With the GymTide struggling at times this season with 'finishing' meets, Friday night's 197.250-196.875 victory over the LSU Tigers turned out to be just what the doctor ordered: a big win under pressure.

Also of significance for Bama's post-season aspirations was freshman Morgan Dennis' tie for first place in the individual all-around competition. In so doing, Morgan became the fourth Tide gymnast to win an all-around this season (the others being Terin Humphrey, Kassi Price, and Ricki Lebegern). Without consulting the record books, I feel fairly confident in saying that having as many as four, different all-around winners in a season is a rare occurrence for Alabama Gymnastics, at least over the last few years.

Several of the positive trends that have developed over the last few weeks were sustained during Friday's meet. Casey Overton continued her solid performance on balance beam, becoming more and more reminiscent (to this long-time Bama fan, at least) of Lissy Smith, the Tide's 3-time team captain and 'go-to' beam-worker extraordinaire. Also, Bama continued with 'upgrades' on routines, with Morgan Dennis adding a huge 'tuck, full-in' to her floor exercise.

Another trend worth mentioning, Bama's leadoff performers continued their excellent work of the last few weeks in really 'setting the stage' for their rotations. Brittany Magee got the vault started off right with a 9.875. There was consistent, but somewhat 'tight' scoring on bars all night. Nevertheless, Kaitlin White's leadoff was good enough for a solid 9.75 - this despite encountering some difficulties after her huge pak Salto and having to improvise. On beam, Ashley O'Neil's 9.825 beam starter equaled Casey Overton's following beam routine, both in score and consistency - then Ashley moved over to floor and put up another fine 'first-up performance' for a 9.85.

There are always little 'battles within the battle' going on at a gym meet. Kassi Price - who was reportedly (and rather apparently) not feeling well at all prior to the meet - really, really, really struggled during long warm-ups on uneven bars. In fact, she ended up being scratched for the bars rotation, initially, as a precaution. Come time for the 3-minute touch, however, and Kassi was back out there looking very determined, indeed. After a good touch, the coaches decided to put her back in the line-up. Ultimately, Kassi turned in a very creditable (on this evening) 9.825 for her night's work, adding (or maybe even improvising?!) a 1 ½ handstand pirouette to her bar routine in the process. All gymnasts are tough-minded and gritty, and, never doubt it; Kassi Price is as tough - and talented - as they come.

Speaking of tough and talented, Terin Humphrey and Ricki Lebegern'kept on keeping on' Friday night. Despite having her career highest and the evening's third highest all-around score of a 39.450, Ricki was edged out of receiving a bouquet by Terin, who came in second behind a first place tie between Morgan Dennis and LSU's Ashleigh Clare-Kearney.

Terin might have won the all-around outright if the judges, for the second week in a row, hadn't recorded rather wide-ranging scores on the uneven bars for her. Last week, Terin received a 10.0 from one judge and a 9.85 for the other, for a 9.925. This week, it was a 9.95 from one and a 9.85 from the other for a 9.90. Oddly enough, although it was on different nights with different judges, Terin's low scores and high scores for each night came from the same sides of the bar-set. In reality, all of these scores were very likely within a half a tenth or so of the 'correct' score. Judging, after all, is an art, not science (and a thankless one at that!). Sometimes, however, a score can leave you wishing for a quarter-tenth or so more.

Ricki ended up winning the balance beam (possibly another career first?) to go along with her career high all-around score. Not to be outdone, Terin took a well-deserved first on bars - proving the consistency of the bars judging, overall, despite the tight scores. Kaitlin White, who surely must be well out in front of the '2007 Most-Improved Tide Gymnast' competition, had a career high 9.875 for her charismatic floor routine. 'Elegant Erin' Rightley put up a season-high-tying 9.875 on floor and, I think, arguably, is performing the best on floor of her entire career. She also exhibited on beam and looked her 'old self' on that apparatus (a little 'senior' joke, there).

That reminds me of yet another promising sign I noticed Friday night. Cassie Martin, who quietly has become one of the Tide's most consistent and high-level performers on uneven bars, took a few turns on balance beam during long warm-ups. Even though it is true enough that the kind of consistency the coaches would like to see on balance beam has been a little slow to develop, it pays to remember just how deep the balance beam 'talent pool' truly is at The Capstone. Cassie was brilliant, if somewhat inconsistent, on balance beam as a freshman, and it would be true boon to the Tide if she could lend extra depth to the 'beam team' down the stretch.

Next Friday night's meet against UCLA will be Senior Night, starring Erin Rightley. Luckily for Tide fans, we will have one last chance to see Erin perform at Coleman Coliseum at the NCAA Central Regional Championships on Saturday, April 14th. Be that as it may, don't miss the opportunity to send Erin off in true BamaNation style in this, her last 'true' home meet. Erin, an Academic All-American, a walk-on-turned-scholarship athlete, a true leader in the gym, and every inch the epitome of what it means to be a Crimson Tide gymnast, deserves nothing less.

Roll Tide!!!