Alabama Gymnastics Finishes Second at NCAA Super Six Team Finals
4/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
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LINCOLN, NEB - The kids are alright.
A very young Alabama team stayed with a tough, veteran UCLA squad tonight, but came up just short here in tonight's Super Six team finals, coming up with an NCAA Runnerup finish.
"I told our ladies to go out and have fun tonight," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "I told them, 'Let's make a great team beat us tonight,' and a great team (UCLA) did. Tonight, UCLA was the most talented team. I wanted our team to put themselves in a position to win tonight and I couldn't have asked for a better job out of us."
Alabama used six freshmen in its lineup to come up with a 197.275, finishing ahead of third place Georgia, 197.150 and fourth place Nebraska, 197.125. Michigan and Utah finished fifth and sixth on the night with a 196.05 and 195.3 respectively.
Tonight marks Alabama's fifth runner-up finish and ninth in the top-2. Alabama has been the Southeastern Conference's top finish at the national championships a league best 10 times.
Alabama had 13 of its 14 athletes compete tonight, including junior Jeana Rice who led the Tide with a 39.55.
With Georgia already finished and Nebraska throwing some strong vault scores, Alabama finished the night in a dog fight for second, going on the balance beam. Sophomore Michelle Reeser got the event off to a good start with a 9.85. Rice and senior Kristin Sterner posted back-to-back 9.9s to finish off the rotation and the Dogs and Huskers.
Alabama puts self in position for the silver trophy by tying its season best on the uneven bars, going 49.425 behind three 9.9 scores, a 9.875 and two 9.85s. It was more than three tenths of a point better than yesterday's prelim score of 49.050 and almost half a point better than the Tide's regional score.
Alabama got the night off to a rollicking start with a 49.375 on the floor exercise punctuated by Miles' 9.95 exclamation point in the anchor spot. The Tide also got a 9.875 from Rice and 9.85s from Sterner and junior Stephanie Kite.
On the vault, the Tide went 49.225, beginning the rotation with a 9.9 from Rice and finishing off with a 9.9 from Miles.
The championships conclude Saturday night (April 26) when the individual event finals will be contested.
