Alabama
Missouri
No. 7 Alabama Gymnastics Hosts No. 9 Missouri Friday at 5 p.m. CT in Coleman Coliseum
2/24/2022 4:03:00 PM | Gymnastics
Friday marks the Crimson Tide’s fourth home meet of the season and eighth overall
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A week after posting its best road score of the season, the No. 7-ranked Alabama gymnastics team returns home to take on No. 9 Missouri in Coleman Coliseum Friday at 5 p.m. CT. The meet will air live on the SEC Network with John Roethlisberger and Alicia Sacramone Quinn calling the action.
It will be the Crimson Tide's Student Night, with giveaways for UA students including Alabama gymnastics hats and t-shirts as well as "Fried Friday" food selections.
Alabama Head Coach Dana Duckworth Said
"As we go into the second third of this season, we're looking for the continued discipline, mental toughness and unity that this team needs to carry us forward. I'm so impressed with the athleticism of our girls and how hard they're working in the gym every day as well as their attention to detail. We just need to stay the course. We've had great rotations on all four events this season and we need to go out there and hit all four events like we can on the same night."
Friday's Meet
- Alabama faces Missouri on Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. CT on the SEC Network, with John Roethlisberger and Alicia Sacramone Quinn calling the action
- The No. 7-ranked Alabama gymnastics team comes into tonight's meet following its highest road score of the season, a 197.600 in Baton Rouge against LSU
- It was also the Crimson Tide's third-highest score of the season following a season-high 197.875 in its Tri-Meet with North Carolina and Western Michigan and a 197.650 against Kentucky
- Friday's meet against Missouri also marks Alabama's eighth meet of the season, fourth home meet and sixth Southeastern Conference competition of the season
- Missouri comes into tonight ranked ninth nationally having scored a 197.350 at home in its last outing, which included Arkansas and LSU
- The Tigers posted a season-best 197.650 in an early February meet at home against Florida
- Friday will be Missouri's seventh meet, fourth road contest and sixth SEC clash
- Alabama and Missouri last met in Tuscaloosa during the 2021 postseason, when both teams competed in the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional Championships
- The Crimson Tide and Tigers were both in the afternoon session of the championships' second day, and both advanced to the regional final
- In the regional final, Alabama posted a 197.575 and advanced to the NCAA Championships Semifinals, while the Tigers scored a 196.550 to close out their season
- The two teams also met in the state of Alabama for the SEC Championships in Huntsville, where Alabama won its 10th conference championship and Missouri finished sixth
- During the regular season, Alabama edged Missouri, 195.775-195.750, in Columbia, Mo., in the closest finish in series history
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
- Missouri is led by Shannon Welker, in his ninth season with the Tigers, a stint that followed five years as an assistant coach at Michigan
Last Time Out
- Alabama posted its best road score of the season in a 198.050-197.600 loss at No. 5 LSU last Friday night
- The Crimson Tide closed the meet with another spectacular balance beam rotation, going 49.625, anchored by a 9.975 from Luisa Blanco
- It was the Tide's second-highest beam total of the season, and fourth highest in school history
- It also marked the first time this season that all six members of the Tide's lineup scored a 9.9-or-better on any event
- Alabama also posted its second-highest vault score of the season with a 49.450 led by Lexi Graber's career-best tying 9.975
- Shallon Olsen once again led off the Tide's vault lineup with a 9.900
- The Tide posted a 49.300 on the uneven bars behind Blanco's 9.900 and a 49.225 on the floor exercise paced by a 9.925 from Graber
- Individually, Graber won the vault (9.975) and the floor exercise (9.925)
- Alabama has now scored five-consecutive scores of 197+, including three that went for 197.600-or-better
- The Crimson Tide has also posted two beam scores this season that rank among the Tide's four best all-time, with both coming on the road, including a 49.650 at Auburn and a 49.625 at LSU
- In addition to a 9.975 from Luisa Blanco, Lilly Hudson and Mati Waligora both scored 9.925s on the balance beam, while Ella Burgess, Lexi Graber and Shallon Olsen all scored 9.9s
- Overall, Alabama posted 11 scores of 9.900-or-better, including two 9.975s
- Shallon Olsen has now led off Alabama's vault lineup the last four meets in a row, scoring a 9.900 each time
- Lilly Hudson posted a career-best 39.550 in the all-around and a career-best 9.875 on the vault
- Jordyn Paradise made her Crimson Tide debut on the uneven bars, scoring a 9.825
Up Next
- Alabama closes out its 2022 home schedule against Arkansas in Coleman Coliseum on Friday, March 4, at 7 p.m. CT
- The meet will stream live on SEC Network+
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Players Mentioned
