Medalist Club: Practice Notes:

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The Booster Organization for the University of Alabama Gymnastics Program

Practice Report: Sunday, November 18, 2007

(Friday, November 23, 2007)

[ Practice Notes: Archives ]

The Alabama Gymnastics Team completed an intra-squad on the uneven bars and balance beam this past Sunday to help the coaches and visiting Judge Judy Dobransky ascertain where the team is right now on two of the more critical events for the upcoming 2008 season. Bama's depth on the uneven bars for 2008 should be improved by 3 to 4 routines; but performances on this date by two-time NCAA Bars Champion, Terin Humphrey, and fellow senior Kaitlin White, were limited due to both rehabbing their respective elbows and focusing on other events (floor for Kaitlin and beam for Terin), so they were not included in the intra-squad. However, both of the seniors were observed working all four events during the extended practice. The coaches noted that they are pacing Terin's and Kaitlin's pre-season workouts to help ensure their availability throughout the 2008 season. The coaches were able to add other gymnasts in the intra-squad line-up who normally would be in back-up roles on these events. NOTE: The next practice report will not come until right before the team breaks for the Christmas Holidays. There will be more line-up predictions closer to the first week in January once they return to full work-outs after Christmas and we hope to have more information on the rest of the gymnasts' routines and floor music. In the meantime, here are some of the observations from PBAs and Salto for the recent intra-squad:

Ashley O'Neal

Jac Shealy

Uneven Bars

Gymnast	Routine Highlights
Amanda Montgomery	For this intra-squad, Amanda exhibited the same routine from last year but she is also training a double layout dismount for 2008. Overall, her handstands (reaching vertical position) and body lines were much improved, as was her form (toe-point) during giants and transition moves. She completed a full turn to a Gienger release, bail to handstand on the low bar, another 1/1 turn on top of the bar to a double tuck dismount and later, a double layout. Her hard work in the off-season appears to be paying off. With a little more polish and improved timing of the transition moves, this could be a bankable routine.
Ricki Lebegern	Ricki has essentially the same routine from 2007 but has replaced the straddle Jaeger with a more difficult and eye-pleasing piked Jaeger release move. She opens with a 1/1 on the high bar to giant to 1/2 turn to front giant to piked Jaeger release, kip cast back to handstand on the high bar before a bail to handstand on the low bar, another 1/1 before a full in dismount to close. We saw improved vertical handstands and she seems more confident on the bars in general, so hopefully this will transfer to more consistency in competition. The dismount was also showing more amplitude and tighter form during execution. For this routine to score higher, though, we really need to see the return of the toe-shoot straddle transition move (from low to high bar).
Brittany Magee	Giant to 1/1 to Tkatchev (excellent amplitude and toe-point/extension), kip cast to handstand then to a Pak Salto transition to the low bar, giant 1/1 to 1/2 in 1/2 out dismount. Two kip handstands were arched slightly past vertical but her form overall really stands out. This is a routine that needs to be put out there but only if Brittany can consistently attack the bars the way she did on this date. Her teammates were cheering loudly throughout this routine and it really seemed to help.
Morgan Dennis	Morgan continues to train the double layout dismount but the double front was thrown for this intra-squad. She completed the full routine without a problem, including the straddle jump over the low bar to high bar, giant 1/1 to giant to 1/2 turn to front giant to a piked Jaeger release, bail to handstand on the low bar, double front dismount. The kip cast to handstands were vertical except one near the end of the routine, and we noticed a little cowboy position on the double front as well. Either a toe-shoot straddle to the high bar (transition move) or another release move (Gienger?) would really make this a prime time routine. Right now it's almost too easy for her.
Kayla Hoffman	We saw pretty much a flawless bars routine performed by Kayla 3 weeks ago at Ghosts v Goblins but during this intra-squad, she was experiencing problems during warm-ups with the 1 1/2 turn to immediate Tkatchev release combination (fell on the second element during the actual judged exhibition). During the exhibition, she appeared to be pressing the handstands a bit to try and reach vertical and then started to mess up her timing when she arched over too far and then tried to adjust with a subsequent giant to 1/2 turn to regain her position. The rest of the routine looked great (toe shoot straddle to high bar), including a stuck double layout dismount.
Kassi Price	Huge Hindorff release to kip cast back to handstand on the high bar to immediate free hip giant (circle) back to handstand; bail to handstand on the low bar; another 1/1 on the high bar after transition move, to giant, giant to double layout (stuck but chest down a bit). Later added a 1/1 to Tkatchev as a second release move in her routine and also worked the full-twisting double layout on the medium mats (nice form on the Tkatchev).
	More Uneven Bars Practice Reps Observed
Terin Humphrey	She worked on the Khorkina release, hop full, and the full twisting double layout dismount.
Kaitlin White	Kaitlin worked on the giant 1/1 to Gienger, double tuck dismount as well as a double layout.
Cassie Martin	Her full routine exhibition at Ghosts v Goblins looked very solid but she only did limited reps on bars for this extended practice. We also saw her work through new choreography and music for her floor routine as well as beam reps.
Jacqueline Shealy	Jacqueline continues to make strides with her recovery from ACL surgery last January and she is now throwing impressive giants to 1/2 turn (right on top of the high bar) to front giant to another 1/2 turn to giant to Tkatchev sequence and the toe-shoot straddle transition to the high bar with excellent amplitude and extension as well. She had already exhibited these moves at the Ghosts v Goblins 3 weeks ago in aggressive fashion and is now working a Comaneci dismount in the pits. The coaches remain optimistic that she will return to the line-up for 2008 on the bars if her rehabilitation continues to go well.
Casey Overton	Casey has indeed made strides on the uneven bars in just 3 weeks. Her routine includes a giant 1/1 to Tkatchev to Pak Salto and she is training a double front dismount. This could really boost the Tide's depth on bars for 2008 if she can hit these elements consistently.

Balance Beam

Casey Overton	Very smooth, confident routine to start. Front aerial, switch leap to straddle-straddle combination (left out the second straddle when landing on first straddle was not quite steady enough); BHS to Layout-Stepout; sheep jump, running switch side straddle jump; BHS to 1/1 twist dismount, stuck. She later worked several reps with David Patterson on the bhs to double twist off the side (using a high, thick mat for take-off into the foam pit). After several of these reps, it was clear that Casey has a new appreciation for how hard this dismount is with just one bhs to generate the power needed to pull it around.
Amanda Montgomery	She has a very unique beam routine and hit a flawless exhibition at the Ghosts v Goblins. Her mount on beam now includes a backward head/body roll; front walkover to side aerial combination, split full jump, front aerial, running split leap to tuck full jump to flutter jump; one-hand back handspring to wolf full jump combination, running front 1/1 twist dismount, stuck! Her confidence, focus and the fluidity of this routine were impressive.
Ricki Lebegern	The 2007 SEC Balance Beam Champion did not appear to show any nerves in front of the visiting judge. Highlights included BHS to Layout-Stepout, switch leap to straddle-straddle combination, running switch side straddle jump, side Somi, round off to double twist, stuck landing. Super execution of this routine, no visible hesitancy anywhere, elements were well-connected and polished.
Kayla Hoffman	Pretty close to perfection, just the slightest balance check noticed at the end of the flight series (BHS to layout stepout); switch leap to tuck full jump; also showcased a front aerial to gainer layout-stepout combination (wonderful back extension to dance pose on the second element), a switch leap to switch leap combination, back handspring to two-footed back handspring to double twist dismount, chest slightly down, one step forward (really went for the stick). Fantastic form and extension throughout this routine.
Brittany Magee	Another routine barely short of perfection. BHS to layout stepout, front aerial; switch leap to pike jump to tuck full jump combination (timing was super on this sequence); gainer layout stepout; round off to double tuck, chest slightly down on landing but stood it up comfortably.
Terin Humphrey	Humphrey mount; full twisting bhs to bhs to layout stepout; wolf front aerial (left out second attached element: wolf jump); 3/4 twisting bhs to split position; running switch leap to wolf jump; round off to back handspring to double tuck, one step on the landing. Solid.
	More Balance Beam Reps Observed
Kassi Price	Routine for 2008 has changed a bit. Flight series: front aerial to bhs to layout step-out; wolf front aerial to flutter jump; switch leap to wolf jump; round off to double pike dismount.
Morgan Dennis	Front aerial; Flight series: bhs to layout step-out to layout step-out (looking very consistent in practices observed to date); switch leap to tuck full jump to flutter jump combination; switch leap to flutter jump; round off to double tuck dismount. Despite the obvious difficulty this routine could use something unique in the middle or in lieu of the second leap series (Korbut fish flop?). Morgan executes pretty confidently and with fluidity.
Ashley O'Neal	New choreography with Courtney's help looks sharp. The routine is essentially the same from last year but she is now training a round off to double tuck dismount to preserve the knees for 2008 (sans the double front tuck dismount of her first two years). Flight series: bhs to layout step-out; switch leap to straddle-straddle combination; punch front (tuck) make up the rest of the routine.
Kaitlin White	No changes in her routine but she is throwing a running 1/1 (front) dismount instead of a double twist.
Alyssa Chapman	Coach Patterson worked a long time with her on the switch leap to back tuck combination and the flight series (back handspring to layout stepout). Also, Alyssa is dismounting with a difficult back handspring to two-footed back handspring to double twist. Extension, dance and timing (to control her power moves) received extra attention from the Coach on this date.