Gymnastics Starts SEC Championship Competition on the Vault
3/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
March 20, 2009
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -
The Alabama gymnastics team will start the Southeastern Conference Championships on the vault after sitting out the first rotation on a bye when the meet gets underway at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tenn on Saturday at 4 p.m.
"I think it is the strongest field we've ever seen," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "There are four teams in the field that were in the NCAA Super Six finals last season and there are six teams ranked in the top-12 nationally right now. You can't have an off event and you have to hit your routines to have a chance to win."
After the vault, the Tide will proceed to its second bye, followed by the uneven bars and balance beam. The team will then go to its third and final bye before ending the meet on the floor exercise. Senior Ashley O'Neal picked the rotation in a random draw on the competition during Friday's practice day. There will be seven rotations on the day and all seven SEC schools that field a gymnastics team will compete.
Last season Alabama opened on uneven bars after sitting on a bye and finished on the vault on the way to a second place finish. The 2008 championships were the closest in league history with Georgia winning by .025 over Alabama and Florida, which tied for second place.
The team practiced after the draw. The Crimson Tide's radio broadcast of the championships will be on WVUA 90.7-FM in Tuscaloosa and can be heard online. The link for the radio broadcast can be found on www.rolltide.com. A link to live scores can be found on www.secsports.com and the meet will be televised on a tape delayed basis on Fox Sports South Saturday, March 28 at 6 p.m. CT.
| The 2009 Southeastern Conference Competition Rotation | |||||||
|
| Bye1 | Vault | Bye 2 | Uneven Bars | Balance Beam | Bye 3 | Floor Exercise |
| Rotation 1 | Alabama | Florida | Auburn | Kentucky | Georgia | Arkansas | LSU |
| Rotation 2 | LSU | Alabama | Florida | Auburn | Kentucky | Georgia | Arkansas |
| Rotation 3 | Arkansas | LSU | Alabama | Florida | Auburn | Kentucky | Georgia |
| Rotation 4 | Georgia | Arkansas | LSU | Alabama | Florida | Auburn | Kentucky |
| Rotation 5 | Kentucky | Georgia | Arkansas | LSU | Alabama | Florida | Auburn |
| Rotation 6 | Auburn | Kentucky | Georgia | Arkansas | LSU | Alabama | Florida |
| Rotation 7 | Florida | Auburn | Kentucky | Georgia | Arkansas | LSU | Alabama |
Players Mentioned
