NCAA National Championships in Auburn, Alabama. Bama wins it with a final of 196.675 to Iowa State's 195.625 and both advance to the Championships. Roll Tide and goodnight from Coleman Coliseum.

especially on the floor. Not quite 10,000 but we'll try to get a final number for you shortly.

by the radio crew and they have huge smiles on their faces. Michelle came through big on the floor exercise and was just a little wobbly on one series on her balance beam.

On the floor exercise, Ashley Miles took first place with a 9.95 and Terin Humphrey took third with a 9.90 (Janet Anson took second with a 9.925).

On beam, Rachel Tarantino of Auburn took first with a 9.90 and Julie Dwyer had a 9.875. Terin Humphrey had a 9.85 for third.

Final Team Rankings:
192.375 Utah State
192.500 Kent State
193.325 Kentucky
194.800 Auburn
195.625 ISU
196.675 Alabama

6th: Julie Dwyer
4th: Shannon Hrozek and Erin Dethloff
2nd: Terin Humphrey
1st: Ashley Miles

6th: (9.800) Krystle Cook (KY), Laura Powell (ISU), Ashley Alden (ISU)
5th: (9.825) Kaylin Scheck (Ohio State)
1st: (9.850) Aimee Goheen (Auburn), Erin Dethloff (ISU), Terin Humphrey (UA) and Ashley Miles (UA)

Vault:

5th (9.85) Lucy Burgin (Kentucky), Terin Humphrey (UA), Brittany Comeaux (UA)
2nd (9.875) Janet Anson (ISU), Alexis Brion (UA), Shannon Hrozek (UA)
1st (9.925) Ashley Miles (UA)

the year and D-D Breaux the coach of the year. Her assistants are also named as the "assistants of the year" in this region, a sweep for the Tigers.

meet director. This will include the all around top scores, the individual winners on each event and the final team scores. Bama's head coach, Sarah Patterson, is being interviewed by the radio crew and she looks very happy and relaxed that it's over and the Tide is advancing to their 23rd NCAA championships.

northeast regional (LSU a 197.100 score and Oklahoma somewhere in the 195 range). Florida and Georgia from the southeast regional, Bama and Iowa State from the central regional. Utah is in the lead in their regional despite two falls on the beam and the second place is a struggle between BYU and Oregon State.

regional crown this year with a 196.675. It looks also like Ashley Miles and Terin Humphrey came in first and second in the all around respectively. More to follow.

deal with a stuck full twisting layout dismount as the final competitor for the Cyclones. So they will finish second to the Tide and advance to the NCAA.

Julie Dwyer of Auburn receives a 9.800 for her Hristakieva vault, one hop forward on the landing but nice height.

two large steps to her right on the landing for a 9.600. Kayce Stein has trouble on her pike 1/2 twist, landing it low and forward but she stood it up after struggling in warm-ups. She receives a 9.650.

Powell of ISU receives a 9.800 for her bars routine.

on the pike 1/2 twist and lands it bent at the waist as well for a 9.675.

Alden receives a 9.800 on the bars for ISU. Powell is through her first release move but struggled a bit on the transition to the low bar but stands up the dismount.

very close to the vault. She receives a 9.625 as a result. Danielle Holtz throws the double twist vault and takes two steps on the landing and lands it off center unfortunately.

Lasher of ISU receives a 9.775 for her bars routine and Alden is doing an excellent job, though she lands the double tuck with separated legs and bends at the waist to try and stick the landing. She is happy regardless.

routine by Oiness. The second routine is more difficult (Katie Lasher) and she also dismounts with a double tuck, one step on the landing.

ISU is up on the bars and the Kacey Oiness is through her routine, which is without a major release but she stands up a double tuck out of a full turn, one step back.

as she raises her arms. Crowd loves it for a 9.925 and the Tide will finish with a 196.675. We'll wait to see how the other teams do in the final rotation.

senior from Virginia Beach, Virginia. She vaults the front pike 1/2 twist. Tiny hop back for Alexis, an awesome vault for a final score of 9.875.

hop back) and Terin just nailed her Yurchenko 1/2 on - front pike - 1/2 off (pike out) and should score well (9.850).

Brittany Comeaux! The judges got the start value mixed up and the coaches cleared it up quickly. It's from a 10. She receives a 9.850.

Stein of Auburn landed low and forward on her final pass on the floor and may have touched down (one score was a 9.200).

Hrozek receives a 9.875!

Way to start it senior!

Nice practice vault by Kaitlin White of the Yurchenko 1/1, stuck it cold. Bama has to get 3 touches on the vault before this competition will start. The other three events have already started.

are pretty much out of contention at this point despite having another rotation on the floor after they sit out a bye in rotation five. Iowa State is on a bye now and will collect their thoughts as well before finishing on the bars in rotation six. Auburn is up on floor while Bama is on the vault, their final event.

easily passing Iowa State, which had problems on the vault. We'll have totals for you shortly.

layout, awesome. Second pass is solid (front-front full-front layout). Groovin with the Ten Troupe is next and then she moves into the final pass, awesome double pike, I mean awesome! Crowd is back on their feet! She receives a 9.950.

double pike and the front-front full-front tuck. She will finish with a double tuck, bent softly at one knee on the landing forward but she stands it up ably and completes the rest of the routine. Wow! Great energy in here tonight. She receives a 9.800.

She opens with a superb pike full in followed by a 2 1/2 twist to punch front (awesome) and she dances gracefully before finishing with another awesome pass of the 1 1/2 to a 2 1/2. The crowd is determined to stay on their feet until she is rewarded suitably, and she is!
9.90 for Humphrey.

Reeser, who nails her opening double pike! Front-front-front full nailed on a dime. Now some boogeying from the Louisiana gal and she will finish with a front-front 1/2 to a layout-stepout, perfect! Crowd is on their feet cheering her on. Thank you senior!

her opening double pike (what height!). She follows with a solid front through to a Rudi (1 1/2 twist). Groovy dancing to the clapping of the Ten Troupe. Really selling it to the judges. She finishes with a solid front-front full to a front pike. Way to go! Let's build up those scores big time.

and follows up with a front-front full-front pike, nicely done! She finishes with a solid double tuck and salutes the judges with a huge smile. Whoosh! Much better than SECs. We love you Shannon!

Million Dollar Band. Lots of fans are dancing in the aisles.

ISU: 97.950
Alabama: 97.875
KY: 97.50
AU: 97.400

Utah State to the bars and Kentucky to the balance beam.

job for the Tigers. Punch front but she takes two tiny hops forward on her front tuck full dismount. She receives a 9.90 and Dwyer a 9.875 later for a confident routine highlighted by two layouts and a punch front. Auburn has a 97.400 running score and made up considerable ground on the beam. However, they go on a bye and the Tide is moving to their two strongest events, floor and vault.

flight series (shoulder drop and a leg lift) but she nails the running front tuck dismount. She receives a 9.700.

(Rachel Parker). Auburn's Shanna Somero is through her beam routine with no major problems. She receives a 9.800 and Burgin of Kentucky a 9.725 on the bars.

Kayce Stein has a few problems on the beam and dismounts with a double twist, two steps back (including a scoot).

97.875 Alabama
96.750 USU
48.775 ISU
48.750 Kentucky
48.275 Auburn
47.500 Kent State

Kentucky on the bars and Kent State on the vault.

Bama has a conservative beam score of 48.950 despite throwing lots of difficulty and only having small glitches here and there. The Tide now has a running score of 97.875 and will retire to the locker room for the third rotation.

as a single element and then the bhs-layout-stepout. Perfect switch leap to Omeliantchik (held that split for about 5 seconds with the crowd cheering loudly) and she stands up the double tuck this week, one small foot check on the landing. Yahoo!

Her final score is a 9.800.

Mari Bayer is now on the beam, backwards head roll, followed by the front aerial to the back handspring to Korbut. Nice side leg split scale and the switch 1/2 is landed just a little bent at the shoulders and knees. The rest of the routine is solid, including the switch leap to straddle to wolf combination and a stuck gainer reverse pike off the end of the beam. Crowd back on their feet!

Julie Dwyer receives a 9.625.

Hrozek received a 9.750 so the judges are taking off for significant breaks at the waist or shoulders. Ashley Miles is now on the beam and so far is doing very well. Flight series of gainer back handspring to layout-stepout is right on and she also throws a new skill, a Korbut swingdown. The crowd is thrilled with this move. She dismounts with a double tuck, one step back and the crowd is on their feet. Huge smiles and hugs from her coaches!

She receives a 9.350.

Reeser gets a 9.650 (bend at waist really cost her) and Shannon Hrozek is now through her flight series and the switch leap to wolf. She has a bobble on the sheep jump (out of a hitch kick) and has to bend at the shoulder and lifts a leg but stays on. She nails the double twist dismount! Yes!

the Tigers. Danielle Holtz experiences some problems on her dismount and breaks form but stands it up.

Tide fans are not happy with Rachael's score but we have the judges remain pretty tight on the beam all year. A 9.725 is a great start.

Michelle Reeser is now up for the Tide. She is tentative on her flight series of the bhs-layout and bends at the waist. She then completes a wolf to Korbut and another switch leap to wolf. Keep focusing! Nice switch leap to two straddle leaps. She dismounts with a bhs to gainer full twist, nails the landing!

wolf full and the flight series is just perfect: bhs-layout-stepout. Nice wolf to Korbut and the side switch leap has one leg lifted on the landing to balance. She dismounts with a stuck gainer reverse pike. Nice start! Let's build those scores up Bama.

3 minute touch warm-up. We need lots of concentration and determination tonight on this event from our gals.

After 1st Rotation:
Alabama: 48.925
ISU: 48.775
KY: 48.750
USU: 48.100

Kent State is wearing a dark blue with gold stripes contrasting their leo on the bodice and arms.

and they will be cheering their gals on the bars while the Tide is on the beam. Interesting! Will the Tide be intimidated by Aubie?

waiting for the scores from the other events. There are several individual qualifiers that are rotating around with each of the teams and they are finishing up their routines.

Judges for tonight:
Vault: Kathy Feldman, Marian DeWane, Debbie Campbell and Amy Diuguid
Bars: Carol Balenud, Judy Grenfell, Tina Paulos and Rebecca Callaway
Beam: Alice Childers, Lorraine Duffy, Barb Giulivo and Carol Smitherman
Floor: Yvonne Hodge, Kathy Kuhn, Beth Renwick and Patricia Boudreaux

for the Cyclones in this rotation. Bama will move directly to the balance beam in rotation two before going out on a bye.

1/2 turn to Khorkina and the double layout (smallest of shuffles) and the crowd again is on their feet. She receives a 9.850 and more booing is heard from the crowd.

Mari Bayer earlier received a 9.750 for her bars routine. Let's see if the judges remain as conservative with the teams that follow on this event.

Ashley Miles just rocked her routine and nailed the landing and the crowd is on their feet. The judges give her a 9.850 and the crowd is booing like banshees! The rafters are shaking they are just that loud.

Mari Bayer completes her pike Jaeger and a double front out of a full turn, one step back on the landing. Yowza!

Awesome Gienger and a double front Arabian, one foot back on the landing. Shannon Hrozek receives an incredibly conservative 9.750.

9.600, 9.650, 9.700. Now that routine was much better than a 9.675.

Shannon Hrozek completes a super routine, including the Gienger release and nails the dismount with both rotations above the high bar! But wait for the scores.

Brittany Comeaux will start for the Tide. She is through her Tkatchev and stands up the double front Arabian but legs were slightly separated on the landing and she bent forward to hold the stick.

Kacey Oiness of Iowa State fell on her flight series.

the big-time moves we love to see (Khorkina).

Kaitlin White will vault tonight in place of Dana Filetti.

Mari Bayer will go on bars and the balance beam but will be replaced on the floor by Michelle Reeser.

They are wearing a cranberry velveteen with sheer cranberry netting on the shoulders. These are highlighted by criss-cross diagonal lines of sequins that really stand out.

Kentucky is dressed in a velveteen shocking blue marine with their contrasting black and white stars at the upper right shoulder and the lower left hip (this outfit is about three years old and really stands out per Tommy Deas of the Tuscaloosa News).

Iowa State is dressed in the shiny red and white with abstract waves contrasting down the middle (like an art deco painting). Utah State is dressed in solid black and will start on the floor exercise.

to our left similar to Alabama's normal entrance but instead of the word BAMA, it says NCAA in bright blue and white lights.

Bama is introduced first and the crowd is on their feet as they walk past the Ten Troupe and high five the fans.

Auburn is introduced next, followed by Iowa State, Kent State (a small but loud group of family and fans right behind us), Kentucky, and Utah State.

Just spotted Merritt Booth and her baby in the audience.

It's showtime!

cheering in the outlying areas, waiting to enter the arena. Everyone inside the arena is silent as they watch the maneuvers of the Honor Guard. The National Anthem will be next.

Now they are in a straight diagonal line on the floor mat as they throw their rifles in sychronization.

crowd and one of the participants just happens to be Terin Humphrey's brother! What a great surprise. The crowd is absolutely silent as they go through their maneuvers with their rifles. Wonder how they are at gymnastics?

higher numbers from earlier in the season. Bama finished 2nd to Utah for regular season attendance, Georgia in third. International Gymnast magazine will be covering these three teams and their ability to attract huge crowds to NCAA gymnastics in April's issue so be sure and look for it at Barnes & Nobles or Books A Million.

Karmen Pickney will go for the Yurchenko 1/1.

sit out her vault warm-up but she did do floor and vault during long warm-ups today. It would take more than a toenail to keep the senior All American out of the line-up.

and we are now in rotation number six, where Bama will sit out on a bye and Kent State (beam), Kentucky (floor), Auburn (vault) and Iowa State (bars) will have their final competition.

here in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We will be commenting live tonight since the NCAA will not be having restrictions for the regionals despite what was earlier thought. So sit back with your glass of sweet tea and get ready for some awesome gymnastics.

test