expect that we will be able to log on in between the rotations. Bama will know by next week whether they are in the afternoon or evening session. We will see you in two weeks from Los Angeles, California. Roll Tide and goodnight from Corvallis, Oregon.

they do advance to their 22nd NCAA championship, which is what they came this far for. The problems Mari and Dana had on the bars did not show up during long or short warm-ups, it was just a miss on their respective release moves during the heat of the competition. Kudos to the Sooners for their consistent performance across all four events. They win this one by .200.

Sixth: Cal State Fullerton

Fifth: California Golden Bears

Fourth: Boise State

Third: OSU

Second: Alabama

First: Oklahoma

Jeana is in first and Shannon in fourth.

Vault: Ashley Miles and Ashley Cooney win, followed by OSU's two gymnasts in third and Alabama's Hrozek, Rice and Brion in fifth.

Bars: Brittany is tied for fifth with lots of gals, Ashley in third and in first Kasie Tamayo with Jeana Rice and Shannon Hrozek.

Beam: No Tide gals in this honor line-up though we did see a 9.875 from Michelle Reeser.

Floor Exercise: Shannon Hrozek, Mari Bayer in fourth and Jeana in 2nd and Ashley Miles in first with a 9.950.

place trophy here at the West Region.

We just learned that Coach Sarah Patterson is the "Coach of the Year" for the Central Region. Congratulations!

on the lower bar transition and has one step on the full in dismount. She receives a 9.90. Bama finishes on bars with a 48.775 and a 196.900 to Oregon State's 196.850 and OU's 197.100.

So we will have to count Dana Filetti's score of a 9.250. Jeana Rice must be brave. Let's go leader!

nails her dismount of a double layout.

on her Gienger release by trying to catch it in Endo grip (backwards) and if it was not for David Patterson she would have had a very bad fall. We're just kidding but she did end up with her back to the bars on that move. Scary to behold. Ashley Miles is next and we need a big time performance from her.

her giant uprises to handstand positions. She takes one balancing step on the double front dismount but what distance! She receives a 9.850.

and is perfection! All uprises to perfect handstand positions, an awesome Gienger release and a super stuck dismount! Boy we needed that to start us off well for a 9.90.

from hopefully a big victory. Yell loudly Bama Nation!

147.500 heading into the final rotation on vault.

a Yurchenko 1/1 for a 9.950. Tandy of Oklahoma vaults a Hristakieva but takes a lunging step or two forward on the landing and receives a judges' conference because Oklahoma's assistant coach is furious and flings his hand at their initial scores in disgust. She receives a 9.725 and the team has a total of 49.175, for an ending total of 197.075.

Oklahoma's LaBarr vaults a front tuck with a 1/2 (9.90 start value) and walks out of it after initially appearing to land it pretty well. Cox vaults a Yurchenko 1/1 and lands it way too close to the vault for comfort for a 9.775. Tamayo vaults a pike 1/2, also too close with some leg separation enroute, one step on the landing to the side to balance for a 9.800.

Oklahoma. OSU's first girl on floor opens with front tumbling pass (front handspring-front full-front layout?). Second pass is also front tumbling as is her third pass (front-front full-front tuck). There is supposed to be a deduction for that so we'll see. The OSU crowd loves it regardless.

the Sooners. Oklahoma will move to the vault for their final event and then will have to wait in rotation six to see how Alabama and OSU do. This is their opportunity to put the pressure on both teams by finishing up as strong as possible. They have a running score of 147.90 to Alabama's 148.125.

before returning on the uneven bars to close things out. The Tide must be brave and post six strong scores to ice this one. They will be the last team the judges see on the bars, so the opportunity is there for a great team score. CONFIDENCE!

Alexis vaults the front pike 1/2 and also bunny hops back. She receives a 9.90. Ashley Miles vaults the Yurchenko 1/1, her left foot shifting back on the landing slightly. Awesome height and distance for a 9.950.

Beautiful form in the air. Way to go!

don't know it's the pinball. It's there and then it's gone, she moves so fast and twists and saltos with such perspicacity.

The pinball gal is through her vault, one step back on the landing.

Very nice form in the air, good height and distance as well. She receives a 9.90.

vault before Alabama can begin.

98.625. Bama needs to be strong on the vault and kick those scores up even higher. Let's hear a mighty roll tide across the nation for our team. Shannon Hrozek is up first.

Mohini Bhardwaj, including face and tiny frame.

score considering. We have very limited view of the floor with our placement on media row so we missed that. It occurred on her first pass where she appeared to lift her foot up and back to balance the landing.

was wrong. The judges are pulling the score sheets around to verify. If this score stands, UA has a running total of 98.625 and will be in first place as they move to the vault in rotation four.

Alexis Brion had a score of 9.95, 9.90, 9.85 and the fourth judge we could not see. We will check the official score sheet when it comes around because we cannot figure out how they ended up with a 9.800 unless she had a technical deduction we did not detect.

Meanwhile, Ashley Miles is throwing the routine of her life (she has done this several times, we know) but the OSU crowd claps loudly as she nails the first pass (in between their routines on the beam), the second and the third.

the double tuck (too much airtime?). Second pass is perfect. Now for some boogeying as only Brion can deliver. Big smile and a perfect landing of the final double tuck. The coaches embrace her with hugs.

pass of the piked full in. Her second pass is landed beautifully and she will finish with a whip through to a 2 1/2 pass. Yahoo!

Her second pass is two front layouts, landed nicely but whipped a bit. She is selling the dance well, making contact with the judges along the way. She will finish with a double tuck, landed perfectly! Awesome timing on that last dance move as well. Roll Tide!

judges with her elegant dance and leaps. She finishes with a double twist, one step back and a little off balance but she finishes with elan. Just stand 'em up!

landing!

large step back. She completes the second pass (two front layouts) and will finish with a double tuck, nicely landed!

in front of their parents tonight on the floor. We are about ready to roll.

has a black inlay with sequins outlining the design.

the floor with their 3:30 minute touch.

running total of 98.55. Alabama will now return to the floor in rotation three. Hopefully the Tide will post some of their own HIGH scores. Roll Tide!

Tamayo gets a 9.925 for her beam routine. Kristin Cox is up last for the Sooners. She falls on her flight series, a difficult bhs-two footed layout to layout-stepout. She fell on the third element.

for her bars routine and Ricioli is now finishing up with a double front, landed a little close to the bar. Yowee.

creep up. Anderson gets a 9.875 for a solid routine. LaBarr just threw a running punch front and now a flight series of bhs-layout. Oklahoma is looking very confident. LaBarr looks a little like Elise Ray from the side.

crowd. Anderson of Oklahoma just completed her routine with confidence, dismounting with a gainer full twist off the side of the beam.

of OSU gets a 9.725 for her bars routine.

trip to Nationals. We hope Bama will be meeting them there. The second rotation is about to commence. OSU's first gymnast up on the uneven bars received a 9.75 (Videan).

Cal State Fullerton on the floor and California on the vault.

of the tape.

The Tide comes away with a 49.150. They will go out on a bye in the second rotation. Oklahoma has a 49.125 on the bars, having to count a 9.725 but having Tamayo score a 9.90 and two other gymnasts a 9.850.

We think they may have deducted a bit on the flight series as she threw the front aerial and hesitated a bit as she moved into the bhs to Korbut. Jeana Rice is through her flight series and yet bent at the waist to balance. Rest of routine was super, including the double twist dismount. Bama is through the toughest event with flying colors. The scores (as we saw at SECs) are traditionally tighter on the first rotation's events.

ends of the beam. Her switch leap to straddle is perfect and she compliments this with a Yang Bo leap and ANOTHER wolf to straddle combination! She dismounts with a gainer back pike, stuck!

up (windmilled a few times even) and taking a step on her dismount and landing the punch front a little deep. Shannon Hrozek is through her flight series (perfect). However, she throws the switch leap and lands it a bit two-footed, without adding a wolf, so that will be a deduction. She completes the wolf to straddle and the hitch kick to sheep jump. She dismounts with a double twist, one step on the landing. She receives a 9.800.

She is now dancing and will throw the switch leap to wolf, a half turn with leg poised for emphasis. She throws the punch front and another leap series of a switch leap to split side. She dismounts with a gainer back pike, one tiny step on the landing.

She throws a 3/4 wolf, one leg lifted, but she stays on. Perfect bhs to layout. A perfect wolf to Korbut. She now throws the switch leap to wolf, some work down onto the beam and dismounts with a perfect gainer back pike, no step on the landing. Boy is she glad to get that one out of the way. Only one flaw in this routine, as noted earlier.

She is through her flight series with panache, followed by her switch leap to wolf. Another switch leap to straddle combination, the full turn and now the dismount, a bhs to full twist, nailed!

By the way, Coach Sarah Patterson is wearing a buttercream pantsuit that looks very chic.

Michelle, Rachael, Alexis, Shannon, Mari, Jeana going. Mari just looked terrific on her switch leap to straddle jump combination.

Alabama is wearing their 2003 SEC outfit, the deep cranberry velveteen with a silver wave contrasted by sheer netting on the arms and upper bodice. California is wearing a shiny cobalt blue with a tiny yellow "Cal" embroidered on the upper bodice. Oklahoma is wearing solid white with deep maroon sleeves. Cal State Fullerton is dressed in a deep blue outfit with tangerine stripes on the upper left shoulder.

they march over to receive their order from the head judge. Bama is ready to go!

the fans. The judges tonight are composed according to NCAA rules as follows:

6 from the West Region

2 each from the remaining five regions (total of 10)

A final total of 16 judges will be on the floor tonight. The meet director is a West Region judge.

with fantastic skills and they will be showcasing them tonight.

and final rotation for long warm-ups commences. Then we will be getting ready for some terrific gymnastics.

return in the sixth rotation on the uneven bars. OSU will be on the floor exercise in rotation five, Oklahoma on the vault (their final event), California on the beam and Cal State Fullerton on the bars.

Bee Comeaux follows with her own strong version of the vault we have now nicknamed "The Pinball" because she literally shoots through this vault reminiscent of a pinball with all sorts of twists and turns along the way. How she ends up standing defies our comprehension. It's technically a Yurchenko 1/2 on-front tuck-with a 1/2 tuck off.

as is Dana Filetti (Yurchenko full on back pike off).

her initial vault runs while Shannon Hrozek just threw a solid Yurchenko 1/1. Dana Pierce seems to be getting better stretch on her vault as well (Y-1/1), executing it with greater height and distance as a result.

four. On the balance beam is Boise State and on the floor is Oklahoma. California rounds out the four teams on the uneven bars during this rotation. Alabama's vault line-up looks to be the same from SECs, Shannon Hrozek, Dana Filetti, Brittany Comeaux, Jeana Rice, Alexis Brion and Ashley Miles. Dana Pierce, Lauren Holdefer and Johnna Gay will be in the back-up spots in case someone gets the heebie jeebies. Ashley just vaulted a beautiful Yurchenko 1/1, sticking it cleanly.

difficult skills on the balance beam (round off layout mount, side somi).

during the long warm-up. OSU is on the beam while Oklahoma is on a bye. Boise State is on the bars and Cal State Fullerton is on the vault.

long warm-up. From watching practice yesterday we observed the following line-up for floor: Lauren Holdefer, Mari Bayer, Shannon Hrozek, Jeana Rice, Alexis Brion, and Ashley Miles. Stephanie Kite is in the seventh spot, followed by Dana Pierce in case one or two of the first six do not warm up to the satisfaction of the coaches.

followed by #10 Oregon State and #15 Oklahoma. California, Cal State Fullerton and Boise State were the remaining eligible teams from the West Region to qualify but they are unranked nationally. Despite this we saw some excellent skills on the uneven bars and floor exercise by several gymnasts from the California team especially during practice on Friday, so the competition will still be fairly strong.

(long warm-ups). This apparatus is right smack in front of us, so the pressure is on PBAs right from the beginning. The floor is to our left, the bars to our far right and the vault to our far left. Gill Coliseum is a very compact arena, painted in black and orange for the home team, the Beavers of Oregon State. The local paper predicted this morning that approximately 4500 fans are expected for this regional meet.

and will return on the floor exercise in rotation three.

where the Crimson Tide has just finished their first long warm-up, on the balance beam, and they look wonderful! Each gymnast has that intense, focused look that we need to see at this time of the season.