Tag Archives: Alabama gymnastics

LIVE BLOG: Alabama gymnastics, national semifinals

Posted on April 19, 2013 by | Comments Off

This post will be constantly updated during Alabama’s appearance in the national semifinals hosted by UCLA at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, Calif. The Tide will be competing against the following schools: UCLA, Arkansas, Michigan, Oklahoma and Utah. The top three of those six schools will advance to Saturday’s finals, where the top three from the first heat (Florida, LSU and Georgia) will make for a pool of six teams vying for a national championship.

You can hear Rich Robinson and Leesa Davis call the action on 90.7 WVUA-FM by clicking here. The live stream can be heard on mobile devices via the TuneIn app (search 90.7 WVUA-FM after downloading the app.

Rotation Six

Alabama punched its ticket to the Super 6 with a 49.350 on the vault to make for a final score of 197.350. Alabama’s 49.350 on vault was added to a 49.275 on uneven bars, 49.275 on balance beam and 49.450 on floor exercise.

Alabama will face Florida, Georgia, LSU, UCLA and Oklahoma in the Super 6 tomorrow.

Here are the individual scores from the vault.

Kayla Williams: 9.850
Kim Jacob: 9.800
Ashley Priess: 9.800
Kaitlyn Clark: 9.900
Lauren Beers: 9.900
Diandra Milliner: 9.900

And the final team scores from the meet (those in italics advance to Satuday’s Super 6):

Alabama: 197.350
Oklahoma: 197.200
UCLA: 197.200
Michigan: 196.850
Utah: 196.200
Arkansas: 196.150

Alabama in the Individual Awards:
– Vault: Lauren Beers, Kaitlyn Clark and Diandra Milliner all tied for 3rd with 9.900s.
– Uneven Bars: Tied for 5th was Ashley Priess with a 9.900.
– Balance Beam: Kayla Williams’ 9.900 tied for 1st with Danusia Francis of UCLA.
– Floor Exercise: Diandra Milliner’s 9.95 tied for 1st with Arkansas’ Katherine Grable and UCLA’s Olivia Courtney.
– All-Around: The 39.425 from Kim Jacob was the best from the Tide, finishing tied for 5th.

Rotation Five

Alabama took to the floor exercise for its third of four events in Rotation Five. Here are the individual scores.

Ashley Priess: 9.800
Lora Leigh Frost (Decatur, Ala., native): 9.850
Lauren Beers: 9.875
Sarah DeMeo: 9.850
Kim Jacob: 9.925
Diandra Milliner: 9.95

Milliner’s 9.95 is tied with UCLA’s Olivia Courtney for the best score of the meet on the floor.

Here are the team scores with just one event left: Oklahoma 197.200, Michigan 196.850. For those with one event left: UCLA 148.025, Alabama 148.000, Utah 147.975, Arkansas 146.875.

Alabama’s situation going into the final event is as follows:
– Alabama needs a 48.85 on vault to pass Michigan, 49.2 to pass Oklahoma. A 49.2 on the vault would put Alabama ahead of Michigan, Oklahoma and Arkansas, thus in the top 3 and in tomorrow’s national championship meet.
– Alabama could also score something in between a 49.2 and 48.85 and get into the top three as long as Alabama’s score on floor exercise is more than .025 greater than UCLA’s score on uneven bars.

Rotation Four

Alabama took a bye before going to the floor exercise for Rotation Five.

Here are the team scores through Rotation Four: Oklahoma 148.050, UCLA 148.025, Michigan 147.575 and Arkansas 146.875. For those through two events: Alabama and Utah 98.500.

Rotation Three

Here are the individual scores from Alabama’s 49.275 on the balance beam.

Diandra Milliner: 9.850
Kaitlyn Clark: 9.800
Kayla Williams: 9.900
Sarah DeMeo: 9.850
Kim Jacob: 9.850
Ashley Priess: 9.825

Kayla Williams’ 9.900 on the balance beam is currently tied for the best score of the meet with UCLA’s Danusia Francis.

Alabama has now scored 49.275 on both of its first two events: uneven bars and balance beam.

Here are the cumulative standings through three rotations (all teams have taken one bye and competed in two events): Oklahoma and Alabama 98.500, Utah 98.525, Utah 98.500, Michigan 98.175, Arkansas 97.875.

For Rotation Four, Alabama will take a bye before going to the floor exercise for Rotation Five.

Reminder: the top three advance, so halfway through, Alabama looks good to move on to the national championship meet tomorrow.

Rotation Two

Alabama scored a 49.275 on the uneven bars, its first event of the night. Here are the individual scores.

Becca Alexin: 9.800
Kaitlyn Clark: 9.850
Kim Jacob: 9.875
Sarah DeMeo: 9.850
Ashley Priess: 9.900
Ashley Sledge: 9.800

Priess’ 9.900 on the uneven bars is tied for 1st on the meet with two Michigan gymnasts: Katie Zurales and Brittnee Martinez.

Team Standings through Rotation Two: Oklahoma 98.550, Michigan 98.175 for teams through two events. For teams through one: Utah 49.300, Alabama 49.275, UCLA 49.075, Arkansas 48.975.

Alabama moves to the balance beam for Rotation Three.

Rotation One

Alabama has a bye, as does Utah, and will start competition in the next rotation on the balance beam.

Standings through Rotation One: Michigan 49.400, Oklahoma 49.275, UCLA 49.075, Arkansas 48.975, Utah and Alabama 0.

Comments Off

Posted in gymnastics, national champions, NCAA, NCAA Tournament

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

VIDEO: Awards and celebration from Tuscaloosa Regional

Posted on April 6, 2013 by | Comments Off

In the video posted below, Alabama gymnasts celebrate their individual awards won in the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional before celebrating the team win together. The win punched Alabama’s ticket to the NCAA semifinals in the pursuit of three-straight national championships.

Comments Off

Posted in gymnastics

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Alabama gymnastics blows away NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional, punches ticket to NCAA Championships

Posted on April 6, 2013 by | Comments Off

Ashley Priess in the process of scoring a 9.9 on the uneven bars on the way to winning the all-around title.

Ashley Priess in the process of scoring a 9.9 on the uneven bars on the way to winning the all-around title.

Alabama gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson admits, openly, she held redshirt senior Ashley Priess back. For a while.

“She’s been wanting to go all-around all year,” Patterson said. “Part of it was she wanted to go and her coach said no.”

And while we’re being honest, it was a tough pill to swallow for Priess.

“There have been times where I was a little frustrated because I felt like I was ready,” she said.

The time finally came in the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional, where Priess stepped up and delievered 9.9s in all four events, taking the all-around crown with a 39.6 and helping Alabama win its 28th-straight Regional title with a team score of 197.400.

Utah is the other qualifier out of the Tuscaloosa Regional, earning second place with a 196.400.

“I just felt like, at this point in time, we’re at the end, she’s ready to go,” Patterson said. “To me, Ashley is the epitome of Alabama gymnastics, because she always peaks at the right time.”

Junior Kim Jacob added, “Ashley had an amazing night. We all knew she could do it, but this is the time we really needed her. We had no doubts she had it in her.”

Alabama had to work through some bumps to get the high score and the win, twice in high-pressure situations after falls. Kaitlyn Clark’s fall on the balance beam put the lineup in a tight bind to keep from counting a fall, as did Sarah DeMeo’s fall on the uneven bars.

Jacob responded on beam with a 9.95 and Priess’ well-timed 9.9 on the uneven bars kept the Tide up as it counted just one score below a 9.8.

“I thought they did great,” Patterson said of those who followed the falls. “Kaitlyn Clark, she hasn’t fallen all year, and I just said to Kaitlyn, ‘You’ve been here for us all year. We’ve got your back.’”

Now Alabama can look with full focus towards the NCAA Semifinals on April 19th, and if Alabama is one of the top 12 there, it will advance to the finals to go for back-to-back-to-back national titles.

“I think now we can go to UCLA and compete the way we competed at SECs: we were fearless. Tonight was all about advancing,” Patterson said.

Comments Off

Posted in gymnastics

Tagged , , , , ,

No. 4 Alabama gymnastics ends No. 1 Oklahoma’s perfect season emotional Senior Night in Tuscaloosa

Posted on March 15, 2013 by | Comments Off

Freshman Lauren Beers scored a 9.9 on the floor exercise in Alabama's regular season finale win over Oklahoma. (Photo courtesy of UA Athletics)

Freshman Lauren Beers scored a 9.9 on the floor exercise in Alabama’s regular season finale win over Oklahoma. (Photo courtesy of UA Athletics)

Earlier in the week, Alabama gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson had a strong theme of emotion management going into Senior Night against No. 1 Oklahoma, trying to let her seniors enjoy the moment while keeping them focused on the task.

Patterson got the focus she wanted, as the senior class finished without a home loss after toppling the previously 19-0 Sooners 197.525-196.900, but could not keep the tears from streaming down senior Ashley Sledge’s face before the meet.

“When we went and got introduced, it was pretty emotional,” Sledge said, slyly adding, “for some of us,” with a light chuckle knowing she hadn’t fooled anyone.

The night had a perfect ending for Sledge, walking off the floor exercise having just earned a 9.875 with waves and blown kisses for the fans in attendance. And it was nearly taken away by one outstretched arm a few hours before.

“Sledge almost had to talk me into putting her out there, because (assistant coach) Bryan (Raschilla) kind of had to turn her over on one of her tumbling passes,” Patterson said.

At the end of the night, Priess, like the rest of her teammates, left the gym with a supreme level of confidence as the Tide moves into postseason competition next week with the SEC Championship in Little Rock, Ark.

“I think tonight’s meet was a real confidence-booster,” redshirt senior Ashley Priess said. “We had some real standout moments on all four events, really. I wouldn’t say we’re at our best in every event, but there are easy areas where we can improve in practice and I don’t think this team can be any more confident going into postseason.”

Few athletes have progressed as far as freshman Lauren Beers, who competed in three events and scored a 9.9 or higher on two of them, including a 9.95 on vault.

“I am absolutely thrilled with Lauren,” Sledge said. “Just going from not competing to competing events and exhibitioning (balance) beam tonight, she did a fantastic job. We’re searching for that bar spot, and I think she definitely did her job in her spot.

“Gosh, she has just come such a long way.”

Patterson labeled Beers as a key component for the team’s advancement since Marissa Gutierrez’s ankle injury that has sidelined her for the last three weeks.

“I think if you look at why our team has progressed, I think if Lauren hadn’t stepped up in the capacity she’s in and we don’t have Marissa in there, we’re not scoring what we’re scoring,” Patterson said.

Comments Off

Posted in gymnastics

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Recap of Alabama’s Friday night action

Posted on March 9, 2013 by | Comments Off

The No. 4 Alabama gymnastics team swept the home-and-home with the LSU Tigers this season, completing the sweep with a 197.725-197.750 win over the No. 4 Tigers in Baton Rouge. The 197.725 is not only Alabama’s best score this season, but also the best score by any road team in the nation in 2013.

The Crimson Tide got the win despite a perfect 10 from LSU’s final performer on the final event, Lloimincia Hall on the floor exercise.

“It was just an extraordinary night of college gymnastics,” Alabama coach Sarah Patterson said. “It was loud, it was rocking and both teams put up great performances.”

Alabama set a new season-high on the vault with a 49.525m led by sophomore Kayla Williams with a career-best 9.975. Alabama had two freshmen, Carley Sims and Lauren Beers, set new career-highs on the vault with a 9.875 and a 9.925, respectively.

Alabama will face No. 1 Oklahoma in its final regular season meet of the season at home on March 15th.

(The above tweet is from Alabama Director of Baseball Operations Ken Brown)

Alabama baseball lost a hard-fought extra-innings contest on the road with No. 5 Louisville 4-3 in 14 innings. Alabama reliever Jay Shaw walked in Louisville’s game-winning run with one out in the bottom of the 14th.

Alabama’s offensive effort were highlighted by senior third baseman Kenny Roberts, who was 3-for-6 from the plate.

Alabama got strong performances from releivers Ray Castillo, Mitch Greer and Justin Kamplain. The trio came in to pitch six innings and give up just two hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

The Tide (8-5) meets the Cardinals (10-2) again Saturday and Sunday to complete the three-game series.

Like the baseball squad, Alabama softball lost in heartbreaking fashion, as the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers got a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to win 4-3.

Alabama starting pitcher Jackie Traina fell to 10-2 on the season,

Freshman outfielder Andrea Hawkins was one of two key offensive performers for the Crimson Tide in the series-opening loss to Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of UA Athletics)

Freshman outfielder Andrea Hawkins was one of two key offensive performers for the Crimson Tide in the series-opening loss to Tennessee. (Photo courtesy of UA Athletics)

pitching 6.1 innings and allowing seven hits and four runs, all earned, while walking five batters and striking out four.

Offensively, Alabama was highlighted by the No. 1 and 9 hitters. Kayla Braud led off for the Tide and was 2-4 with a run scored, while Andrea Hawkins was 2-3 with two RBI in the No. 9 hole.

Alabama (22-2, 0-1 SEC) will face Tennessee (20-3, 1-0 SEC) again Saturday and Sunday to complete its first weekend series of SEC play.

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No. 5 Alabama at No. 4 LSU, gymnastics meet information

Posted on March 8, 2013 by | Comments Off

Who: No. 5 Alabama (5-2-1, 4-2-1 SEC) vs. No. 4 LSU (9-3, 5-2 SEC)

Where: Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Radio: 90.7 WVUA-FM, Rich Robinson and Leesa Davis, starting at 7 p.m. (click here to listen online)

Television: Cox Sports Television (tape delayed)

Last Time Out: Alabama beat No. 6 UCLA at home 197.075-196.375, LSU beat No. 7 Georgia at home 197.050-196.825.

Previous Meeting: Alabama beat LSU in Coleman Coliseum 196.575-195.525 on Jan. 18. Alabama’s Kim Jacob won the all-around crown.

Noteworthy: LSU is 4-0 at home this season, all against teams that were ranked in the top 25 at the time of their visit to Baton Rouge: No. 22 N.C. State, No. 3 Florida, No. 7 Georgia and No. 20 Arkansas …. Jacob will be going for her sixth all-around title for the 2013 season …. Alabama will be wearing pink against LSU to support breast cancer awareness. Alabama is 2-0 in 2013, 19-0 all-time, in pink.

Comments Off

Posted in gymnastics, LSU

Tagged , , ,

Diandra Milliner named SEC Specialist of the Week

Posted on March 6, 2013 by | Comments Off

Alabama senior gymnast Diandra Milliner has been named the SEC Specialist of the Week, the conference released in a statement Wednesday, for her 9.95 on the floor exercise in Alabama’s 197.075-196.375.

Milliner, from Wichita, Kan., tied Alabama all-arounder Kim Jacob for the best score on floor and best score of an event for the meet.

“Diandra’s floor routine against UCLA was amazing,” Alabama gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson said. “It’s the best one she’s done in competition to this point. To have her there to anchor what is becoming one of the nation’s best floor lineups is certainly a big advantage for us.”

Fellow senior Ashley Sledge was named the SEC Gymnast of the Week for her performance against Auburn on Friday, Feb. 15. You can read more about her honoring by clicking here.

Alabama takes to the road this Friday, meeting the LSU Tigers in a return trip after Alabama’s 196.575-195.525. You can hear the meet live on 90.7 WVUA-FM starting at 7 p.m. on Friday by clicking here for Rich Robinson and Leesa Davis’ call, and you can click here to read about Alabama’s previous victory over LSU.

Comments Off

Posted in gymnastics

Tagged , , ,

Former Alabama gymnast Geralen Stack-Eaton amazes teammates with rendition of national anthem

Posted on March 2, 2013 by | Comments Off

Geralen Stack-Eaton was the NCAA balance beam champion in 2012 for the Crimson Tide as the team won its sixth national championship in program history. (Photo courtesy of UA athletics)

Geralen Stack-Eaton was the NCAA balance beam champion in 2012 for the Crimson Tide as the team won its sixth national championship in program history. (Photo courtesy of UA athletics)

Singing outside of an empty dormitory bathroom used to be a punishment for former Alabama gymnast Geralen Stack-Eaton. In fact, the two-time NCAA champion and two-time individual NCAA champion was discovered through a punishment.

We have a rule: if you leave something in the gym, and I find it, you have to sing,” Alabama coach Sarah Patterson said. “Geralen left something in the gym last year and didn’t want to sing and I said, ‘You’re a team leader. You have to sing.’”

The next day, Stack-Eaton faced her punishment, but with one slight alteration.

“She made us close our eyes, we couldn’t look at her,” Patterson.

Patterson said Stack-Eaton sang the national anthem for her punishment, and Patterson remembers, “There was not a dry eye in the gym, because none of us knew that she could do that.”

Stack-Eaton liked keeping her hidden talent away from the her teammates, much less the spotlight she was under singing in front of over 11,000 people in Coleman Coliseum for the Tide’s win over UCLA.

“I roomed with her freshman year, and the only time I heard her sing was when she didn’t know I was there and she was singing in the shower,” senior Ashley Priess said. “Sometimes I would sneak up and walk in her room and scare her so I could hear her sing.

“The fact that she’s made a 180 and is singing in front of thousands of people so confidently with the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard is just stunning. I think it left the whole team in awe and in tears and we felt like we could do anything.”

Patterson said it has been a long struggle to get Stack-Eaton willing to perform in front of a larger crowd.

“It’s been a process. She had to learn to sing in front of us,” Patterson said. “She sang at camp for all of our little campers, and then she’s been to a women’s basketball game and a volleyball game and she called me about 10 days ago and said, ‘I’m ready.’

“She’s as gifted in her singing as she is in her athletic abilities. To see someone who had to have everyone in the room close their eyes, to do that in front of 11,000 people, I think that’s pretty amazing.”

But Patterson could not resist showing a little frustration at how long it took Stack-Eaton to finally display her talent.

“Who would’ve thought that was harder than getting on a balance beam?” Patterson said.

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , ,

No. 5 Alabama gymnastics team falls at Florida

Posted on February 8, 2013 by | Comments Off

Fifth-ranked Alabama fell on the road for the second straight week, losing at No. 1 Florida 198.100-196.850 in front of a crowd of 8,074 on Friday.

It was the Crimson Tide’s second highest score of the season and the Gators’ second highest score in school history. Alabama lost the previous week at Georgia.

For Alabama, Marissa Gutierrez won the vault with a 9.950, while Kim Jacob was third on the balance beam (9.875) and fifth on floor exercise (9.900). Sarah DeMeo was fifth on uneven bars (9.875).

The Crimson Tide returns home Feb. 15 to take on Auburn at 7:30 p.m.

Also find and follow The Daily Bama Blog on:
Twitter: @DailyEdwards
Facebook: Facebook.com/dailybamablog

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , ,

Alabama remains at No. 5 in gymnastics rankings

Posted on February 4, 2013 by | Comments Off

Even after a loss at Georgia, Alabama remained No. 5 in the national gymnastics rankings today.

Keep in mind, the rankings are based on scores and not won-loss records. Alabama posted a season-best 196.950 in a loss at Georgia on Saturday.

Alabama’s next opponent, Florida, remain at the top of the rankings. Oklahoma is second, followed by No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 UCLA.

Alabama is fourth on the vault, fifth on the uneven bars, seventh on the balance beam and seventh on the floor exercise.

Crimson Tide junior Kim Jacob is ranked 15th in the all-around, fifth on the floor exercise and 22nd on the balance beam after posting a career-best 9.950 on the floor exercise against Georgia. Junior Diandra Milliner is ranked sixth on the vault, while senior Ashley Sledge is 23rd on the floor exercise. Senior Ashley Priess and junior Sarah DeMeo are tied for seventh on uneven bars.

Also find and follow The Daily Bama Blog on:
Twitter: @DailyEdwards
Facebook: Facebook.com/dailybamablog

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged ,

Tide gymnasts score season high but fall at Georgia

Posted on February 2, 2013 by | Comments Off

ATHENS, Georgia — No. 5-ranked Alabama suffered its first loss of the season Saturday, falling at No. 8 Georgia in Stegeman Coliseum 197.500-196.950 in front of a sold-out crowd of 9,924.

Kim Jacob paced the Crimson Tide (3-1, 3-1 SEC) by scoring a 39.250 to win her fourth straight all-around. She shared top honors on the floor exercise with junior Diandra Milliner. Alabama’s team total was its highest score of the season despite a sub-49 score on the uneven bars.

“We didn’t perform to the best of our abilities tonight,” Tide head coach Sarah Patterson said in a news release. “We got a little behind the eight ball on the uneven bars, and they were on fire on vault. When that happens, we have to really buckle down on vault, and while we did a good job, we didn’t nail all our landings.”

Alabama scored a season-low 48.95 on the uneven bars. The Tide was led on the bars by junior Sarah DeMeo’s 9.875.

A low score wasn’t the only outcome of the Tide’s rotation through the uneven bars. Senior Ashley Sledge was pulled out of the lineup after straining her shoulders on a handstand.

“We took her out after the uneven bars,” Patterson said. “We’re very protective of her shoulders and when she finished bars and was holding them, I knew we’d hold her out the rest of the way.”

The Tide scored a 49.375 on the vault behind 9.9s from sophomore Kaitlyn Clark, senior Marissa Gutierrez and Milliner. It was the Tide’s second highest vault total of the season.

Alabama had their best rotation of the night on the floor exercise, scoring a season-best 49.475 behind career-high 9.95s from Milliner and Jacob and a 9.9 from senior Marissa Gutierrez.

“I’ve said this before, from the time that coaching staff was hired, they had this meet circled in red on their calendar,” Patterson said. “We came in with a target on our backs.”

Next, Alabama will travel to Gainesville, Fla., to take on No. 1-ranked Florida on Friday at 6 p.m. The Crimson Tide returns home Feb. 15 to take on the Auburn Tigers at 7:30 p.m.

Also find and follow The Daily Bama Blog on:
Twitter: @DailyEdwards
Facebook: Facebook.com/dailybamablog

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged ,

Tide gymnasts look to put together complete meet

Posted on January 30, 2013 by | Comments Off
Diandra Milliner competes on vault for Alabama in a win over Kentucky. (AP photo by Michelle Lepianka Carter of The Tuscaloosa News)

Diandra Milliner competes on vault for Alabama in a win over Kentucky. (AP photo by Michelle Lepianka Carter of The Tuscaloosa News)

Meetings, in the right context, can be one of the largest necessary evils in sports. The Alabama football team held an impromptu meeting to correct practice energy before the BCS National Championship Game, and struggling professional teams are littered with them in an attempt to right the ship.

But the Alabama gymnastics team, standing a 3-0 and No. 5 in the nation with an average of margin of victory of 2.415, called a meeting of its own after a 196.575-194.800 win over Kentucky.

“We had a meeting on Sunday to pull ourselves together and tell ourselves what we need to work on, what we need to fix,” said junior Kim Jacob, winner of the all-around in all three meets this season. “I think this week’s really going to be a turning point for us.”

The Crimson Tide is in no need for an epiphany in one event, as it is ranked in the top 10 in every individual event. What Alabama seeks is the complete package: piecing together great performances in all four events in the same meet.

Against Kentucky, Alabama was great on both the uneven bars and the floor exercise, counting two 9.9s and one 9.875 in both events to score a 49.4 and 49.350, respectively, but counted a fall on balance beam. Alabama had similar struggles on floor the meet before against LSU.

“I think we’ve improved every meet, but we still have a lot of room to improve,” Jacob said. “We had a good start, but we haven’t hit all four events yet, and this week we’ve been working hard to do that.”

However, the trajectory of the team right now could be according to plan. It seemed to work for both of Alabama’s national championship season in 2011 and 2012.

When asked when Alabama pieced together a complete meet last year, Ashley Sledge said, “Last year, probably at the NCAA Regional in Seattle.”

“We put a great meet together and just continued on through national championships,” she said. “That’s the beauty of our sport: we can have this build-up. While other sports have to stay there all season long, we can experiment and land at the top when we need to be at the top.

“I would say that this is kind of where we’re supposed to be right now. We don’t want to be at the top of our game in January; we want to be there in April. Whatever we have to do to get that perfect spark, we’ll do it.”

This Friday would be a good time for that spark, as Alabama travels to Athens to face the Georgia Gym Dogs. Georgia enters the meet ranked No. 2 in the nation on uneven bars and in a tie for fourth in vault.

“Georgia is always ready to make a statement against us,” said Jacob, who visited both schools while being recruited. “It’s a huge rivalry, we always have a lot of fun going there. It’s going to be a hard meet so we need to come bringing our A-game.”

Contributed by Brett Hudson

Also find and follow The Daily Bama Blog on:
Twitter: @DailyEdwards
Facebook: Facebook.com/dailybamablog

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , ,

Alabama stays at No. 5 in gymnastics rankings

Posted on January 28, 2013 by | Comments Off

Alabama coaches Sarah and David Patterson during practice. (AP photo by Dave Martin)

Alabama coaches Sarah and David Patterson during practice. (AP photo by Dave Martin)

The Alabama gymnastics team remained No. 5 in the national rankings this week after beating Kentucky at home Friday.

Unlike football, the gymnastics rankings are compiled strictly on team scores posted this season. Last season doesn’t count and neither does the potential for the future.

Florida is first, followed by Oklahoma at No. 2, Michigan at No. 3 and UCLA at No. 4. The Crimson Tide is third on the uneven bars, sixth on the vault, eighth on the balance beam and ninth on the floor exercise. The Crimson Tide will take on the Gators, Sooners and Bruins in the coming weeks.

Alabama’s next opponent is No. 8 Georgia at Athens, Ga., in the Tide’s only Saturday meet of the regular season.

Junior Kim Jacob is ranked 14th in the all-around, fifth on the floor exercise and 23rd on the balance beam. Junior Diandra Milliner is seventh on the vault. Senior Ashley Priess is seventh on the uneven bars, while junior Sarah DeMeo and senior Ashley Sledge are tied for 13th.

Video of Milliner performing the vault against Kentucky:

Also find and follow The Daily Bama Blog on:
Twitter: @DailyEdwards
Facebook: Facebook.com/dailybamablog

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged ,

Alabama gymnast Kim Jacob keeps setting career marks on floor exercise

Posted on January 27, 2013 by | Comments Off

In Alabama’s recent win over Kentucky in the Tide’s annual Power of Pink meet, junior Kim Jacob set a career high with a 9.925 on the floor exercise.

This marked her third straight meet to either match or set a career high in the event.

Here’s video, if you would like to check out what’s impressing the collegiate gymnastics judges so much:

Also find and follow The Daily Bama Blog on:
Twitter: @DailyEdwards
Facebook: Facebook.com/dailybamablog

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged ,

Tide beats Kentucky in Power of Pink meet

Posted on January 25, 2013 by | Comments Off
Kaitlyn Clark competes on the uneven bars for Alabama during the annual Power of Pink meet against Kentucky. (AP photo by Michelle Lepianka Carter of The Tuscaloosa News)

Alabama’s Kaitlyn Clark competes on the uneven bars during the Power of Pink meet against Kentucky. (AP photo by Michelle Lepianka Carter of The Tuscaloosa News)

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — After last week’s win over LSU, Alabama gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson poked and proded at her team to pick up its conditioning level.

She got just that Friday night, especially in clutch situations, as the Crimson Tide beat Kentucky 196.575-194.8 in front of 15,075 fans in Coleman Coliseum for the Power of Pink meet supporting breast cancer. The meet was the 10th sellout in program history, the ninth in the last eight years.

“As the girls said, tonight wasn’t about the scores necessarily, it was about the survivors,” Patterson said. “What touched me most was not the 17 survivors we had on the floor, but they asked all breast cancer survivors to stand and then all cancer survivors to stand. To see the number of people that have battled, I think it’s amazing.”

One key finish came from Kayla Williams on the balance beam, who saw Marissa Gutierrez fall to open the event but managed a 9.9. The routine, coming off the heels of a disappointing performance last week, was so satisfying that
she celebrated before saluting the judges.

“I went out there and I knew what I had to do,” Williams said. “We had a fall earlier in the lineup and I didn’t want us to have to count one.

“I was struggling a couple of times in my routine when I did a skill good to not smile and get excited and when I stuck my dismount, I couldn’t hold it any longer.”

In the next and final event, Ashley Sledge turned in a 9.875 to turn the momentum after Sarah DeMeo started the event with a 9.5.

The Tide ended the floor exercise with three straight scores of 9.9 or above, as Gutierrez scored a 9.9, Kim Jacob scored a 9.925 and Diandra Milliner anchored the event with a 9.9.

“I did like that tonight, we finished it on floor,” Patterson said. “Last week we had some problems and it’s great to see your athletes come and finish strong.”

Jacob finished strong as an individual also, shaking off a near fall on balance beam to win her 3rd all-around crown in as many meets. Jacob’s strong finish stemmed more from the previous six months than the two hours in front of the crowd.

“She doesn’t surprise me because what she does is the same thing she does day-in and day-out,” Patterson said. “She is without a doubt one of the hardest-working young ladies in the last three years and she doesn’t just do it in the gym: she does it in the weight room.”

Contributed by Brett Hudson

Also find and follow The Daily Bama Blog on:
Twitter: @DailyEdwards
Facebook: Facebook.com/dailybamablog

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged ,