Preliminary Observations

The team was completing their conditioning (working out at 16 different stations for approximately 3-5 minutes before rotating) for the first 45 minutes of official practice. The entire roster was present and every gymnast was noticeably in overall excellent shape. The gymnasts were asked to practice only two events on this date by the coaches since they completed a full conditioning work-out prior.

Specific Highlights of Each Gymnast

Andree Pickens (Senior)

Andree was running track when PBAs drove up and looks absolutely fabulous. It also looks like her re-conditioning routines over the past few months may have included swimming and yoga because she has a long, more lean body look to her now. During practice, she went through all of the conditioning stations and was then able to work uneven bars and balance beam. She mainly worked on new dance moves and poses for her beam routine, along with fundamental balancing walks and hops. On uneven bars, Andree essentially practiced giant uprises and pirouettes and even threw a Geinger release with no trouble. She was given the okay just a few weeks ago to begin working the apparatus and the coaches noted that she has been much happier in the gym since receiving this news. Tide fans will be pleased to know that Andree has worked very hard during the off-season and may well be entering her senior season in the best overall shape of her career as a response to the injury that kept her out of nationals this past year.

Raegan Tomasek (Senior)

The Mastic Beach, New York, native also is entering her senior year in the best shape of her career, having added competitive running to her list of spare-time activities (see Lake Lurleen mixed team triathlon competition results). The effects have apparently been significant, increasing her power and endurance and chiseling her body into the bargain. On the balance beam, Raegan's routine remains essentially the same at this point but we expect to see some new dance and possibly new skills on this event by the first intra-squad meet. On uneven bars, she is retaining her toe-on toe-off to Tkatchev but will release to the low bar with a straddle back to accentuate her long lines and excellent toe point.

Whitney Morgan (Senior)

Despite having a bone chip removed from her foot and having to walk around in a cast for awhile, the Louisville, Kentucky, senior was conditioning, running track and working on the uneven bars with intensity. She was mainly practicing release moves and giant uprises on the bars, showing nice form and extension throughout.

Natalie Barrington (Senior)

The Canadian Prankster is sporting longer hair this year and immediately impressed us with her awesome workouts on the uneven bars. She threw three inverted giants in a row, her pak Salto release, lots of pirouetting, and a double front dismount. She seems more powerful on bars and on the floor this year and will have new music (it's awesome and it's a secret!). On the floor, she is sporting a double turn and a Popanova (a full twisting Shushonova). New dance moves on the balance beam were observed as well. She may well break through on three events this year.

Alexa Martinez (Senior)

We mainly observed Alexa working on her floor tumbling and the uneven bars. She is also in the best shape of her four years at Alabama and it shows already in her workouts at this point. She was throwing some beautiful giants, giant uprises to needle handstand positions and a double layout to die for. The kicker again this year will be for her to master the Tkatchev release and the straddle back to low bar. This could be an awesome routine, albeit in the development stage currently, so watch out fans!

Kristin Sterner (Junior)

Kristin returns in fabulous shape and is working on a punch front mount on the balance beam, which will cement an already super difficult routine that has a double pike dismount and a straddle full leap, as well as a wolf to immediate standing back pike. She is a first team All-American on this event from the 2001 season and is still trying to maximize her performance level. On bars, she was mainly working giant uprises and the double front dismount and she is rotating faster and with more confidence on this event.

Sara Scarborough (Junior)

Sara was mainly observed on the uneven bars and floor, where she was throwing fundamental "prep" moves leading into the big skills. She is in good condition and retains a happy attitude, supporting her teammates during their routines as well. She showed excellent rotation on the bars and seems very confident in the fundamental moves on this apparatus but did not show any major release moves on this date.

Jeana Rice (Sophomore)

The Orlando, Florida, native has also returned in superb shape, better even than at the end of her freshman season, where she finished third in the all-around competition at nationals. Awesome tumbling on the floor, including her pike full in, was displayed and she appears to be readying for a whip to a double pike to maximize the scoring potential on at least one of her passes. On balance beam, she was steady in her flight series of flic flac to layout, layout and her wolf full leaps were solid. She was practicing a new move on beam, a gainer layout, and threw a double full dismount consistently.

Tiffany Byrd (Sophomore)

And now, for the most pleasant surprise award, Miss Tiffany Byrd is clearly the winner! She began workouts on the uneven bars and was confidently throwing two release moves, a Hindorff and a Tkatchev, ending with a very nice double layout, which she landed very consistently. We saw her throw three Hindorffs in a row without any trouble. On the floor, she was tumbling double pikes comfortably and was working on a whip to a double pike for a second pass. Tiffany has clearly set the pole high for her performance this year and the coaches are happily following her lead.

Erin Holdefer (Sophomore)

Working out on the floor, we saw Erin display some strong tumbling (double pike and tuck) and she was also throwing a punch front mount and another punch front in her beam routine. She has had some off-season surgery but remains in excellent shape and is looking to help out on vault, beam and floor this year.

Lauren Holdefer (Sophomore)

Lauren was looking stronger and more confident on balance beam and was a pleasant surprise to see on the uneven bars as well, where she was throwing some excellent giants and giant uprises. She is expected to contribute once again on vault, floor and perhaps the uneven bars and balance beam this year.

Stephanie Kite (Sophomore)

Returning for her second year in very good condition, Stephanie was mainly working floor and balance beam on this date. She showed strong tumbling efforts with a front layout to double full to front layout. Another element was being added on this pass towards the end of her workout. We are not sure what she is working up to but she seems to be showing more explosiveness in her tumbling and her leaps had more amplitude and extension overall as well. On the beam she was practicing a back handspring to two-footed layout, as well as a punch front mount.

Helen Burgin (Redshirt Freshman)

Last year Helen was in recovery from back problems but is raring to go this year. She practiced tumbling on the floor (mainly three front layouts) and on balance beam she was throwing some nice leaps and a back handspring to two-footed layout. She was also working a punch front mount and perfecting dance moves with Coach Patterson's assistance. Vault and floor are two events that we may well see this strong tumbler on during the 2002 season.

Alexis Brion (Freshman)

Having arrived at Alabama with a remarkable competition resume as a junior international elite, Alexis appears to be poised for great things at the collegiate gymnastics level. On this date, she was mainly working on dance elements for her floor exercise routine, which we predict will be a main contribution to the Tide's line-up for 2002. Alexis has international elite skills on all four events and the coaches are busy taking inventory on which skills will have the best chance for consistent execution week in and week out. PBAs expect Alexis to seriously contend for a position in the line-up on each event.

Shannon Hrozek (Freshman)

A Texas native, Shannon has super power on the floor exercise, as demonstrated today by her effortless double pikes that were high and tight in form. On the uneven bars she showed long lines and excellent extension, as well as a solid Geinger release move. Look for her to debut her skills on vault and floor this year, with backup support on the uneven bars and balance beam.

Michelle Reeser (Freshman)

She has a mega-brain but is tiny in body, standing only 4'9". Spirited, despite working at reduced intensity due to her recovery from an achilles tendon injury last February, Michelle was tagging along with Andree on this date, running track, working bars and the balance beam to build her flexibility and strength in preparation for a return to her elite skills on all four events. On the uneven bars she showed really nice giants and giant uprises and threw a Geinger release with a little leg separation that she overcame as practice continued. On the balance beam, fundamental moves up and down the beam, including hops, leaps and dance moves were the extent of her allowed workout on this date. Her enthusiasm will no doubt aid in her perfecting additional moves and skills over the next few weeks.

The next report will not occur until the October 21st practice due to the team being off for their scheduled long weekend of October 12-14. See ya on the website on October 22 with a full report! Roll Tide!