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No. 2 Ranked Alabama Gymnastics Team Travels to No. 6 Florida
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The No. 2 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team is back on the road this weekend for the sixth meet in eight outings.
The Crimson Tide travels to Gainesville, Fla. to face a rejuvenated Florida team Friday (Feb. 21) at 7 p.m. ET. The Gators are ranked sixth in the nation and posted a season best 194.450 last weekend against Denver.
"Florida is a team on a roll right now," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "They seem to be competing with a lot of confidence. Combine that with a high level of talent and they are a very dangerous team."
Alabama is also competing with a lot of confidence right now. Despite, or maybe because of, some injuries that have forced the Tide to shuffle its lineup from week to week, the Tide has developed a great deal of quality depth. Over the first seven weeks of the season, Alabama has competed 12 of the 14 athletes on its roster and has used between nine and 10 for the last four meets.
Right now the Tide is starting to get some athletes, such as All-American sophomore Alexis Brion, back in the mix, meaning that come championship season, the Tide has the potential to be as strong as any team in the nation.
Brion is one of the two athletes not to have competed this weekend. Off-season ankle surgery has kept her out of the lineup to this point in the year. She could see action on the floor exercise as early as Friday in Gainesville.
Patterson also indicated that freshman Ashley Miles, who tweaked her knee in practice four weeks ago, could be back in action in the next week or so. Miles and rookie Mari-Christine Bayer will both be out for the Florida meet. Bayer had a slight knee and ankle sprain while warming for last weekend's meet against LSU. She is expected to rejoin the Tide lineup in the next meet or two.
Despite not having a steady lineup, the Tide has been scoring consistently in the 197-plus range, including last weekend against LSU when they scored a season high 197.400 without Miles, Bayer and Brion. Once the meet was in hand, the Tide also gave junior all-arounder Jeana Rice a rest on the floor exercise.
The Alabama-Florida meet will be covered by Fox SportsNet for tape delayed broadcast.
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