Azaraya Ra-Akbar Named SEC Freshman of the Week
2/17/2026 12:00:00 PM | Gymnastics
Her performance against No. 8 Arkansas marked the second straight meet Ra-Akbar recorded three scores of 9.900 or higher in a single competition
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Alabama gymnast Azaraya Ra-Akbar was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.
The Baltimore, Md., native raised her career-high vault score to a 9.975 while also adding a 9.950 on uneven bars and a 9.900 on floor to help propel the Crimson Tide to a season-high 197.950 team total in its victory over No. 8 Arkansas. The freshman captured event titles on vault and bars, bringing her season total to seven. During Week 6 SEC competition, Ra-Akbar recorded the highest freshman vault score and tied for the top rookie bars score. It marked the third time this season - and second consecutive meet - that Ra-Akbar posted three scores of 9.900 or higher in a single competition, all coming against top-eight nationally ranked SEC opponents.
Azaraya Ra-Akbar - SEC Freshman of the Week
- Second career SEC weekly honor
- Jan. 20 - Gymnast of the Week
- Feb. 17 - Freshman of the Week
- Ranks No. 2 in the Central Region on both vault and uneven bars
- Her 9.950 on bars against Arkansas marked her third score of 9.950 or better on the apparatus
- Earned two event titles against Arkansas - vault (9.975) and uneven bars (9.950)
- Raised her career-high vault score to 9.975 one week after first setting it at 9.950 against Oklahoma
- First UA gymnast to earn multiple SEC weekly honors in a season since program legend and Paris Olympian Luisa Blanco in 2024
Players Mentioned
