Kayla Hoffman

The #5 Alabama Crimson Tide (197.225) narrowly defeated the #3 Florida Gators (197.125) Friday Night in front of another enthusiastic crowd at Coleman Coliseum, bringing home the victory on the floor exercise with a final set of electrifying performances. Sophomore Kassi Price (39.500) tied for first place in the all-around with Gator junior Corey Hartung and threw a new vault (9.85) and a triple twist on the floor (9.90) to help bolster the team's chances to pull off the offset. Senior Terin Humphrey returned to the uneven bars (9.725) line-up but appeared to be still experiencing some discomfort during her routine.  Senior Kaitlin White (9.875) and freshman Kayla Hoffman (9.950), along with sophomore Morgan Dennis (9.925) and sophomore Ricki Lebegern (9.875) all contributed in magnificent fashion on the final event to ensure the final outcome. Here are some of the post-meet notes regarding the routines...

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - For the second week in a row, the fifth ranked Alabama Gymnastics team came from behind on the last rotation to beat a top-5 team, this time upsetting the No. 3 Florida 197.225-197.125 here in Coleman Coliseum.

Alabama used a season-best score on the floor exercise to overcome a quarter of a point deficit to beat the defending Southeastern Conference Champions for the first time since the 2006 season. The Crimson Tide also posted season-best marks on the vault and balance beam. Last weekend, the Tide upended LSU in Baton Rouge, winning on the last rotation.

"We went into the last rotation just as we did at LSU last weekend, a little bit behind," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "What we tried to do was just get the ladies to focus on their performance, every tenth, with chests up on their landings, staying in-bounds and no steps on tumbling."

Brittany Magee

Here are the post-meet commentary notes from a great show-down between these two SEC foes - it was a close meet but the Tide remained confident going into the final rotation on balance beam, bringing home the victory with super solid efforts. Congratulations to junior Cassie Martin for her successful return to the uneven bars rotation (9.750) and junior Brittany Magee for hitting 3 for 3 that same night (vault - 9.85, floor - 9.75, beam - 9.875). We were also pleased to see freshman walk-on Megan Mashburn successfully exhibit on the floor exercise.  Without further ado...

We have a new Photo album (and slide show) for the Kentucky Meet

• Photo Album: 2008 Kentucky Meet
• Slide Show: 2008 Kentucky Meet

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

503070 bytes 01 Amanda Montgomery is intent at KY

495235 bytes 02 Ashley ONeal shows nice straddle form

268953 bytes 03 Brittany Magee warms up

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - When the No. 5 Alabama Gymnastics team hosts No. 3 Florida on Friday, it will be the fourth time this month alone that the Crimson Tide has gone against a top-10 team and the third top-5 opponent during the same span.

"I have said all along that this schedule was going to challenge us," head coach Sarah Patterson said. "We're excited to take on the Florida Gators one of the nation's best teams. The Gators have posted the nation's top score this season and are the defending SEC Champions. It should be another great meet."

The Gators 2007 Southeastern Conference championship was its first since 1989. They posted the nation's highest score two weeks ago at home against LSU with a 197.925. In addition, they have been, like the Tide, ranked in the top-5 all season.

Alabama returns home to face the No. 3 Florida Gators Friday and it will be another great Fun Family Friday with tons of giveaways, promotions and contests to go with the outstanding competition.

Alabama Gymnastics
vs. Florida - 2/29/08
7:30 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.)

TUSCALOOSA TOYOTA STUDENT SWEEPSTAKES

Amid all the other prizes that will be given out, one lucky UA student will win a semester of tuition courtesy of Tuscaloosa Toyota at this meet. In the Tide's first three meets, six students have been drawn and six more will be drawn Friday with one of the resulting 24 winning free tuition.

Students will also have a chance to win one of three prizes that are given away at every meet this season:
Three UA student names will be drawn before the 4th Rotation and one student will win an iMac, another $100 in Bama Cash and the third a $100 Book Scholarship

TUSCLAOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Gymnastics team is ranked fifth nationally this week and faces No. 3 Florida this Friday in Coleman Coliseum for its fourth top-10 opponent in the month of February and third in the top-5.

In addition the Crimson Tide and the Gators, four other Southeastern Conference teams are ranked in the nation's top-12 with Georgia coming in at No. 1, LSU at No. 8, Arkansas at No. 11 and Auburn at No. 12. Utah (No. 2) and Michigan (No. 4 ) round out the top five this week. The rankings are calculated by regional qualifying score at this point in the season, a formula that takes a team's top three road scores, it's next highest three scores, drops the high score and averages the remaining five.

BATON ROUGE, La. - The Alabama Gymnastics team rocked the balance beam in its last rotation to come from behind and beat LSU here tonight, downing the Tigers 196.3-196.125 in front of an LSU record 7,717 fans.

"We're proud to be a part of LSU's 'Power of Pink' meet," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson "We're proud to help set an attendance record for the Tigers and this great cause. I am also extremely pleased that we went into the last event with our backs against the wall and were able to perform as we did."

Down by .150 after three rotations, Alabama started its final event off with a season best 9.875 from junior Brittany Magee, followed by a 9.85 from sophomore Casey Overton, which ties her season best mark. Junior Amanda Montgomery posted a 9.75 followed by 9.825s from both junior Ricki Lebegern and sophomore Kassi Price. Sophomore Morgan Dennis had a fall in the final position, but at that point, Alabama had already clinched the meet.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Gymnastics team returns to action Friday, taking on No. 5 LSU in Baton Rouge. It marks the Crimson Tide's third meet against a top-10 opponent this month and second against a top-5 team.

Alabama comes into the meet after a rare mid-season weekend off from competition, a break that head coach Sarah Patterson said came at a good time.

"We were able to use the break from competition to catch our breath a little bit," Patterson said. "We rested our legs a bit and also worked on the things that will help us down the roads like stuck landings and hitting our handstands."

The Alabama Crimson Tide (196.775) and the Arkansas Razorbacks (195.950) put aside their SEC rivalry and joined hands to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness while providing some impressive gymnastics along the way this past Friday Night in Coleman Coliseum.  It was the second week in a row that the University of Alabama sold out the Coliseum for a gym meet and Bama is now leading the nation at this point in the season for average attendance at just under 14,000.  Alabama's stellar performances once again on vault this week finally garnered the higher scores, including a 9.95 from freshman Kayla Hoffman, a 9.90 from sophomore Ricki Lebegern and a 9.875 from Casey Overton for her best Y 1/1 in two years of competition at the Capstone.  The Tide kept going strong on the uneven bars (49.350) with superb efforts from sophomore Kassi Price (9.95), senior Terin Humphrey (9.90), Kayla Hoffman (9.875) and senior Kaitlin White (9.85, with one judge scoring it as a 9.90).  A little stumble on the balance beam (48.850) was headed off with a respectable final team showing on the floor (49.175), adding to a gratifying win overall.  The GymTide will take a rare week off to rest a bit, upgrade their routines and prepare to enter the Tiger's Den in Baton Rouge on February 22nd for LSU's inaugural Pink Meet.  Here are the highlights from the meet against the Razorbacks:

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - A week after its second consecutive sellout of Coleman Coliseum and its fourth victory of the season, the Alabama Gymnastics team is ranked fourth nationally.

The top-5 remained unchanged from a week ago with Georgia, Utah and Florida making up the top three and Michigan coming in at No. 5. LSU moved back to No. 6 this week, giving the Southeastern Conference four of the top-6 and, with No. 10 Arkansas, half the top 10.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- During Friday's Alabama-Arkansas gymnastics meet, the Crimson Tide's volunteer coach, Dana Dobransky Duckworth was presented with the 2008 "Sarah Patterson Distinguished Alumni Award" given annually by the Medalist Club, the Crimson Tide's booster organization, to a member of the Alabama gymnastics family that has gone on to lead a life of distinction after graduation.

Duckworth was presented with the award by Sarah Patterson, Medalist Club President Jim Davis and Mark Sullivan, president of The Bank of Tuscaloosa, the award's sponsor.

Duckworth was a two-time NCAA Champion on the balance beam, eight-time All- American, three-year Scholastics All-American and an SEC and NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winner during her 1990-93 Crimson Tide career.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - In a sea of pink, in front of a sellout crowd, with its past looking on, the Alabama Gymnastics team scored a season-high 196.775 to beat Arkansas which posted a season-best mark of its own at 195.950.

"First of all, I am very proud of our team coming back and getting back on the winning track," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "I knew when I saw the schedule and saw how well Arkansas was doing that these two meets back to back would be crucial for our team."

It was the Crimson Tide's fourth annual "Power of Pink" meet, designed to raise awareness for the fight against breast cancer. A check for $265,000 was presented to the DCH Foundation for the Alabama Gymnastics DCH Breast Cancer Fund prior to the meet.

We have a new Photo album (and slide show) for the Auburn Meet

• Photo Album: 2008 Auburn Meet
• Slide Show: 2008 Auburn Meet

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

506137 bytes 32 at-Auburn Ashley ONeal shimmies in FL WU

525175 bytes 33 Brittany Magee springs into FL action

544302 bytes 34 Kayla Hoffman is off her toes

We have a new Photo album (and slide show) for the Illinois Meet

• Photo Album: 2008 Illinois Meet
• Slide Show: 2008 Illinois Meet

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

509206 bytes 01 Kaitlin White leads off bars

486299 bytes 02 and celebrates a 9.85 with teammates

493612 bytes 03 Amanda Montgomery takes a turn

The Alabama Crimson Tide (196.000) finished second to the Georgia GymDawgs (196.625) before a sell-out crowd in Coleman Coliseum last Friday.  The Tide had to go without senior All American Terin Humphrey, who was suffering from cold symptoms, but managed to sweep the all-around titles, led by sophomore Kassi Price (1st - 39.275), sophomore Morgan Dennis (39.125) and freshman Kayla Hoffman (38.800).  Here are the routine observations:    

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - When the No. 4 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team welcomes No. 10 Arkansas to Coleman Coliseum this Friday, both teams will put aside their school colors and adopt the color pink for the night for the Crimson Tide's fourth annual "Power of Pink" meet.

Both teams are encouraging their fans to join them in wearing pink to support the fight against breast cancer. The meet is part of Sarah Patterson's "Power of Pink" initiative, which started in the fall of 2004 and has been raising awareness and money for the fight against breast cancer ever since.

"Everyone knows someone that has had their lives touched by breast cancer," Patterson said. "What we're trying to do with the 'Power of Pink' is help raise awareness in everyone and help raise money to help those who are in need."

TUSCALOOSA, AL - The Alabama Gymnastics team is ranked fourth in the nation again this week, marking the Crimson Tide's fourth consecutive week in the top-5.

Georgia, who out-pointed the Tide on Friday, remains No. 1, followed by Utah in second and Florida in third. Michigan is fifth this week. The Southeastern Conference once again has five teams in the top-10 with LSU at No. 7 and the Tide's next opponent, Arkansas, coming in at No. 10.

The Lady Razorbacks will be in town for Alabama's annual Power of Pink meet, Friday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at RollTide.com and through the Alabama Ticket Office (205.348.2262) located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum. Fans are encouraged to get their tickets early and to get to the meet early. Giveaways, prizes and contests will get underway before the meet starts at 7:30 p.m.

The Medalist Club is pleased and proud to welcome McAlister's Deli to the growing family of benefactors who give their support to Alabama Gymnastics. Medalist Club member and long time Alabama Gymnastics fan Lewis Loeb (Culverhouse School of Business, Alabama '82) who is also the chief Financial Officer at McAlister's announced a quarterly unrestricted cash donation of $ 1000 and was present with his daughter Jennie at the Georgia meet Friday night. The Loebs make the 3 hour drive from their home in Ridgeland Mississippi for all of Bama's home meets. Lewis and his family will be honored guests at the Penn State meet and will present flowers to the event winners at that meet. Bama Gym fans wherever you are can thank McAlister's for their support of the team by making regular visits to your local McAlister's Deli. Thank you Mr. Loeb and McAlister's.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Sophomore Morgan Dennis capped the No. 4 Alabama Gymnastics team's night against No. 1 ranked Georgia on Friday with an electric 9.95 floor routine, bringing the sold-out crowd to its feet once again here in Coleman Coliseum, but it wasn't enough as Tide fell just short, 196.625-196.000.

"We came in here tonight and we really wanted to win," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "This meet was a good measure of how far our young team has come since last year and I think it showed that we've come a long way. Tonight was a learning experience. We'll take this meet and go back into practice and this will move us forward."

For the fourth time in school history and the second time with Georgia in the house, Alabama team sold out the Coliseum to the tune of 15,075 fans. The Tide's first sellout came in 1997 vs. Georgia. Tonight marks Alabama's third sold out meet in as many years, and the fan total is tied for the fourth highest attendance in collegiate gymnastics history.

Here are post-meet commentary notes on the meet between the Alabama Crimson Tide (196.300) and the Kentucky Wildcats (193.525), which took place this past Friday, January 25, 2008, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky: