Alabama
Auburn
No. 10 Alabama Gymnastics Uses Season-High Score to Down No. 18 Auburn, 196.925-195.575
1/22/2021 10:26:00 PM | Gymnastics
The Crimson Tide posted its highest balance beam team total since the 2019 season, going 49.425
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 10 Alabama gymnastics team posted a season-best score on the way to beating in-state rival Auburn, 196.925-195.575, in front of a sold-out crowd of 2,055 Friday night in Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide is now 3-0 on the season, while the Tigers fall to 0-3.
A week after posting a shaky balance beam rotation at Missouri, Alabama bounced back with its best score since the 2019 NCAA Regional Championships, going 49.425. Alonza Klopfer led off the set with a career-best tying 9.900, a score Makarri Doggette matched before Luisa Blanco capped beam with a meet-best 9.925.
With a 9.900 in the anchor slot from Lexi Graber, Alabama vaulted to a 49.175 to open the meet. On the uneven bars, 9.875s from Cam Machado and Doggette, boosted the Tide to a season-best 49.200 team score. Alabama closed the night with a 49.125 on the floor exercise, led off by Emily Gaskins' 9.875 and a career-best 9.900 from Sania Mitchell.
Head Coach Dana Duckworth Said
"We talk a lot about competition being our best friend, and it's really the way we grow and get better as a team. Balance beam was an improvement, but being a perfectionist, I know where we can get better and we just want to strive for that. Alonza led us off on balance beam with that 9.9 which she has been working toward for a really long time. Sania scored a 9.9 on floor, and she has worked so hard as well. She and Alonza are two of the hardest workers on our team and they continue to shine. I also want to thank the fans tonight because the energy was strong."
Alonza Klopfer on Leading Off the Balance Beam Lineup
"I am doing the same thing every time I go out there. It's about putting all the pieces together and making every skill the best that it possibly can be. The one thing I focus on each time is being present and doing each skill to my very best, and as a result, it was a good routine. I love being in the leadoff position, it's my most comfortable position. I love setting the tone for the team, and it is an honor to have that position."
Sania Mitchell on Making the Floor Exercise Lineup and Posting a Career High
"It's a dream come true, but now it's more than just a dream. I just have to keep working. I couldn't have done that routine tonight without my teammates. I had kind of a tough warmup, and I was just really happy to be able to hear them in my ear the whole time, and a couple of them came up to me before the routine and were just talking me through it and giving me confidence. Without them I couldn't have done it. It's a dream come true, but I'm competing not just for me but all of us, and we just have to keep working to get where we want to be."
Inside the Score Sheet
- The Crimson Tide swept the individual event titles against Auburn and posted the highest team totals on all four rotations
- Shania Adams won her second all-around in a row, scoring a 39.325
- Graber took top honors on the vault, Machado and Doggette won the uneven bars and Blanco posted the night's top score on the balance beam
- In just her third floor exercise routine in the Tide's competitive line-up, Mitchell picked up her first event title against the Tigers
- Gaskins tied her career-best score with her 9.875 in the lead-off spot on the floor exercise
Up Next
- After Friday's meet against Auburn, Alabama heads back out on the road, traveling to Lexington, Ky., to take on the Kentucky Wildcats on Friday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. CT.
- The meet will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and will mark the second time this season the Crimson Tide has faced Kentucky after opening the season against the Wildcats in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 8, with a 196.850-195.825 win
For all of the latest information on Alabama gymnastics, follow @BamaGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and head coach Dana Duckworth on Instagram at @UACoachDana.
Players Mentioned
