When I finished my 'Salto's Spin: Despite Loss, Sun Rises the Next Day', I suddenly realized that I had several unrelated 'odds and ends' I wanted to mention, but they just didn't fit in. So, I decided to put them in sort of a separate postscript:

• The always riveting (and obligatory) annual 'RQS" definition:
  "The regional qualifying score [RQS] is a formula, which takes a team's three highest road scores, adds in the next three highest scores, subtracts the high score, and divides the remainder by five. This formula will dictate the rankings through the conference championships and will be used to seed teams into the NCAA Regional Championships. Alabama's RQS is 197.285." - quoted from an article on RollTide.com
• RQS, SchmaRQS, give me the total average:
  While the RQS is the 'official' ranking system beginning this week, the outstanding 'troester.com' site is still keeping up with the high score and, our old friend, the total average score. The GymTide is still number one in total average with a 197.296. UCLA and Stanford share the 'high score' lead with twin 198.875's. Incidentally, Stanford scored their tremendous 198.875 score in front of a season high home crowd of 1212 - which, ironically enough (according to highly placed, but unnamed sources) - was exactly the same number of fans still caught in the pre-meet traffic jam outside Coleman Coliseum when last Friday night's GymTide/GymDog classic got started.
• Somewhere in the crowd there's you*:
  With last Friday's meet being Alumni Night, and Rival Night, naturally there were many celebrities, VIP's, and luminaries in the crowd. Since I completely lost my mind several years ago and no longer know any better, I will risk offending dozens of people by only mentioning a few. First and foremost, I know all GymTide fans will join me in thanking Coach Mike and Shari Shula for attending the meet, for being involved in the post-meet award ceremony, and for being so supportive of Alabama gymnastics, in general. Alabama football and Alabama gymnastics - now there is a championship tradition!

  Before I go on to the GymTide alums, allow me to note the presence in the crowd of, well, I guess you could call her a future alum, 2005 GymTide signee and long-time national team member, Kaitlin White. I can't claim to be as big of a fan of Olympic or international gymnastics as I am of college gymnastics. However, I know enough about it to know that we are all in for a big treat when Kaitlin and her 2005 classmates take to the floor next season. Until then, Kaitlin, here's a big 'Gymtide family' welcome to you and your family.

  With apologies to the many, many GymTide greats on hand, I want especially to acknowledge four alums. In the history of NCAA women's gymnastics, only twenty-four all-around championships have been awarded. Two of those belong to Penny Hauschild**. These championships, along with her national championships on uneven bars and floor exercise, give Penny a total of four individual NCAA championships, the highest total for any GymTider. In addition, Penny and her teammates in the early to mid-eighties 'set the table' for the tremendous success of Alabama gymnastics in later years. By the way, Penny proved conclusively at the Grand Gala Saturday night that she still has some 'All-American' dance moves!

  When Alabama's 'All-Everything', Meredith Willard, waved to the home crowd for the last time during her senior night in 1997, we all thought that we would never see her likes again. Much to our surprise, 'never' lasted only until 1999, when Andree Pickens arrived on the scene. Both were on hand at Friday night's meet and were greeted with tremendous ovations by their admiring fans. It was a real treat to see Andreé, Meredith, and all the GymTide alums interacting with the fans at the post-meet Medalist Club reception, just like the 'good old days'. Speaking of interacting with the fans, that brings me to the fourth alum I wanted to mention, Danielle McAdams. Danielle's powerful and high level gymnastics skills quite naturally made her a real fan favorite, but it was her vivacious personality that truly endeared her to the hearts of so many. And it had been a long time, much too long, since we had seen that personality around these parts. If I am not speaking too much 'out of school', it was very touching to see Danielle at the reception getting reacquainted with those fans who knew and loved her best.

• Senior Night - don't forget the Kleenex®!:
  Lauren Holdefer, Stephanie Kite, and Jeana Rice, how can we ever replace them? I ask myself a similar question every senior night. The short answer is also the same every year: we can't. I read once that each time a gymnast pushes off the floor and makes one of her tremendous leaps, the laws of physics require that the Earth itself pushes away from the gymnast by a teeny, tiny amount. In a way, that's how I see the fan's relationship with the gymnasts. The gymnasts are so few, but give so much of themselves. By contrast, what each fan can give in return is so small in comparison. We can only hope that, with our large numbers, we can in some way make up the difference. I especially hope that these three seniors, who have given so much and accomplished so much, know that we will always remember each of them with great esteem and true affection.

* Yes, those are lyrics from (what else?) an ABBA song, Super Trouper
**I know, I know, most or all of these gymnasts from 'days gone by' have different last names these days. With apologies to all involved, especially to the lucky grooms, I mean no disrespect, it's just that I have a hard enough time remembering to tie my shoes, much less all these new names!