victories over the Tigers. We will be back online and the radio with play by play commentary. Until then Roll Tide! Bama wins it: 196.300 , Illinois 192.775

They are a pretty deep team as well, having brought about 15 gymnasts with them on this trip.

with the great talent the Tide has on this event, you could see how the first few gymnasts up were setting the table for the final three competitors - O'Neal had the crowd going with her new music and White performed one of her best opening routines ever to keep it going - add in Ricki who just missed a perfect routine but hit her opening and closing passes - and then we see freshman Kayla Hoffman march right out there and perform like a pro, which energized the competitive spirit of Kassi Price, who stuck every landing to match Hoffman's routine. Dennis was coasting to another great one and just had too much energy on her second pass, doing the two-step bounds backwards, but still finished with a super double tuck to close. You could tell the crowd really wanted that routine to be a 10 but they can wait for the Georgia meet.

Kayla had a great debut, finishing second in the all around and really nailing her vault and floor routines, arguably should have scored higher on both. Her bars are intricate, difficult and she improvised really well to keep the routine going with a double turn, losing just a few tenths for a final score of 9.75. Beam checks looked more like she was trying a bit too hard to reach perfection and these will clean up in the practice gym this next week. She looked and sounded very happy and satisfied with her first performance for the Tide.

We need to see you back here on February 1st as the Tide goes against the Georgia Bulldogs. Roll Tide!

Nicole Cowart (3rd)
Kayla Hoffman (2nd - 39.175)
Kassi Price (1st - 39.300)

Vault: Kayla Hoffman (1), Morgan Dennis (2), Britt Magee (3)
Bars: Kassi Price (1), Kaitlin White (2), Terin Humphrey (3)
Beam: Casey Overton (1), Brittany Magee and Ricki Lebegern (2)
Floor: Kayla Hoffman and Kassi Price (1), Kaitlin White (3)

Illinois is at 192.725

Sophomore anchor on floor, Morgan Dennis, opens with an incredible double layout and we mean she almost went right through the roof! But her second pass she bounds back on the double tuck landing (looked great at this point) out of bounds and almost touches down on rebound; nice recovery to finish the dance - finishes with a double tuck. Crowd loves it anyway. You can't be perfect every time! She receives a 9.625 (probably at least two tenths for the out of bounds with both feet, another tenth for loss of control leading into the out of bounds steps). This score will be dropped from the final team total.

Fernandez, 9.275 for Buckley. Crall is so far staying on - side ariel and dismounts with a gainer full twist.

Kassi Price follows with a 2 1/2 to punch tuck for her opening pass, looks solid on the landing - and she has new, more crowd-pleasing sassy music. Nails the double tuck second pass and the final pass of a double pike - now that's competition! You can feel it between each team member on this event - they are pushing each other in really good ways to go out and perform their best to surpass the score before them. Price gets rewarded with a 9.90.

Kayla Hoffman is now up - what a magnificent routine for a freshman! Nails the opening pike full in, comes right back with a superb 2 1/2 twist to punch layout and ends with another fantastic high double pike to close. All in bounds, no balance checks. And some mighty saucy dancing in between. Great choreo from Dana Duckworth.

and just stays in bounds with a front-front full to front layout - she will finish with a double tuck - perfect landing but just off the last dance moves a tad with the music drifting off first. Crowd loves it anyway.

Sarah Schmidt falls on one element onto the beam and this will be a major deduction. Finishes up well. 9.550 score is a little too high for that major element miss.

Kaitlin White is up next and just nails the opening double pike, running front 1/2 through to a front full twist, balance step forward but well within bounds; nice new dance - closes with a perfect punch front layout to Rudi (landed it on a dime!) and shifts into final dance elements, right on time. Very nice routine!

Lashlee Morris completes her flight series and struggles mightily to stay on but goes off. Crowd claps for her as she returns to the beam. Flutter jump to 3/4 straddle jump; gainer pike off the end of the beam, stumble step forward on landing.

nice and high opening double pike, one large step back on landing. Front- front full to front layout (a little knee bend on second element) - new funky music and dance and the crowd really responds well as she closes with a super strong double tuck, very controlled landing. Great music for the home crowd and she sells it very well.

and dismounts with a gainer full twist off the side.

48.525 on floor for Illinoi and 48.975 on balance beam for Bama.

Schmidt scores a 9.825 on the floor.

and hits the switch leap to tuck full jump, a little nervous on full turn but stands up the double tuck dismount with one step back. Nice routine.

landings. Schmidt opens with a very nice double pike and closes with a Rudi, pop back up on the landing a bit. Drum beat music.

switch leap to pike jump to tuck full jump; nice gainer back layout, one step to check the balance forward. She nails the full turn with leg horizontal and sticks the double tuck dismount - crowd erupts when only a 9.825 is the score. Argh!

to close.

with a 9.65. Kassi Price is on the beam - front aerial to bhs to layout stepout; switch leap to wolf jump; full turn - nervous up there a bit - wolf front aerial to flutter jump; round off to double pike, a little leg split but she stands it up well. She gets rewarded for the difficulty this early in the season with a 9.775 score.

strong double pike. She receives a 9.775.

Botterman received a 9.600 for her floor routine.

Beautiful form and extension throughout - some nerves are present with just a few balance checks here and there. Hits the difficult back handspring to two-footed bhs to double twist dismount. Crowd loves this one! But she will be deducted for the balance checks, though they were nothing major.

Opens with a nice double pike, second pass of a double twist, finishes with a front half to a front full, leg shift to the right to balance her landing.

Flight series - perfect; switch leap to two straddle jumps - looking good; running side switch straddle leap; full turn, side Somi - nice; dismounts with a round off to double twist, slight shift on the landing. She receives a 9.825. More choreography needed? Keep it going Tide!

Smith opens with a double tuck and sits it down. Second pass 1 1/2 to front layout. She closes with a double tuck, stands it up with a jam step forward to finish.

Amanda Montgomery is now up for the Tide, mounts with a back head roll; front walk over to side aerial, right on; split full jump, front aerial, switch leap to tuck full to flutter jump, one arm back handspring, wolf jump full, nails the running front full twist. Score of 9.70, way harsh.

bit, follows with a 2 1/2 to punch tuck on the large mat, step to the side on landing. She receives a 9.575.

So far looking good with her leap series, flight series, full turn, sheep jump, side switch straddle leap, bhs to a stuck gainer full twisting dismount. Way to start us off Virginia gal!

Team totals after two rotations: Bama 98.05 Illinois 96.80

time nailing her double layout dismount. Crowd boos the 9.825 score. One judge scored it 9.90 and the other a 9.75. Zounds! Ricki Lebegern exhibits her bars routine and hits the new pike Jaeger without any trouble and sticks the full in dismount beautifully for a 9.80 score. Nice rotation for the Tide.

Price is on fire tonight, you can see the competitive light in her eyes.
Buckley of Illinois rotates slowly in the air with her Y 1/1.

a 1 1/2 and then completes her Tkatchev and sticks the double layout dismount. She will get deducted for some extra pirouetting and a noticeable over-arching at one point that she saved by doing a 1/2 turn. She receives a 9.75. This routine should score much higher once she settles into the competition comfort zone.

and McGrady takes a deep step to the left on her landing of the Y 1/1 for a 9.475.

completes the Geinger release and takes one step back on the double tuck out of a full turn. She has improved her form so much on this event during pre-season training and is sporting a nice tan to boot! She receives a 9.675. Once she starts throwing the double layout dismount in this routine, it will definitely score higher.

and Nicole Cowart comes back with a nice Hristakieva, hop forward on landing for a 9.70.

Morgan Dennis also just misses perfect vertical on two handstands, floats a beautiful pike Jaeger and stands up a very nice double front dismount, just misses sticking it. She gets hit for the missed handstands with a 9.75.

White is up for the Tide on bars - just misses perfect vertical on two handstands but hits the Geinger and pak Salto and nails the dismount without a step, full turn on top of the bar to a double tuck.

Melissa Fernandez, Kim Kruk, Nicole Cowart, Marijka Botterman, Michelle McGrady and Allison Buckley.

Kaitlin White, Morgan Dennis, Amanda Montgomery, Kayla Hoffman, Kassi Price, and Terin Humphrey. Cassie Martin is sitting out tonight after missing her timing on critical elements during long warm-ups.

with amazing height and form and a slight shift of one foot on landing and almost a walk out. Coaches Patterson and Raschilla get to her quickly and cue her about finishing that vault in place, don't give the judges any room to deduct you. Her amplitude this year is really amazing on this vault.

Bama has a 48.975 on vault to Illinois' 48.475 on bars.

gets a 9.875. Fast forward that vault to SECs and it scores a 9.95, maybe a 10.

Kathy Feldman and Mary Lou Dillard are the judges on vault tonight by the way and Evelyn Chandler and Gayli Craver are on bars.

a 9.725. We had a good view of this vault and she had tighter form mid-flight with her legs, so not sure why this one scored lower than expected. Botterman completes her bars routine with a pike Jaeger and a 1/2 in 1/2 out dismount. She receives a 9.75.

Buckley throws a double front dismount to finish her bars routine. She receives a 9.375 for missing one element and having to repeat a swing.

and takes one step back on her Y 1/1 - beautiful form in the air, not as much distance from the vault but good height. She scores a 9.775.

Crall receives a 9.65 for her bars.

She should be closer to the mid to fourth position in the line-up but she is very steady and the coaches wanted a solid start, hence her being first up.

Kaitlin White takes a hop back on her Yurchenko 1/1 and receives a 9.725.

Mercalek gets a 9.575 for her bars. Crall is through her release and is hitting her handstands pretty good, throws a double pike dismount, one step back.

Ricki Lebegern throws a Yurchenko 1/1 - one small step back, good distance, terrific form in flight and toe point.

Mercalek on bars - Geinger release, full turn to double tuck, stuck the landing but head and chest down a bit. Missed a few handstands on kip casts but otherwise solid.

throwing the Yurchenko 1/1 with the exception of Alyssa Chapman, sophomore, who will exhibit a Tsuk 1/1.

On the vault Bama will start sophomore Ricki Lebegern, followed by senior Kaitlin White, junior Britt Magee, sophomore Kassi Price, freshman Kayla Hoffman and will be anchored by sophomore Morgan Dennis.

On bars Illinois will compete Krystal Melcarek, Julie Crall, Marijka Botterman, Allison Buckley, Sarah Schmidt and Nicole Cowart will go in the anchor spot for the Fightin' Illini.

This is a recruiting weekend for the Alabama Football Team and we've spotted a few of Bama's finest. We're ready to introduce the teams!

entertaining the crowd, which is a late-arriving one. Hopefully the parking is not posing problems, as they are using a new shuttle system to allow for expanded use of the soccer park spaces. We have alot of fans taking advantage of the Club Room prior to the meet and a good number are lingering up there for a few extra tasty treats no doubt.

Hey Tide fans, don't be fooled by the Fightin' Illini's pre-season ranking at #23 - as they are a very competitive team with solid skills on each event. So the Crimson Tide will need to take control of this meet from the opening event and try to get the crowd into it early. Bama's superior depth and talent will only serve them if they stand up their vaults, stay on the bars and balance beam and stay within bounds on the floor. The Tide will be throwing a ton of difficulty tonight despite this being the first meet of the season and with difficulty comes extra risk, so it is imperative that they settle those butterflies quickly on vault and get focused on uneven bars. Look for Bama to go for the gusto on balance beam and perhaps water down the floor routines just a little as they aim to get out of this first meet with hopefully no nicks or bruises. Let's roll Bama!

Roll Tide to all Alabama Crimson Tide Gymnastics fans around the world as we come live to you from Coleman Coliseum, where the GymTide begins their 2008 season against the Fightin' Illini from the University of Illinois at Champaign.

Tonight, the Crimson Tide will welcome freshman USA National Team Member, Kayla Hoffman to the wonderful world of NCAA collegiate gymnastics and Tide fans will be thrilled that she chose Bama, as she is one dy-no-mite gymnast!

The return of Kassi Price to the all around tonight is also something Tide fans can look forward to. She has a new floor routine and is raring to go. Sophomores Morgan Dennis and Ricki Lebegern will do three events, and junior Brittany Magee will perform on two. Junior Cassie Martin was slated for the uneven bars but was pulled as a precautionary measure after missing her timing on several elements.

Seniors Kaitlin White and Terin Humphrey will be on three and one event each. We'll cite any additional changes as they come about.