There's nothing quite like a near capacity crowd to turn a regular season meet into a real 'happening'. Add to that a good cause well supported, a 'throw out the record books' rival, a couple dozen GymTide all-time great alums, numerous crowd-pleasing promotions and productions, and some outstanding gymnastics on top of it, and you've got a meet that will be remembered for years to come.

First and foremost, the GymTide, who overcame their cross-state rival, Auburn, 196.900-194.350, continued pursuing their goal of taking steps forward each and every meet. This team has just become relentless. Even when they are having an 'off night' on an apparatus, as the Tide did on the balance beam, they refuse to be knocked off-course for very long.

No small amount of the credit for that, to my mind, has to go to junior co-captain and Alabama superstar, Ashley Miles. Having Ashley anchor your vault and floor rotation is like having John Smoltz in your bullpen or Shaun Alexander in your backfield. If you need a stopper, Ashley can come in and 'strike out the side'. If you need a big play to regain the momentum, Ashley is always right there to 'run to daylight'. You get a lot, as a fan, when you attend a Bama gymnastics meet. Two things, for sure, I guarantee you'll see. First, you'll get to see the second best uneven bars worker in the world in Terin Humphrey, and she's got the Olympic silver medal to prove it. And, in Ashley Miles, you'll get to see the best female vaulter on the planet, and I dare anyone to dispute it! ¹

Speaking of the vault, Ashley made it two home-meet perfect 10.0's in a row when she landed her Yurchenko 1/1 vault this weekend. The huge Bama crowd on hand had already been pumped up by two other vaults that could have just as easily been scored as perfect: senior co-captain Shannon Hrozek's gorgeous, lead-off 9.925 Yurchenko 1/1 and Alexis Brion's booming 9.925 pike front handspring 1/2 twist. Bama added a third 'full-twisting-whirlybird-in-the-unlikely-position' vault to go along with those of Brittany Comeaux and Dana Filetti; this one by Terin Humphrey for a tentatively scored 9.825. So, OK, the official description of Terin's vault is something like a 'Yurchenko half on, half off, pike front (half out)'. And I say "tentatively scored" because, after Terin landed her elaborate vault with just the tiniest of steps, the judges had the exact same look on their faces that I had on mine during my first trigonometry test in high school...

After posting their season high 49.475 on the vault, the Tide swapped events with the GymTigers, who had fallen nearly a point behind after struggling on their weakest apparatus, the uneven bars. Bama, did not struggle on bars, however, chipping in another season high mark, a 49.275. Returning the favor for Shannon, Ashley led-off the bars in excellent fashion, scoring a 9.825. The versatile Dana Pierce followed up with a fine 9.80 routine, setting Shannon up for her 9.90 effort, which included a solid landing of her 'level-Z' Arabian-double-front-tuck dismount. After Mari-Christine Bayer chipped in one of her patented smooth-moves routines for a 9.85, Dana Filetti ran into a bit of bad luck and lost an extra tenth or so when her otherwise well-executed routine got slightly out of rhythm after a release move, leading to a 9.775.

If Terin's 'inside-out-triple-whachamacallit' left the vault judges rubbing their chins, one can only imagine what the uneven bars judges went through. Terin twisted and turned, flared off over that way, spun around back over here, flipped forward, 'banked one in' off a parked car, called the side pocket, then landed with one hop back. The judges put Terin in a first-place tie with Shannon with a 9.90 - and it may have been one, who knows? Between you and me, I think they just got tired adding it all up. Their only mercy was that Terin hasn't already put in her full Olympic bar routine, which - if memory serves - went on for about twenty minutes and included a brief intermission.

The mid-point found the Tide with a commanding 2.30 point lead over the GymTigers. Much to their credit, Auburn gave up only another .25 of a point over the final two rotations. As much as anything else, the huge crowd of 13,000-plus mostly Alabama fans may have had somewhat of an intimidating effect. Never-the-less, the Tigers slowly rallied from their disappointing start on the uneven bars and vault, even narrowing the gap a bit during the third rotation.

The mean old beam once again had no power over Rachael Delahoussaye, who stood up yet another lead off routine, this time for a 9.70. The judges seemed to be in a 'tough love' mode with Rachael's and the next two routines, a 9.625 for Shannon and a 9.675 for Dana Filetti. Mari-Christine Bayer then bowled them over for a huge 9.80...well, it seemed huge that night! Ashley almost matched Mari with a 9.725, which was better than that score implies. Terin was again in the anchor spot and put up such a perfect jewel of a routine, not a wobble or bobble - scarcely even an extra wiggle - that the judges completely forgot themselves for a Everest-like 9.90.

Shannon returned to the lead-off spot, this time on floor, and started Bama off with a bang for a 9.90. Shannon needed an extra week or so at the start of the season to make it back into the floor line-up. Needless to say, it was well worth the wait! Erin Rightley continued to perform brilliantly on floor, following up the previous week's score at Florida of a 9.90 with a well-deserved 9.85. Mari reversed that, swapping her 9.85 from the previous week for a 9.90. Unbeknownst to the next gymnast, Dana Filetti, a Kentucky Meet Gremlin had sneaked into the coliseum a week early and tackled her from behind on her opening pass: her incredible Arabian double front. (Indeed, sneaking in early was the only chance a 'KMG' will have this year. I'm not at liberty to divulge my sources, but I have it from an unimpeachable authority that no gremlins will be permitted in Coleman Coliseum this weekend.)

This same gremlin then turned around and pulled Alexis Brion's feet nearly out from under her on her last pass. Alexis just managed to stay on her feet with one of those 'only a gymnast would still be standing up' moves. (I know this 'gremlin' thing sounds a little silly to some of you. But, really, give me a better explanation...) Ashley followed up in the anchor spot and, no, not even a gremlin would dare mess with 'The Champ'. She brought the house to its collective feet with a flawless, soaring, engaging, charismatic routine for a 9.95 (and, yes, it should have been a 10.0).

Victory over the Auburn Tigers is sweet, no matter the circumstances, the arena, or the sport - and that's a compliment to them. The GymTigers came in and gave it their all, even if it wasn't their best. It is additionally to their credit that they so fervently embraced the evening's cause, raising awareness in the fight against breast cancer. If I may presume to speak for the fans of Alabama gymnastics, on their behalf I would like to take this opportunity to thank the GymTigers and their coaching and administrative staffs for their enthusiastic participation. The 'Target the Cure' meet just goes the show that, although no one 'fusses and fights' like brothers and sisters, underneath it all, we're still brothers and sisters (in the fan's case, that's often quite literally true!).

Finally, I wanted to thank Coach Sarah Patterson for giving me, the fans of the GymTide and GymTigers, and, really, the entire state the opportunity to raise awareness, donate to the cause, and, (who knows?) perhaps save a life. I don't know what Coach Patterson had in mind when she first conceived the idea for this effort; certainly, she's not known for 'thinking small'. However, even she had to be amazed - overwhelmed - by the sheer magnitude of the support she received. The announced crowd of 13,299 - really, a capacity crowd under the current circumstances at the coliseum - was a virtual sea of pink. I know from speaking with Coach Patterson about the 'Target the Cure' meet over the last few months that her commitment to this cause is personal, emotional, and intense. How gratifying it must have been, then - when the lights came back up after the introductions and the National Anthem - for her to see that her 'Think Pink Tide' had arisen all the way to the rafters.

Roll Tide!!!

¹ Just an aside, in 2008, when the Olympic games will be held in Bejing, China, Ashley Miles will be 23 years old. Old for a gymnast, true, but three years younger than US Olympian and vault specialist, Annia Hatch, when she won the silver medal in the 2004 Olympic vault finals. USAG and USOC officials, please call your office!