Southerners have a 'sixth sense' about thunderstorms. Oh, sure, thunderstorms are rare this time of year, no doubt. But in two or three months, when the Gulf starts pushing up some of its balmy sea breezes and Canada sends down one of winter's last cold fronts, we'll nod to each other at the gas station and say, "Something's got to give." Could be that knee you twisted playing ball when you were a kid will start to ache or the dog will seem a little jumpy. It might be clear as a bell outside, yet, somehow, you'll still know; a 'big one' is one the way.

Last season, with so many freshmen on the team - some from places far removed from the Southland - I felt compelled to give out a 'heads-up' about the weather down here. With this year's freshmen coming from Mobile, Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, and Addis, Louisiana, far from needing a lesson, I'm quite sure they could teach me a few things about thunderstorms.

That's not to say that thunderstorms are necessarily bad things, at least, not all bad, anyway. No, far from it. For the most part thunderstorms are quite beneficial. True enough, they often bring damaging winds, and lightening, of course, which is nothing to be trifled with under the best of circumstances. And, thunderstorms can spawn tornados, which, especially early in the year can be quite large - and deadly. But most thunderstorms, let's call them your 'garden variety' thunderstorms, as it were, bring needed rain - and just enough wind and thunder and lightening to be exciting.

The point is, when you've been around something long enough, you can get a feeling - that sixth sense I mentioned - when something big is in the air. And Bama fans, I have to tell you, I can't shake the feeling that the 2004 edition of the GymTide is a team of destiny.

I know, I know, I can hear it now, "Duh! No kidding, Salto, or should we call you 'Sherlock?'" I know perfectly well that the Tide gymnasts have outstanding credentials, are a team chock-full of All-Americans, and returned 20 of the 24 routines that netted them an SEC championship, a Regional Championship, and a runner-up finish in the National Championship last season. But, like a gathering thunderstorm, I have an idea that this 2004 team will produce, has already produced, some thunder and lightening of it's own. They will have flashes of brilliance, like last Friday's 197.925 - 196.175 win over Florida, perhaps there will be, on occasion, some rain and ominous thunder, but always and most especially, they will be exciting.

Last Friday's dual meet started off with what you might almost call some 'traditional excitement' - a big-time Jeana Rice vault, this time for a 9.90. In fact, the 'tradition' that the coaches started late last season of having Jeana lead-off the vault rotation and Ashley Miles anchor the floor rotation must be called nothing short of a resounding success. In the eight meets, starting back last season, in which they were in those positions, Jeana has averaged better than a 9.90 and Ashley has averaged better than a 9.95.

Dana Pierce followed up Jeana's vault with a great looking 'Yurchenko 1/1' of her own for a 9.825. By the way, Dana passed a bit of a milestone in last week's meet at LSU. She performed her first floor routine in college competition (and a very good one for a 9.825) - and has also become a 'career all-arounder' by competing in all four events during her college tenure. Dana Filetti came next and scored 9.85, which I think matches her career best, although I think it was her best effort to date and could easily have been scored higher. I think it's safe to say that Shannon Hrozek's hard work and determination to learn the 'Yurchenko 1/1' have begun to pay off. Her vault for a 9.875 was a thing of beauty with just a tiny balance step. I have to admit right up front, my favorite vault to watch just happens to be the one Alexis Brion performs, the front pike with a half twist. There's just something about the way the vaulter can really 'ultra-stick' the landing if her timing is perfect. Even though Bama's vaulting past is filled with great 'front pike with a half twisters' - Merritt Booth, Danielle McAdams, and Meredith Willard to name just three - I think Alexis performed that vault on Friday night was as well as I have ever seen it done (although the judges found a .05 deduction somewhere!). At this point, the vault team was sitting on its highest score of the season, a 49.400, with one vaulter to go. And what a vaulter - what a vault - a perfect 10.0 for the peerless Ashley Miles, which bumped the team score up to a 49.575.

End of Rotation 1: Alabama 49.575, Florida 49.150

We were still shaking our heads and 'high-5-ing' and buzz-buzz-buzzing about Alexis' and Ashley's vaults (and the fourth-highest-ever and the second-highest team vault score since the vault start-values were lowered and the gymnasts started performing only one vault) when Ashley stepped up to start the bars rotation. What followed was easily Ashley's best-ever bar routine for a stellar 9.925. Dana Pierce came next with a really fun to watch routine for a 9.825. When I start in on the PBA's with one of my 'Shannon is a classic, stylish Bama bar-worker' harangues - even though they agree - the PBA's usually commence tapping their feet, rolling their eyes, and checking their watches. They know they're in for a real soliloquy! (So I'll just say, Shannon, 9.90, awesome.)

What with return of, as I said above, 20 out of 24 routines, the losing of only one senior, and taking into consideration the fact that the Tide used as many as 13 gymnasts per meet last year, it is not surprising that the freshmen have had a 'tough go of it' trying to crack the line-up. The one event where the GymTide bench is a little short, and the one event where a freshman, Brittany Comeaux, has competed, is on the uneven bars. Be that as it may, however, Brittany's consistent excellence - this week another smooth 9.875 - has quickly turned her into a real bar-team mainstay.

The vault and the bars being such dissimilar events, you wouldn't think that a gymnast could exhibit the same 'style' on both. Yet, somehow, Dana Filetti manages to bring the same brand of intricate, polished, and unique gymnastics to each. The judges must have thought so, too, because they gave Dana the same score on each apparatus, a 9.85. So, once again with one gymnast to go, the GymTide found itself right at their season-high bar-team score with a 49.375. And, once again, what a bar-worker - what a bar score - a fabulous routine for a 9.95 by the Tide's All-Everything, Jeana Rice - which sent Bama to a new season high bar-team score of 49.500. And, just to put icing on the cake, Larissa Stewart was able to perform an exhibition - marking her come-back from a hand injury. It was really thrilling to see her out there, considering how vital Larissa was to the Tide's bar line-up last year and how tireless - and fearless - she has been in her effort to overcome her injury (in fact, she just about scared us silly with some of the things we saw her do in practice when she really couldn't use her hand for much more than waving hello!).

End of Rotation 2: Alabama 99.075(!), Florida 98.500

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I've actually started to look forward to the balance beam rotation. And, I think the main reason for my change in attitude is Michelle Reeser; she's just such a joy to watch perform on, well, any apparatus, actually, even the beam. As per usual, Michelle got the ball rolling with another great routine for a 9.85. Rachael Delahoussaye followed up with a 9.675 for a nice routine that really had only one mistake, a pretty fair-sized bend at the waist 'balance check'. It was sort of a 'text-book' three-tenths deduction and the kind of thing that, not only can happen to anyone, but also reminds me of why I keep the smelling salts handy during beam! Dana Pierce and Shannon Hrozek then dropped in twin 9.80's to get the beam-team back on track.

At this point, it actually crossed my mind that the rotation so far had set up a perfect ending. Bama had four good scores in the bank with two routines to go - meaning they had 'two to make one'. And, if the gymnast next up, Mari-Christine Bayer, posted a high score, the pressure would be on Jeana Rice in the anchor position. As all GymTide fans know, that's just how Jeana likes it! I'm happy to report that my little scenario played out perfectly. Mari came through with a routine we'll take every time for a 9.875 and Jeana got that 'fierce look' and powered up a 9.925 - resulting in a 49.250 for the beamers.

End of Rotation 3: Alabama 148.325, Florida 147.675

We had to feel good after three rotations, what with Bama in the lead by .650 and heading to their nation-leading event, the floor exercise. It meant that the GymTide, in effect, had two 'falls to give'. Even with Florida heading to their nation-leading event, the balance beam, they would have to be perfect and Bama would have to actually count a fall for the Gators to close the gap. As it turned out, Florida ran into some very out-of-character problems while Bama kept the 'pedal to the metal'.

The Tide's table-setter, Lauren Holdefer, got the rotation off with a bang with another great routine for a 9.85. Mari-Christine Bayer then dazzled the crowd and the judges with her elegant routine for a 9.90. Not to be outdone - and just to put the finishing touches on her awesome 39.700 All-Around score - Jeana performed brilliantly, scoring a 9.925. Which Alexis Brion promptly matched, and, just like her vault, it could easily have been scored even higher. Stephanie Kite's powerhouse 9.875 gave the floor-team a 49.475 with one gymnast to go. Sound familiar? Yes, Ashley Miles scored a 10.0 . . . but, alas, from only one judge, the other one (the one with the glasses) gave her a 9.95 (heh heh - just kidding, judges!). So, Ashley's brand new routine - which is every bit as fantastic as her previous one - yielded her a 9.975, the floor team a 49.600, and the Tide a 197.925 for the meet.

Final Score: Alabama 197.925, Florida 196.175

This is going to sound silly, but even after scoring almost a 198.000, the Tide actually has some room for improvement. They left a few stuck landings out there and there were a few half-tenth bobbles of the balance beam and 'short handstands' on the uneven bars. This is really just a 'council of perfection', however, because a 197.925 ought to be good enough to beat anyone, or at the very least put plenty of pressure on them.

Speaking of beating someone, it's Auburn time again this week. Now that the annual 'home-and-home' series has ended with both Georgia and Auburn, this will be our only time to check up on our cross-state rivals before SEC's to see what kind of progress they have made. And make no mistake, they have made progress. Currently, the GymTigers are in 16th place, nationally, and have a high score of 196.550 this year. At the Regional in Tuscaloosa last season, when it became apparent that Auburn had earned a long-awaited return trip to the National Championship Finals, well, I have never seen a more thrilled group of gymnasts and coaches in my life. However, I imagine that there is one thing that would give them even a bigger thrill - a victory over the Tide. The way I see it, the more Bama fans we pour into Beard-Eaves Coliseum on Friday night, the less likely that will be. What do you say, GymTide faithful? Let's all make the short drive down to the 'village' and cheer on the nation's number one team, your Crimson Tide, to another victory. Roll Tide!!!