We've got another slide show and a photo album for the NCAA Nationals (2)

• Slide Show: NCAA Nationals (2)
• Photo Album: NCAA Nationals (2)

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

42 kb 01.Ashley Attacks bars like an Aim-9 missile

45 kb 02.Brittany's straddle-mount is deceptive by comparison

86 kb 03.But equally powerful in a routine that didn't miss this year

Alabama head gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson returned to the office this week after successful spinal surgery on April 20. The four-time National Coach of the Year had been increasing her work load over the past two weeks, working mostly from home as her strength returned.

Patterson led the Tide to a third place finish at the 2004 NCAA Championships, its 15th top-3 finish in the past 20 years. Two Alabama gymnasts won three individual NCAA titles - Jeana Rice taking the all-around and Ashley Miles winning the floor exercise and repeating as the vault championship.

Patterson's surgery came just two days after the team returned from the NCAA Championships in Los Angeles.

"It tops off this season and my career. I've been doing this since I was little and I finally feel I can step away from gymnastics because I've accomplished everything that I wanted to accomplish. I feel complete in this aspect of my life. I can move on without looking back." ¹

"With those words, in response to winning the prestigious Honda Award for Gymnastics ², Jeana Rice closed the book on one of the most illustrious careers in the history of college gymnastics. In her four years as a University of Alabama gymnast, Jeana contributed to an SEC and an NCAA team championship, earned numerous SEC and Regional individual event and all-around championships, prevailed as the 2004 NCAA individual all-around National Champion, and earned an NCAA record 18 All-American awards.

Nevertheless, Jeana's path to college gymnastics fame and glory was, at times, neither to too straight, nor too easy. From the very beginning, however, Jeana exhibited two traits that would carry her through all the trials - and the triumphs. First, she had that fierce determination, that never-say-die competitiveness that all the great athletes have. Secondly, it would be a dark road indeed that could not be illuminated by the brilliant light of Jeana's incredible talent. "

University of Alabama All-American gymnast Stephanie Kite was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship the association announced recently.

Kite, who holds a 4.0 grade point average in international marketing, is the 10th Crimson Tide gymnast to earn the award since 1983. Alabama's total leads all gymnastics programs by a large margin. Kite's honor comes one year after Tide All-American Kristin Sterner earned the scholarship, marking the third time Alabama has had back-to-back honorees.

"This is a great, and well deserved honor for Stephanie," assistant head coach David Patterson said. "Stephanie has certainly made the most of her student-athlete experience, excelling in all areas. We are very pleased to see her name added to the long list of Alabama gymnasts who have earned this prestigious honor."