TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Gymnastics Team celebrated the 2008 season as well as coaches Sarah and David Patterson's 30th year at the Captstone with its annual awards banquet hosted by The Medalist Club, the Crimson Tide's booster organization.

The event was held Saturday night at "The Zone" located in Bryant-Denny Stadium with more then 300 in attendance.

In addition to honoring the Pattersons for their 30 years coaching Alabama, the Tide also celebrated its 26th consecutive NCAA Championship appearance, 24th national top-six finish and 23rd NCAA Regional title as well as its back-to-back sellouts of Coleman Coliseum this season.

• Postmeet: 2008 NCAA National Championships (Session 1) Postmeet Commentary

• Note: We hope to have photos for the SuperSix posted sometime tomorrow

The Crimson Tide returned to the Super Six in magnificent fashion this afternoon with a second place score of 196.650, joining Florida (196.900) and LSU (196.525) in Friday Night's finals against Georgia, Utah and Stanford for the right to compete for the championship trophy.  Alabama was able to overcome adversity on the beam (Ashley O'Neal - two uncharacteristic falls) and uneven bars (Casey Overton - missed the regrasp during her pak salto transition element) by countering with five very solid scores on these events.  Freshman Kayla Hoffman earned first team All America honors on vault while sophomore Morgan Dennis claimed her second first team honor on floor exercise and sophomore Kassi Price nabbed first team honors on the uneven bars.   Here are more highlights from the afternoon session:

• Post Meet Commentary: 2008 NCAA National Championships (Thurs Session 1)

Despite drawing the coveted Olympic rotation order (VT-UB-BB-FX), the Crimson Tide was unable to take proper advantage on their first three events, resulting in a sixth place finish in the Super Six Finals here in Stegeman Coliseum on the campus of the University of Georgia.  The Crimson Tide was the only team that had to count a fall on an event (48.425 on balance beam) and yet recovered from the disappointment to navigate the highest score on floor exercise in the sixth rotation among all teams competing (49.525).  Senior Kaitlin White concluded a great career for the Crimson Tide by performing on the uneven bars (9.775) and Floor Exercise (9.850) in the Super Six.  The Tide will now look forward to post-season honors (3 gymnasts reached first team All America status), both athletically and academically, as they close out the 2008 season with the Medalist Club banquet at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, May 3rd at 7 pm.  Here are some of the observations recorded during the Super Six Finals:

• Post Meet Commentary: 2008 NCAA National Championships (Supersix)

• We will post photos later this week. Due to NCAA Rules, we won't be able to post our video until the CBS TV Broadcast of the NCAA Nationals on May 10.

Morgan Dennis

ATHENS, Ga. - Three Alabama Gymnasts competed in tonight's NCAA Individual Event Finals and all three finished in the top-8 of their respective events.

"I challenged our ladies last night to start the 2009 season on the floor exercise and that's what they did," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "I know the ladies sitting in the stands tonight were looking at things they can use and thinking of ways they can be out there next year. Our ladies who competed tonight did a great job and took another great step towards next year."

Sophomore Morgan Dennis, who won this event a year ago after waiting through 16 routines to compete, was the second gymnast up in this year's floor exercise final, scoring a 9.9 to take fourth place. It marks the ninth year in a row that an Alabama gymnast has figured among the nation's top six on the floor exercise. Georgia's Courtney McCool won the floor exercise title with a 9.9625.

Ricki Lebegern

ATHENS, Ga. - After two falls on the balance beam here at the NCAA Championships kept them from a top three finish, the Alabama Gymnastics team bounced back strong, closing out the night with the highest score on any event at this competition, posting 49.525 on the floor exercise.

"After balance beam, when we were on a bye, I said to our senior, Kaitlin (White), 'I want you to go out there and finish off your career with the best routine you can do,'" Patterson said. "And I told the rest of the ladies that while we couldn't win a championship tonight, I wanted them to go out on their last event and show 'Tide Pride', show that they have pride in their program. I'm just proud that they came back and showed what we are made of."

Kayla Hoffman on Floor

ATHENS, Ga. - For the Alabama Gymnastics team, Thursday's preliminary session of the NCAA Championships was all about one thing, and one thing only, advancing to the Super Six Team Finals.

The Crimson Tide accomplished that goal by finishing second in the first of two prelim sessions, advancing to finals for the 14th time since NCAA went to the two- day team format in 1993. Only Georgia has been to more Super Six finals than Alabama.

But there were other things on the line Thursday, other honors and other placings that will come into play on Saturday as three Alabama gymnasts advance to individual event finals and four earned All-American accolades.

ATHENS, Ga. – The Alabama Gymnastics team discovered they will start off Friday’s NCAA Super Six Team Final on the vault as determined by a random draw after the conclusion of Thursday’s second preliminary session.

After starting on vault, the Tide will go to a bye, followed by the uneven bars and balance beam and then a second bye. Alabama will finish off the meet on the floor exercise in the sixth and final rotation.

Ashley O'Neal on floor 9.80

ATHENS, Ga. - The Alabama Gymnastics team advanced to Friday's NCAA Super Six Team Finals after finishing second in the first of today's two preliminary sessions here at the NCAA Championships being held in Stegeman Coliseum on the University of Georgia campus this week.

The Crimson Tide, making their 26th consecutive NCAA Championship appearance, used a 196.650 to advance, following Florida's 196.925 and ahead of LSU's 196.575. Oklahoma was fourth with a 196.075, followed by Arkansas, 195.825, and Oregon State, 195.475.

We have a new Photo album (and slide show) for the 2008 NCAA Regional Championships

• Photo Album: 2008 NCAA Regional Championships
• Slide Show: 2008 NCAA Regional Championships

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

619 kb 01 SR Kaitlin White in bars WU

284 kb 02 Kassi Price mid Hindorff in WU

680 kb 03 Kayla Hoffman pirouttes in WU