snow scare - thank you Bama Nation!

Coaches got what they were looking for tonight - better focus led to better execution, particularly from junior Kayla Hoffman on vault and uneven bars and freshman Ashley Sledge did a magnificent bars routine in the exhibition spot tonight with a gorgeous double layout, stuck chest high (she was thrilled and so was Coach Raschilla!). Magnificent effort from senior Ricki Lebegern on the vault - with the return of her Yurchenko 1.5 and a stuck landing for a 9.975 (crowd wanted that 10 badly!).

The Tide kept their poise after the scores on bars stayed very tight (for both teams) despite some excellent routines with stuck landings - followed by another great beam performance, highlighted by the sophomore studs of Stack-Eaton (9.900) and Priess (9.950) with solid contributions from senior Dennis (9.875) and Kassi Price (9.800).

But it was the floor routines that sealed the deal - attitude and swagger demonstrated through great tumbling and precision on the landings made the difference. Excellent effort from freshman Marissa Gutierrez that arguably should have scored higher, followed by the best tumbling this year from Geralen Stack-Eaton (super double front Arabian to open) and Ricki Lebegern, with the icing on the cake from Ashley Priess (9.875) and Morgan Dennis (9.975).

The Tide will be able to keep this score in the RQS that starts this next week. Next week is Pink Meet night against the Arizona Wildcats - looking for better weather and a sell-out hopefully.

All Around
1st Geralen Stack-Eaton (39.625!)
2nd Morgan Dennis (39.450 and Ashley Priess 39.450)
3rd Ricki Lebegern (39.400)

Vault
1st Ricki Lebegern
2nd Geralen Stack-Eaton
3rd Dickerson, Lemezan, Smith of UF

Uneven Bars
1st Kassi Price, Kayla Hoffman, Geralen Stack-Eaton

Balance Beam
1st Ashley Priess
2nd Geralen Stack-Eaton
3rd Liz Green of UF and Morgan Dennis of Alabama

Floor Exercise
1st Morgan Dennis
2nd Ricki Lebegern and Geralen Stack-Eaton

Marissa Gutierrez - opens with a double tuck - nails it! Second pass of a front-front full twist to front layout - needed a little more control on that third element but she stands it up - legs split a bit going into the corner - ring leap to wolf full jump - closes with a double pike - need to see a strong landing - and we do! Crowd loving it! 9.775 - tough judges tonight on bars and floor.

Kassi Price - a little labored on that double pike to open but she stands it up - second pass of a double tuck - much better - cat leap 2/1 to cat leap 1 1/2 - limited amplitude - closes out with a 2 1/2 - one step forward into the corner - her form right now is not as crisp as we need to see from her later on in the year when this routine will be greatly needed. But solid effort overall. 9.750

Geralen Stack-Eaton - perfect opening of the double front Arabian - second pass of the front - front -front - excellent - cat leap double - straddle shushonova onto the floor closes with a double pike - chest high landing. Crowd wants a big score here - 9.925!

Ricki Lebegern - opens with a double tuck - super - B-A-M-A spell-out - front-front full twist to front layout - excellent control on that series - straddle full out of a switch split full - closes with a strong double pike - just a tiny bit off her music at the end. 9.925

Ashley Priess - nails the double tuck to open, beautiful flair on the round off to 1 1/2 to front layout - closes with a crisp, chest high landing of the double pike - 9.875 - dance presence and interpretation on floor always top-notch.

Morgan Dennis - opens with a double layout - superb! Cat leap 1 1/2 - nice dance moves as she moves into the corner for the second pass - tuck through to another double tuck - switch split full to split full combo - closes out with a double tuck - super finish - crowd is on their feet! 9.975

Florida on Beam

Courtney Gladys - nice flight series (3 elements) - has some bobbles on her leap series (two) but stays on - 1 1/2 dismount - sticks the landing. Some mild form problems as well. 9.825 - a little high given those balance checks.

Elizabeth Mahlich - taking a lot of time going into her flight series - bhs layout stepout - judges could choose to deduct for this - pretty form on beam - switch split to split 1/2 turn - a little hesitancy between the first and second elements - hitch kick to side aerial to full twist off the beam end - nice, original combination which requires precise timing! 9.85

Randy Stageberg - some noticeable balance checks with her flight and leap series - nice double twist dismount. 9.800

Marissa King - front aerial - switch split leap to split leap - bhs to back pike - bends at the waist and takes two steps back to balance and stay on - big hop back on the landing of her double twist - 9.675

Liz Green - shoulder roll onto the beam to mount and a little shoulder break with arm wave on the Onodi - bhs to layout looks fine - double stag jump - leg scale behind her back - split leap - round off to full twist off the side of the beam. 9.875 - a little high considering she had several pauses before moving into skills, disrupting the flow of this routine.

Ashanee Dickerson - sticks the double tuck dismount chest high - a few balance checks during her flight series and a little tentative on some of her leaps but otherwise a solid set. 9.825

Alabama needs to bring it home with six electric routines to get the home crowd into it and send the Teebow-ettes packing back to Gainesville!

Ricki Lebegern - bhs to layout stepout - nice - full turn - a little balance check - switch leap to straddle jump with 1/4 turn mid-air - switch split side straddle leap - side Somi - nice - just a little tight - round off to double twist - sticks the landing! 9.750 - wow, pretty strict.

Kassi Price - aerial front walkover onto the beam to mount - front aerial to bhs for her flight series - side Somi - switch split leap to wolf jump - wolf front aerial to beat jump - very nice - double twist dismount - tiny shuffle step as she turns to salute the judges. 9.800

Geralen Stack-Eaton - switch split leap to split leap combo - bhs to layout stepout - front aerial to sheep jump - Onodi - perfect! - dismounts with a round off to 1 1/2 twist - tiny hop forward on the landing, a little off center it looks like as well relative to the end of the beam. Great job otherwise for a 9.90!

Marissa Gutierrez - switch split leap to pike jump - front aerial to beat jump - bhs to layout stepout - raise one foot slightly to balance - full turn - switch split leap to straddle - will lose bonus - too much hesitancy - gainer full twist off the side - legs split on landing but she sticks it.

Morgan Dennis - bhs to layout stepout - switch split side straddle leap - front aerial to beat jump - switch split leap to beat jump - dismounts with a round off to double tuck - jarring one foot back to balance the landing, so that will be at least one tenth deduction likely. Otherwise a solid routine from the senior. 9.875

Ashley Priess - beat jump to sheep jump - front aerial to Korbut - switch split leap to straddle - full turn with leg horizontal - switch split leap to immediate gainer full twist off the side of the beam - stuck it! 9.950

Exhibition for Kayla Hoffman - not going too well - three falls - finishes well with the beat jump to gainer back layout stepout - dismounts with a gainer full twist off the side of the beam. Whoosh!


Florida on Floor

Liz Green - love her music in this routine - big smile with a 2 1/2 to punch tuck to open - double stag jump - second pass of double pike - ring leap to split full jump combination - closes with a 1 1/2 to front layout. Solid start Gator! 9.725 - that's way harsh - but her tumbling is not very fast - maybe they were looking at this as an execution error.

Amy Ferguson - triple to open - several steps out of it to control her landing - double pike for her second pass - 1 1/2 to barani 1/2 to double stag leap out of it - love her enthusiasm in this routine. 9.775

Amanda Castillo - full in, just stands it up - chest down on her double pike, legs apart as well - great dance energy - switch split leap with head turned to the side grinning at the Gator gymnasts - wolf full to straddle full combo - closes with a round off to 1/1 to front tuck - probably meant to do at least a 1 1/2 into this - slowed down going into it. 9.600

Marissa King - straddle full (not all the way around) double front Arabian to open, one step back to balance her landing - nice music and beat! tuck through to double tuck - switch split leap to split leap full combo - closes with a double pike, chest and head down a bit but she stands it up. Shushonova to close out. 9.850

Maranda Smith - opens with a pike full in but legs split all the way through and on landing - second pass of a front-front full twist to front layout - again some form problems in the air - wolf full to straddle jump - closes with a double pike, head down a bit but chest up, split again in the legs. 9.850

Ashanee Dickerson -opens with a super high double front arabian, two shuffle steps forward almost onto the tape - double tuck for her second pass - tuck half jump to prone position down onto the floor - nice double pike to close - 9.875

Ricki Lebegern - stuck the tuck full in dismount, straddle Jaeger - short on the last handstand (not perfectly vertical). 9.750 (tough judging tonight on this event).

Morgan Dennis - pike Jaeger (good first handstand) - nice bail to handstand on the low bar - double front dismount - sticks it with the slightest shift of one foot but short on the last handstand. 9.75

Geralen Stack-Eaton - perfectly executed routine - shaposh to pak salto - toe-shoot straddle from low to high bar - full turn to double tuck dismount - stuck the landing chest high with a huge smile! 9.875

Kayla Hoffman - great routine - Tkatchev - full turn to bail to handstand on the low bar - stuck the double layout dismount! 9.875

Kassi Price - solid routine - Hindorff release - freehip giant to handstand - bail to handstand on the low bar - stuck the double layout chest high. 9.875

Ashley Priess - great routine until she ends up whipping the second salto of the double layout and bending her knees in the proces; step on the landing - 9.80 - toe on toe off to another toe on toe off to full turn to Tkatchev to pak salto - no problems this week with the transition kip to handstand on the low bar.

Florida on Vault

Dali Lemezan - Y 1/1 - leaning forward on the landing but she sticks it. 9.900

Courtney Gladys - Hristakieva - small hop back - went in a little flat as well. 9.825

Maranda Smith - Y 1/1 - fast rotation and stuck landing (slightest shift) - 9.90

Nicole Ellis - Y 1/1 - hop back on the landing - off center a bit as well - 9.85 - hmmm-

Marissa King - Tsuk 1.5 - bent and flat going in - one judge scored it correctly - 9.80 and the other one a 9.95 because she stuck it and it is very difficult. Gotta deduct for the form and limited amplitude. 9.875

Ashanee Dickerson - Y 1/1 - one step back - form problems (feet) but nice amplitude and distance from the table. 9.90 -

Judges are keeping it real tonight on uneven bars - Gators likely deducted for some form problems, piking down certain elements (bails to handstand moves in particular) and landing problems on a few of their routines. These are things they can clean up as the season progresses.

Marissa Gutierrez - Y 1/1 - stuck it with a huge smile on her face - chest high. 9.875!

Ashley Priess - Y 1/1 - very nice block, amplitude, stretch on that vault - 9.825

Geralen Stack-Eaton - Y 1/1 - great vault! Beautiful amplitude, stretch and stuck landing with a huge smile. 9.925

Ricki Lebegern - fantastic Y 1.5! Stuck it like a dart! 9.975

Kayla Hoffman - Y 1/1 - chest high - beautiful form and amplitude - floats back with a hop, almost in place. 9.875

Morgan Dennis - Y 1/1 - huge vault but hops back. 9.85

Florida on Bars

Mahlich - stalder - Tkatchev - double layout - stuck - piked down, head down a bit but otherwise solid. 9.775

Ashanee Dickerson - foot form problems - double layout - one foot check on landing. 9.75

Alicia Goodwin - straddle Jaeger - trouble on the dismount - double front - stumble hop forward under the bars. 9.75

Amanda Castillo - 9.825 - double layout, stuck.

Maranda Smith - double front with a 1/2 twist dismount - legs apart but she sticks the landing. Tkatchev release - 9.825

Marissa King - full twisting Tkatchev - problems on her bail - Fontaine dismount? hop forward on the landing. 9.725

Alabama is in the deep shiny ruby red and white leo with white waves swirling on the upper bodice and arms and down in a diagonal pattern on their left side. Lots of sequins are winking on the front and back.

Florida is in the matching leo to their warm-up - shiny marine blue with a sheer white fabric on the upper shoulders and arms to contrast, lots of sequins on the bodice and torso areas.

Coach Sarah Patterson says she will be looking for consistency versus big scoring tonight after an uncharacteristic stumble last week on the uneven bars against LSU in Baton Rouge, which proved too much of a deficit to overcome by the team in the end. To accomplish this, the Tide gymnasts must focus on executing their skills like they've been trained and let the scores take care of themselves. But in tonight's meet against the talented Florida Gators, Alabama will also need to bring more intensity than we saw last week on their opening event in order to get this crowd electrified. Alabama is currently ranked #1 on vault and needs to show the judges why with stuck landings to set the tone right away. We then need to see them nail those uneven bars routines like they did against the Arkansas Razorbacks three weeks ago. Freshman Ashley Sledge is the key here - but the coaches may decide to exhibit her only tonight despite a very impressive 15-minute warm-up. The Tide will also need to maintain that confident presence on the balance beam we've seen for the past five weeks and then show some swagger and attitude on the floor exercise to bring home the victory tonight. Florida is known for showing their own brand of attitude and we can assure you that they will not hold anything back tonight. So it's time for Alabama to stake their claim tonight as the top team in the SEC and #2 in the NCAA. Let's roll Bama!

rooms.

Kassi is dancing through her routine in the 3rd position.

A 1 1/2 through to a punch layout from Kayla. Double tuck from Morgan. Double front Arabian from Geralen Stack-Eaton and a double pike from Kayla to close. Double pike also from Erika Pearson looking good.

Bama will showcase Ricki, Marissa, Kassi, Geralen, Ashley Priess, and Morgan on the floor tonight, with Kayla and Erika possibly exhibiting.

Florida has Courtney Gladys, Elizabeth Mahlich, Randy Stageberg, Marissa King, Liz Green and Ashanee Dickerson on balance beam. That's four freshmen in a row to close, one senior and one sophomore. Egads!

Warming up on beam for the Tide: Ricki, Kassi, Geralen, Marissa, Morgan, Ashley Priess and Kayla and Alyssa will exhibit. Bama working confidently through their reps despite the Gators' extra booming loud music. Nice dismount from Ricki, Kassi and Geralen Stack-Eaton. Priess slips on a switch split leap, laughs and gets right back on to redo the skill.

Nice mixture of music on floor from Florida - especially like Liz Green's. Warming up for them on this event is Green, Ferguson, Castillo, King, Smith and Dickerson, who throws a double front Arabian. Freshman Randy Stageberg will exhibit on floor.

Warming up on the bars for the Crimson Tide: Ricki Lebegern, Morgan Dennis, Geralen Stack-Eaton, Kayla Hoffman, Kassi Price and Ashley Priess. Ashley Sledge will exhibit on bars tonight. So far looking good with her double layout dismount.

Geralen Stack-Eaton chuckling at Morgan after she did a perfect warm-up routine only to fall on her foo-foo at the end. Morgan wags her finger at her about respecting her elder.

Kayla misses her release but Kassi follows right behind with a marvelous rep. Priess does the same. We got your back Kayla, relax! Excellent rep from Ricki as well, stuck the tuck full in. Morgan follows her with a stuck double front. Great rep from Geralen Stack-Eaton - toe shoot straddle back in the routine this week. Kayla goes through two more reps and nails the release both times.

Warming up on vault for the Gators: Dali Lemezan, Courtney Gladys, Maranda Smith, Nicole Ellis, Ashanee Dickerson, and Marissa King. Liz Green will exhibit on vault.

Kayla Hoffman, Ashley Priess, Marissa Gutierrez, Geralen Stack-Eaton, Ricki Lebegern, and Morgan Dennis. Alyssa Chapman and Megan Mashburn will exhibition on vault tonight for the Crimson Tide. Bama looking for the big vaults tonight - high, far and stuck landings.

Maranda Smith, Elizabeth Mahlich, Alicia Goodwin, Amanda Castillo, Rebekah Zaiser, Ashanee Dickerson, Marissa King. Zaiser will be exhibitioning tonight on this event for Florida. Maranda Smith throws a double front with a 1/2 twist dismount off bars. The Gators look confident on this event.

Extended warm-ups begin in about 12 minutes. Liz Green, freshman from Texas Dreams, is warming up on beam along with Randy Stageberg, who is a freshman from Excalibur, the same club that produced Alabama senior Casey Overton. Former Florida great, Cory Hartung, is working with the team this year as a student assistant.

Bama moves to the vault to begin their long warm-up.

etched in the contrasting colors up and down the front and back.

Florida is in metallic marine blue with sequins, white at the upper shoulders.

The Alabama Gymnastics Team will have to prove themselves worthy of his traveling striped pants that he had worn during long warm-ups in the previous five weeks. So if they win tonight then the pants return - otherwise, see ya later, per the man himself just now.

Come on up or down, depending on where you are right now and see two SEC gymnastics foes compete in a terrific meet here tonight.

Bama and Florida are going through long stretches before the extended warm-ups officially begin. Roll Tide!