champs, the Georgia Bulldogs. Bama loses by a nosehair, 196.575 to UGA's 196.625. The Tide returns to action next Friday, February 17th, here in Coleman, against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Thanks for the magnificent crowd on hand, 14,263. Bama is well on their way to winning the season attendance average for 2006. We hope to see the fans here next week to support our young but improving team. Roll Tide and goodnight from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

tomorrow night to help us raise money for the post-graduate scholarship fund. Come and cast your 100.00 on as many tickets that might be left and you may win 10,000.00.

off the uneven bars and reaching vertical on their handstands. Courtney Priess exhibited tonight and stuck her Arabian double front dismount and hopefully will be back in the line-up soon. Bama has a lot of depth on this event and the coaches are going with their best bets for the highest scores. This sometimes changes week to week.

with their clutch performances on the balance beam after not scoring as well as they had hoped on the uneven bars. This certainly bodes well for the rest of the season. Mari Bayer came through on beam and the Bama crowd was behind her 100%, giving her one of the few standing ovations at the conclusion of her routine.

credit by the judges as a partial explanation for the low score. Sarah noted that this might have been a little harsh but not totally out of the realm for the final score given to Terin because she was a little low on the landing of her punch out of the 2 1/2 twist though she did nail the landing, hence her decision not to challenge the final score.

from her about where that low score on floor came for Terin. Perhaps we missed something. Terin is also on hand to be interviewed.

Vault: Ashley Miles (1st), Courtney Kupets (2nd), Brittany Magee (3rd)
Uneven Bars: Terin Humphrey (1st), Courtney Kupets (2nd) and Kelsey Ericksen (2nd)
Beam: Courtney Kupets (1st), Cassie Martin (2nd) and Katie Heenan (2nd)
Floor: Ashley Miles (1st), Brittany Magee (2nd), Katie Heenan (3rd) and Tiffany Tolnay (3rd)

All Around: Courtney Kupets (1st), Katie Heenan (2nd) Kelsey Ericksen (3rd)

We're not sure why Sarah Patterson did not protest Terin Humphrey's score. That was the difference in this meet clearly. Did the judges reduce her start value because she jammed the landing of a double pike? Inquiring minds want to know.

and the crowd is on its feet but that will not influence the judges. She receives a 9.95 and the crowd is booing profusely. What a great competition. Bama finishes on floor with a 49.200. The gals gave it their all and need to clean up just a bit on their landings to get the maximum scoring on their difficult passes.

very well so far. She may have missed a bonus connection on one leap before moving into a back tuck because she stopped after the first element. She receives a 9.90 regardless. So the Dawgs will win this one.

2 1/2 twist to punch front. She also threw the triple turn right after that opening pass and completed all revolutions without a problem. She finishes with a double pike, a little off the music and a quick salute on the landing. So we know they'll probably deduct for that.

Magee a 9.875 for her floor routine. Not sure what the judges are looking for tonight on floor because that's the most difficult routine out there and she hit all of her passes and leap series.

How do you take .325 off for a double pike landed bent and forward at the waist but nowhere near a fall or touch down? That's one for the video replay.

Magee opens with a 1/2 in 1/2 out, follows up with a stuck whip-whip bhs to double pike, stuck it cold (crowd erupts). She finishes with a front through to a double full, nails it. What will they give this routine? Argh.

receives a 9.575. Childs is up and has a little stumble on her flight series but stays on; beautiful ring leap; full turn, has to lift leg to balance, dismounts with a gainer pike off the end of the beam, stuck.

just nailed her opening double front Arabian! And then comes right back and nails the 2 1/2 twist to punch front, right in front of Bryan Raschilla. Sassy dancing ensues and she will ready for the final pass, a difficult one....double pike, goes for the stick and has to step forward to check her landing, bent at the waist as well but she stood it up. Yowza!

their first two gals up. Tolnay is now on the beam and doing fine with a bhs to layout stepout flight series and a punch front; dismounts with a double tuck, one step back on the landing. Missed some leap series connection credit though.

Erin Rightley opens with a double pike, slight scoot on the landing but better control than last week. Front-front full to front layout, a little scoot forward on this landing but stays in bounds; nails the final pass of a front through to a 1 1/2 (Rudi);

switch leap to straddle to straddle 3/4 leap; needs a little more amplitude but nice difficulty; double dismount, slight step forward on the landing, chest down just a bit.

with a double tuck, comes back with a double pike, goes for the stick and has to land it bent a bit at the waist, one step forward to check it; finishes with a front to front full twist to front layout, nice landing.

Ericksen scores big with a 9.85 on beam.

BHS to layout stepout flight series; nice body roll and pose down low on the beam; switch leap to straddle-straddle combination; dismounts with a cartwheel to gainer full twist off the side of the beam, sticks the landing. Good routine to open.

Crowd announced at 14,263, third largest in gymnastics history here at Coleman.

Bama can pour on the pressure with a great floor performance but honestly must hit every pass solidly to get the scores up because the judging is tight.

is through her front handspring to double full to front pike opening pass (wow!). Double pike on her second pass, nicely landed; she will finish with a front-front full twist to a barani 1/2 out. Heenan receives a 9.85 for her routine. Terin received a 9.375 for her beam routine.

score to match Martin's 9.875. She is through the Humphrey mount but falls on the third element of her Kotchetkov series (full twisting back handspring-bhs-layout stepout); nice punch front, a little low in amplitude; switch leap to wolf jump; Omeliantchik (nice hold in the split position); gainer full twist dismount, small shuffle on the landing.

floor routine. Courtney Kupets opens with a double front Arabian, nice landing. Cricket music! Front to front full twist to barani to Shushonova straddle leap down onto the floor. She ends with a double pike, has to take a balance step forward on the landing but finishes up nicely.

Cassie Martin is up for the Tide and has been well set up for a terrific performance. Ring leap to open, nice landing; full turn, front aerial, back handspring to layout stepout, switch leap to double stag leap, dismounts with a back handspring to gainer full twist and the crowd explodes. And her teammates engulf her!

low score at all. Ericksen just went bounding back several steps on her opening double pike but it was super high regardless. We're not sure if she stepped out because a team support person was right in our eyeline sight. She finishes with a soaring double tuck, nice landing.

switch leap to straddle and another switch leap to pike jump (waist high). She dismounts with a back handspring to gainer full twist off the side, one small step on the landing.

delivered a fantastic routine of her own, opening with a super double front Arabian (stuck the landing) and ends with a double pike.

the Tide after a strong warm-up. Nice flight series this week of a bhs to layout stepout and the split scale; so far a very controlled routine, tour jete 1/2 turn; front aerial, double stag leap, switch leap to side straddle jump and she nails the gainer back pike and the crowd is on their feet! They wanted it so bad for her and she delivered! We know that's the REAL Mari that just performed. Welcome back! She receives a 9.75 and the crowd is booing loudly.

Kupets a 9.725 for her floor routine. Nikki Childs is up for UGA with an opening pass of a front double full, nice landing, triple turn, fell out of the last revolution just a bit; ends with a whip to double twist, good landing.

through her flight series of a bhs to layout stepout, nice switch leap to two straddle jumps, a solid punch front, dismount of a double front (tuck), step back on the landing but she stood it up. That's an E dismount!

Hip hop music to open. She mounts with a double pike (mat), double turn, second pass of a front-front full-front layout; straddle full to straddle full combination; double tuck to close, had to take a balance check forward on the landing as she landed it a little bent at the knees.

lift of one leg, beautiful front aerial, full turn with leg horizontal; switch leap to wolf jump, punch front, landed chest high, nice applause form the crowd; she dismounts with a strong double tuck, one step back on the landing. Atta girl!

beam routines with confidence and control. Brittany Magee, our freshman gal from Arlington, Texas, is up first.

the vault. So UGA moves slightly ahead of the Tide 98.475 to 98.300.

her Yurchenko 1.5. Hmmm. Limited distance again may have been the reason for the lower score despite the higher difficulty of her vault.

missed one of her handstands towards the end. Terin is now up and hits both release moves and nails her double layout! The crowd erupts. However, she appeared to tap the low bar on one of her giant swing throughs and the judges may deduct accordingly if they saw this.

Tolnay just threw a gorgeous 1 1/2 twist, one step back on the landing though. Beautiful form in the air and height.

and the straddle release back up to the high from low bar and has a hop back on the double layout. She receives a 9.775. Judges are merciless tonight on bars.

but she shoves them together quick as she salutes the rafters and then the judges. She receives a 9.850

just missed her Hindorff, so Bama hopefully will be able to drop this routine. The crowd is cheering her on loudly as she hops back on and she nails the double layout dismount to hearty applause.

hop forward on her landing of the Yurchenko 1/2 on front pike off vault. A little off center too but nice form throughout.

but has to take one step back on the landing of the double tuck. Gotta stick those landings Bama!

distance from the vault table. It had beautiful height and position in the air.

Nice Gienger (little leg split) and pak Salto, but she lands the double tuck out of the full turn bent at the waist and has to take a step back to balance the landing.

height and landing (one foot shift only).

landings. Georgia had two gymnasts with outstanding routines that stuck their landings and the highest score was a 9.875, so judging on bars tonight looks to be a little tight.

Miles received a 9.925 for her vault and Bama has a 49.325 total to UGA's 49.175 on the uneven bars.

Yurchenko 1/1, slight hop in place on the landing. Ericksen of UGA received a 9.875 for her bars routine and Kupets is now up, showing magnificent form with a hop full and a Tkatchev but she hops on the double layout, so that will be a deduction. Very nice handstands.

nice form in the air, landed chest high. Heenan got a 9.85 for her bars routine.

Humphrey a 9.825. Magee just threw a beautiful Yurchenko 1/1, amazing height, tiny hop on the landing though.

uneven bars routine. Heenan is doing a great job on bars so far, sticking her double front dismount to the delight of the UGA fans here.

We missed the first two vault scores. Terin throws a big Yurchenko 1/1 but hops back and was off center a bit from the table.

lift and push off the vault this week. Kupets received a 9.775 and Stack is now through her routine, a full in dismount, jarred just a bit on landing, a step back. She had a pak Salto in her routine as well.

and a toe on toe off to release to the high bar, a double tuck dismount. Nice routine, including handstands.

She throws a Yurchenko 1/1 and has great form in the air but hops back on the landing.

Bars: Georgia will go with Kupets, A., Stack, Tolnay, Heenan, Ericksen, and Kupets,C.

Bama is dressed in solid burgundy with silver sequins on the upper bodice and shoulders.

Georgia is dressed in black with a white band trimmed in red under the bodice, the team logo on the front in black sequins.

black silk shantung pants.

Let's rock this house Bama!

All America statuses.

Alabama was then introduced and the freshmen class was brought forward first, with their fall GPAs announced (3.4 or higher for each, including 3 with 4.0s).

The national anthem is now being sung.

support their gals. This is SEC Gymnastics!

For Georgia, their four all arounders just need to hit their routines solidly, nothing fancy even needed. They are that good.

For Alabama, they need to kick their performance levels up a notch on two events, uneven bars and the balance beam, in order to press Georgia, otherwise they will be playing catch up.

on UGA VI (or is it VII?). Let's get ready to rumble!

tonight. They are now flowing into the remaining reserved seats and it looks like we may have a sell-out again, which these two teams certainly deserve. Three Olympians will perform tonight along with several other World Championship team members (Heenan of Georgia and Miles of Alabama).

Catherine Batsche, Diann Smith, Carol Smitherman, and Linda Thorberg

red blouse. We'll report on Sarah's outfit as soon as we spot it.

the Million Dollar Band.

entering the arena in the next five minutes.

Bama possibly will have Terin Humphrey and Ashley Miles compete in the all around tonight. Georgia will have Courtney Kupets, Tiffany Tolnay, Katie Heenan and Kelsey Ericksen compete in the all around.

are appreciative of their tumbling skills.

Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs. Bama won by almost a point last year in Athens and will be looking to make it two in a row over the Dogs tonight. The crowd has arrived to welcome both teams and we are looking forward to seeing the best collegiate gymnastics in the SEC from two of the top three teams in the nation.