Alabama Gymnastics Finishes Second at the SEC Championships
3/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Senior Jeana Rice wins second consecutive all-around title with a career-best 39.850
Saturday, March 20, 2004
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DULUTH, GA – The Alabama Gymnastics team posted a season best 197.950 at the 2004 Southeastern Conference Championships but fell just short of Georgia’s 198.175, finishing second.
It marks the 14th time Alabama has finished in the top-2 since 1985. LSU was third with a 197.275, followed by Florida’s 197.225 in fourth and Auburn’s 195.925 in fifth. Arkansas finished sixth with a 194.825 while Kentucky took seventh with a 193.850. Alabama’s 197.950 was its highest ever at the SEC Championship and fifth highest all-time.
“We didn’t beat ourselves tonight,” Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. “We went out there and gave a tremendous performance. We just ran into a red hot team tonight. There were so many great things about what our athletes did tonight that we can use to make us better in NCAA competition.”
Alabama finished the night after the sixth rotation and had to sit through the seventh while Georgia went to the floor exercise. The Dogs posted a 49.725 to secure the win.
“I think the most difficult thing was sitting on the last rotation and not being in being the competitive mix at that time,” Patterson said. “Any time you make your opponent have to score a 49.5 to beat your, you put a tremendous amount of pressure on them. We did that tonight and Georgia responded. We gave them no room for error.”
“We were spectacular in so many areas and on any given night, that performance would win the SEC Championship and possibly the NCAA Championship,” Patterson said. “It was an inspiring competition throughout the meet. Our conference proved once again that it is second to none. While our ladies are tremendously disappointed, I feel certain they will use this to better themselves during our championships run.”
Senior Jeana Rice won her second consecutive all-around title with a career best 39.850, which ties the school record set by Andre? Pickens in 2002. That mark also sets the SEC Championship record in the all-around.
Rice won the vault with a 9.975 and the uneven bars with a 9.950. She shared the uneven bars title with Georgia’s Corey Fritzinger. Sophomore Ashley Miles defended her SEC floor exercise title, posting a perfect 10.0 to share it with Marline Stephenson of Georgia.
Rice has now won six individual titles over the past two years, including back-to-back all-around titles. The Crimson Tide has now won four of the last five SEC all-around titles. Alabama has won 11 individual titles over the past three years.
The Tide finished off the night with a flurry of high scoring vaults including a 9.975 from Rice and 9.95 from Miles. Junior Shannon Hrozek started the rotation off with a 9.9, a score matched by sophomore Dana Filetti and freshman Brittany Comeaux.
Alabama opened up the night with a 49.325 on the uneven bars, keyed by a 9.95 from Rice. The Tide also got a 9.900 from Miles and 9.825s from junior Shannon Hrozek and sophomores Mari Bayer and Dana Filetti.
Rice came up big again on the balance beam, posting a season best 9.975 to lead Alabama to a 49.325. Junior Michelle Reeser got the Tide off to a strong start with a 9.875, which tied her season best, while sophomore Rachael Delahoussaye chipped in a season best of her own, going 9.85.
Alabama came up huge on the floor exercise, scoring a season high 49.675, with Miles winning her second floor exercise title, posting a perfect 10.0. Rice and Brion both scored 9.95s while Bayer posted a 9.9 and senior Lauren Holdefer started things off with a 9.875. The Tide’s team mark was its second highest of all-time.
Alabama will learn which regional it will be seeded into on Monday (March 22). The top-18 team, ranked by regional qualifying score, will be seeded into one of six regional sites.
