Alabama
UCLA
No. 8 Alabama Gymnastics Claims Season-Opening Victory at Mean Girls Super 16 Gymnastics Championships
1/6/2024 11:45:00 PM | Gymnastics
The Crimson Tide posted its third-highest season opening score (197.125) en route to the win over No. 5 UCLA, No. 7 Cal and No. 17 Auburn
LAS VEGAS – The No. 8 Alabama gymnastics program opened the 2024 season with a 197.125 win over No. 5 UCLA (196.550), No. 7 Cal (196.850) and No. 17 Auburn (196.600), Saturday night, at the Mean Girls Super 16 Gymnastics Championships. The Crimson Tide hit 23 of 24 routines in the meet en route to the program's third-highest score for a season opener.
Sophomore Gabby Gladieux claimed the event title on floor exercise behind a career-high score of 9.975, while super senior Luisa Blanco earned a share of the event title on uneven bars (9.950) before also posting a 39.550 in the all-around for second place. Senior Shania Adams was awarded her own share of an event title on balance beam behind a 9.900 performance, as Blanco and sophomore Karis German's 9.900 on vault had the duo finish tied for third.
Freshmen Chloe LaCoursiere and Jamison Sears, plus sophomore transfer Natalia Pawlak each made their Crimson Tide debut across vault and bars. LaCoursiere's and Sears' performances on uneven bars and vault, respectively, helped aid Alabama to its top-two event totals of the night. LaCoursiere's 9.9 on bars pushed UA to its highest event score of the night at 49.525, while Sears' 9.85 on vault helped earn the Tide's second highest event total, 49.275.
Head Coach Ashley Johnston Said
"I'm really proud of our team tonight. We were really focused on winning the moment. Whatever the challenge was going to be, whatever the setback was going to be, whatever the distraction might be, just learning how to respond, overcome it and win the moment to be able to create momentum and carry that throughout the competition. And I feel like our team did that tonight. There was a lot of high moments and also some areas that we need to tweak and improve, but that's to be expected at the first meet of the season. We'll take what we learned and continue to improve and work as we move through the coming weeks.
"We can't wait to be back in Coleman Coliseum [on Friday, Jan. 12, against Missouri]. We've been waiting since last March for this moment, and I think Luisa said it best when we huddled up at the end – that she's been waiting since last April when her [individual] national championship ended, to come together as a team and to really find a way to just win moments. I'm so proud of this team for finding ways to overcome challenges and end on a huge high tonight. We can't wait to be back in our home arena in front of our crowd and fans. We're here to play gymnastics. We're here to go big, and we're just so thankful for everybody's support."
Inside the Score Sheet
- At least one Crimson Tide gymnast finished in the top three of all four events, totaling rotation scores of 49.250 on floor exercise, 49.275 on vault, 49.525 on the uneven bars and 49.075 on balance beam
- Alabama began the meet on floor with all six gymnasts scoring a 9.800-or-higher, highlighted by a career-high 9.975 from Gabby Gladieux in the anchor spot
- The Tide totaled seven scores of 9.900 or higher on the night, with Gladieux on floor exercise (9.975), Shania Adams on balance beam (9.900), Luisa Blanco on bars (9.950) and vault (9.900), Cameron Machado (9.925) and Chloe LaCoursiere (9.900) on bars and Karis German on vault (9.900)
- Alabama's score of 197.125 is its second highest score for a season opener in program history (197.150 vs. Missouri on Jan. 10, 2014)
- The total is also the second highest score for a road opener in program history (197.600 vs. LSU on Jan. 23, 2004)
Up Next
- The Crimson Tide will return to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for its 2024 home opener against the Missouri Tigers on Friday, Jan. 12, at 6 p.m. CT for Big Al's Birthday
- The meet will be broadcast live on SEC Network
- The Crimson Tide will also be back at home the following week, competing against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Jan. 19 at 6:30 p.m. for Capes and Crowns Night
- That meet will also air live on SEC Network
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Players Mentioned
