As we wind down toward the end of the regular season, I thought it might be a good time to reflect back on the season thus far. And what a season it has turned out to be, full of ‘twists and turns' and with seldom a dull moment. For all that, it is ironic that, taken as a whole, the season has gone pretty much exactly the way the coaches predicted. I guess that's why they're the coaches and we're just the fans!

The first ‘twist and turn' has to be the team's performance on the vault. Despite concerns about start values, only doing one vault ,etc, the team has ranked very high, nationally, all year - currently number three - and has shown steady improvement throughout the year. It looks like we can expect more of the same for post-season. Over the last two years, this apparatus has changed from a ‘you better do it big' event to a ‘you better do it right' event. In my opinion, this plays into what has been Bama's strength over the years, namely, getting the routines clean and consistent first, and then adding in more difficulty.

The uneven bars are a true strength, and an expected one. The upperclassmen are in firm control of this apparatus with Andree, Raegan, Natalie, and Kristen turning in one outstanding performance after another. Add in some timely routines by Tiffany, Alexa, and Jeana and you've got yourself ‘some team' on the bars. Perhaps just as impressive has been the performance of Shannon Hrozek. She joins, and perpetuates, a long line of silky-smooth, ultra-clean, ‘Bama-style' bar-workers and has been a real joy to watch perform this year.

And then there is the balance beam. Last weekend's effort against those pesky Gator's was in many ways the year's best. That has to be encouraging. A review of the scores on balance beam shows that Bama has improved steadily throughout the year - a fact that, perhaps, has been masked at times by falls. Our seats are near the beam and for as long as I can remember, the last thing the gymnasts do before starting competition on the balance beam is to touch hands together and say in unison, "Confidence!" Confidence seems to be on the rise for Bama's beam squad. Florida's troubles on the beam last weekend prove what I have heard the coaches say many times, the team that stays on the beam usually wins the meet.

The floor exercise has been Bama's strong suit all season long. In fact, the Tide is ‘number one' in the nation on the floor. The Tide's ‘Fab Freshmen' have really helped lead the way on this event, with all three contributing mightily. However, no discussion of their success would be complete without singling out Alexis Brion's 9.935 (!!!!!) RQS and ‘number three' in the nation ranking. A true ‘embarrassment of riches', the coaches' decision each week as to which gymnasts to compete on this event is set to get even more difficult since Andree is soon to return to the floor.

Onward then - on to the post-season and the championships. Bama seems to be rounding out into form right at the critical moment. Barring unforeseen changes in the way the gym season has progressed nationwide, it looks to be a wide-open championship this year. At least 8 or 9 teams appear to have a legitimate shot at the title, with Bama definitely in the lead pack. In fact, with our talented mix of veteran and newcomers, well, let's just say I can't wait for April. Roll Tide!