Alabama
North Carolina
Tide Rolls in Season Opener, Defeats North Carolina 197.025-195.225
1/10/2025 11:23:00 PM | Gymnastics
The Crimson Tide’s 197.025 score is the fifth highest season-opening score, when competing at home, in program history
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Despite the winter weather that rolled through the state, close to 9,000 fans saw the Alabama gymnastics program open its 2025 season with a 197.025-195.225 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels Friday night in Coleman Coliseum.
Alabama claimed all five event titles, highlighted by three from junior Gabby Gladieux. (vault, floor exercise, all-around). Freshman Paityn Walker claimed the highest score on the uneven bars, while senior Lilly Hudson earned a share of the title on the balance beam.
Alabama Head Coach Ashley Johnston Said
"I am so pleased with how tonight went. Going into it, our mindset was to start strong and to handle the noise, meaning there were going to be a lot of distractions, nerves, doubts – things that everybody goes through their first time competing during a season. I thought our team handled that tremendously well, from having to pause the meet at one point and having 50-70 percent of each lineup be a brand-new routine [from the 2024 season]. There were a lot of reasons that this team could have been phased but they were not. They continued to focus on the things that they could control, continued to invest in each other and what makes them great on a day-to-day basis, and we were able to just stay in control the whole night. I think that's the name of the game – not to try harder, not to try less, just to stay in the driver's seat of every single step they take throughout a competition. Overall, I think that was a really great start for us. Of course, we have things we're already going to be thinking about tweaking, building and adjusting. I really couldn't have asked for anything more than to start the season with a young team that delivered a strong, scary statement to the gymnastics world."
Team Stats
- Alabama's 197.025 is the fifth highest season-opening score when competing at home
- The Tide claimed every event title
- Vault – Gabby Gladieux – 9.925
- Uneven Bars – Paityn Walker – 9.900
- Balance Beam (tied) – Lilly Hudson – 9.900
- Floor Exercise – Gladieux – 9.950
- All-Around – Gladieux – 39.575
- Five different gymnasts scored a 9.900 or higher to begin their 2025 campaign, highlighted by Walker's 9.900 on the uneven bars
- UA veteran duo Gladieux (39.575) and Hudson (39.550) competed in the all-around, finishing first and second, respectively
- Three freshmen in Ryan Fuller, Kylee Kvamme and Walker, and sophomore Gabby Ladanyi, all made their collegiate debuts
How it Happened
Vault
- Alabama posted a team rotation score of 49.075 in its opening event of the season
- Freshman Kylee Kvamme made her collegiate debut with a 9.775
- Junior Gabby Gladieux highlighted the first rotation, posting a 9.925 as anchor
Uneven Bars
- The Crimson Tide scored a 49.300 in its second rotation of the night
- Freshmen Ryan Fuller (9.850) and Paityn Walker performed their first collegiate routines
- Walker highlighted the event, posting a 9.900 as anchor
Balance Beam
- Alabama recorded a 49.225 in the third rotation
- Sophomore Gabby Ladanyi made her collegiate debut, scoring a 9.825 on the apparatus
- Senior Lilly Hudson highlighted the event with a 9.900 score in the No. 3 spot
Floor Exercise
- The Tide closed its night with a 49.425 in the final rotation of the night
- Back-to-back freshmen (Walker, Fuller) opened the event for Alabama, posting consecutive scores of 9.750
- Junior Rachel Rybicki's career-debut of a 9.900 score on the apparatus spearheaded a run of four-straight routines of 9.900 or higher (Rybicki, Shania Adams, Hudson, Gladieux)
Players Mentioned
