Alabama and Georgia are coming off a much-needed bye week. These two teams should come out rested and healthier than two weeks ago. This is an important meet for Alabama and Georgia as the final spot in the SEC evening championship is likely to come down to these two programs.
Alabama will have Lexi Graber back into the lineups after she missed the last meet due to a car accident. Luisa Blanco has been a significant contributor for The Crimson Tide in her sophomore year as she competed in her first all around competition before the bye.
Georgia experienced a series of injuries early-on, but appears to be getting healthier as the season goes-on. Victoria Nguyen, Marissa Oakley and Mikayla Magee competed in limited events against Arkansas. However, if health provides they should be expanding their repertoire tonight.
Someone to keep an eye on is Nhyla Bryant. Bryant is coming back from preseason shoulder surgery but head coach Courtney Kupets-Carter said we would likely see her make an appearance toward the middle-to-end of season.
Alabama is wearing the “Rockette” leo tonight.
Today’s kickin style!#BamaLeos #BamaStrong #RollTide pic.twitter.com/IgRIYiKOUs
— Alabama Gymnastics (@BamaGymnastics) February 12, 2021
Oh, and it is Lexi Graber’s birthday today!
Rotation 1: Georgia VT, Alabama UB
De Jong (Georgia): FTY, nicely done in the air, small movement on landing. Career High 9.85
Waligora (Alabama): Short on first handstand, Blind change to Jaeger to overshoot, good, final handstand is short as well, FTDLO, hop forward. 9.825
Looks like they debated her SV again, but she got the 10.0 credit.
Baumann (Georgia): FTY, small leg separation approaching the table, she gets a ton of power and takes a hop back. 9.8
Givens (Alabama): attacks her first handstand nicely, blind change to straddled Jaeger, good, Pak Salto, DLO, really squatty but fights for the landing. Will get a large deduction, but always nice to see an athlete fight for every tenth. 9.775
Cashman (Georgia): FTY, lacks amplitude and pikes it down. Sticks the landing. Career High 9.85
Machado (Alabama): nice low bar handstand, Maloney, leg sep, to Pak Salto, Toe-on Van Leeuwen, nicely done, Toe blind, short of handstand, to double back, sticks. 9.85
Lukacs (Georgia): Just does the full tonight, nice distance, has a slight leg separation in the air. 9.875, season high
Blanco (Alabama): Maloney to Pak Salto, beautiful, solid handstand, FTDB, small hop back. Career High 9.9
Ward (Georgia): Tsuk Full, large hop back. 9.825
Adams (Alabama): Perfect low bar handstand, Maloney to Pak Salto, shoot, short on handstand, Van Leeuwen, Toe Full, stunning, to double back, slight movement. Career High 9.9
Roberts (Georgia): Y 1.5, some soft knees, takes a hop to the side. 9.85
Doggette (Alabama): Tkatchev, nice amplitude, to Pak Salto, hitting all her handstands, DLO, shuffled back and quick salute. 9.9
I never realized how many of Alabama’s routines have all transition releases rather than single bar releases. Nevertheless, a solid rotation for The Crimson Tide with multiple career high routines. Georgia had a good vault rotation with career high’s from Sophomore’s De Jong and Cashman. The Gymdogs just weren’t quite able to get into the 9.900’s in that rotation.
AFTER ONE : Alabama 49.375, Georgia 49.250
Rotation 2: Alabama VT, Georgia UB
Olsen (Alabama): DTY, interesting that she’s the lead-off tonight, under rotated and lands with her chest a low. Has some messy form in the air as well, 9.75
Cashman (Georgia): Tkatchev, Toe shootover, good final handstand, DLO, slight form, stuck. 9.725
Waligora (Alabama): Y1.5, large step forward, nice distance on the vault. 9.85
Schild (Georgia): Mounts high bar, good first handstand, Ray, toe handstand to bail handstand, short, solid final handstand, DLO, small step back. She has nice form on that DLO, just lacks some height and distance from the bar. Nice to see her competing and healthy this season. Season High 9.825
Adams (Alabama): Y1.5, under rotated and sits it down for the second competition in a row. 9.275
Roberts (Georgia): Toe full, shaposh, bail handstand, short on final handstand, DLO, stuck.9.825
Blanco (Alabama): Y1.5, she made that look easy. Good form and nice landing. Just a small hop. 9.875
De Jong (Georgia): Ray, nice amplitude, short on handstand, bail handstand, tad short on final handstand, DLO, fights for the stuck landing. 9.925
Graber (Alabama): Y1.5, a little bit too much power today and just takes a large step forward. 9.9.. Okay.. very confused because that was a huge step and it somehow scored higher than Blanco’s ?
Nguyen (Georgia): Pak Salto, stunning Maloney, Gienger between the bars, really nice form, DLO, stuck. Beautiful routine. 9.875
Quinn (Alabama): Just does the Full, Squatty landing and takes a step back. 9.775
Oakley (Georgia): Eagle grip to piked jaeger, good, pak salto, nicely done, FTDB, Stuck. I’ll call it that it’s one of her career best. She’s been nursing a shoulder injury which is why she has not been in the bar lineup in recent weeks. 9.925
Well, that was a fast rotation and Georgia had a season best on bars in the past two years. With two 9.925 scores and struggles on vault from Alabama, Georgia now has the lead. Alabama intended to throw six 10.0 SV, but played it safe with Quinn after Adams fell on her Y1.5.
AFTER TWO : Georgia 98.625, Alabama 98.525
Rotation 3: Georgia BB, Alabama FX
Magee (Georgia): Missed her leaps, Bhs bhs loso, good, full turn, small wobble, RO 1.5, small step forward. 9.85
Doggette is scheduled to make her floor debut this season!
Gaskins (Alabama): Double Pike, large step back, Y turn to wolf full, beautiful, Switch ring to switch half, nice positions on her leaps, front through to double back, good, solid, I love the fact she has stunning Pique turns in this routine. 9.85, Season High
Finnegan (Georgia): Bhs loso, good, side aerial to wolf jump, solid, short of a full split on her jumps, full turn, good, RO 1.5 small hop forward. If we want to be super picky she could use a tad more amplitude on her acro skills, but her toe point and presentation is gorgeous. 9.775
Klopfer (Alabama): Double Back, solid, Tour jete half straddle full, RO 1.5. to front lay, good, double pike, large step back. 9.8
Hawthorne (Georgia): Bhs loso, falls off, split leap to switch jump, slightly underrotated. front toss, wobbles but makes connection to sissone, front toss to split jump, RO 1.5, small hop.
Doggette (Alabama): Looking forward to her season debut here, sky high double tuck, Front full to a front lay, solid, bad camera on her leaps, but they definitely did not hit full split, double tuck, under rotated.. She may have touched one knee on the floor.. but not clear. 9.65
De Jong (Georgia): Front aeriel to beat jump, Bhs Loso, balance check, side aerial full, small hop. Haven’t seen a stuck beam landing yet from Georgia. 9.875
Adams (Alabama): Double Pike, nice amplitude, Switch half to tuck 1.5, nicely done, RO 1.5 to front lay, gorgeous, double back and sits it down OOB. 9.025
Baumann (Georgia): Side aerial loso, beautiful, full turn, good, nice fouetté, Beat Jump, switch side, nice leap position, RO 1.5, didn’t quite hold the stick. 9.925
Graber (Alabama): One of my favorite pieces of floor choreography this season, Full-in, nice height, switch side wolf 1.5, front tuck through to double pike, great routine for Lexi and Alabama. 9.925
Oakley (Georgia): Mounts with a front roll, Wolf Turn to straddle split, Gainer bhs bhs loso, gorgeous form and toe point, gainer full, stuck. 9.925
Blanco (Alabama): Double Pike, solid, ring leap to switch half to straddle full, nicely done, Double back, good, her hand positions are gorgeous. Front full to front lay, solid routine. Career High 9.9
Georgia handled the pressure of a fall early-on, with season best routines from Baumann and Oakley. Alabama had some final pass issues on floor which will allow Georgia to extend its lead heading into the final rotation
AFTER THREE : Georgia 147.975, Alabama 147.650
Rotation 4: Alabama BB, Georgia FX
Georgia has over three tenths of a lead after a season high event total on vault, bars and beam. Georgia heads to floor where we should see some E level tumbling from athletes like Baumann and Lukacs. Alabama has an opportunity to be great on beam if they can handle the pressure. Blanco has been on the cusp of perfection throughout her career.
Klopfer (Alabama): Arguably one of the best best beam lead-offs in the country currently, Wolf turn and she grabbed the beam on it, Front aerial bhs, nice, beat jump to straddle half, solid, cat leap side aerial, good, RO 1.5, takes a few steps back. 9.65
Perez-Lugones (Georgia): She is a joy to watch on floor. Double Pike, good, RO half to front lay, slightly piked down on front lay, switch side, straddle full to wolf full, good, double tuck, good amplitude and a great landing. Career High 9.875
“That routine has so much swagger, I love it,” – Alicia Sacramone Quinn.
Gaskins (Alabama): Side aerial, large wobble, full turn, Split half, does not get the full split, Bhs Loso, switch leap, switch jump, straddle jump, wobble, Gainer full, stuck. 9.775
Austin (Georgia): Double Pike, nicely done, switch side tour jete half, good positions and height, fhs front full, front lay, large step, double tuck, not huge amplitude, but lands with a large step back. 9.775
Adams (Alabama): Front aerial, Bhs Loso, good. double wolf turn, nicely done, switch leap to beat jump, nice, back 1.5 twist, step forward. 9.875
Roberts (Georgia): Piked Full-in, good, front lay to front full, nicely done, double pike, small bounce up. Glad to see her in the lineup. 9.85, Season High
Graber (Alabama): Bhs layout, solid, Straddle 3/4, large balance check but dances out of the wobble, front toss to arabesque, Gainer full, stuck. 9.9
Baumann (Georgia): She is not doing full difficulty tonight. Wolf triple, 1.5 to front full, solid, double pike, great, switch leap to switch side, her leaps are stunning. 9.9
Doggette (Alabama): Full turn, good, Bhs loso, soft knees but solid landing, nice leap sequence, side aerial back full, small hop forward. 9.85
Hawthorne (Georgia): Double Pike, great amplitude, front lay to Rudi to split jump, her performance quality improves every meet with this routine, leap pass, short of 180 degrees, Double Tuck, fantastic. I think she just sealed the win for Georgia. 9.9, season high. That’ll win the meet for Georgia
Blanco (Alabama): full turn, bhs loso, loso, small check, beautiful scale, great leap sequence, double full, stuck. 9.95
Kendal Moss has appeared again on the ESPN graphics for Soraya Hawthorne?
Lukacs (Georgia): DLO, large leg separation,RO 1.5. to front half to Shushunova, not sure how she pulled that off, Double Pike, short and takes a hop forward. Just slightly under rotated on all three passes. 9.775
Georgia came out of the bye with season best performances on vault, bars, and beam leading to a season high score. The Gymdogs performed at a top level and still showcased lots of room for improvement. Mikayla Magee and Victoria Nguyen were held to one event as they continue to recover from respective injuries. Alabama was still able to attain a 197.000 tonight, but struggled on vault and floor. The Crimson Tide went for the risk with five 10.0 start values, and it did not quite pan out how they would like.
Final: Georgia 197.275, Alabama 197.000
AA Winner: Luisa Blanco, 39.625
VT Winner: Lexi Graber, 9.900
UB Winner: Haley De Jong 9.925
BB Winner: Luisa Blanco 9.950
FX Winner: Lexi Graber, 9.925
Article by Katie Walsh
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