Alabama Gymnastics Defeats Arkansas on the Road
Alabama competed on the road for the first time this season Friday night in Fayetteville, AK. Road jitters appeared to affect the team as there were more mistakes and less stuck landings in each routine; however, the Crimson Tide prevailed to beat the Razorbacks 196.525-195.625. This was the first road victory under new head coach Ashley Johnston.
The Razorbacks didn't perform nearly as many 10.0 start value vaults as the Crimson Tide, but each vault Arkansas performed was clean and most had stuck landings. Alabama started the meet off on the uneven bars and only had two stuck landings on their second best event. However, the team did improve their score by a quarter of a point.
Luisa Blanco scored her second straight 9.900 on the uneven bars and was the Tide's leading scorer on the event. Alabama led Arkansas 49.300-49.150 after the first rotation.
Alabama didn't stick any landings on vault. The Crimson Tide's highest score on vault was just a 9.825 by both Blanco and Lilly Hudson. While the Tide didn't have its best performance on the event, the Razorbacks struggled tremendously on the uneven bars. Two Arkansas gymnasts fell and another almost fell. The Razorbacks had to count a 9.025 and a 9.125 after dropping a 8.925. Alabama took a huge lead into the second half of competition, leading 98.300-96.950.
The Crimson Tide had more uncharacteristic mistakes in the third rotation. Makarri Doggette missed one of her floor combinations which led to a score of 9.575. Alabama hoped to drop that score, but Hudson fell on her first tumbling pass and the Tide ended up dropping her score. The Tide didn't score a 9.9+ on floor for the first time in 13 meets.
The last time Alabama didn't have a gymnast score at least a 9.9 on the event was against Oklahoma in the 2022 season opener. Gabby Gladieux and Blanco scored the team's best on floor with 9.875's. Crimson Tide fans sighed in relief as the Razorbacks ran into more issue on the beam. Alabama maintained its lead heading into the final rotation.
Ella Burgess returned to the leadoff spot on the balance beam. She led the Tide off with a 9.800. That score would later be amended to 9.85. Johnston rolled the dice a little with the lineups as she added a second freshman to the lineup on arguably the hardest event in gymnastics, the balance beam.
Having a true freshman make her collegiate debut on an event like beam shows how much trust she has in her team. Freshman Lillian Lewis looked like a veteran on the beam and scored a 9.775 in her debut. The other freshman competing on the beam, Gladieux, scored a 9.875.
With the meet already won for Alabama, Blanco mounted the bar looking to win the all-around and increase the overall team score. Her front foot slipped off the beam on her tumbling series early in her routine, causing her to fall. She took a few seconds to regroup and Johnston went over to check and make sure she was okay. Johnston said in an interview with SEC Network reporters that Blanco told her she wanted to finish out her routine. Blanco got back on the beam and completed her routine. Her decision to finish her routine set an example and standard for the rest of the team.
Alabama gymnastics returns to Coleman Coliseum Jan. 20 at 6:30 CT. It will air on ESPNU.