Alabama
Georgia
Alabama Gymnastics Beats Georgia, 196.275-195.500
1/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Jan. 15, 2010
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Gymnastics team opened its 2010 home schedule in grand fashion Friday night, knocking off the defending NCAA Champion Georgia Bulldogs, 196.275-195.500 in front of a near-sellout crowd of 14,220.
"Nobody was perfect but I told the ladies after the uneven bars that it was going to come down to who fought the most," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "I think our ladies got stronger as the meet went on. I can't say enough about Ricki Lebegern. She led us off on three events and she set the tone for our team with that balance routine and that floor exercise."
Lebegern, who had an uncharacteristic fall against Auburn last week, bounced back to win the all-around with a 39.35. Sophomore Ashley Priess won the uneven bars and was second in the all-around while sophomore Geralen Stack-Eaton won the vault. Georgia's Grace Taylor won the balance beam and floor exercise with matching 9.9s.
The Crimson Tide is now 30-1-1 in home openers under Patterson.
Alabama led from start to finish, but at the mid-point, heading to the balance beam, the Crimson Tide's lead was .025, the narrowest of margins. A fall in the third spot of the Tide's beam lineup put the pressure on, but for the second week in a row, Alabama rose to the occasion.
"It was that way last weekend against Auburn," Patterson said of Alabama's clutch performance. "We had to have five in a row. Ricki made up for (last weeks' fall) tonight with one of the best routines she has done. I think when you have that kind of camaraderie, you know the kids trust each other."
Alabama widened the gap between the two teams considerably after scoring a 49.025 on the balance beam, paced by Lebegern and Priess' matching 9.85s in the leadoff and anchor spots, respectively.
"Going into the meet you know it's two great teams competing against each other," Priess said. "They are the defending national champions and we are the defending SEC champions. We knew it was going to be a great meet all night. Sarah said it was going to come down to who fought the hardest. They brought it and we brought it. We both made mistakes but at the end of the night we fought back. We trust each other completely and I think that's what brought us out."
The Tide finished off the night with a 49.075 on the floor exercise with senior Morgan Dennis' 9.875 leading the way. On the uneven bars, the Tide scored a 48.925, anchored by a 9.925 from Priess. Alabama opened with a 49.25 on the vault led by Stack-Eaton's 9.9 in the leadoff position.
Alabama returns to Coleman Coliseum next Friday to face 2009 NCAA Super Six Team Arkansas at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available through the Alabama Ticket Office (205.348.2262), located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum, or online at RollTide.com.
Players Mentioned
