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Alabama Gymnastics Takes Second at SEC Championships Saturday Night with a 197.825
3/19/2022 10:14:00 PM | Gymnastics
The Crimson Tide posted its 31st top-two finish at the Southeastern Conference Championships with a total that included a school record on the uneven bars
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Alabama gymnastics team posted its 31st top-two Southeastern Conference Championship finish Saturday night at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., with a score of 197.825.
The Crimson Tide, ranked sixth nationally coming into the meet, finished just behind No. 2 Florida (198.200), and ahead of No. 6 Auburn (197.225), No. 11 Missouri (196.875), No. 5 LSU (196.725), No. 17 Arkansas (196.450), No. 9 Kentucky (196.350) and No. 22 Georgia (195.800).
With its second-place finish, Alabama remains the only school in SEC history to never finish outside the top four at the conference championship meet.
Starting out on the floor exercise, Alabama tallied a 49.425 behind a 9.925 from Lexi Graber and a 9.900 from Shallon Olsen. It was Graber's 10th 9.9-or-better on the floor in a row and her 25th 9.9-or-better in her last 26 floor routines. The Tide then rolled to vault, where 9.900s from Graber and Lilly Hudson pushed the Tide to a 49.350.
Alabama demonstrated fierce grace on in its third rotation, the uneven bars, tying its school record of 49.675. Makarri Doggette, Shania Adams and Luisa Blanco all scored 9.950s, while Cameron Machado posted a 9.925 and Lilly Hudson went 9.900.
The Tide closed on the balance beam, scoring a 49.375, with Ella Burgess and Graber both scoring 9.900s and Shallon Olsen posting a 9.875. It marked the fifth meet in a row that Burgess has led off the Tide's beam rotation with a 9.900.
Alabama Head Coach Dana Duckworth Said
"Looking back on our performance, there was so much fight out there tonight. I know you keep hearing that word from everybody, but we have really focused on the next second being more important. In warmups, we lost an athlete to an Achilles' injury. We had to rebound the very minute we started warmups. That was one of those things where you could see the resilience and tenacity of this group of women. There is so much to be proud of. That bar rotation was on fire. I feel on floor and vault we got through it, and then on bars and beam we went out and dominated. Those are great lessons to learn as we move forward. The love these gymnasts have for each other is where that deep desire and passion comes from. They continue to fight and so I'm proud of them."
Up Next
- Following the SEC Championships, Alabama will learn where it will travel for the NCAA Regional Championships on Tuesday, March 22 during the NCAA Selection Show
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