Cassie Martin

Happy New Year to all Bama fans around the globe!  Here is the final practice report before the kick-off of the 2006 season in Baton Rouge this Friday night.  The team went through a tough, extended work-out on this date after cheering the football team to victory in the Cotton Bowl earlier in the day.  Here are some of the highlights and projected line-ups for each event at the Super Six Challenge

Tidebits

Uneven Bars

The coaches had each of the top seven gymnasts perform their entire routine on the bars as part of a two-event intra-squad on this date (vault was the other event).   We are pleased to report that the team hit six of seven routines, which included two D and two E level dismounts.  It looks like this will be the rotation order for the Super Six Challenge, with the possibility of shifting the 7th performer into an earlier spot based upon the final practices leading up to this first meet.

• Freshman Cassie Martin started the rotation with a beautiful routine that featured her very difficult combination: toe on toe-off to giant to Tkatchev release to immediate pak Salto transition to the low bar.  Awesome form, toe-point and extension throughout.  The coaches are signaling their confidence in her skills by putting her up first.
• Senior 1st Team All American on the bars, Ashley Miles was up next; she nailed her Shaposhnikova and Hindorff releases and stuck the double layout dismount.  Ready to roll.
• Freshman Courtney Priess threw a beautiful giant full turn to Tkatchev release and was going for perfection on the toe-on toe-off prior to her dismount prep, but just barely went over the high bar and then had to jump off.  She finished with an “E” dismount, the Arabian double front. 
• Senior 1st Team All American on the bars, Mari-Christine Bayer was perfection throughout this routine, hitting her handstands, the pike Jaeger release and the giant full turn to double tuck dismount. 
• Senior 1st Team All American on the bars, Dana Filetti followed with another excellent routine, throwing the toe-on straddle release to the high bar, followed by the giant full turn to Gienger release (very nice height but a little leg separation mid-air) and a super double front dismount (“E”).    Looking great!
• Sophomore 1st Team All American on the bars, Terin Humphrey anchored the event as expected and this time showed only one of her major release moves, a Gienger out of a full turn, and she also landed a super double layout dismount. 
• Sophomore Kaitlin White performed in the exhibition spot and did a terrific job, hitting the full turn to Gienger release and the pak Salto transition, as well as the full turn to double tuck dismount (stuck!).  She provides the coaches with immediate scoring depth on this event for the first few weeks of competition but she is aiming to be in the line-up. 

Ashley Miles

Look for Melanie Banville, Brittany Magee and Dana Pierce to press the bars line-up in the next few weeks. 

The vault intra-squad showcased the expected line-up for this first meet as well but the overall look of the competitive line-up is expected to change between meet one and meets two and three.  For example, Dana Filetti (timers only as she continues to recover from pre-season ankle tweaking), Terin Humphrey (under the weather for previous two days) and Cassie Martin (extra work today on floor and beam) were not included in this intra-squad.   Here is how the remaining gymnasts competed on Monday:

• Freshman Melanie Banville, Canadian vaulting champion, led the charge on this date with a strong Yurchenko 1/1, with a slight leg separation in flight.  She has an interesting run technique that takes up only half the runway compared to the other gymnasts.  She will likely move to the middle or back of the line-up by mid-season because of her consistency and versatility on this event.
• Freshman Ashley Ford showed a powerful run into the Tsuk full (tuck position) but she popped back on the landing; better control during the entry and twisting of this vault in flight will result in a better landing and score.  She is working to upgrade by laying the vault out. 
• Freshman Ashley O'Neal has improved her technique and form with the front pike ½ twist during fall pre-season workouts.  She gained excellent height and distance with this vault during the intra-squad but still needs to better control the form on entry and during twisting to maximize her scoring.  Landing was pretty good.
• Freshman Brittany Magee could give lessons on how to execute the Yurchenko 1/1, it was that perfect during several reps. She has the 1 ½ in her arsenal as well.  If she nails the 1/1 vault at the Super Six like she did at practice several times on this date, watch out.
• Sophomore Kaitlin White stood up her Yurchenko 1/1 but needs a more powerful push up and back off the vault table to comfortably pull the twist around.  She was one of the Tide’s best vaulters last year at Nationals and is expected to help anchor this event.
• Senior Ashley Miles almost stuck the Yurchenko 1/1, slightest shifting of one foot on the landing.  Super girl.

Brittany Magee

From pre-season and recent work-outs, there is a strong possibility that the coaches will tap senior Dana Pierce and junior Erin Rightley for the floor exercise for the Super Six Challenge.  They will likely be joined by Ashley Miles, Terin Humphrey and possibly two freshmen (Banville, Priess and Martin appear to be in the early mix, along with Magee). 

The coaches have lots of depth and therefore several interesting choices to consider for the balance beam line-up.  But for this first meet look for Mari-Christine Bayer, Ashley Miles, Terin Humphrey and possibly Dana Pierce to help anchor at least two freshmen if pre-season workouts are indicators: odds on candidates to complete this line-up would include Melanie Banville and Courtney Priess.  However, we’re prepared for a Coach Sarah Surprise on this event.

Next stop: Baton Rouge, Louisiana!  See you there or on the website.  Roll Tide!

Terin Humphrey	Rachael Delahoussaye
Mari-Christine Bayer	Dana Filetti
Courtney Priess	Ashley O'Neal