Alabama
Oklahoma
No. 6 Alabama Gymnastics Opens Season Sunday on the Road at No. 3 Oklahoma
1/8/2022 3:34:00 PM | Gymnastics
The defending Southeastern Conference champions open the 2022 seasoThe defending Southeastern Conference champions open the 2022 season with the Sooners in Norman, Okla.n with the Sooners in Norman, Okla.
NORMAN, Okla. – The No. 6-ranked Alabama gymnastics team opens the 2022 season Sunday in Norman, Okla., against the No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Originally slated for a 12 p.m. start, the meet was moved to 2 p.m. CT and will air live on ESPN, with Bart Conner, Kathy Johnson Clarke and Sam Peszek calling the action. The meet will also be streamed on ESPN+ and the WatchESPN app.
Two of the sport's powerhouse programs, Alabama and Oklahoma have won 10 NCAA teams titles between them, including six since 2011. The Crimson Tide comes into the 2022 season as the defending Southeastern Conference champion, while Oklahoma was second at the 2021 Big12 Championships.
Alabama returns 13 gymnasts from last year's squad that finished fifth at the NCAA Championships while the Sooners welcome back 14 from last year's NCAA runner-up finish.
Head Coach Dana Duckworth Said
"Our coaching philosophy has always been about going into the season being as prepared as possible, with as many student-athletes as possible ready to compete at the highest level. Our preparation this fall has been focused on being ready to hit under the bright lights when your best is required. This team goes into the season with a lot of experience, and they know how high our expectations are when it comes to what kind of team that they can be. It's been nice to see them really execute that in the gym during practices and our preparation."
Sunday's Meet
- The No. 6 Alabama gymnastics team opens its 48th season on Sunday, Jan. 9 at No. 3 Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.
- Both Alabama, with six, and Oklahoma, with four, have won NCAA team titles
- The Crimson Tide's NCAA Championships came in 1988, 1991, 1996, 2002, 2011 and 2012, while the Sooners won titles in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019
- Alabama is led by Dana Duckworth, now in her eighth season as UA's head coach and 27th as a member of the Crimson Tide gymnastics program, while KJ Kindler is in her 16th season as head coach at Oklahoma
- Sunday marks the 12th time in the past 14 years that Alabama and Oklahoma have met during the regular season and the fifth time in Norman, Okla.
- Since 2009, Alabama and Oklahoma have met during the regular season every year except 2021 (due to a COVID-19 mandated all-SEC schedule) and 2011, though the two teams met twice during the 2021 postseason, once in the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional and once in the NCAA Championships Semifinal II
- Alabama last faced Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., on March 15, 2019, falling to the eventual national champions 198.175-197.250
Season Openers
- The Crimson Tide is 64-12-1 in season openers since 1979, a tally that takes several multi-team meets into account, including an eight-year run (2000-07) of starting things off with the Super 6 Challenge, as well as a quad meet to open the 2019 season
- The Tide opened the 2021 season at home with a win against Kentucky
- Alabama last opened its season on the road in 2020 at Auburn, with the last time the Tide opened on the road against a non-SEC opponent coming in 2018 at Michigan
Up Next
- Alabama remains on the road for week two of the season with another Sunday meet, taking on the No. 2 Florida Gators in Gainesville, Fla., Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. CT
- The UA-UF meet will be the first regular-season collegiate gymnastics meet to be broadcast on ABC
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