Alabama
Michigan
No. 4 Alabama Gymnastics Opens 2018 Season at No. 7 Michigan
1/4/2018 4:33:00 PM | Gymnastics
Friday’s meet will mark the third time in a row that the Crimson Tide has opened its season on the road against a top-10 non-conference opponent
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The No. 4-ranked Alabama gymnastics team opens its 2018 season on the road at No. 7 Michigan in the Crisler Center Friday at 4:30 p.m. CT. The meet will be broadcast live on ESPNU with Bart Conner and Kathy Johnson Clarke on the call.
"We're at that point in the season where we're probably not going to get a lot better until we get out under the lights and compete," UA head coach Dana Duckworth said. "We're all ready to get this season going."
Friday's meet will mark the third time in a row that the Crimson Tide has opened its season on the road against a top-10 non-conference opponent after starting the 2016 season at UCLA and 2017 at Oklahoma. The Bruins were ranked sixth and the Sooners first going into those meets.
Alabama and Michigan met twice last season, both times in the postseason, with the Wolverines coming out on top at the NCAA Morgantown Regional and Alabama posting the better finish in the NCAA Championships Semifinal Session II. The Tide last traveled to Ann Arbor in 2011, coming out on top 197.075-196.325.
Alabama comes into the season 15 strong, with four seniors, three juniors, four sophomores and four freshmen. There are three returning All-Americans on this year's squad: seniors Mackenzie Brannan, Nickie Guerrero and Kiana Winston.
After taking on the Wolverines, the Crimson Tide opens its home slate on Friday, Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m. against archrival Georgia. It will mark Alabama's third matchup against the Bulldogs in the span of a week following men's basketball in Athens on Jan. 6, while the football team faces Georgia in the College Football Championship Game in Atlanta on Jan. 8.
Tickets are available through the Alabama Ticket Office (205.348.2262) located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum and online at RollTide.com.
For all the latest information on Alabama gymnastics, follow BamaGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and head coach Dana Duckworth on Twitter and Instagram at @UACoachDana.
