reverse giants, half turn to Tkatchev release, straddle back to handstand, full in dismount, landed perfectly) for a 9.90. Shannon Hrozek matched this with her best routine of the year, highlighted by a huge Gienger release (9.90). Kristin Sterner struggled a bit with reaching perfect handstands but threw all of her difficulty (full twisting Tkatchev, a Tkatchev, half turn to double front dismount) for a 9.80. Raegan Tomasek had been feeling a bit under the weather prior to this meet but pulled it together for another fine bars set, highlighted by a booming pike Jaeger release and a double front dismount for a 9.85. Natalie Barrington was simply perfection on her pirouettes, inverted giant, a pak salto release and only had a small check on her landing of the double tuck out of a full turn (9.925). Andree Pickens heard lots of oohs and aahs from the crowd as she completed all four major release moves and landed the full in with perfection once again (9.975). You could sense the Tide was building momentum at this moment, they were very focused and confident throughout the bars set.

Finishing on the balance beam, Bama had a golden opportunity to make up for their disappointing performance at the SECs on this event. Raegan Tomasek was as composed as we've ever seen her, throwing big skills with ease, moving from one element to the next without checks and sticking her landing for emphasis (9.925). One judge gave her a 10 without hesitating. Despite being a freshman, Shannon Hrozek followed Raegan's lead with equal aplomb and received a 9.90 for a routine that was marred only by a small step to the left on her landing of the double twist. Alexa Martinez picked it up from there and not only completed her skills without checks (including two Popas, a straddle full and a wolf full) but also drilled her rudi dismount for a 9.95. Jeana Rice was not to be denied, also wanting to make up for her fall at SECs. She replaced her gainer layout with a three leap series for this competition and completed another beautiful flight series (ff, layout, layout) as well as a nifty gymacro series; she took a small hop on her dismount of the double twist (9.95). Kristin Sterner (9.95) and Andree Pickens (9.95) truly iced the cake with a little more difficulty (wolf to standing back pike, double pike dismount; punch front, double tuck dismount respectively).

Alabama will compete in the night session on Thursday, April 18, 2002, against UCLA, Stanford, Florida, Minnesota and Oregon State. They must finish as one of the top three scoring teams in order to advance to the Super Six Finals on Friday, April 19, 2002. Tide fans will need to come out and support the team in a big way. There's nothing like winning a national championship on your home floor in front of 15,000 fans! Roll Tide!