It's going to be a big weekend for the No. 2 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team. Not only do they bring No. 11 Auburn to town, sporting its highest ranking in a decade, but Sarah Patterson has also put out the call to her alumni.

Nearly 40 of Alabama's former gymnasts will be in town this weekend, looking on Saturday (March 1) while the current edition of the Tide faces the Tigers starting at 7 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum.

"It's always great to have our ladies back and be able to catch up with them and their lives," head coach Sarah Patterson said. "They are all leading such full and vital lives, it makes me tired just hearing about them."

Not all of accolades gathered by Alabama gymnasts come during competition when the bright lights are focused on them. In fact, the accomplishments the Crimson Tide coaching staff are most proud of come in the classrooms and study sessions.

Always a source of pride, Alabama gymnastics' academic excellence has hit an impressive stride over the last several years providing some truly awe inspiring results.

For the last four seasons, an average of 12 Crimson Tide gymnasts per year have earned Academic All-Southeastern Conference honors. That's nine in 1999, 12 in 2000 and 2001 and 15 last season. The Tide's 15 honorees in 2002 stands as a league record for a single year.

• Alabama vs. Florida (Friday, February 21, 2003)

A new ranking system left the nation's top-2 gymnastics teams the same, but scrambled the middle of the top-10 a bit.

The rankings, determined now by the regional qualifying score (RQS), again has UCLA and Alabama first and second respectively, but drops last week's No. 3, Utah, down two spots, leapfrogging Nebraska from fifth to third. Last week's No. 4, Georgia, flip flops with Arizona State, which was seventh last week. Florida remains No. 6 while Stanford, Oregon State and Michigan remain eighth, ninth and 10th respectively.

RQS is the formula that determines which teams receive bids to the six NCAA Regional Championships in April. The regional score is figured by taking a team's top three road scores adding them to its next three highest scores, either home or away, and dropping the highest score. That number is then divided by five. Alabama's RQS is 197.100.

GAINESVILLE, FLA - The No. 2 ranked Alabama Gymnastics fell to No. 6 ranked Florida here tonight by a score of 197.125-196.600.

It was the Crimson Tide's sixth road meet in seven weeks. Junior Jeana Rice had a stellar night in her home state. The Longwood, Fla. native won the all-around with a 39.550 after tying her career best of 9.950 on the vault. Sophomore Shannon Hrozek also went all-around for the Crimson Tide, taking third with a 39.200, just behind Florida's Lindsey Miner.

"My hats off the Florida tonight," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson. "They did a great job. We knew that in this environment we'd have to be on top of our game to beat them. We looked tired tonight. We looked like a team that has only had two home meets. I am still pleased with how we performed tonight. We were trying to do some things that are going to make us a better team in March and April and that probably cost us some tonight. But for us to be where we want to be in April, we had to do it."

The No. 2 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team is back on the road this weekend for the sixth meet in eight outings.

The Crimson Tide travels to Gainesville, Fla. to face a rejuvenated Florida team Friday (Feb. 21) at 7 p.m. ET. The Gators are ranked sixth in the nation and posted a season best 194.450 last weekend against Denver.

"Florida is a team on a roll right now," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "They seem to be competing with a lot of confidence. Combine that with a high level of talent and they are a very dangerous team."

The #2 ranked Crimson Tide travels to Gainesville to tangle with the Florida Gators Friday night. Ranked # 6, the Gators are riding a five meet winning streak that Bama hopes to end in the O'Connell Center. This should turn out to be a close match between two good SEC teams

First year head coach Rhonda Fahn has helped push Florida back into the top ten with All-around gymnasts Orley Szmuch, Kara Waterhouse, and Lindsey Miner.

Starting the meet on vault, Szmuch, Waterhouse, Miner, Erin Dooley, Kimberly Schatz and Sherie Owens will compete.

We've got a new slide show and a photo album for the Michigan meet (Friday, January 31, 2003)

• Slide Show: Alabama vs. Michigan (Friday, January 31, 2003)
• Photo Album: Alabama vs. Michigan (Friday, January 31, 2003)

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

50 kb 03.Dana Filetti demo's her floor

47 kb 04.Kristin's starting position

36 kb 05.Over the shoulder look by Shannon

• Alabama vs. LSU (Friday, February 14, 2003)

The Alabama Gymnastics team used a season high 197.400 score last Friday against LSU to climb to No. 2 in this week's rankings.

This week marks Alabama's fourth week in the top-3, including a week at No. 1. UCLA is the current No. 1. Utah, Georgia and Nebraska round out the top-5. The Crimson Tide's upcoming opponent, the Florida Gators, check in at No. 6.

In all, Alabama has spent 11 of the last 13 regular season weeks in the top-3 nationally going back to Feb. 11 of last season. The Tide has not been out of the top-10 during the '00 decade.

TUSCALOOSA, ALA - The No. 3 ranked Alabama gymnastics team came away from its Valentine's Day meeting with No. 10 ranked LSU not only with a 197.400-193.800 win over the Tigers, but a new season high score as well.

"This was another great meet for us," head coach Sarah Patterson said. "We had a lot of people step up, especially when we had to shuffle the lineup. We are at a point in our season where everyone on the roster knows that they can be called on at in moment to step in."

One of the main reasons that Patterson had to shuffle her line-up was a spill by freshman Mari Bayer, a regular on three events, during vault warm-ups. It was later determined that Bayer had a minor knee and ankle sprain to her left leg.

TUSCALOOSA - Because of the heightened national security alert, extra security measures will be taken for Friday night's University of Alabama vs. LSU gymnastics meet here in Coleman Coliseum. All bags, including purses, backpacks, briefcases, etc., will be subject for a search upon entering the coliseum. The meet gets underway at 7 p.m. CT. Fans may want to arrive a little earlier for the game than usual because the bag search will cause slight delays in entering the coliseum.

Despite the Valentine's Day timing of No. 3 ranked Alabama Gymnastics' 7 p.m. meet against No. 10 LSU this Friday (Feb. 14) in Coleman Coliseum, the competition will not be a love-fest.

The two squads have traded wins over the last four seasons, with the home team winning each meet. It has become one of the top rivalry meets on the Southeastern Conference schedule. Both squads are led by long standing coaches. LSU mentor D-D Breaux celebrated her 25th season as the Tiger's head coach last season and Sarah and David Patterson are in the midst of their silver anniversary this season. And not only are both teams in the SEC, but both are in the NCAA's Central Region.

"I think this is one of those showdown meets," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "I think this is one of those meets that D-D circles on her calendar. There are a lot of factors that add to the rivalry, not the least of which is that we are in the same NCAA region."

Alabama returns home for only the second time this season and faces # 10 LSU Friday night.

The Tide is ranked # 3 in the country this week and is looking forward to performing in front of the home crowd.

• Chalk Talk: Seventh week update (Thursday, February 13, 2003)

• Alabama vs. Denver (Saturday, February 08, 2003)

This March 8, University of Alabama legends Sarah Patterson and Steve Sloan will be inducted in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham, Ala. For those who wish to attend this induction ceremony, ticket information is included below:

• The 2003 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Induction
  March 8, 2003
  Sheraton Civic Center - Birmingham Ballroom

Tickets to the 5:30 p.m. reception and the 7 p.m. induction banquet are $50 per person (each table seats 10).

• Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
  P.O. Box 10163
  Brimingham, AL 35202
  E-mail: alashof@bellsouth.net

AMEX, VISA or MASTERCARD orders please call 205.323.6665.

Seating limited: Make Reservations Now.

Tickets will be mailed by March 1, 2003.

2003 Inductees: SARAH PATTERSON, STEVE SLOAN, Al Del Greco, Rex Frederick, Cleon Jones, Guy Morton, Sr., Amos Otis and Larry Willingham (If you have a special interest in one inductee, please indicate that with your order)

Distinguished American Sportsman: Roy Kramer

The Alabama Gymnastics team is third in the rankings released today with a 196.917 season average over its first seven meets of the season.

The Crimson Tide, No. 1 a week ago, was jumped by UCLA, 197.109, and Utah, 196.985, both of which took advantage of big home scores last week to pass the Tide.

Alabama, coming off a 197.875 at Denver, is at home this Friday for only the second time this season, against No. 10 ranked LSU. Georgia and Nebraska round out the top five at fourth and fifth. Florida, the Tide's opponent in two weeks in Gainesville is at No. 6, while Arizona State, Stanford and Oregon State are Nos. 7, 8 and 9 respectively.

DENVER, CO - In the Mile High City, the No. 1 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team proved that it hadn't cooled off any since ascending to the top spot earlier in the week, coming away with a decisive win against homestanding Denver and Air Force.

The Tide scored a 196.875 and Denver posted a 196.125 while Air Force struggled, scoring a 188.650 in front of 1,664 fans, a total that included 75 Alabama fans. The Tide's fan contingent included former All-Americans Tina Rinker and Cheri Way.

"I think that our performance tonight was as strong as our other road performances over the last several weeks," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "We were close to a 197 score and once again we did not have to count a fall, hitting 23 of 24 routines."

The No. 1 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team is back on the road after a one meet reprieve from traveling.

The Crimson Tide travels to Denver, Co. to face the 14th ranked Denver Pioneers and the Air Force Falcons Saturday (Feb. 8) at 6 p.m. It marks the first time that Alabama has made the trip to Denver. The Pioneers were in Tuscaloosa last January, when the Tide came away with a 195.675-195.225 victory.

Denver is a program on the rise, having made it to their first NCAA Championship meet in 2001. The Pioneers just missed last year's national championship meet in Tuscaloosa last season. The Pioneers, led by fifth-year head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart, are the nation's No. 3 ranked squad on the floor exercise, an event where the Tide is ranked No. 1.

This young Tide team will once again hit the highway (or skyway) this weekend to face the #14 Pioneers of Denver.

Denver will use their three strong all-arounders: Emily Bankhead, Ashley Shible and Michelle Kasuga to hold back the Crimson Wave from the south. Already this season, Kasuga has received two 10.0s on Uneven Bars and Floor against Stanford.

Emily Bankhead consistently scores 9.90+ on Beam and Floor.

As a team, Denver is averaging 48.925 on Vault. Look for Bankhead, Shible, Kasuga, Karyssa Ancelloti, Jessica Kennedy, and Cassidy Willingham in their lineup.

Alabama All-American Jeana Rice earned Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Week honors for the second time this season it was announced today by the conference office.

Rice, who posted a career best 39.750 in the all-around to lead Alabama over Michigan in the Tide's home opener Friday, is the nation's second ranked all-arounder and tops in the SEC. Rice also posted a career best 9.975 on the uneven bars to win that event against the Wolverines.

The Longwood, Fla. is ranked in the nation's top-10 on all four events, including second on the floor exercise.

After one weekend at home, Rice and the Crimson Tide return to the road, facing Denver in the Mile High City Saturday (Feb. 8) at 6 p.m. MT.

The Alabama Crimson Tide Gymnastics Team had their homecoming on January 31, 2003, after being on the road for three straight weeks. Despite losing freshman phenom, Ashley Miles, on Wednesday to what appears to be a season-ending knee injury AND almost losing junior Jeana Rice the previous Sunday at Nebraska, the Tide simply responded by tying their season high team score for 2003: 197.200 to Michigan's 196.525.

The Alabama Gymnastics team is back to where they finished last season in the national rankings released today.

The defending NCAA Champions are ranked No. 1 after posting their fourth consecutive 197-plus score of the season defeating Michigan Friday night. Against the Wolverines, in the Tide's home opener and fifth meet of the season, Alabama posted a 197.200, tying its season best mark.

"The rankings are done according to average scoring and we have been very consistent to this point in the season, putting four scores in the 197s," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "It's a long season, but this shows that we are performing consistently at a high level right now."

We have Postmeet Commentaries for the Arkansas and Nebraska meets

• Alabama vs. Nebraska (Sunday, January 26, 2003)
• Alabama vs. Arkansas (Friday, January 24, 2003)