Stephanie's last home meet. Let's send them out in great Crimson Tide fashion. Roll Tide and goodnight from Coleman Coliseum.

The Tide was a bit tentative on the balance beam and took a few too many steps on the floor exercise, giving vital .05 and .10 away on several routines. It came down to that as we knew it would. Let's congratulate the Gymdawgs for coming in not totally healthy yet coming away with an impressive victory despite this. Alabama knows they let this one slip away after a very impressive performance on the vault (49.675) and uneven bars (49.425) but the little glitches here and there can be easily taken care of in time for SECs and Regionals.

So the Georgia Gymdawgs win by .275.

Alabama football coach, Mike Shula, is presenting the post-meet awards as follows:

Vault: 1st: Brion (9.975), 2nd: Miles (9.950), Rice (9.950), Stephens (9.950)

Bars: 1st: Cory Fritzinger (9.950), 2nd: Mari Bayer (9.925) and Ericksen (9.925), 3rd: Rice (9.90)

Beam: 1st: Rowe (9.925) and Smith (9.925), 2nd: Byrd (9.875) and Kupets (9.875)

Floor: 1st: Stephens (9.950), 2nd: Rice (9.925) 3rd Ericksen (9.90), Byrd (9.90) and Pierce of UA (9.90).

wait a good while for the judges to finalize their score on floor for Brion. She receives a 9.925 and that will seal the victory for the Dawgs. Meanwhile, over on the floor, Coach Patterson has inserted sophomore Dana Pierce on the floor for Ashley Miles since there is no way the Tide can mathmatically win this one and Dana Pierce just threw a terrific routine! She receives a 9.90!

crowd has gotten itself into a shouting match (ROLL TIDE ROLL versus UGA UGA). Kinsey Rowe will be the last gymnast up on the beam while Alabama will have Ashley Miles on floor. The crowd is profusely booing the score of Brion (9.775) and she must have left out some element that we cannot determine, as obviously her score value went down from a 10. Again there was not a problem on any of her landing of the skills but we think she may have changed her second pass in some way as to not get total credit.

needs to do and finishes very strong with a double tuck. Smith received a 9.925 for her beam routine, finishing with a double tuck, small hop on the landing only.

a front-front full-front punch. She finishes well with a whip to a double full. Ericksen receives a 9.80 for her beam routine because she had a slight balance check on her flight series and stepped out of her dismount awkwardly. Otherwise a solid routine. Brittany Smith is through her flight series and the switch leap combination.

has thrown this in Coleman Coliseum (new music and choreography).

her floor routine. That does seem low considering she had no significant problems with any of her passes. Oh well. Kupets received a 9.875 for her beam routine. Told you they had confidence on the beam!

series of a bhs-layout. She throws two switch leaps.

Stephanie Kite is through her E tumbling with beautiful form. Her second pass (front-front full-front tuck) is complete and she will finish with a front through to a round off whip 1/2 to layout-stepout. Byrd received a 9.875 for her beam routine.

She dismounts with a back tumbling sequence to a double tuck, one step back on the landing.

and a roar from the crowd. She completes her second front tumbling pass (two front layouts) with no trouble and the crowd encourages her on the final pass, a double tuck with two steps back on the landing. Emmons received a 9.800 for her beam routine.

on the balance beam. Two layouts completed like clockwork. A punch front thrown with one leg lifted to balance. Two straddle jump combination and she will dismount with a front twist (1/1 or 1 1/2?), one step back.

new song, so that's got to be a good omen. Let's pick it up Tide!

So Georgia has passed the Tide and leads by .175. Georgia is always confident on the beam and we will need to put the pressure on early with big scores from our opening gals. Let's go Bama!

layout onto the beam. She throws a 3/4 wolf and a switch leap to a split 1/2 combination. Nice flight series of the gainer bhs to a two-footed layout. She dismounts with a gainer full twist off the side of the beam. Byrd received a 9.90 for her floor routine so Georgia has a total on the floor of 49.500 and is leading the Tide now, who lost ground on the balance beam. Let's see if they can make up for it on the floor. Time for the YMCA Dads!

rather low landing forward but she stood it up.

and a total of 49.150 on the beam. Marline Stephens received a 9.95 for her floor routine.

close out for us. We need a big score Florida gal!

pike.

and her leap series and will dismount with a gainer back pike as well. Smith receives a 9.875 for her floor routine so apparently she was able to stay in bounds on that second pass. Marline Stephens opens with a tuck full in, landed well.

opening with a whip through to a double pike, very nicely done. She received a 10 at home last week for this routine. It looks like she almost stepped out of bounds on her second pass (front tumbling) and the crowd goes "OOHHHHHH". Did the judges notice? She finishes with a double tuck. Cool routine.

is through her flight series beautifully but hesitates on the switch leap to wolf and that will definitely be a deduction. She completes the gymacro series well and the hitch kick to sheep jump. She dismounts with a double twist and nails the landing! Yes!

Ericksen opens with a high double pike but landed it buckled a bit and had to step back quickly to save her balance. Nice dance throughout including a full turn with leg extended. She ends with a front handspring to front full to front tuck.

She throws the switch leap wolf combination very nicely and the bhs-two-footed layout (bent over at the shoulder). Running side switch leap looks terrific and she lands the round off to gainer full twist very well. Whooosh!

double layout. She is dancing to Shania Twain music. Delahoussaye gets a 9.825 for her beam routine. Bama is giving vital tenths aways and must kick it up big time. Emmons finishes with a double pike but takes two hops in place on the landing (jammed it).

followed by a gorgeous wolf to Korbut combination. She hesitates on the switch leap and has to throw a wolf to sissone leap as a replacement leap series. She finishes with a stuck gainer back pike dismount.

received a 9.825 for her beam routine.

and front tumbling (front, front full, front tuck) and ending with a double full.

All eyes are on her as she throws a perfect flight series of bhs-layout-Korbut. Switch leap to wolf combination looks very elegant as does the work down on the beam. She will also throw a very nifty switch leap to straddle leap before dismounting with a gainer bhs to full twist, again fighting for that landing like last week and having to bend forward to maintain it. Argh!

until Bama can get to the floor and shine with their own brand of boogey magic.

have been earned by the Dawgs and Tide so far.

while Georgia has a 49.525 on the vault and a running score of 98.925.

completed her fantastic routine for a 9.90.

her bars routine, making her handstands, the piked Jaeger release and the double tuck out of a full pirouette. Chelsa Byrd has a check forward on her landing of the Yurchenko 1/1, slightly bent forward as well at the chest. Brittany Smith received a 9.800 for her vault.

She reached her handstands and had one step on the very difficult double front dismount. Brittany takes a step or two forward on her landing of the Hristakieva vault. Kupets got a 9.90 for her vault (Omelianchek) after hopping forward on the landing. Very difficult vault.

Ashley Miles completes her double layout with one step forward but the rest of the routine looked fantastic.

for those handstands this week. One small step on the landing of the double front. Marline Stephens landed her vault, legs split but she was very thrilled and is engulfed by her team mates.

Hrozek's bar score of a 9.875.

Another terrific routine from the Texas native, with pirouetting on top of the bars, a beautiful laid out Gienger release and a stuck double tuck dismount, landed chest high.

a Yurchenko 1/1. She lands is and takes one balance step basically in place.

encouragement on her vault and then Marline Stephens.

their dismounts to pour it on.

Green Day music is being played by the Million Dollar Band, one of our favorites.

Alabama has a vault total of 49.675 to Georgia's 49.400 on the uneven bars.

completed her routine on bars with no problems, nailing her landing of the dismount.

wanting that 10 but though she nailed the landing, the judges are picky tonight and will only give her a 9.95. We will take it!

dismount very well, so this will score very high. Byrd received a 9.85 for her bars.

and again, for the third week in a row, nails it! Will we finally see the 10 this week? Nope, a 9.975, but she is getting there.

bars routine with no significant problems, one step back on the landing of the double layout.

vaulted her Yurchenko full twist on back pike off, one small hop back as she raised her arms in salute. Filetti gets a 9.875, her highest score yet on the vault this year.

just fell on her Tkatchev release. Jeana Rice received a 9.95 for her vault.

smile on her face in response. Her teammates engulf her.

Loren Simpson is now on the bars and is showing very nice form but does not have a major release move. One step on the landing of the double tuck.

Holdefer of Bama just vaulted a front pike 1/2 twist, one small step on the landing to balance. She was a little low at the waist but this is one of her best looking vaults in recent competition.

She vaults a Yurchenko 1/1 and nails it to get us started in the right way. A touch off center but form was spectacular in the air. Ashley Kupets will start the Dawgs off on the bars.

Each gymnast has to have two touches on the vault before this event can commence. We are ready to go.

Georgia is wearing a shiny solid red leo with silver sequins on the arms, bodice and neck areas. Alabama is wearing a new leo of burgundy velveteen and flame-like, silver inlays with a sheer netting on the upper neckline. Lots of silver sequins make them glitter brightly.

Now it's time to party, we mean TUMBLE!

Coach Bryan Raschilla. The flag is now being presented by the ROTC from the University of Alabama while the National Anthem is being sung by the Birmingham Children's Choir.

"Here's the Alabama Crimson Tide!", Tony Giles shouts out.

Brittany Comeaux from Addis, Louisiana

Johnna Gay from Mobile, Alabama

Erin Rightley from Fort Walton, Florida

Meredith Laxton from Papillon, Nebraska

Mari Bayer from San Jose, California

Rachael Delahoussaye from Mandeville, Louisiana

Dana Filetti from Cheasapeake, Virginia

Ashley Miles from San Antonio, Texas

Dana Pierce from Advance, Indiana

Larissa Stewart from Healdton, Oklahoma

Alexis Brion from Virginia Beach, Virginia

Shannon Hrozek from The Woodlands, Texas

Michelle Reeser from Monroe, Louisiana

Lauren Holdefer from Northport, Alabama

Stephanie Kite from Austin, Texas

Jeana Rice from Longwood, Florida

as Axl Rose belts out his whine over the airwaves "WHHOOOOOOOOAAAAHHHHH!" Big Al is now roaring fiercely.

Suzanne Yoculan is wearing a beautiful sequined jacket in multi silver and black along with silk pants. Coach Patterson is decked out totally in black velvet, a chic pantsuit with a sleeveless top.

great gymnasts come back for this awesome event.

to Meredith Willard and Kim Kelly.

us? Kristen Sterner, Andree Pickens, Alexa Martinez and Raegan Tomasek! Roll Tide!

Vault: Ray Lyons and Charity Greene

Bars: Carole Ide and Patty Hannan

Beam: Patty Hannan and Charity Greene

Floor: Ray Lyons and Carol Ide

they are still in the locker room! What excitement! Let's get ready to rumble!

Lauren Holdefer and Stephanie Kite. This meet is the final SEC contest for the Tide and will be against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Let's have a terrific crowd turn-out to send our seniors out in style. They helped the Tide to the 2002 NCAA National Championship, 3 Regional Titles (to date) and the 2003 SEC Championship. Perhaps three more are on their way before their final graduation walk?

The Million Dollar Band is at their best. Seven minutes to showtime and the crowd is already sitting up near the rafters. That's always a good sign that we will approach a sell-out when the lower levels start to fill in completely. Roll Tide.

Vault: Hrozek, Holdefer, Rice, Filetti, Brion, Miles

Bars: Hrozek, Filetti, Miles, Comeaux, Bayer, Rice

Beam: Reeser, Delahoussaye, Pierce, Hrozek, Bayer, Rice

Floor: Holdefer, Kite, Hrozek, Rice, Brion, Miles

Georgia's line-up:

Bars: Kupets, Simpson, Rowe, Byrd, Ericksen, Fritzinger

Vault: Rowe, Ericksen, Stephens, Kupets, Smith, Byrd

Floor: Rowe, Emmons, Ericksen, Smith, Stephens, Byrd

Beam: Emmons, Byrd, Ericksen, Frizinger, Smith, Rowe

dance and entertain the crowd.

and the fans already here are on their feet saluting them with a hearty Roll Tide. Georgia's fans are over to the right and back of us in a small but concentrated mass. Let's have a great meet tonight with hopefully everyone coming out healthy.

moving on to the locker room to prepare for the opening ceremonies.

several gymnasts throwing E level difficulty passes. Filetti (triple full), Rice (piked full in), Miles (double layout), Kite (front double full punch front) while Brion has a difficult whip to double tuck as her opening pass. Holdefer has two double backs (pike and tuck positions) and has thrown four passes in her floor routine over the years. Georgia has Byrd (double layout, full in tuck) and Emmons (double layout) with high difficulty while Marline throws in a whip-bhs to 2 1/2 twist and a double pike in her routine. Brittany Smith throws a whip to bhs to double pike and finishes with a double tuck.

complete their long warm-up. Michelle Emmons will be on this event as well, where she throws two layouts. Georgia has lots of difficulty on the beam this year.

fierce look we're used to right before a UA-UGA brouhaha. The look that says "no mercy".

we see Lauren Holdefer, Dana Filetti, Stephanie Kite, Alexis Brion, Jeana Rice, Shannon Hrozek, Ashley Miles and Dana Pierce.

exhibition tonight. Chelsa Byrd will throw a tucked full in at the end of her floor routine tonight. Ashley Miles is working on that gainer back handspring to two-footed layout, right on.

Hrozek, Pierce, Rice, Delahoussaye, Reeser, Bayer, and Ashley Miles!

is Kinsey Rowe, Brittany Smith, Kelsey Erickson, Ashley Miller, Marline Stephens, Michelle Emmons, Chelsea Byrd and a freshman unknown to us.

we were pleased to see freshman Johnna Gay laying out her Yurchenko 1/1. All the Bama regulars in the vaulting line-up looked very good during their warm-ups. This would include Brion, Miles, Hrozek, Rice, Filetti, Pierce and Lauren Holdefer was especially looking great with her front pike 1/2 twist, reaching incredible altitude.

as we prepare for the annual slugfest between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Tuscaloosa is expecting a big crowd in excess of 13,000 tonight as #1 (Bama) goes toe to toe with #2 (Dawgs). Georgia is warming up on the vault while the Tide has moved to the uneven bars. Bama is warming up Rice, Miles, Hrozek, Comeaux, Filetti, Bayer and Stewart the front-liners with Reeser warming up for an exhibition slot position (Pierce and Brion taking a break this week from the bars).