No. 6 Alabama Returns Home for Top-10 Showdown with No. 3 Kentucky

Friday, February 2

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

7:30 p.m. CT

Alabama

Kentucky

Buy Tickets

No. 6 Alabama Returns Home for Top-10 Showdown with No. 3 Kentucky

2/1/2024 12:24:00 PM | Gymnastics

Purchase Tickets Watch Live Meet Notes

The No. 6 Crimson Tide welcomes the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats to Coleman Coliseum for UA’s third top-10 showdown this season at home

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 6 Alabama gymnastics team will host the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats Friday night in Coleman Coliseum. The fourth-consecutive top-10 showdown, and third at home, for the Crimson Tide will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be aired live on SEC Network.

Friday night's meet will be the fifth contest for Alabama as the Crimson Tide is coming off a hard-fought 197.575-197.425 victory over the then-No. 8 Florida Gators. The win marked the first time since 2019 that Florida lost at home, a streak that lasted for 20 straight home meets and featured 27 wins.

Promotion – Be the Change

This meet provides the Alabama gymnastics team an opportunity to share what it has done in the local Tuscaloosa community and how the student-athletes are using their platform to share their voice and passion
Balloon animal makers and face painters will be set up around the concourse from 6-7 p.m.
Performance from Leeds Jump Rope Team
Giveaway items: Be the Change buttons / Free Whataburger honey butter chicken biscuits for the first students in attendance

Head Coach Ashley Johnston Said

"Kentucky is a very talented team that has continued to get better meet after meet. They're coming off one of the biggest scores of the week, so we are not taking it lightly. We've been in the gym working hard and preparing for the opportunity in front of us in what should be an exciting matchup for our fans. We're looking forward to Friday night, and we hope to see everyone in a packed-out Coleman Coliseum. Our fans are the difference makers and we're excited to be back in front of them this week."

Friday's Meet

Alabama is led by Ashley Johnston, in her second season as UA's head coach, while Tim Garrison is in his 13th year as the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats
The two teams last competed against each other inside Coleman Coliseum on January 21, 2022, with Alabama taking home a 197.650 - 196.275 win
The Crimson Tide enters the competition unbeaten through four meets, most recently knocking off then-No. 8 Florida via a 197.575-197.425 score, while Kentucky is recently coming off a 197.950-195.650 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs

Last Time Out

Alabama bettered its team score for the fourth straight meet, with all meets coming against top-eight nationally-ranked opponents
Lilly Hudson scored her second-career Perfect 10 and the Tide's first perfect score of the season, leading UA to a season-high 49.400 rotation score on vault against Florida
The Tide claimed at least a share of every event title – vault (Hudson – 10.000), uneven bars (Luisa Blanco, Makarri Doggette – 9.925), balance beam (Luisa Blanco – 9.950), floor exercise (Hudson – 9.925) and all-around (Luisa Blanco – 39.700)
For the second time this season, Blanco was named the Southeastern Conference's Gymnast of the Week after posting the highest all-around score (39.700) of the week within the conference

The Tide in the Rankings

Alabama ranks second nationally on the uneven bars, with an average score of 49.513, while simultaneously posting top-six rankings on all four events within the SEC (No. 1 – UB; No. 3 – BB; No. 5 – VT; No. 6 – FX)
Individually, Blanco leads the nation on the uneven bars, while also holding top-seven rankings in the all-around (No. 4), vault (No. 6) and balance beam (No. 7)