Gymnastics Enjoys Tremendous Regional Success
4/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
April 3, 2011
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama gymnastics team had a very good night in Coleman Coliseum Saturday, winning the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional Championship and advancing to the upcoming NCAA Championships, which will be held April 15-17 in Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition to winning its 26th regional title, the most in NCAA history, and advancing to its 29th consecutive NCAA Championship, the Crimson Tide also swept the individual regional titles. Senior Kayla Hoffman took first in the all-around as well as the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise, while junior Geralen Stack-Eaton finished off the meet by winning the balance beam.
Hoffman made the most of her last appearance in Coleman Coliseum, scoring a 39.600 in the all-around, the second-highest total of her career. She became the third UA gymnast to earn four individual regional titles in one year. She finishes her career with seven career honors. Hoffman was also named the NCAA Central Region Gymnast of the Year earning that honor by a vote of the region's coaches just two weeks after she was named the SEC Gymnast of the Year and the Tide won its seventh SEC Championship.
Stack-Eaton scored a career-best 9.95 on the balance beam, the highest score of the meet on any event, leading Alabama to a 49.500 team mark, the highest beam total at any of the six regionals this year and the second highest event score at any regional. It was also the fifth highest beam score in UA history. In addition to Stack-Eaton's mark, the Tide's total was bolstered by 9.9s from Hoffman and freshmen Sarah DeMeo and Kim Jacob.
Sophomore Becca Alexin scored a career-best 9.875 on the uneven bars, taking second place. Jacob, who tied her career-best score on the beam, also posted a career-best score on the bars, going 9.8.
Alabama again led the nation in regional attendance, drawing 8,174 fans and bettering the next closest regional by more than 3,000. The Tide also led the nation in attendance in 2009, the last time it hosted a regional, drawing twice as many fans as the next closest regional.
Alabama will learn what event it will start on in the NCAA Championship semifinal and whether it will be in the afternoon or evening session on the championship's first day on Monday.
Players Mentioned
