The Alabama gymnastics team, ranked No. 4 in the preseason poll, reported back to Tuscaloosa on Sunday and began training again Monday (Dec. 27).

"We're excited to have everyone back safe and sound and now we're ready to get things going for the last stretch of workouts before the season gets started," head coach Sarah Patterson said.

Tickets to the 2005 NCAA Gymnastics Championships, held April 21-23, in Auburn, Ala. will go on sale Tuesday, Dec. 21 through the Auburn Ticket Office. Tickets can be ordered by calling 1-800-282-1957 or online at www.auburntigers.com/2005NCAAGym/

Alabama Gymnastics has been to 22 consecutive NCAA Championships, better than all but one program in the history of the NCAA. Last season, Alabama finished third and won three individual national titles. This year's Crimson Tide squad features three-time NCAA Champion Ashley Miles, two-time Olympic silver medalist Terin Humphrey and four returning All- Americans.

Alabama season tickets are available through the UA ticket office at 205.348.BAMA or online at www.rolltide.com.

Bama was hard at it in the practice gym this past Sunday. Some positive news to report is the reappearance in the gym of sophomore Brittany Comeaux, who was working primarily on the uneven bars and the vault today. Several Tide gymnasts were working complete routines and fine-tuning their floor choreography on this date. This was a shorter practice than usual due to the team's scheduled community service visit to nearby DCH Hospital, where some Tide Tykes were eagerly awaiting their arrival. Highlights from practice included:

We have a new "Chalk Talk" from Coach Patterson:

• Chalk talk - Friday, December 03, 2004

Alabama gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson announced the signing of four student-athletes to national letters of intent.

Melanie Banville, Cassie Martin, Courtney Priess and Bianca Puello have all committed to the Crimson Tide and will join the Tide for the 2005-06 season.

"We're very pleased to have these young women join our program," Patterson said. "They were all attracted to The University of Alabama by our gymnastics program, but they were additionally convinced that this is the place for them due to the academic opportunities that are available. The honors programs and our rapid rise in the national standings as an academic institution played a role in their decision."

PBAs, one member of Tandem Team and the Salty Dog dropped in at practice on this date following a grueling day's work on the new website design with our favorite computer guru, Barry.  The new look of gymtide.com has about one more week of tinkering before its debut.  Updated roster information, photos of the team and more practice reports will be coming with the new "face" of The Medalist Club website.  Here's how the ladies were looking in the gym today...

We've got a photo album and slide show for the Ghosts and Goblins match

• Photo Album: Ghosts and Goblins
• Slide Show: Ghosts and Goblins

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

80149 kb 44. Coaches and team gather for the result-Goblins Rule!

60753 kb 15. The gleeful ghouls

85695 kb 01. Octobers end means Ghosts and Goblins contend

The University of Alabama Gymnastics Practice Facility, part of the Coleman Coliseum Annex, will be dedicated the "Frances Smith Gymnastics Practice Facility" Friday, November 5 during a ceremony at Coleman Coliseum.

Mr. Steve D. Smith of Tuscaloosa made a one million dollar gift to the Crimson Tradition Fund in honor of his mother, a life-long Alabama fan who "never misses a home gymnastics meet."

"All of my life our family have been loyal fans and spectators of the Crimson Tide," Mr. Steve Smith said. "In 45 years as a local business in Tuscaloosa, we have been the beneficiaries of an extraordinary institution like The University of Alabama. I felt this was my opportunity to give back to a school that has meant so much to us as community members and Crimson Tide fans."

Tide fans turned out in force on Friday, October 29, 2004 to get a peek at the 2005 Alabama Gymnastics Team during the annual Ghosts vs Goblins intra-squad meet.  This festive competition serves as a barometer of the team's progress to date and confirms for the coaches where they need to focus their efforts for the remaining weeks of the Fall practice season.

We've got a photo album and slide show for the Quad Team Poster Signing

• Photo Album: Quad Team Poster Signing
• Slide Show: Quad Team Poster Signing

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

56324 kb 01.Senior Michelle Reeser leads off and scores a hit with fans

63242 kb 02.The lineup of Rachael, Brittany, Erin, and Shannon lightens up

52491 kb 03.Dana F and frosh Jessie Silver are hits with fans

The Alabama gymnastics program released its 2005 schedule today, featuring five teams that finished in the top-7 at last year's NCAA Championships.

The 2005 schedule features perennial powerhouses Georgia, Stanford, LSU and Florida along with up and coming programs UNC, Iowa State and Auburn.

"I don't think our schedule ever gets easier," head coach Sarah Patterson, in her 27th season at the Capstone, said. "Once again I think we've put together a 'fan's schedule' while mixing in some new faces at home. I think fans will be especially excited to see the match up of co-NCAA Floor Exercise Champions Ashley Miles and UNC's Courtney Bumpers. Overall I think it's a great schedule and it will certainly get us ready for the postseason."

We have a new "Chalk Talk" from Coach Patterson:

• Chalk talk - October 26, 2004

With less than 6 days before the annual Ghosts versus Goblins intra-squad, the Crimson Tide was hard at work perfecting some of the skills they plan to showcase this coming Friday afternoon. Ashley Miles, Brittany Comeaux and Dana Pierce were missing due to previously scheduled personal events on this date but it was pleasing to note that all of the remaining members were hard at work on their individual routines.  In fact, there were several skills being thrown that literally shocked PBAs because of the particular individual who was executing them.  Are you ready to learn more?

• [ 2004 T.J. Maxx Tour of Gymnastics Champions GROUP TICKETS ] - Adobe acrobat format (Get free Acrobat reader here)

INDIANAPOLIS - The 2004 T.J. Maxx Tour of Gymnastics Champions, featuring all-around champion Carly Patterson and Alabama gymnastics recruit Terin Humphrey, will tumble through Birmingham at 7 p.m. Nov. 23 with a newly added stop at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex Arena.

The T.J. Maxx Tour - the nation's premier post-Olympic gymnastics tour - features members of the silver medal- winning men's and women's gymnastics Olympic Team that brought home a record total of nine medals. The visit is a return trip for the team, which trained for the T.J. Maxx Tour in Birmingham after evacuating Florida ahead of Hurricane Ivan.

The addition of Birmingham brings the total number of cities on the T.J. Maxx Tour to 41. Tickets for the Birmingham show go on sale at 10 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 7 at all Birmingham area Ticketmaster locations, online at ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at (205) 715-6000, and at the BJCC Arena Box Office. For group tickets, contact Group Sales at (205) 458-8487.

The Medalist Club is proud to announce the creation of the Sarah Patterson Distinguished Alumni Award. The purpose of this award is to continue the Alabama Gymnastics tradition of involvement with the people who have been the basis of the creation of this exceptional program. It is the intention of the Medalist club to cite and honor those members of the Alabama Gymnastics family who continue to lead in life and in their profession as they did in the gym and in the classroom while contributing to the success of the program on a daily basis.

More information [ right here ]

We've got a photo album for the Quad Signing and Rings Ceremonies

• Photo Album: Quad Signing and Rings Ceremonies

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

38199 kb erin-fan-shannon

45474 kb sarah-jeana-hondaexec

39733 kb rachael-brit-erin-shannon-1

Alabama fans will get their first official look at the 2005 Crimson Tide Gymnastics team Saturday, Oct. 2 when the team will be signing autographs on the University of Alabama Quad from 3-4 pm.

Fans will get to meet three-time NCAA Champion Ashley Miles, All-Americans Alexis Brion, Mari Bayer and Shannon Hrozek along with returners Brittany Comeaux, Rachael Delahoussaye, Dana Filetti, Meredith Laxton, Dana Pierce, Michelle Reeser and Erin Rightley. They will also get their first peek at rookies Jessie Silver, Mindy Weber and Kaitlin White. Freshman Terin Humphrey is currently on tour with her U.S. Olympic teammates and will join the Tide in late December in time to start the 2005 competitive season.

And at halftime of the Alabama-South Carolina football game, which gets underway at 5 p.m., Miles and 2004 senior Jeana Rice will receive their NCAA Individual Championship Rings along with diver Lane Bassham. Miles won the NCAA Vault and Floor Exercise title in 2004 while Rice won the NCAA All-Around championship. Bassham, a senior last year, won the NCAA Three-meter Diving championship.

Update: Anyone wishing to sign up for the [ bus trips ] for 2005 may do so at the Quad during the pre-game activities of the South Carolina football game (Saturday, October 2, 2004). We will set up close to where the gymnasts will be signing autographs. So if you would rather do that than call or e-mail this is your opportunity.

Today was the first official practice for the Alabama Gymnastics team.  PBAs, Salto and a host of other interested observers stormed the gymnastics complex to see what the gals were up to.  Several eye-popping elements were being thrown by the veterans and we are happy to report that everyone is in excellent shape for so early in the fall practice season. One bit of news included the decision by Johnna Gay, a walk on from Mobile, to discontinue college gymnastics. Johnna earned Scholastic All America honors her freshman year and exhibited last season on the vault and on the floor exercise at the LSU meet in Baton Rouge, where she scored a 9.825.  Best of luck to Johnna as she continues her education at the Capstone.  Another bit of news involved newcomer Jessie Silver from Forney, Texas (a suburb of Dallas), who has walked onto the team for 2005.  Now onto the highlights!