No. 9 Alabama Gymnastics Hosts No. 12 Kentucky Friday Night in Coleman Coliseum

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 9-ranked Alabama gymnastics team hosts No. 12 Kentucky this Friday at 7:15 p.m. CT in Coleman Coliseum. The meet will be broadcast live on the SEC Network with Alex Perlman and Samantha Peszek calling the action.

Both Alabama and Kentucky posted season-best marks on Feb. 7, with the Tide scoring a 197.550 in a win at home against Missouri, while Kentucky tallied a 197.275 at Auburn. The Wildcats are the fourth top-25 team to visit Alabama this season and the third to stand among the top-15. Overall, the Tide has faced 10 teams ranked in the top-25 this season and five in the top six.

Alabama is coming off its highest road score since 2017 after tallying a 197.450 at Florida last Friday night, while the Wildcats posted a 196.825 at home against Georgia last week.

Friday is also the Tide's Bama Salute meet honoring past and present members of the United States military. It will be Friends Night for UA student as well, with Friends (the television show) themed t-shirts and coffee mugs being given away to students while supplies last.

Tickets are available in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum and online at RollTide.com.

Head Coach Dana Duckworth Says

"This week is going to be great, because we just continue to gain momentum getting better as a team. Our ladies have really bought into the system and what we're trying to do. It comes down to focus and it comes down to discipline. We have to really ride this wave, but also realize that while we had a great away score and a great road competition at Florida, we still left a little bit out there on every single event. That gives us the opportunity to get better."

Quick Sticks

Alabama is ranked No. 9 nationally this week with a 196.965 national qualifying score (NQS) after seven meets, following a 197.450 against Arkansas last week.
The NQS formula takes the three highest road scores, the next three highest scores home or away, drops the highest score and then divides by five.
Alabama is fourth on the floor exercise (49.370), tied for fifth on the uneven bars (49.350), tied for seventh on vault (49.195) and 17th on balance beam (49.070) in the latest national rankings.
Individually, junior Lexi Graber is tied for 14th on the floor exercise, tied for 15th in the uneven bars and tied for 23rd in the all-around. Freshman Makarri Doggette is tied for 10th in the uneven bars, while senior Maddie Desch is tied for 23rd on the floor exercise.
Alabama posted a 49.425 on the floor exercise against Florida, making it the fourth week in a row the Tide has posted at least a 49.300 on the event.
Doggette scored a 9.950 in the anchor position on the uneven bars against Florida, her third straight 9.9-or-better score on the event.
Graber posted a 39.625 in the all-around against Florida, including a career high 9.975 on vault and tying her season-high of 9.925 on both the uneven bars and floor exercise. It was the second highest all-around total of Graber's career.

Inside the Score Sheet

A total of 13 gymnasts have gone in the Tide's competitive lineup this season, with all 13 contributing at least five routines this season.
The freshman class leads the way for the Tide with Doggette, Luisa Blanco and Ella Burgess combining for 49 routines over the first seven meets.
All three seniors and all three juniors have gone in the lineup this season with the juniors contributing 44 routines and the seniors 37.
Four sophomores have gone in the lineup to this point in the season, chipping in 38 routines.
Graber leads the Tide with 26 routines this season, including six all-around appearances, while Doggette is second with 19 routines, competing on uneven bars in every meet so far this season, on the balance beam, and floor exercise in five meets and making her debut in the vault and all-around against Missouri.
Doggette posted a career-best 9.95 on floor exercise to lead the Tide on the event against LSU and has twice gone 9.95 on the uneven bars, including posting one at Florida to win the event.
Graber has scored 9.875-or-better in 17 of her 26 routines, including six consecutive 9.9-or-better marks on the floor exercise.
Blanco led the Tide on balance beam in the first five meets this season, scoring 9.875-or-better in each of those routines, with three of the scores going 9.9-or-better.
Senior Shea Mahoney has gone in the uneven bars lineup six times this season, scoring 9.850-or-better each time, including a season-best 9.925 against Missouri.
Blanco and Burgess have competed in the Tide's vault lineup in every meet to this point in the season. Blanco has also gone in the balance beam lineup in every meet.
Sophomore Shallon Olsen has competed vault and floor exercise in every meet this season.
After posting six scores of 9.9-or-better on the floor exercise over the last two seasons (three each as a sophomore and junior), Desch opened the 2020 season with back-to-back 9.900s on the floor and already has four floor scores of 9.9-or-better through seven meets this season, including a season-best 9.925 against Missouri and Arkansas.

Up Next

Alabama closes out its home slate against archrival Georgia on March 7, in Coleman Coliseum.
The meet will be broadcast live on the SEC Network and will get underway at 7:15 p.m. CT.

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.