BAMAMELTS WOLVERINES WITH HIGH OCTANE PERFORMANCES

Despite the sub-freezing temperature outside the Crisler Arena on March 12, 2004, the Alabama gymnasts were putting on a performance indoors that warmed the hearts of Crimson Tide and Wolverine fans alike.  And, regardless of the cold weather and the distance from Tuscaloosa, Bama boasted approximately 50 boisterous fans in attendance, led by Russell Moore.  The trip was worth it, as the Tide netted a decisive 197.725 to 197.025 victory over Michigan, sealing a 12-1 regular season record and a #3 national ranking for the week of March 15^th.  Jeana Rice received her second SEC Gymnast of the Week award and is ready to lead her team into the post-season championship run.

Uneven Bars: Team Total: 49.400

Brittany Comeaux (9.825) The freshman from Addis, Louisiana was given the nod to start off the bars rotation this week for the Tide.  She completed another confident routine (full turn to Tkatchev, straddle release to the low bar, double front dismount, stuck) that would have scored higher if she had achieved perfect vertical position on her transition move to the low bar.  She looked terrific in the long warm-ups on bars and vault and we had the impression that she was going to have a solid night of competition.

Ashley Miles (9.875) The sophomore from San Antonio, Texas returned to the bars line-up after a three-week break and looked like she had never left. Just missed perfect vertical position on two of her giant uprises but the rest of the routine was superb (toe-on toe-off, giant full turn to Tkatchev, perfect transition to handstand on the low bar, stuck double layout dismount, incredible distance from the bars).

Shannon Hrozek (9.875) The Woodlands, Texas junior was seeking perfection on her pirouettes and the giant uprises, missing vertical only once in the process.  She threw a beautiful Gienger release and a stuck double tuck out of a ½ turn (slightest bounce in place on the landing).

Dana Filetti (9.825) Handstand mount on the low bar, followed by a toe-on toe-off straddle release to the high bar looked terrific.  Giant uprise to full turn to Gienger release (great height, tight form throughout), handstand transition to the low bar, giant ½ turn (right on top of the bar), double front dismount, one foot check to balance the landing. 

Mari Bayer (9.875) Giant ½ turn to piked Jaeger release, handstand transition to the low bar, giant full turn to double tuck, stuck landing.  Form was excellent as usual.

Jeana Rice (9.950) Inverted giants (2), ½ turn to Tkatchev, handstand transition to the low bar, full in dismount, stuck landing.

Vault:Team Total: 49.600

Shannon Hrozek (9.925) Yurchenko 1/1, stuck cold.  She ripped this vault, no piking down, great distance, and her form in the air was excellent.

Dana Filetti (9.850) Yurchenko full twist on back pike off, a hop back on the landing.  Legs together throughout, nice form in the air.

Brittany Comeaux (9.900) Yurchenko ½ on-front tuck-1/2 tuck off.  She was totally in control of this vault from start to finish, only one foot shifting slightly on the landing. David Patterson leapt into the air to celebrate her success.  This is another vault the coaches were hoping would come through by SECs because it is unique, difficult and will score high when executed correctly.

Jeana Rice (9.925) Yurchenko 1/1.  Stuck cold.  Her usual exemplary form during flight and landing.  Deductions were not clear to us on the replay, it was that good.

Alexis Brion (9.975) Front pike ½ twist. Stuck cold. No obvious form deductions.

Ashley Miles (9.875) Yurchenko 1/1 was landed well but chest was forward, leading her to turn quickly to salute the judges.  Excellent height, form in the air and distance from the vault. 

Floor Exercise: Team Total: 49.475

Shannon Hrozek (9.850) Strong lead-off, opening with a stuck double pike, followed by a front handspring to two front layouts, ending with a double tuck, small step in place on landing.  She did encounter just a little awkward form in the air on her combination jump series (wolf full to straddle full) but was able to control the landings just fine on each. 

Lauren Holdefer (9.850) Opened with a double pike, followed by a front handspring to two front layouts, ending with a double tuck (scoot backwards on one leg to balance landing).  Her leaps and dance moves were more polished this time out, overall presentation was strong.

Dana Pierce (9.875) Super double pike, front handspring to two front layouts, double twist to immediate punch front to close out.  Great dance and presentation as well.  Nice double turn to wolf full combination and a ring leap. She got ahead of the music just a bit after her second tumbling pass and had to improvise a bit before the music shifted.

Stephanie Kite (9.875) Solid opening pass of the front through to a double full punch front, followed by a front-front full-front layout and a final pass that included a layout-step-out.  Strong presentation as well.

Alexis Brion (9.950) She was on target with all three tumbling passes (whip through to a bhs to double tuck and ending with another double tuck). She really sold this routine and the music shifts rhythmically at just the right point, allowing for a choreography shift as well.

Jeana Rice (9.925) Full in pike, landed very well, followed by a front-front full-front pike, ending with a whip to a 2½ twist.  Great confidence displayed throughout this routine. 

Balance Beam: Team Total: 49.250

Michelle Reeser (9.825) She completed this routine with only one glitch during the switch leap to straddle jump combination (stopped after the switch leap and then completed the two straddle jumps without connecting smoothly to the first leap). She had almost an invisible shuffle back of her feet on the landing of her bhs-gainer full twist dismount.

Alexis Brion (9.100) The Virginia Beach, Virginia junior was superb on vault and floor but struggled mightily during long warm-ups on the balance beam and it was therefore not much of a surprise when she fell on the flight series (third element - layout).  She also had a balance check on the punch front later in the routine and took a hop on the landing of the gainer back pike dismount.  Let's hope that more reps will get her to the point where she can be more confident with this routine from start to finish, because it has already scored 9.90 once this year.

Shannon Hrozek (9.850) Talk about pressure, Shannon has been getting lots of it lately on the beam and she has responded very well over the past several weeks.  She had her best routine of the year, nailing all of her flight elements, her leap series (three different combinations) were rock solid, no hesitation at all. Her deduction came on the dismount of the double twist, when she landed it a bit short and had to take one step to the side to check her balance. 

Dana Pierce (9.775) Strong leap series (switch leap to wolf) and her flight series was perfectly executed (two-footed back handspring to layout).  She uncharacteristically had a balance check on the running side split leap (one leg lifted slightly) and took a step forward on the landing of her gainer full twist dismount (out of a round-off).  We're hoping that she will pull it all together in the post-season because this is a routine that can score high if properly executed.

Mari Bayer  (9.850) All elements were executed well but she did encounter a little hesitancy once again on the combination leap series (switch leap-straddle-wolf jump) but it looked better on the replay tape than we had thought originally (i.e. she did not lose connection bonus).  She added a double stag leap before dismounting with a gainer back pike, stuck landing.

Jeana Rice (9.950) Super flight series (bhs-layout-layout) and a small balance check on the wolf full but the rest of the routine was superb, including a stuck double twist dismount, nice distance from the end of the beam.