Alabama Gymnastics Takes on Georgia in 18th Annual Power of Pink Meet Friday Night

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama gymnastics hosts the Georgia Bulldogs in the Crimson Tide's 18th annual Power of Pink meet Friday in Coleman Coliseum. The meet gets underway at 6:30 p.m. CT, and will air live on the SEC Network with Samantha Peszek and Alex Perlman.

Alabama legend Sarah Patterson started the Power of Pink initiative during her tenure as head coach to raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer. The simple idea of "Think Pink, Wear Pink and Roll Tide" was an instant success and spread nationwide with nearly every collegiate gymnastics team either hosting or taking part in a "pink" meet in the years since Alabama held its first in 2005.

Friday's meet also serves as a renewal of what ESPN called one of the best rivalries in collegiate athletics, Alabama vs. Georgia. The two programs have collected 16 NCAA team championships in between them, including six for the Tide (1988, 1991, 1996, 2003, 2011, 2012) and the Georgia winning 10, with the last coming in 2009.

Head Coach Dana Duckworth Said

"Progress, precision, moving forward is what we really saw last Friday night. We translated so much of what we have been practicing this fall into competition. We've used every competition to be smarter, pay more attention to detail, and to make those improvements to get better. That's the biggest thing - progress. We aren't done yet. As we head into Friday night, we need to maintain our focus, discipline while attention to detail while we continue to look for the next place we can find .05 where each individual athlete can improve. We are also excited that this is our Power of Pink meet and that we have the opportunity to compete for something bigger than ourselves."

Friday's Meet

No. 8 Alabama comes into Friday's competition following a win in its tri-meet with North Carolina and Western Michigan in Tuscaloosa last Friday
The Crimson Tide used a season-best 197.875 to earn the victory
No. 30 Georgia comes into its showdown with Alabama after scoring a season-best 196.125 to take second to Kentucky in a quad meet that also included Illinois and Central Michigan
Friday's competition is one of two regular-season meetings for the two teams this season, with the Tide and Bulldogs meeting again on Sunday, March 4 in Huntsville, Ala., as part of an Elevate the Stage contest that will also include Arkansas and Auburn
Alabama and Georgia are two of the most extraordinary programs in the history of NCAA gymnastics and were dubbed one of the best rivalries in college athletics by ESPN
The two programs account for 16 NCAA team titles, with the Crimson Tide winning six (1988, 1991, 1996, 2002, 2011 and 2012) and the Bulldogs taking 10 between 1987 and 2009
Alabama and Georgia have also accounted for 26 Southeastern Conference titles, with the Crimson Tide winning its 10th in 2021 and the Bulldogs winning their 16th in 2008
The two teams last met in Coleman Coliseum on March 7, 2020, with the Crimson Tide coming out on top 197.450-196.050
Alabama is 15-2 against Georgia under head coach Dana Duckworth, including a 7-1 mark in regular-season meetings
Since 2010, the Crimson Tide is 27-3 against the Bulldogs in all meetings and 6-0 in Tuscaloosa

The Coaches

Dana Duckworth is in the midst of her eighth season as Alabama's head coach and 27th year with the program overall, a total that also includes four years as a gymnast, nine as a volunteer coach and six as an assistant coach
Georgia is led by Courtney Kupets-Carter, who is in her fifth season as the Bulldogs' head coach.
Both Duckworth and Kupets-Carter were NCAA champion gymnasts, winning individual and team titles during their careers, and both returned to coach at their respective alma maters

The Power of Pink

Started by former Alabama gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson during the 2005 season, UA's Power of Pink breast cancer awareness initiative is in its 18th year
Prior to the meet, Alabama will introduce a group of breast cancer survivors on the floor of Coleman Coliseum, a tradition that started 13 years ago
Another aspect of the Tide's breast cancer awareness initiative celebrating its 13th anniversary is the tradition of coloring the town pink
What started with University of Alabama art professor Craig Wedderspoon and a group from the University lighting the front of Coleman Coliseum pink prior to the 2010 Power of Pink has grown year-by-year
Wedderspoon and his cohorts, along with Alabama's Facilities & Grounds Operations crew, have once again lit the Coliseum pink, along with several campus and Tuscaloosa landmarks

Last Time Out

Alabama posted a huge 197.875 in last Friday's tri-meet with North Carolina and Western Michigan, matching last year's SEC Championship winning total as the highest under head coach Dana Duckworth
It was also Alabama's best regular-season score since scoring a 197.925 against Auburn on March 14, 2014
The Crimson Tide swept the all-around and every event title, with Luisa Blanco pacing the field on the balance beam (9.950) and in the all-around (39.675) and tying Makarri Doggette (9.950) for the title on the uneven bars
Shania Adams won the vault (9.950), while Doggette, Lexi Graber and Lilly Hudson tied for the title on floor exercise with matching 9.900s.
As a team, Alabama got off to a strong start with a season-best 49.500 on the vault and followed that with scores of 49.475 on the uneven bars and balance beam and a 49.425 on the floor exercise.
The Tide has now scored 49.500-or-better on all four apparatus this season

Up Next

Alabama travels to Baton Rouge for its next meet, facing LSU Friday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. CT, airing on ESPNU
After facing the LSU Tigers on the road, Alabama returns home to face the Missouri Tigers in Coleman Coliseum on Friday, Feb. 25th, at 5 PM CT

For all the latest information on Alabama gymnastics, follow BamaGymnastics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.