Alabama
Florida
No. 11 Alabama Gymnastics Edged by No. 2 Florida, 197.000-196.925, Sunday Afternoon
1/16/2022 4:51:00 PM | Gymnastics
The Crimson Tide’s score was more than a point better than its opening score at Oklahoma last week
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 11 Alabama came within less than a tenth of a point from knocking off No. 2 Florida in Gainesville, Fla., Sunday afternoon, 197.000-196.925, in a meet that came down the final routine from both teams.
Alabama was in the lead late in the meet's final rotation before the Gators came up with back-to-back 10.0s for their last two routines to secure the victory.
The Tide opened with a 49.350 on the uneven bars, a tenth of a point better than its score at Oklahoma, led by a pair of 9.925s from Luisa Blanco and Makarri Doggette. Alabama came back on its second rotation and bettered its vault total from week one by more than two-tenths of a point, scoring a 49.175, paced by Makarri Doggette's 9.875.
Led by Lexi Graber's 9.925 in the anchor position, Alabama boosted its floor exercise score from its opening meet by more than three-quarters of a point, with a 49.300. The Tide finished off the meet with a 49.150 on the balance beam led by Blanco's 9.950.
Head Coach Dana Duckworth Said
"Today's competition was an excellent step forward for our team. They showed their passion, persistence and grit in an electric environment that was so loud that it actually made the beam shake as Luisa anchored and once again was exquisite. Our team and coaches stayed true to our process this week and moved forward. We're proud of new faces like freshman Lilly Hudson who competed like a veteran, the way the team responded to changes in the line-ups and having our vault line-up in full force. Pressure situations like this are only created in competition and this allowed us to get acclimated to an intense environment. It is always an honor to do our sport for something bigger than ourselves and thanks to UF for allowing us to collaborate and be a part of it. Thanks also to ABC for covering the first regular-season meet, we hope the show was impressive and leaves fans and the audience wanting more. The sport of gymnastics is about beauty and power, warriors and competitors, and I hope the trend of live television continues to grow."
Inside the Score Sheet
- Alabama outscored the Gators on both the uneven bars, 49.350-48.975, and balance beam, 49.150-49.100
- On the uneven bars, Luisa Blanco and Makarri Doggette both bettered their scores from the Tide's season opener at Oklahoma, while Shania Adams matched her score against the Sooners
- Lilly Hudson made her Crimson Tide debut with a 9.75 on the vault, while Shallon Olsen (9.85) and Kaylee Quinn (9.825) both made their 2022 season debuts on vault
- Doggette (9.875) and Lexi Graber (9.825) both bettered their vault score from a week ago
- On the floor exercise, Sania Mitchell (9.825) and Olsen (9.725) made their 2022 debuts, while Hudson scored a 9.850 on her first floor routine for the Tide
- Blanco (9.900) and Graber (9.925) both bettered their floor exercise scores from meet one to meet two
- Hudson (9.875) and Olsen (9.725) were the newcomers to the Tide's balance beam lineup from last week
- Blanco bettered her first-week effort on the beam with a 9.950
Up Next
- After opening 2022 with back-to-back road meets, Alabama hosts its first meet of the season in Coleman Coliseum on Friday, Jan. 21 against the Kentucky Wildcats
- During an SEC-only regular season in 2021 due to Covid-19, Kentucky was the only team Alabama met twice during the season, opening at home against the Wildcats before traveling to Lexington later in the season
- The in-conference rivalry will be broadcast live on the SEC Network
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Players Mentioned
