Ever have one of those days when you just could do no wrong? When you thought to yourself, gosh! why didn't I fly to Las Vegas today? Well, the GymTide definitely did not have one of those days against Kentucky last Saturday afternoon. No, the Kentucky meet, right from the start, turned into a character-builder and a real, old-fashioned 'gut-check'. Once again, Bama proved to be up to the challenge.

We arrived a little later than usual; warm-ups were well under way. As has become my habit, the first thing I did when I entered the arena was to 'count heads' to make certain that everyone was 'present and accounted for'. Thankfully, all the GymTiders were up and walking (a big relief the way things have been going!). It was only later that I noticed that Shannon Hrozek was not warming up. My gym buddies - undoubtably mindful of my recent Mari-Christine Bayer trauma - were quick to reassure me that, although there may have been a tiny incident early on in the warm up, Shannon was just being rested. Certainly, Shannon seemed fine, ran out for the intros, and then went around with team for all four rotations. If you feel there may be more I should know, I have my fingers in my ears and I can't hear a word you are saying, la la la la la la la la la...

The vault line-up continued in flux this week, what with Shannon being rested and Ashley Miles being subbed for after having some timing problems during the three-minute touch. Despite this, the vaulters ended up with a respectable 49.150. This score included yet another near-perfect vault by Jeana Rice for a 9.975, a 9.90 from Kristen Sterner (who continues to impress each week), and an exciting 9.925 exclamation point from Alexis Brion.

Skipping right over Bars and moving right to the Balance Beam....hmm? What's that? Oh, you want to know about Bars? Well, alright, if you insist. Bama had a couple of minor glitches and did, OK, have to count a fall - winding up with a 48.600. But, I'm quite certain all of that has been completely addressed in practice this week and, hey, can't we just move on? On a more positive note, Dana Filetti's bar routine, up until her dismount, was a thing of beauty. Also, Larissa Stewart received a 9.875 for, I think, one of her best routines yet. Jeana Rice got a 9.825 'the hard way', receiving a 9.75 from one judge and a 9.90 from the other. Jeana normally does a 'transition' from the high bar to a handstand on the low bar. However, this time, she seemed to have some difficulty which caused her to leave the handstand out. All of this was a little 'awkward looking' and I remember thinking at the time that she would be lucky to get a 9.85. Now, I have no idea if Jeana needs the handstand on the low bar to get her routine up to a 10.0 start value, although somehow that seems doubtful considering the rest of her routine. Be that as it may, it's interesting that Jeana ended up with what appeared to be about the right score notwithstanding the disparity between the judges. I guess that's why they have two judges and average the scores!

One more small note from the Uneven Bars. After overcoming a broken 'pinkie' finger, a scary sprained knee/ankle, and, by all accounts, a real doozie of a bout with the flu or something similar, Mari-Christine Bayer finally got to debut her bar routine Saturday afternoon in an exhibition. I'm sure she would have been happy with just getting through it, but, in the event, her performance was very good, receiving (I think) a 9.65. The main point I wanted to make, though, was that it was just a joy to see how thrilled Mari was to be able to get back out there and perform. Indeed, the same goes for Ashley Miles for the last two weeks, coming back first in the vault and then in the floor line-up. The fact is that the whole team, in my opinion, regardless of the adversity they have faced, has had just a marvelous attitude this year. Each year the team seems to take on a different personality. I think the term 'contagious enthusiasm' could be fairly used to describe this edition of the GymTide.

The 'Tide' began to turn during the next rotation: the balance beam. The team beam score of 49.125 was not the year's best, by any means. But, it was good enough to help the Tide close the gap on the small lead that Kentucky, quite surprisingly, had taken after the second rotation. Michelle Reeser once again put up a great lead-off score, 9.825, which was later matched by Kristen Sterner. The freshman brigade was led by Dana Pierce, who had a great routine for a 9.90. Rachel Delahoussaye and Larissa Stewart chipped in a 9.675 and a 9.625, respectively, good scores under the circumstances. Jeana Rice was in the anchor position and received a 9.90 for her outstanding routine. Her performance once again had the judge's in a bit of a silent dispute, with one awarding a 9.85 and the other awarding a 9.95. I could be mistaken, but I thought I saw the 9.85 judge flip over her start-value card to a 9.90. If so, that implies to me that the 9.85 judge felt that something Jeana did or didn't do lost her .10 of a bonus. Beyond that, both judges saw only .05 deduction in her routine.

We had to feel that the Tide was in good shape going into the last rotation being less than a tenth behind. There were a few moments of suspense, but Bama's 49.600 floor score put the meet safely away. I speculated last week that Ashley Miles just might retain her 10.0 career home scoring average after the Kentucky meet. Well, not quite. One judge did give her a 10.0, but the other saw 'only' a 9.95 floor exercise. I suppose we'll just have to 'settle' for a 9.9875 home average! Jeana and Michelle each received 9.925's. Alexis Brion thrilled us with a booming first tumbling pass and it was great to see her out there once again. She had a fall, I think on her second pass. Her progress continues apace, however, and I have no doubt that she will soon be back at the top. Stephanie Kite and Lauren Holdefer received 9.90 and 9.875, respectively, for their intricate and difficult routines.

It was tough, it was a struggle at times, but it ended up as a 196.425 - 195.125 victory. And, with Kentucky in the rear-view mirror, that can only mean that the Georgia Bulldogs are now in the headlights. The Bulldog family has been going through some tough times of late. No, I don't mean the basketball situation. A letter from Coach Yoculan on the Gym Dogs' website advises that former gymnast Tayla Vexler is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. I know I can speak for the Bama Nation in saying that we have Talya, her family, and, indeed, the entire Gym Dog family in our thoughts and prayers. We know Tayla to be an outstanding gymnast and a fierce competitor, and we feel certain that her competitive spirit will help pull her through.

Just a reminder that it is once again baseball season at the Capstone (yes!). Ironically enough, the Tide Nine will be taking on the Georgia Bulldogs at 4:00 pm on Saturday. As we all know, this can spell mass confusion in the parking lot for a 7:00 pm gym meet! However, not to worry, just allow a few extra minutes and get there a bit early. The doors to Coleman Coliseum open at 5:30 pm and the coliseum's steps are a great vantage point to watch a little of the baseball game. Hey, what the heck, just get there really early, buy a ticket, and go watch the ball game before coming to the meet. If you decide to come inside the coliseum early enough you can have the additional fun of watching me wince and shake every time a GymTider does, well, anything during warm-ups! Roll Tide!!!