TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 2 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team was just glad to be home Friday night after going through its first four meets of the season on the road, but that didn't mean that they forgot to take care of business against No. 11 Michigan.

The Crimson Tide beat the Wolverines 197.200-196.525. The Tide's score matched its season best, scored last weekend at Arkansas and for the Wolverines it was a season best. Alabama was spurred to its fourth consecutive 197-plus score by a 49.525 on the floor exercise and a season best 49.325 on the uneven bars. The Wolverines posted their season best marks on each event except the floor exercise.

"It was nice to wake up in my own bed this morning," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said with a laugh. "I'd almost forgotten what that was like on meet day. I think our ladies enjoyed being at home this morning and afternoon and I know they liked being at home tonight."

Alabama Gymnastics is finally coming to a gym near you, if you live in Tuscaloosa that is.

After staring the season off with four road meets in three weeks, the Crimson Tide will finally compete at home this Friday, Jan. 31 against the Michigan Wolverines.

"Our ladies were beginning to think this weekend would never get here," said head coach Sarah Patterson. "After spending two straight weeks in Athens, our freshmen were starting to think that was our home arena."

We've got a new slide show and a photo album for the Georgia meet (Saturday, January 18, 2003)

• Slide Show: Alabama vs. Georgia (Saturday, January 18, 2003)
• Photo Album: Alabama vs. Georgia (Saturday, January 18, 2003)

Here are a few of the Photos:
(Click on a thumbnail to view a full size picture)

61 kb 01.Ashley stretches out on bars

117 kb 02.Dana Filetti tries her hand(s) in warm-ups

104 kb 03.Shannon seeks a grip in mid-pirouette

Finally, they are coming home. Those road-toughened warriors, who last saw their beloved coliseum on January 5th at "Meet the Team." It has been so long since we first saw this team that we may have forgotten what they looked like.

Naaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!

Bama Nation keeps up with their Rolling Tide via the website. But, nothing is as good as seeing Alabama live.

Friday night, the defending National Champions and current #2 ranked Tide open their home schedule against #11 Michigan at what better be packed Coleman Coliseum. Michigan suffered its first loss of the season last weekend at Georgia. The Tide split a long weekend of gymnastics with a 197.200-194.575 win at Arkansas and a 197.175-197.475 loss at Nebraska. Ready to shake off the dust from the road well traveled, Alabama will be without junior All-American Jeana Rice in the all-around due to her suffering a sprained ankle at Nebraska while performing on the Floor Exercise. Jeana will perform on Uneven Bars and Balance Beam Friday night according to Coach Patterson. Senior Kristin Sterner will most likely see all-around action also.

The first 1,000 fans that come through the doors of Coleman Coliseum for Alabama's Friday (Jan. 31) home opening gymnastics meet against Michigan will receive a bobble head doll of 2002 National Gymnast of the Year Andree' Pickens.

Pickens will also be on hand pre-meet to sign the commemorative poster highlighting her career, which included two NCAA individual titles, the 2002 NCAA team title and three straight Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Year honors.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for the meet and tickets are available through the Alabama Ticket Office, located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum. The Ticket office opens at 9 a.m. Friday morning. Fans can still buy season tickets as well as single meet tickets.

It's another busy couple of media day for the coach of the defending NCAA Gymnastics Champions.

Alabama gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson will be an in-studio guest on "The Paul Finebaum Show" Thursday (Jan. 30) starting around 5 p.m. Patterson and Finebaum will discuss a wide range of topics, including the Tide's current No. 2 national ranking. The Finebaum show can be heard in Tuscaloosa by tuning into WACT-1420 AM. The show can also be heard over the internet at www.finebaum.com. The call in number for the show are 205.439.9372 or toll-free at 866.741.7285.

Patterson will be featured on the television show "Great Day Alabama" Wednesday (Jan. 29) at noon. She and host Kip Tyner will discuss the Tide's upcoming home opener against the Michigan Wolverines. Later in the day, Patterson will be on WTBC 1230 AM's "Talkin Sports" show just after 5 p.m. with hosts Fred Nielson and Pete Pierson. The call in number for that show is 205.752.9822 or 800.518.1977.

Alabama Gymnastics faces the No. 11 Michigan Wolverines Friday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum. For ticket information, contact the Alabama Ticket Office at 205.348.2262 or go online at www.rolltide.com.

The Alabama Gymnastics team jumped three spots nationally to No. 2 in the latest rankings released today.

As of this week, the national rankings are determined by scoring average. The Crimson Tide has averaged 196.856 over the course of its first four meets of the season, all coming on the road.

The University of Utah holds the top spot with an average of 196.900 while Georgia is No. 3 at 196.800. Nebraska and ULCA are fourth and fifth respectively. Arizona State is No. 6 while 2003 Alabama opponents Florida and Denver are seventh and eighth. Stanford and Washington round out the top-10.

It's a busy day for coach Sarah Patterson as she gets the word out about the No. 2 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team as they get ready for their home opener against perennial NCAA powerhouse Michigan (Friday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.). You can catch Coach Patterson on TV and radio at the following spots on the dial today.

• Sports Talk 690 - WJOX - Sarah Patterson guest co-host with Ray Melick, subbing for the vacationing Herb Winches. To call in call 205.942.9600 or 800.239.9569. From 3 to 6 p.m. on 690 AM

• The Sarah Patterson Show - Fresh from a pair of 197-plus road outings in Arkansas and Nebraska, Tom Roberts and Sarah Patterson break down the action. The show will air today at 6:30 p.m. on channel 49 (on the Comcast cable service).

• "Hey Coach" - Sarah Patterson will join host Tom Roberts at 7:30 p.m. for the Crimson Tide's weekly radio call-in show. Patterson will be on the air at 7:45 p.m. to call in and ask questions call 877.202.2262.

Alabama 197.175 - Nebraska 197.475 -- Attendance - 1362

LINCOLN, NEB - In a meet that went down to the wire, the No. 5 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team posted its third consecutive 197-plus score of the season but fell to No. 4 ranked Nebraska 197.475-197.175 here in the Devaney Center in front of 1,362 fans.

The Cornhuskers needed a school record vault, floor exercise and all-around performance to extend their nine-year home winning streak, while Alabama proved its consistency, coming within .025 of its score Friday night at Arkansas with a decidedly different lineup.

"We knew that they would be tough to beat in their home arena," Patterson said. "But we wanted the experience of competing at the site of the NCAA Championships and what an experience. It was a great competition."

FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. -- In the frigid conditions of Fayetteville, Ark. the Alabama Gymnastics team's floor exercise routines caught fire.

Led by a standout set of floor exercise routines, No. 5 Alabama beat No. 26 ranked Arkansas Lady Razorbacks 197.200 - 194.475 here in Barnhill Arena in front of 5,524 fans. It was the Tide's highest total of the season and a school record for the Ladybacks who are in their first year of competition. The Tide finishes off a four- meet road swing Sunday, the No. 4 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln.

There were 17 freshmen on the floor tonight, 11 coming from Arkansas in its inaugural season, and six from the Tide's roster. Tonight's attendance was the most ever for the Ladybacks. Mile's 9.975 was the highest score on any event in Barnhill. Sophomore Shannon Hrozek won the all-around with a career best 39.325.

Willie Nelson sang about getting on the road again, but for the Alabama Gymnastics team it's a matter of staying on the road.

The No. 5 ranked Crimson Tide has a lot of traveling to do this weekend. First Sarah Patterson and her charges make their way to Fayetteville, Ark. to face Arkansas on Friday and then will go to Lincoln, Neb. to face Nebraska on Sunday. And all that is on top of back-to-back weekends traveling to and from Athens, Ga.

The Tide's four straight competitions to open this season is the longest stretch away from home in program history. And while the first two weekends were spent in the somewhat familiar surroundings of Athens, Ga., where Alabama has been visiting at least once a year for the last 15 years, this weekends locales are largely foreign to the Tide.

The # 5 ranked Crimson Tide travels to Fayetteville Friday night to compete with Arkansas for the first time. New to the SEC and the college gymnastics world, the Lady Razorbacks (or Ladybacks), field a completely freshmen squad. Look for Tiffany Berry and Hannah McLeod to vie in the all-around and National Elite Katie Hardeman. Both have scored in the 38 range two weeks in a row. Barnhill Arena will bring a good crowd that could surpass the 5400 that welcomed Florida to town last weekend.

Could it get any closer than .025? Could UGA VI slobber anymore than he did Saturday night in Athens as he watched his veteran GymDawgs barely eke out a victory over a much younger Tide team?

The Alabama Gymnastics team moved up to No. 5 in the latest gymnastics rankings, up four spots from last week.

The Crimson Tide wasn't the only team to jump this week. Arizona State, 16th a week ago, leapt to No. 3, behind top- ranked UCLA and No. 2 Georgia.

Nebraska, the Tide's opponent this Sunday, remains at No. 4. Utah drops three spots to No. 6 while three teams on the Tide's 2003 schedule, Florida, Denver and Michigan, hold down the Nos. 7, 8 and 9 positions respectively. Stanford rounds out the top-10.

ATHENS, GA - What a difference a week makes.

Same arena, same Alabama Gymnastics team, but the outcome here tonight in Stegeman Coliseum was much more to Crimson Tide head coach Sarah Patterson's liking.

Last weekend at the season opening Super Six Challenge, the Tide struggled on the balance beam, posting a team mark of 48.200. This week, with largely the same lineup, Alabama scored more than a full point better on that one apparatus, posting a 49.550 punctuated by a 10.0 from junior Jeana Rice in the anchor spot.

"We worked very hard this week," head coach Sarah Patterson. "We did a lot of new things this week and we debuted a lot of new skills. From where we were last weekend to where we are tonight, I'm very pleased with this young, young team."

We've got a new slide show and a photo album for this year's Super Six meet

• Slide Show: Super Six Meet (Saturday, January 11, 2003)
• Photo Album: Super Six Meet (Saturday, January 11, 2003)

Here are a few of the Photos:
(Click on a thumbnail to view a full size picture)

75 kb 10.Dana Filetti swings an Inverse-giant

67 kb 11.Shannon stands straight in beam wu

71 kb 12.Michelle fine tunes her beam

With the collegiate gymnastics season just started, the Alabama Gymnastics team is ready for television.

The Crimson Tide hits the airwaves on Thursday, January 16 at 5 p.m. when "The Sarah Patterson Show," hosted by veteran broadcaster Tom Roberts, makes its fourth season debut.

Roberts and Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson, now in her 25th year coaching the Crimson Tide, will take a look at highlights from last weekend's season opening Super Six Challenge as well as looking ahead to Saturday's meet against the University of Georgia.

Not even a week since leaving Athens, Ga. after the season opening Super Six Challenge, the Alabama Gymnastics team is headed back to the Peach State.

This time around, the Tide will face Georgia in a dual meet format, as opposed to the six-team, four ring circus atmosphere of the Challenge. The meet, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Stegeman Coliseum, will pit the No. 9 Crimson Tide against the second ranked Lady Dogs.

And while last Saturday was the season opener for Alabama, it was the second meet of the season for the Lady Dogs, who then followed it up with a meet on Sunday against Iowa.

You might think the Alabama Gymnastics Team was disheartened by the outcome at the Super Six Challenge in Athens, Georgia, this past Saturday night.  While certainly disappointed that they did not finish higher, the Tide had to be tickled pink with the strong way they closed the competition on the floor exercise and vault events.

Going into the first meet of her junior season, Alabama gymnast Jeana Rice wasn't as good as she was at the end of last season, she was better.

The Longwood, Fla. native posted a career best 39.700 in the all-around on the way to winning that event and two others at the season opening Super Six Challenge last Saturday in Athens, Ga.

In recognition of the All-American's standout performance to open the season, the Southeastern Conference named Rice the SEC Gymnast of the Week.

Andreé Pickens hasn't slowed down after her last gymnastics routine in April of 2002, which incidentally won her a national championship. Birmingham Post-Herald writer Ray Melick caught up with the Crimson Tide standout and found her trying a new set of bars.

• Tide's Pickens has set her sights on a new challenge

Alabama gymnast Jeana Rice rode a career best all-around score at the season opening Super Six Challenge to a No. 2 national ranking.

The junior from Longwood, Fla. is just a fraction of a point behind No. 1 ranked Jamie Dantzscher of UCLA. Rice is also ranked second on the uneven bars, fifth on the balance beam, seventh on the vault and 18th on the floor exercise.

As a team, the Crimson Tide is ranked ninth released today. UCLA holds the No. 1 spot in the rankings while Georgia, Utah, Nebraska and Florida round out the top-5. The Tide is ranked fourth on the floor exercise and vault, sixth on the uneven bars.

Addition to the last Photo Album. 5 more photos (added to the top row of this photo album)

• Photo Album: Alabama Gymnastics Readys for Season Opener (2003)

Here are a few of the Photos:
(Click on a thumbnail to view a full size picture)

51 kb Alabama ready to go on meet day at the Super Six Challenge.JPG

31 kb Freshmen Mari Bayer and Dana Pierce at the Super Six Challenge banquet.JPG

38 kb Jeana Rice and Rachael Delahoussaye at the Super Six Banquet.JPG

ATHENS, GA - Alabama gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson said that Jeana Rice has been ready to compete before Thanksgiving and today at the Super Six Challenge, the junior All-American proved her right.

"It's no secret that Jeana struggled last year," Patterson said. "This year she came in, and she was in competitive shape by Thanksgiving and it really nice to see her rebound from last year's adversity and perform at this level."

Rice came out in her first meet of the season and not only won three events, including the all-around, but posted a career best mark in the all-around and uneven bars and tied her career best on the balance beam.

ATHENS, GA -- With less than 24 hours left before opening the defense of its 2002 NCAA title, the Alabama Gymnastics team went through its last preseason practice here in Stegeman Coliseum today.

"It was a good day of practice before our first meet of the season," assistant head coach David Patterson. "With seven freshmen, our ladies did a nice job of focusing our on our team and not getting distracted."

Alabama will face five other preseason top-20 squads Saturday starting at 4 p.m. ET in the fourth annual Super Six Challenge.

We've got some more photos

• Photo Album: Alabama Gymnastics Readys for Season Opener (2003)

Here are a few of the Photos:
(Click on a thumbnail to view a full size picture)

48 kb Erin Holdefer gets ready.jpg

48 kb Everybody watches.jpg

58 kb Getting ready for practice.jpg

We've got a new slide show and a photo album for this year's Meet the Team exhibition

• Slide Show: Meet the Team (Sunday, January 5, 2003)
• Photo Album: Meet the Team (Sunday, January 5, 2003)

Here are a few of the Photos:
(Click on a thumbnail to view a full size picture)

47 kb 01.Larissa Changes Grip in Mid-Giant

55 kb 02.Shannon Swings a Warmup Giant

76 kb 03.Jeana Stands Out-Up On Bars

Like a Broadway show, the 2003 Alabama Gymnastics team is taking its act on the road for several weeks to work out the kinks before making their hometown debut.

The defending NCAA Champions open their season this Saturday (Jan. 11) with the annual Super Six Challenge, the first of four straight road meets for the Tide. The Challenge, which starts at 4 p.m. ET, will be held in Stegeman Coliseum on the University of Georgia campus.

This year's Alabama squad, 14-gymnasts strong, is the 25th for coaches Sarah and David Patterson. The Patterson's started coaching the Tide in 1978 and have since taken Alabama to 20 consecutive NCAA Championships, winning four.

• Play-by-Play commentary for the "Meet the Team" Exhibition

We (or rather I, Poohbear's forgetful website assistant) forgot to advertise that we had this commentary during Sunday's exhibition. Our (my!) apologies for the lateness of this link.

• Sarah and David Patterson
• Bryan Raschilla
• Dana Dobransky Duckworth
• Andree Pickens
• Alabama Gymnastics 2003 Preview
• All-Time Gymnastics Roster

The Alabama Gymnastics team will be on the road for the first four meets of 2003 season, including the season opening Super Six Challenge in Athens, Ga., but the hometown fans will get a chance to see the defending NCAA Champions before they hit the road.

Coaches Sarah and David Patterson, in their 25th year coaching the Crimson Tide, will host fans at a "Meet the Team" exhibition Sunday, January 5 at 2 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum. Admission to the event is free. Fans will also be able to get the 2003 team poster and schedule cards. After the exhibition, the team will sign autographs on the concourse of the coliseum.

This is the first year since 2000 that Alabama has held the event, and even for veteran Tide fans, there will be quite a few gymnasts to meet. The 2003 squad, ranked third in the preseason coaches' poll, boasts seven freshmen among the 14 athletes on the roster.

One of the things that Sarah and David Patterson are very big on going into their 25th year coaching the Alabama Gymnastics team is balance. That would seem like a given for gymnastics coaches, but the Pattersons are interested in more than just balance on the beam or the floor exercise. They want their charges to have it in all aspects of their lives. Strength in the gym must be balanced with strength in the classroom. Receiving support from the local community to the tune of nearly 10,000 fans per meet over the last six years is balanced by a squad that works tirelessly in the area of community outreach.

But when Sarah Patterson, the newest inductee into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, talks about the balance of this year's squad, she's talking about something a little difference. With its largest freshmen class ever, the defending NCAA Champion Alabama Gymnastics squad is split right down the middle with seven freshmen and seven returners.

"With this many freshmen, we spend as much time in September helping them find their classes and the gym as we do getting use to how things work in the gym," Sarah Patterson said with a laugh. "It sure makes things interesting, but also exciting."

The defending national champion Alabama gymnastics team was voted third in the 2003 Pre-season Coaches Poll released today.

The Tide received five first-place votes. UCLA, third in 2002, topped the coaches poll with 20 first place votes. Georgia was second with no first place votes. Utah and 2003 NCAA Championship host Nebraska rounded out the top-5.

The 2003 season marks Sarah and David Pattersons 25th year coaching the Crimson Tide, a stretch that includes four NCAA Championships since 1988.