Alabama Advances to NCAA Gymnastics Super Six Team Finals
4/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Corvallis, Ore. ?? While there were a few anxious moments, Alabama handled the pressure of the NCAA Gymnastics Championships first day and advanced to tomorrow night’s Super Six Team Finals.
The Crimson Tide scored a 196.25 to advance along with Nebraska, 196.325, and Utah, 196.175. Those three schools await the top three finishers from the evening session, which consists of Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Oregon State, Iowa State and Arizona State.
“Being at the national championship and advancing to the Super Six is just a highlight of the year,” Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said after the first session. “You never take it for granted. You look at the teams one through six, and these are the teams that had the best meets, not necessarily perfect, but didn’t count a fall and you have to perform like that to move on.”
With its ticket into the Super Six punched, Alabama is guaranteed to finish in the top-six nationally for the 23rd time in 24 years. Alabama has won four NCAA titles, and finished in the top-two 10 times, including last season and the last two Oregon State hosted championships (1990 and 1993).
Alabama was led by senior Ashley Miles who took third in the afternoon session of the all-around with a 39.500. Miles was also second on the floor exercise with a 9.925 and first on the vault with a 9.95. Sophomore Terin Humphrey closed out the Tide’s afternoon session with a session best 9.875 on the balance beam. Miles qualified for Saturday night’s event finals on the vault and floor exercise while Humphrey will compete on the balance beam.
Tide fans held their breath during the Tide’s last rotation, the balance beam. Freshman Brittany Magee, the Tide’s leadoff and one of its most consistent gymnasts had a fall. From there, Alabama had to hit five of the next five to be assured of advancing.
“We put ourselves into a little struggle on the balance beam when our first performer, freshman Brittany Magee fell, and it was reminiscent for me of our 1996 national championship when our first performer up, who had hit all year long, fell and then we hit five in a row to move on and win a national championship,” Patterson said. “So I kind of rallied them together after that beam and just said, ??we can do this ladies with great teamwork.’ “
And Alabama did just that, closing out the afternoon with a 49.075, the best beam score of the session. In addition to Humphrey’s 9.875, Alabama counted 9.825 from Banville and a pair of 9.8s from Miles and Rightley.
Alabama got its day started with a 49.275, led as usual by Miles who posted a 9.925 in the anchor spot. Humphrey and freshman Brittany Magee both posted 9.85 while freshman Melanie Banville and junior Erin Rightley scored 9.825.
On a tight scoring day on the vault, Alabama soared to a 49.0 behind Mile’s 9.95. Magee and senior Dana Filetti both posted 9.8s. Banville scored a 9.75 and Humphrey went for a 9.7. On the uneven bars, the Tide posted a 48.900 led by Humphrey’s 9.825 in the anchor spot and a 9.8 from freshman Cassie Martin, a 9.775 from senior Mari Bayer and 9.75s from Miles, Banville and Filetti.
Everyone starts over from scratch tomorrow night at 7 p.m. PT. The Tide will find out its competitive rotation tonight after the evening session.
