The Crimson Tide was without super frosh Kassi Price on two critical events for her, vault and floor exercise, and steady sophomore Ashley O'Neal was hampered as well due to late season stress-related injuries, so this was critical in the Tide's final scoring on the two events where they needed to be their strongest. But the good news is that this is now a seasoned team that has much to look forward to and after some necessary healing in the off-season, look for the Tide to regroup in a major way. Adversity is never pleasant but like Georgia showed today, adversity is what it takes to forge a champion. Bama is still young and learning this vital lesson. We'll have more to discuss regarding the end of the 2007 season and the outlook for 2008 when we return on Saturday for the event finals. Roll Tide from Salt Lake City, Utah!

Terin Humphrey on bars and balance beam
Morgan Dennis on floor exercise

These two gals will be in the event finals on Saturday Night so we will see you back here to give you the play-by-play.

Morgan Dennis (freshman) - 39.375
Terin Humphrey (junior) - 39.225
Ricki Lebegern (freshman) - 38.225

Brittany Magee scored well for the Tide on vault (9.850) and balance beam (9.800).
Kaitlin White hit a 9.750 on vault, 9.775 on bars and 9.775 on the floor.
Cassie Martin scored a 9.80 on bars and Casey Overton a super 9.850 performance to lead off on beam. Steady sophomore Amanda Montgomery a 9.75 on beam and an injured Kassi Price on bars (9.850) and Ashley O'Neal (9.775) on floor.

Tonight we will see UCLA, Utah, Stanford, LSU, Denver and Michigan compete for the three spots to advance to the Super Six.

1st UGA
2nd Florida
3rd Nebraska
4th Oklahoma
5th Alabama
6th Oregon State

Bama will finish 5th in the day session. Oregon State had some troubles on floor to close out and will finish a distant sixth.

Casey Overton starts with a front aerial, switch leap to straddle-straddle combination, bhs to layout step-out- very confident so far; beautiful full turn to sheep jump - switch side straddle - right on - she dismounts with a bhs to gainer full twist - perfect routine! She scores a 9.850.

Ricki Lebegern - bhs to layout step-out; switch leap to straddle-straddle combination looks good - falls on the side Somi - sticks the double twist dismount. She receives a 9.350.

Amanda Montgomery - pressure is on the sophomore walk on. Handling it well so far with a front walk over to side aerial - split full jump; aerial front - nice - another wolf full jump this time - one arm back handspring - sticks the running front full twist - great focus and polish on her elements throughout. She receives a 9.750.

Morgan Dennis is up next for the Tide and opens with a nice front aerial - bhs to layout step-out, step back to balance the final element's landing; switch leap to tuck full jump- another switch leap to sissone - round off to double tuck dismount, one step back on the landing. She receives a 9.800.

Brittany Magee - one arm bhs to layout stepout - very nice - front aerial - terrific; full turn with leg extended, slight check at the shoulder but she keeps moving - switch leap to pike jump - gorgeous amplitude - punch front - slight shoulder check to the left - round off to a double tuck dismount, quick one step forward and then back on the landing to check her balance. She receives a 9.800 as well.

Terin Humphrey finishes for the Tide on beam - completes her mount - beautiful flight series of the full twisting bhs to bhs to layout stepout - switch leap to wolf and then the Omeliantchik - dismounts with a round off to bhs to double tuck, very strong landing! Slightest step and a little deep at the waist but she stands it up well. She receives a 9.90 and may well make event finals with that score. Tide team total on this event is 49.100 and Bama finishes with a final tally of 196.125. This will be exactly five tenths behind Nebraska and though Florida and Georgia have one more rotation to go, they are leading by over a full point and would have to count several falls to threaten their positions.

Nebraska secures the third spot with a 49.350 on vault, so Bama will sit out this Super Six Finals for the first time since 1997 and only the second time since its inception in 1993. More to follow.

fans from across the country - they need your support! Roll Tide! See you back here in fifteen minutes.

Nebraska is ahead of Alabama for third by .250. Alabama moves to the balance beam for their final event and Nebraska to the vault. Oklahoma is on the floor and Florida is on bars. Can the Tide pull out an ace in the hole?

Kaitlin White - hit the handstands, the Geinger release and stuck the double tuck dismount. Another great start but will the judges hit her for being first up? Yep - 9.750.

Ricki Lebegern - hits the handstands pretty well and the straddle Jaeger but lands the tuck full in with chest down a bit, small hop in place as well for a 9.750.

Morgan Dennis comes through with a stuck dismount of the double front and another effortless pike Jaeger release. Slight foot separation on the bail to handstand transition move. She receives a 9.825.

Cassie Martin hits her routine, including the toe on toe off to Tkatchev to Pak salto combo and sticks the double tuck dismount. One judge smiled at her in appreciation of the extra effort to stick that landing. She receives a score of 9.800.

Kassi Price hits her Hindorff and the toe straddle shoot to the high bar and then the double layout with a small step back to check the landing. She receives a 9.850.

Terin Humphrey throws the entire difficulty this time in her bars routine, hits the handstands beautifully and the Khorkina release and the hop full but bunny hops back on the double layout dismount. A perfect routine otherwise for a 9.900.

Bama has a team total on bars of 49.125 and a running total of 147.025. Looks like Nebraska is going to score .05 higher on the floor exercise, so Bama will not make up any ground on them. It's time for a Bama beam performance like we saw at SECs!

We need to hit those handstands, the release moves and the dismount landings - everyone must do their part to build the scores up on this event to have a chance to catch Nebraska.

Courtney Kupets scored the meet's highest on floor so far with a 9.950.

Florida was not as crisp on vault as they were on floor and now move to a bye while UGA goes to vault, Alabama to the bars, Nebraska to the floor and Oregon State to the balance beam.

Oklahoma on balance beam. Alabama and Nebraska go out on byes. Back after this rotation is complete to give you an update.

who throws a beautiful Yurchenko 1/1 but takes one step back and that will cost her. She receives a 9.850.

Casey Overton throws a terrific Hristakieva, David Patterson loves it! One hop forward but much better than we saw two weeks ago at Regionals. She only receives a 9.750 though.

Kaitlin White is next and we need a stick Texas gal! Yurchenko 1/1 goes in flat and a hop back for a 9.750.

Terin Humphrey is next and she throws the Omeliantchik with a large left foot forward on the landing. She receives a 9.750 as well.

Ricki Lebegern is next with a Yurchenko 1/1 - tiniest right leg back on the landing, so hopefully this will score higher. Nice vault in the air. She receives a 9.825.

Morgan Dennis just barely misses a perfect stick on her landing of the Yurchenko 1/1 and we see a 9.875. Yeesh - way harsh.

Bama finishes on vault with a 49.05 and they have a running score of 97.900.

Oklahoma has a 48.800 on bars, Florida a 49.425 on floor, Nebraska a 49.100 on balance beam and a running score of 98.100 and leads Bama by two tenths.

End of rotation two - Bama will go out on a bye before returning in rotation four to the uneven bars.

beam and Florida on floor. Georgia and Oregon State are on byes. Back in fifteen.

tight, scoring only a 48.850 as a team but arguably the scoring was a little beyond conservative with Kaitlin White only receiving a 9.775 despite a mistake-free and well-sold routine. Bama will have no choice but to hit the three events that remain because Oregon State, which has Olympic rotation, opened with a solid 49.150 and Nebraska withstood an early fall by junior Emily Parsons to tack on a 49.00 even on the bars. Bama is in fourth and has a lot of work to do if they intend to make it to Super Six tomorrow night. Georgia hit on the beam for a 49.350 and they get to take a rest in rotation two before heading to floor.

Second pass of a round off to whip 1/2 to whip full twist, very nice control on that landing. Selling her dance before she hits the final pass, front punch layout to immediate Rudi and nails this in time perfectly with the music and her final dance gesture. Excellent start for a 9.775.

Up next is the Tide's lone senior, Erin Rightley and she stands up the double pike, one controlled step back on the landing. Follows with a front through to a Rudi to layout step-out and finishes with a front-front full twist to front tuck - very nice landing, amplitude on that final element could have been a little higher. She receives only a 9.725 - that's too low considering the actual performance.

Ashley O'Neal is up next, opening with a super double pike, followed by a front-front full twist to front layout - very nice leaps - ends with a super solid double tuck dismount for a 9.775.

Ricki Lebegern opens with a triple twist, left foot forward to balance the landing - nice follow up pass of the front-front full to front layout - finishes with a low double pike, just touches down. Her first miss of the year. That's a big blow because this was one of the Tide's best floor routines, with higher scoring potential and the scoring is always tight on this event in rotation one.

Terin Humphrey opens with a bounding double front Arabian and steps forward and out of bounds with two one-foot bunny hops. Second pass is solid, a 1 1/2 through to a 2 1/2. Finishes with a strong double pike, one step back on the landing. She receives a 9.675.

Morgan Dennis will close out for the Tide. She opens with a super high double layout and follows with a terrific tuck full in, well landed. She finishes with a super high double tuck out of a tuck through to round off entry. Way to handle the pressure freshman! She receives a 9.90. Hopefully this will be good enough for first team All America, because she has been so steady all year long and really came through in a high pressure point early on in this competition.

Bama is decked out in a shiny new leo for NCAAs, a metallic crimson rose with a white cresting wave on the front and back, sheer crimson netting on the arms and upper shoulders. Lots of sequins outlining the white cresting waves.

Georgia is in shiny red, black and white, as is Nebraska (white primary at the upper bodice, red below, narrow black line separating). Oregon State is in orange and black, almost striped. Julie Dwyer of Auburn is in blue with an orange stripe up the middle in a flame like effect.

So approximately 10-15 minutes after the Tide starts out on the floor exercise we will have our play-by-play commentary posted. This commentary will be written as it is occurring but the fans will not be able to read it until the rotation has been completed. Thanks for your understanding of this peculiar rule.

Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Oregon State

Junior Terin Humphrey
Freshmen Morgan Dennis, Ricki Lebegern

Hello to Lynne, Tim, Nellie, Donna and Sam, Don and Brenda, Russell and Susan, Katie, Mitch, Nick and Scott and the entire Medalist Club group that could not make it today. Roll Tide!

Well folks, we'll start off with a plain and simple fact: superior depth this year happens to be the best friend of both Florida and Georgia, so barring a major meltdown on one or more events, realistically we expect them to advance to tomorrow night's Super Six Finals. Florida has the most healthy and balanced team in terms of class participation and this is what historically has forged champions while Georgia has just enough depth to absorb the recent losses of seniors Ericksen and Kupets. So, arguably that leaves one spot that will be fought over by Alabama, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Oregon State. Now, Alabama has maintained their #3 ranking over the final part of the 2007 season while withstanding challenging injuries to critical performers, but they will seriously need to kick up their level of performance today to punch in their ticket for Super Six Night. What this means is more intensity and showmanship on their opening event, the floor exercise, to get things going in a positive direction. The Tide will also need to perform much more determinedly on the vault by going for those stuck landings. The first two events may well tell the tale of how determined this young Alabama team is to advance to the finals on Friday night. Bama looked polished and sharp on uneven bars and balance beam in long warm-ups, where they will finish up today's competition, so if they are able to avoid any major breaks, look for the Tide to head to their 10th consecutive Super Six Final. Let's roll Bama!

which include three double backs and a double twist. The Tide retires now into the locker room for the final rotation (long warm-ups). Georgia will return and finish on the bars, Florida on the beam, Oregon State on the floor and Oklahoma on the vault. Alabama and Nebraska will sit out the final rotation on a bye.

Casey, Ricki, Amanda, Morgan, Brittany, Terin and Erin in the alternate spot. Bama looks very focused, precise and clean, getting on and off the beam quickly, finishing moves with confidence.

long warm-up. Florida is on bars, Georgia out on a bye, Oklahoma on floor and Nebraska on the vault. Oregon State is also out on a bye.

on the bars. Team looks solid so far and landings are receiving extra attention. Kassi is throwing both a Tkatchev and a Hindorff in practice, possibly to see which one feels most confident. Both looked great here today.

is on the balance beam, Georgia on vault and Nebraska on floor exercise. Oklahoma and Florida are out on byes.

this event will be right in front of the Bama contingent as will the balance beam, so the Tide fans will need to shout loud for the gals to close out the meet with great performances. Roll Tide Roll! can now be heard in front of the gals as they prepare to start the long warm-up on bars.

we now see Georgia on floor, Oregon State on the bars, Florida on the vault, and Oklahoma on the balance beam.

Georgia is without seniors Kelsey Ericksen and Ashley Kupets in this final NCAA meet of their super careers. So the Dawgs on floor will start with Nikki Childs followed by Grace Taylor, Katie Heenan, Courtney McCool, Tiffany Tolnay, and Courtney Kupets.

that she has a pulled meniscus that will be operated on in a few weeks. Kassi Price's knee is reportedly stable but the coaches have chosen to put her on the uneven bars only in the first session because of the lack of quality depth on this event. She will also have minor knee surgery later this spring to remove some floating cartilage behind the knee that has caused some swelling.

hosted by the Utes of Utah in Salt Lake City. We are in the Huntsman Coliseum watching extended warm-ups by the teams that will take part in the 1:00 pm (2:00 pm CST) session, which includes our Crimson Tide.

Bama started out on the floor exercise and has now moved to the vault for long warm-ups. The Tide warmed up on floor the following gals: Ashley O'Neal, Brittany Magee, Kaitlin White, Erin Rightley, Morgan Dennis, Terin Humphrey, Ricki Lebegern.

On the vault, strong runs have been thrown by Morgan, Ricki, Brittany, Terin, Kaitlin, Casey, and freshman walk-on Alyssa Chapman. Chapman throws a Tsukahara full twisting layout.