Dating back to the Sarah Patterson and Suzanne Youclan eras, the Alabama vs Georgia rivalry is one of the most storied in the history of gymnastics. While neither team may be the perennial title threat of yore, there’s plenty of evidence that this matchup will be one to keep an eye out for.
The Alabama Crimson Tide has come out of a slow start to the season and quickly get on track to look like the Alabama we know and love. Last week, the Crimson Tide led the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners going into the final rotation of the Metroplex Challenge. Although the Tide did not come away with the win, the season-high score of 198.000 proved that Alabama has come to play with the best of them. Perhaps Alabama’s most impressive rotation last week was vault, with Jordyn Paradise, Luisa Blanco, and Makarri Doggette all taking home a slice of the title.
Georgia also competed in the Metroplex Challenge last week, albeit in a different session than Alabama, pushing through a wobbly beam rotation to reach just over the 196 mark. Haley De Jong was the standout for the Gymdogs, scoring a career-high 9.95 on floor along with two more 9.9+ scores on bars and beam. After three weeks on the road, Georgia will be looking to settle down in the Stegman Colluseium and show that the 197.225 it scored earlier this season wasn’t a fluke.
A fun fact before we get started: Although this is Ashley Priess-Johnston’s first year as head coach of Alabama, this isn’t her first matchup with Courtney Kupet-Carter’s Gymdogs. The two head coaches competed against each other in the 2009 iteration of this rivalry meet, with Georgia coming out on top, led by Kupets-Carter’s 39.825 all-around score.
Rotation 1: Georgia Vault, Alabama Bars
De Jong (UGA) VT: Starting off with a Yurchenko full, a bit crooked on the board, small hop in place on the landing. Looks like she’ll be in the all-around this week after being held on vault last week. 9.8
Hudson (UA) UB: Toe on to Maloney to Bail, a bit loose in body position in the bail. Blind full to double tuck, a bit of a college stick but through nicely. 9.825
Finnegan (UGA) VT: Another Yurchenko full to follow up, great form in the air, a tiny bit of pike down. Small hop back. 9.85
German (UA) UB: Starting off on the high bar. Ricna is very nice. Great Pak, a tiny bit of leg separation. Toe on to double layout, very loose in the air, just not amazing form on that dismount after a really solid routine. 9.775
Angeny (UGA) VT: Yurchenko full, flares out nicely, great amplitude. Larger hop on the landing than the prior two vaults. 9.825
Waligora (UA) UB: Good first handstand. Blind to Jeager to overshoot, caught right on her fingers. Full twisting double layout is piked down quite a bit, small hop in place. Looking back at the overshoot we can see a bit of leg separation. 9.85
Cashman (UGA) VT: Yurchenko full, similar landing to her peers, small hop back. General piking throughout. 9.825
Machado (UA) UB: Starts off on the low bar, Maloney to Pak, leg separation on both. Toe on to Van Leeuwen, some leg form throughout. Toe full is late, double tuck is nicely done. 9.85
Howard (UGA) VT: The biggest Yurchenko full of the bunch, amazing height. Once again a small hop on the landing. Courtney looks excited. 9.85
Doggette (UA) UB: Tkachev to Pak to start off, nice form throughout. Perhaps a tad shy on her cast half. Great form in her double layout, essentially stuck. A few little things but very nice work. 9.9
Hawthorne (UGA) VT: Going for the 1.5, huge amount of power, large bound forward out of it. Not her best work, but it’s good that she’s gotten that vault back. 9.75
Blanco (UA) UB: Pak to start off, very nice. Toe on to Val Leeuwen, also very nice. FTDT is stuck with a bit of low chest. 9.95
AFTER ONE: Alabama 49.375, Georgia 49.150
We’re off to a great start! Georgia not necessarily putting up a miles better vault rotation than normal, but home scoring is always a plus. Hawthorne having her 1.5 back could be a good boost for a lineup that’s been looking a little lacking difficulty-wise. Alabama did a pretty good job on the bars, but there were a few things here and there in the beginning of the lineup that kept this one from being a huge score.
Rotation 2: Georgia Uneven Bars, Alabama Vault
Doggette (UA) VT: Starting off with a Yurchenko 1.5, bit of a jarring landing, hops backward and to the side, a tad bit underrotated. 9.775
Cashman (UGA) UB: Low on her Tkachev. Toe on to bail, a bit of leg separation. Double layout, fights for the stick, gets it but at the cost of low chest. 9.725
Hudson (UA) VT: Another 1.5 for Bama, great form in the air, small scoot backwards but much better than the leadoff already. 9.9
Angeny (UGA) UB: Starting off on the high bar, blind to Jeager to overshoot, very nicely done. Nice final handstand, very authoritative. Gets the stick on the double layout. 9.85
Olsen (UA) VT: Double twisting Yurchenko, basically stuck but also fully tucked in the air. It’s hard but at what cost? 9.95 lol
Howard (UGA) UB: Church to overshoot, huge height on both skills. Giant full to double tuck is stuck, Georgia finally getting those vital stuck landings. Very short but sweet routine. 9.9
Paradise (UA) VT: Yet another Yurchenko 1.5, larger hop compared to her peers. We saw about half of that vault but it looks okay I guess. 9.75
Scott (UGA) UB: Maloney to Pak, keeps her legs together nicely. Bit low on her cast half. Yet another stick on her double layout, John is befuddled. 9.825
Blanco (UA) VT: So close to stuck on her Y1.5, tiniest bit underrotated and has to take a hop back. Bit squatty on landing. 9.9
Finnegan (UGA) UB: Starting off on the high bar, HUGE Ray. Toe on to Pak, pretty major leg separation. Nice handstand on her cast half. Very quick to salute on her FTDT, step back. 9.9
Gladieux (UA) VT: Only doing a Yurchenko full here per the commentators, amazing distance and height. Did have to take a small hop backwards but really impressive. 9.825
De Jong (UGA) UB: Arch on her first handstand. Maloney to Bail with a large break. Comes back with a stuck double layout. You can tell she’s REALLY going for perfection, and it’s not really paying off yet. That being said I’m happy to see her going for it. 9.8
AFTER TWO: Alabama 96.725, Georgia 96.425
Georgia is once again taking advantage of the home team scoring by delivering clean routines without big mistakes. This was by no means the best Georgia has done on bars, but it was enough for the Gymdogs to stay right within reach of Alabama. Speaking of, the Crimson Tide did a mostly amazing job on vault, but once again, one low counting score kept this lineup from being truly amazing.
Rotation 3: Georgia Balance Beam, Alabama Floor
Howard (UGA) BB: Full turn to start off. Back handspring to loso, very solid landing. Cat leap to switch half, a bit tentative. Solid side aerial. Back handspring to gainer full, stuck! Very solid work in the leadoff position. 9.825
Waligora (UA) FX: Starts off with a front layout to front 2/1, a bit out of control on the landing. Split full to wolf full, slightly short on the former. Finishes up with a back 3/2 to front layout, better control there than her first pass. 9.9
Scott (UGA) BB: Back in the lineup after being taken out last week. Front handspring to bhs to loso, very solid work, no wobbles there. Split leap to switch to Korbut, once again very smooth connection. Full turn, hits it this week. Front handspring to front 1/1, small hop forwards. Glad to have her back in the lineup. 9.8
Olsen (UA) FX: Finally getting back into this lineup after injuries. First pass is a piked full in, chest well down on landing but keeps the front foot planted. Switch through to Gogean, mostly around. Front tuck through to double tuck, didn’t look like she was gonna get it but sticks! 9.875
Alright my stream has gone down for the time being, I’ll keep you updated with scores in the meantime.
Moran (UGA) BB: 9.5
Adams (UA) FX: Coming back in for the middle of this routine, my stream is still very slow so work with me here. Alright missed the whole thing I guess. 9.85
Angeny (UGA) BB: I’m back! Back handspring to loso to loso, jk my stream died again. She looks happy for what it’s worth. From what I can hear big routine to get back on track. 9.925
Gladieux (UA) FX: Full in, great control on the landing. Split full to Popa, great air on those leaps. Very fun if not slightly annoying music. Front layout to Rudi to split, once again a whole lot of height. Great work all around, especially impressed by her power. 9.9
Deniz (UGA) BB: Full turn, tiny adjustment. Side aerial to back handspring, nicely done. Front aerial to beat, someone yelling “You can do it” very loudly in the background. Switch to split, nice positions in the air on both of those leaps. Gainer tuck full, stuck! Another step towards dropping the 9.5 from Moran. 9.925
Hudson (UA) FX: Starting off with a front layout to front 2/1, great twisting form on that. Switch half to wolf full. Two pique turns. Back 5/2, perhaps a tiny bit short, steps backward out of it. Finishes up with a double tuck, steps forward out of it. 9.8
De Jong (UGA) BB: Big opportunity here for a big rotation score. Full turn. Switch leap to straddle 1/4, keeps her chest up. Front aerial to beat jump, no wobbles there. Back handspring to loso, tiny lean on the landing, corrects quickly. Back handspring to back 3/2, gets the stick by the smallest margin. That’ll easily drop the 9.5. 9.925 as well.
Blanco (UA) FX: Double pike, foot slides back just a little bit. Comes back with a nice double tuck, lunges back. Switch ring to switch half, perhaps a little short of split on the switch half. Finishes up with a front full to front layout, really has to arch around the front layout but gets there without too many issues. 9.95
AFTER THREE: Alabama 148.200, Georgia 147.825
Alright, alright, alright. I only saw about two-thirds of that rotation, but from the looks of it, I only really missed lowlights. Things are going well, Georgia hit beam, Bama hit floor.
Rotation 4: Georgia Floor, Alabama Beam
Burgess (UA) BB: Full turn, well controlled. One armed back handspring to loso, a bit crooked but no wobble. Side aerial is solid. Switch to beat, once again very nice work. Cat leap to switch side, a tad short of full straddle position. Gainer pike, sticks the landing. 9.95 wow!
Hahn (UGA) FX: New to this lineup. Starts off with a front 2/1, very nice work, well controlled. Comes back with a back 3/2 to front layout, steps out of that nicely. Wolf 2/1. Switch to split full, oh wow this is a career debut. Final pass is a Rudi, keeps her front foot planted. Amazing work for her debut. 9.825
Rybicki (UA) BB: Back handspring to loso, large arm wobble and lean. Cat leap to switch side, another large wobble. Apparently, it was meant to be a switch half. Tentative full turn. Beat jump to straddle half, no issues there. Roundoff to back 3/2, stuck. 9.75 feels generous.
Elsadek (UGA) FX: First pass is a full in, keeps the front foot planted on that after some issues in previous weeks. Switch leap through to switch ring to wolf full, nicely done. Front through to double tuck, once again keeping the front foot planted. Easily her best routine of the season so far. 9.925
Waligora (UA) BB: Full turn to start out. Back handspring to loso, tiny bit of a shoulder drop on the landing. Side aerial is nicely done. Split jump to tuck jump full, not fully around. Roundoff to back 3/2, stuck! Gets Bama back on track. 9.875
Howard (UGA) FX: Front tuck through to double tuck, small scoot forward on the landing. She has really improved as a performer as the season has progressed. Switch half to wolf full to wolf full, nice height. Finishes up with a double pike, small foot slide backwards. 9.9 lol
Gladieux (UA) BB: Back handspring to back pike, authoratative. Full turn. Front aerial to beat jump, a little slow in connection. Switch leap to straddle, small leg up check. Roundoff to double tuck with a large step back. 9.775
Cashman (UGA) FX: Back 3/2 to front 1/1 to start off, small step forward out of it. Switch side to straddle 1/2, very nicely done. Glad to see people not push leap series they cant do. Finishes with a double tuck, hops back and barely stays in bounds. 9.9 lol x2
Hudson (UA) BB: Front aerial to back handspring to loso, foot fully slips off of the beam but she is somehow able to keep it on the beam. Switch leap to switch leap, a little tentative. Side aerial gets her back on track. Sticks her roundoff to back 3/2. AMAZING save. 9.775, rewarded for the save.
De Jong (UGA) FX: Things are getting closeeeee here. Rudi to loso to start off, great control on the landing there. Comes back with a back 3/1, just barely keeps it in bounds after a big hop back. Guessing I missed her leap series in there. Unsure whether she went OOB or not. 9.7
Blanco (UA) BB: Front aerial is solid. Full turn. Back handspring to loso, small arm wobble. Switch leap to switch half, needs a 9.825 to clinch the meet. Roundoff to back 3/2, that should do it. 9.95
Hawthorne (UGA) FX: Everything’s gone right for her to get a huge score here. Starts off with a double layout, keeps the front foot planted, huge in the air. Split full to split full, gets very close to being OOB there. Front layout to Rudi to split, small hop in place. Good work but by no means her best. 9.95
Final: Alabama 197.525, Georgia 197.325
Georgia has a lot to be proud of, even if things got a bit sketchy scoring-wise by the end of the meet. Beating Alabama on beam and floor is BIG for the Gymdogs. Alabama came out of that one with a win, but will feel like this was an opportunity to take advantage of some lenient scoring that was missed. No major errors all around, but a lot of bobbles that made Alabama’s performance just look nervous overall.
Event Winners:
Vault: Olsen (UA) 9.95
Bars: Blanco (UA) 9.95
Beam: Burgess, Blanco (UA) 9.95
Floor: Blanco (UA), Hawthorne (UGA) 9.95
All-Around: Blanco (UA) 39.750
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Live blog by Ian LeWarn
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