Ashley Priess Named SEC Freshman Gymnast of the Week, Again
1/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Jan. 20, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - For the second week in a row, Alabama's Ashley Priess was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman Gymnast of the Week the SEC office announced today. Instituted this season, Priess was the inaugural winner of the award last week.
"Ashley has gotten her career off to a great start," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "She stepped into a high pressure situation in her first meet, helping us win at Auburn and then she came back and took a big step forward last week against Kentucky. On the uneven bars Friday night, everyone had a chance to see what we've known all along; Ashley has a championship caliber routine that is going to be hard to beat most nights."
The SEC's No. 1 ranked gymnast on the balance beam and the league's top-ranked freshman on the uneven bars, Priess won both events against Kentucky. Of her six routines for the Crimson Tide this season, the Wheaton, Ill. native has won three. Her 9.925 score on the uneven bars against Kentucky is the second highest in the nation to date. She is ranked sixth nationally on the balance beam, helping lead Alabama to the No. 1 ranking on the apparatus this week.
Priess and her Tide teammates are headed back out on the road for the rest of January after opening the Tide's home slate last weekend against Kentucky. The Tide travels to Athens, Ga. this Friday to take on Georgia before facing off against Arkansas in Fayetteville the next Friday.
Players Mentioned
