Alabama Gymnastics Beats Arkansas 197.000-194.175
2/16/2007 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ?? Paced by an outstanding balance beam rotation, the Alabama Gymnastics team posted its highest road score of the season here in Barnhill Arena, beating the homestanding Arkansas Lady Razorbacks 197.000-194.175.
The Tide’s strong beam performance came just a week after the Tide finished had three consecutive falls to finish off a road meet for the second time this season.
“To go to balance beam and have that kind of rotation was outstanding,” Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. “I was very proud of the progress we’ve made. I don’t think the average fan would have noticed, but some of our ladies were working very hard on their balance beam routines. They weren’t dead on, but they worked through it and the result was our best score of the season on that event and getting that particular monkey off our back. I think we can take this and have confidence as we move forward. We know what we can do now.
Freshman Ricki Lebegern won the all-around with a 39.350, matching her career best score from a week ago. Freshman Morgan Dennis and sophomore Ashley O’Neal tied for top honors on the vault while junior Terin Humphrey won the uneven bars. O’Neal, Lebegern, sophomore Brittany Magee and freshman Kassi Price all tied for first on the beam while senior Erin Rightley won the floor exercise.
“I’m very proud of Ricki Lebegern in winning the all-around,” Patterson said. “It was her second great meet in a row, and even though her all-around score was the same as last week, she was even better tonight.”
Not only did Alabama post its best road score and second highest score overall this season, they were able to do it while resting freshman Kassi Price on the two leg events. Price has been slowed by stress related injury on her left leg.
“This 197 score on the road gives us a boost as we go forward,” Patterson said. “We certainly earned every tenth of a point tonight. We worked very hard. I hope fans will come see us this Friday night against UNC because we are getting better with each week. We are becoming a very exciting team.”
Four scores of 9.875 on the balance beam paced Alabama to a season high 49.350. O’Neal led the Tide off on the balance with her second career best mark in as many weeks, scoring a 9.875 after posting a 9.85 last Saturday at Georgia. Lebegern also posted her second straight career best beam score, going from a 9.85 last week to a 9.875 this week in the third spot in the lineup. Magee and Price finished off the Tide’s rotation with 9.875s. Humphrey posted a 9.85 in the fourth spot.
“I thought we achieved every goal that we set for ourselves coming into tonight. Our uneven bars routines, one through six, were the best we have done all season. Then to see Ricki and Kaitlin come out and stick those vaults as the first two up on that event, and then to see that intensity carry over to the rest of the team and meet, I thought that was awesome.”
Alabama started the night off with a 49.225 on the uneven bars led by a 9.9 from Humphrey in the anchor spot. Dennis scored a career high 9.875 on the uneven bars from the fourth spot in the lineup. Junior Kaitlin White led the Tide off with a 9.8, a score echoed by Lebegern in the two spot. Sophomore Cassie Martin and Price both scored 9.825s. The Lady Razorbacks scored a 48.500 on the uneven bars.
Punctuated by 9.9s from O’Neal and Dennis, Alabama scored a 49.35 on the vault, just off its season high of 49.375. White scored a season high 9.85, matching Lebegern’s leadoff score. Humphrey also scored a 9.85 while sophomore Brittany Magee posted a 9.825. Arkansas started its night off with a 49.100 on the vault.
Alabama scored a 49.075 on the floor exercise led by a 9.85 from Rightley. O’Neal and Lebegern both scored 9.825s while White posted a 9.8. Humphrey put her hand down on her second tumbling pass, scoring a 9.325 after the half-point deduction. Dennis posted a 9.775 in the anchor spot after a one-tenth deduction for stepping out of bounds.
Alabama returns to Tuscaloosa and Coleman Coliseum for its next three meets, starting with UNC-Chapel Hill next Friday ni
