Ghosts vs Goblins: October 31, 2003

Alabama's annual intra-squad slugfest took place on the scariest day of the year and gave Tide fans in attendance a sneak peek at how the 2004 team is shaping up.  The coaches had mostly smiles on their faces throughout the competition as the sophomore gals executed their skills with considerably more confidence this year.  And while each of the freshmen showed some nerves at various points on the balance beam they gained valuable experience in the process.  The juniors and seniors were providing leadership by example through their impressive routines and will contribute to the team's depth on several events this year.  With the exception of junior Michelle Reeser (resting a sore achilles), freshman Meredith Laxton (ACL rehabbing) and sophomore Larissa Stewart (rehabbing a tendon tear in the hand), all of the ladies had complete routines on at least one event and several had complete routines on 3 or 4 events. 

Vault

The Tide is looking very impressive at the half-way point of the pre-season on this event, standing up eight (8) 10.0 vaults easily during the competition.  Three additional 10.0 vaults were thrown but landed with problems (bent at the waist/touched down).  Let's take a look at the chart for more details:

Freshman Erin Rightley is very close to twisting her Yurchenko 1/1 and has great form and explosion off the vault table.  She has an excellent chance to contend for a position in the line-up as well.  Alabama's depth on this event this early on is downright spooky!

Uneven bars

Bama competed an amazing six (6) complete routines on the bars and once again will be throwing some of the most difficult dismounts in the nation.  We'll highlight the major skills of the 6 complete routines and note what the remaining gymnasts are training.

Jeana Rice: ½ turn to two inverted giants to ½ turn to Tkatchev release to straddle back release to handstand position on the low bar; full in dismount.  Jeana also demonstrated a new dismount she is training, a full twisting double layout.

Mari-Christine Bayer: giant to ½ turn to Jaeger release (pike position); giant with a full turn to double tuck dismount (stuck).

Ashley Miles: toe-on toe-off to full turn to Tkatchev release to straddle back to handstand position on the low bar; double layout dismount (hop back on landing). 

Dana Filetti: toe-on straddle release to the high bar, full turn to a Gienger release, transition from high bar to a handstand position on the low bar; giant with a ½ turn to a double front dismount.  Dana also demonstrated a new dismount she is training, a double front with a ½ twist. 

Brittany Comeaux: she is very confident on this event, mounting with a straddle over the low bar, a giant with a full turn to a booming Tkatchev (reminiscent of Lexa Evans), and a double front dismount (great distance on the landing). 

Shannon Hrozek: this routine was executed very well; giant with a full turn to Gienger release to shoot over to the low bar; giant with a ½ turn to a reverse giant with another ½ turn to a double tuck dismount, stuck cold.  She is training a new transition to the low bar (to handstand position) and a new dismount (full out).

Alexis Brion: she almost has a complete routine and today demonstrated a straddle mount over the low bar to giant uprise (perfect handstand position) to a giant with a full turn to Tkatchev to giant with a ½ turn to pak Salto (stopped at this point as she has still not quite mastered this skill).  She demonstrated her new dismount, a full turn to double tuck, stuck landing.  Alexis' elite training really shows through in her ability to execute basic elements with finesse, like uprises to perfect handstands and the way she keeps her legs together through the entire routine, toes pointed, etc.

Other gymnasts that showed nice elements on bars included: Johnna Gay (double pike dismount), Erin Rightley (very smooth giants and a full turn to a double tuck, stuck), Dana Pierce (two inverted giants to ½ turn to Tkatchev, working on a double layout dismount), Meredith Laxton and Rachael Delahoussaye (giants, ½ and full turns, straddle release to the low bar) and Michelle Reeser (did her routine from last year without the dismount; she is training a full in).  Larissa Stewart, due to her hand injury, will not be expected to resume bars work until January 2004.

Balance Beam

The Tide once again has excellent depth on the balance beam for 2004 and just about every gymnast threw a complete routine on this date, the primary exceptions being Michelle Reeser, Meredith Laxton and Larissa Stewart (only held out one element of her flight series due to not being able to touch down with her hands on flic flacs).  Some elements that caught our eyes:

Ashley Miles: round off layout onto the beam (stuck); wolf full; switch leap to split leap with ½ turn; gainer bhs to two-footed layout (stuck); switch leap to a kick out back dive; full turn with leg extended; gainer full dismount;

Erin Rightley: switch leap - switch leap combination; bhs-bhs-layout; full turn; split jump to back dive; straddle-straddle-wolf jump combination; cartwheel to gainer layout dismount;

Brittany Comeaux: flight series of two front aerials to a back dive; switch leap to tuck full combo; next comes this tricky but really cool move which we'll try our best to describe: from a standing position she threw a ¾ reverse turn/pelvic dive onto the side of the beam.  Salto could not recall the technical name for this move and therefore dubbed it the "Elvis Pelvis" in honor of Brittany's resemblance to Lisa Marie Presley. Brittany dismounted on this date with a basic round off to layout.

Mari-Christine Bayer: front aerial to back handspring to back dive; switch leap to switch side leap combination; front walkover to needle scale; switch leap to gainer back pike dismount.

Larissa Stewart: switch leap to ¾ wolf; ¾ tuck jump; flight series of two front aerials to back handspring (when hand is well); full turn; another switch leap to ¾ wolf; Rudi dismount.

Rachael Delahoussaye: wolf full; bhs-layout-back dive; switch leap - ¾ straddle; full turn; cartwheel down onto the beam; switch leap side; bhs to gainer layout dismount.

Alexis Brion: mounted with a straddle press to handstand with a ¼ turn to standing position; dance moves and pose; bhs-bhs-layout; full turn; switch leap - switch leap combo (very nice); punch front; ¾ straddle jump (landed on a dime, great control, extension and amplitude); Rudi dismount;

Dana Filetti: straddle press mount to handstand and then shifted to a double stag pose; extended to split before turning ¼ on her hands and then moving to a standing position; she next moved into a handstand and immediately reversed to a layout and then a back handspring as her flight series; wolf to ring leap combination; side Somi; sheep jump to back dive; round off to layout dismount; she is training a double twist; 

Stephanie Kite: punch front mount; bhs to two-footed layout; switch leap-3/4 wolf combo; front walkover; ¾ wolf; switch leap to wolf jump; Rudi dismount.

Dana Pierce: Chinese split mount; switch leap - switch leap combination; two-footed back handspring to layout (stuck cold); side switch leap; full turn; straddle-straddle-wolf jump combo; cartwheel to gainer layout dismount; great confidence shown from beginning to end with this routine.

Shannon Hrozek: mounted with a front walkover onto the beam (body extended to a prone position at one end); bhs-layout-bhs; switch leap-bhs gym acro series; hitch kick to sheep jump combo; switch leap-wolf jump combo; double twist dismount.

Jeana Rice: wolf-straddle-straddle jump combination; bhs-layout-layout; wolf full; new dance elements; sissone jump to a bhs (gymacro series); double twist dismount.

Lauren Holdefer: punch front mount; switch leap-straddle-straddle jump combination; bhs-layout (very nice); punch front; full turn; ¾ straddle jump; Rudi dismount;

Johnna Gay: bhs-layout; switch leap-3/4 wolf; full turn; straddle-straddle-wolf jump combo; round off to layout dismount.

Floor Exercise

Bama once again demonstrated the results of their pre-season conditioning and technique with strong tumbling skills on the floor:

Dana Filetti: triple twist; double twist;

Johnna Gay: 2 ½ twist; double pike; front hs-front full-front tuck

Rachael Delahoussaye: front hs-front full-front tuck; front hs-front full-front pike

Alexis Brion: whip-bhs-double tuck; round off-bhs-double tuck;

Ashley Miles: double layout; double pike; front hs-front full-front layout.  Landings of each element during the actual intra-squad competition were perfect.

Jeana Rice: full in (pike); front handspring-front full-front tuck; whip to 2 ½ twist to punch front; whip to double twist

Lauren Holdefer: running double front; bhs-double tuck

Mari-Christine Bayer: double pike; front hs-front full-front tuck; bhs-double twist

Stephanie Kite: front hs-front full-front layout; front hs-front full-front full; front hs-double full;

Brittany Comeaux: double pike; 2 ½ twist

Erin Rightley: double pike (excellent height, form in the air and rock solid landing); front hs-front full-front pike; bhs-double twist; she is a very polished, controlled gymnast with great potential on all events.

Shannon Hrozek: double pike; double tuck; front hs-front full-front tuck

PBAs hope to have more information regarding the Tide's new floor routines in the upcoming weeks.  Look for another practice report right before Thanksgiving Holidays.  Roll Tide!