It’s a big-time SEC match-up coming into the final weekend before conference, and this is undoubtedly going to be a close one.
Visiting Georgia is headed to Tuscaloosa after a major win over Missouri last Friday night followed by a season high 198.075 at Elevate the Stage Sunday afternoon. Coming off a big weekend, Georgia should have confidence heading into these next few weeks, even after the loss of one of its stars, junior Lily Smith, who is out the rest of the season with a broken foot. Georgia has shown such growth this season and has been the most consistent it has been in years, so it should make for a close one with Alabama throughout the competition.
For Alabama’s final home meet, the Tide will be hoping to go out with a bang after a spectacular season as it heads to the conference championship. Alabama is also coming off a double-meet weekend with two wins over Kentucky on Friday night and Illinois on Sunday. The Tide has also been extremely consistent this season, having held strong within the top five most of the year with every score since week one besting the 197 mark. Alabama has had some big moments this season, one of which came just this past weekend with standout freshman Azaraya Ra-Akbar notching her first 10.0 on bars, contributing to the massive 49.700 event total on Sunday.
Comparing the two, Alabama and Georgia are very well matched across the board, and this stands to be a big night and exciting competition for both! The meet will be streamed on SECN+, and scores will be available on Viritus.
Rotation 1: Alabama VT, Georgia UB
Cawley (Bama): Yurchenko 1.5 and a small hop forward on the landing and moves quick into salute. Clean vault to lead off! 9.775
Bacskay (Georgia): Pak down, almost over on that low bar cast, nice VL up and a blind full right on top of the bar to a double tuck, chest really low on that landing and a hop forward. 9.750
Sears (Bama): Yurchenko 1.5 clean landing with just a small hop forward! 9.900
Wahl (Georgia): Maloney to the high bar immediate Pak, really clean in the air. Short on the pirouette and the last handstand, double layout stuck to close! 9.850
Matters (Bama): Front handspring front pike half and a short on that landing, hops toward the table. 9.750
Pierson (Georgia): Another Maloney Pak combo, done well. Nice last handstand, toe blind full to double tuck and a step back on that landing. 9.825
Gladieux (Bama): Yurchenko 1.5 and a pretty large hop on the landing. 9.800
Woolford (Georgia): HUGE floaty pak down and a VL up, nice handstand to stalder double tuck and a hop forward on the dismount. 9.850
Paradise (Bama): Yurchenko 1.5 and a hop back on that landing but one of the cleanest vaults in the air! 9.850
Scott (Georgia): Ray, really nicely done, another big Pak down, clean VL back up to the high bar and a scoot back on the double layout dismount. 9.900
Ra-Akbar (Bama): Yurchenko 1.5 and sits it down, really uncharacteristic mistake from her, but looked crunchy on the table and was pretty far off to the side. 9.350
Reingold (Georgia): Blind to piked Jaeger, well down, great Pak. Nice final handstand and a HUGE stuck double layout to close this lineup out!
*exhibition LaCoursiere (Bama): Yurchenko 1.5 and a clean landing, just a hop to the left out of the lines. 9.775
AFTER ONE: Alabama 49.075, Georgia 49.375
Georgia takes an early lead after bars and with a good opening score of a 49.375, this still could’ve been bigger, seeing only two of the five counting scores stuck! Really clean routines from the Bulldogs, but need to hone in these landings from here on out to keep that lead, and show the big scoring potential it has two weeks in a row.
Not the best opening rotation for Alabama with only one score of a 9.9 on vault, landing deductions throughout and an early mistake in the anchor spot. Senior night might be bringing in some emotions and adrenaline for these athletes, but the Tide really needs to settle in and show what it is capable of on one of its best events as it heads to bars!
Rotation 2: Georgia VT, Alabama UB
Scott (Georgia): Yurchenko full, HUGe height and just the smallest movement on the landing. Excellent lead off in rotation two! 9.875
Walker (Bama): Maloney to immediate Pak, a bit loose on that catch, but moves well into her VL and a nice full-in dismount with a hop forward to close. 9.875
Pierson (Georgia): Yurchenko 1.5 and a really clean landing, just a small hop forward. Not as much height as Scott’s, but a clean vault in the second spot. 9.850
Gladieux (Bama): Nice blind to huge straddle Jaeger and a shoot over well above the low bar horizontal requirement. Holds that final handstand and ends STUCK blind full double tuck! 9.95 career high!!
Moll (Georgia): Yurchenko 1.5 and NAILS that landing! The smallest off to the side, but stays in the lines. 9.925!
Pawlak (Bama): Maloney, a little awkward catch, but a great shoot over and a double layout dismount with just a step back on the landing. 9.850
Aquino (Georgia): Tsuk layout full, flares it out and gets huge distance with just a small hop back on the landing. 9.875
Fuller (Bama): Mounts with a Pak to a VL, nicely done. A little short on the handstand, but a nice double layout with a step back on the landing. 9.875
Williams (Georgia): Yurchenko 1.5 NAILS IT. That could go 10.0… 9.925
LaCoursiere (Bama): Maloney to immediate Pak, flawless. Fights for the handstand before the VL, stuck full-in dismount. Huge routine every time for the Tide! 9.950!
Wahl (Georgia): Yurchenko 1.5 good size hop forward but a clean vault in the anchor spot. 9.875
Ra-Akbar (Bama): Looking to bounce back after that mistake in rotation one. Nice handstandto toe handstand to Pak, VL up, perfection. Stalder to double tuck and nails it!! Back to back 10s…. ? 9.950 still amazing but that routine was extraordinary
*exhibition Paradise (Bama): Blind to straddle Jaeger to shoot over, maybe a little under horizontal and a stuck double layout dismount !
AFTER TWO: Georgia 98.850, Alabama
Rotation 3: Alabama BB, Georgia FX
Rybicki (Bama): Senior beam for Rybicki! Candle mount is good, loving the beam song. BHS LOSO, a little off lifts her front foot really high and is almost off but saves it. Good switch half, big bobble on that full turn. Straddle to straddle 3/4, really nicely. Punch front full off the end and takes a big hop forward with an arm swing. She really fought for this routine which she needed to do in this lead off spot, but the rest of the lineup needs to build now. 9.625
E. Williams (Georgia): Double pike, good clean landing. Switch side to straddle full right into the corner into her front layout to front full and sits in down. Looks like her feet just slipped out from under her. Third pass a nice double tuck and under rotates with a step forward on the landing. 9.050
Birt (Bama): Wolf turn is solid. Front aerial to split jump, good connection but soft back leg on that jump. BHS LOSO is perfect. Looks really confident, beat jump to split ring, maybe not get credit for that with a small adjustment in between the two. Gainer full off the side and a hop back on the landing, but a much better routine to build momentum for Alabama. 9.825
Bacskay (Georgia): HUGE full in and a nice controlled landing. Second pass is a beautiful 2.5 to front tuck stuck and ends with a switch side to straddle full down to her landing! 9.90
Gladieux (Bama): Senior beam part two! BHS layout to two feet and the same issue as Rybicki with a big wobble and a foot / leg lift. Front aerial to beat jump is much better. Switch leap to split jump, nicely down. Dismounts round off double full, and a scoot back. 9.650
Tomlin (Georgia): Great round off double Arabian to stag jump, excellent landing wow. Switch half to split full down to floor choreo. Second pass is a front layout step out to double tuck and another really clean landing! Great routine for Tomlin! 9.925
LaCoursiere (Bama): Great candle mount, needs a big routine already counting a 9.6 score for the Tide. Split jump to double ring stag and a small shoulder adjustment. Front aerial to BHS, perfect. Small full turn adjustment, round off 1.5 and NAILS that! Alabama needed that routine and LaCoursiere delivered! 9.900
Wahl (Georgia): Another huge full-in for this lineup and really well controlled. Great front thru to fouble tuck and another great routine for the Bulldogs! 9.90
Kvamme (Bama): Front aerial to BHS LOSO and another bobble on that series. Switch leap to split jump is little off but the front toss is excellent. Gainer front full off the side and stuck! 9.850
Aquino (Georgia): HUGE double layout to open! Front thru to double tuck and a little over rotated but keeps her front foot down. Switch side to wolf full is great, such a fun routine! 9.875
Fuller (Bama): Anchor spot and needs another good score to boost this lineup. Front aerial to split jump is solid to start. Full turn is a little wiggly but moves out of it well. BHS LOSO, slightest adjustment but nothing too major. Switch leap to split jump is nicely down, great extension on her leaps. Dismounts STUCK 1.5 dismount, and the crowd goes crazy!! Big moment here for the Tide and Fuller! 9.875
Williams (Georgia): Big routine to cap this lineup off. STUCK double layout, wow. Switch side to straddle full, great height and rotation on that. Goes into second pass front thru to double tuck, another really well controlled pass and an excellent end for the Bulldogs in rotation three! 9.95!
*exhibition Cawley (Bama): Wolf turn gets out of control and she is off the beam. BHS LOSO is good, cat leap to switch side is a little wobbly. BHS Gainer full stuck off the side.
AFTER THREE: Alabama 147.775 (49.100), Georgia 148.350 (49.500)
Another shaky rotation for the Tide, but still notches a 49.100 on beam counting a lower score of a 9.650. A few athletes up looked a bit shakier than normal, and while Alabama luckily didn’t have to count a fall toward its team total, this was probably not the rotation it wanted. Heading into floor, Alabama needs to show out and not only give the seniors a great send off but win this SEC matchup before conference.
Georgia is starting to run away with this after a great floor rotation of a 49.500 highlighted by the freshman anchor Williams with a big 9.950. The Bulldogs need to hold strong as it heads to beam in order to win this meet, and not let this lead derail it from potentially another great team total.
Rotation 4: Georgia BB, Alabama FX
Gleichowski (Georgia): Strong BHS BHS LOSO to start. Good full turn, moving aggressively through this routine. Beat to switch side, maybe a little under rotated, but fixes it and moves into round off 1.5 and a hop forward on the dismount. 9.825
LaCoursiere (Bama): SKY HIGH double tuck to start off. Switch ring to Torte 1/2 is great. Moves into front layout to Rudi to double stag jump, a little under rotated but the jump covers that. 9.875
Tomlin (Georgia): Switch leap to split jump is good to start. BHS BHS LOSO is solid. Round off 1.5 and a lot under rotated on that and take a step back. 9.825
Rybicki (Bama): Great double tuck to start. Loving her joy on this senior night routine! Leaps are good into her dance. Finished with a back 1.5 to front full and nails that landing! 9.90
Woolford (Georgia): Coming off a big routine last weekend and nails her opening double wolf turn. BHS LOSO, is a little off and breaks at her hips, but stays on. Switch to split is great. Round off double full and is so far up on the beam and takes a hop forward on the landing. 9.800
Matters (Bama): Front thru to a stuck double tuck, that was huge. Switch side 1/2 to straddle full, not the best rotation on that into her second pass, nice double pike, a little under rotated and hops out to the lunge. 9.875
Battle (Georgia): Only her second beam appearance of the year. Starts with a side facing split half and a big wobble on that. Switch to split is good. Front toss to beat jump is really aggressive and well done. BHS LOSO , a little off and makes the adjustment. BHS Gainer full of the side, excellent height on that and a stick to close. 9.825
Ra-Akbar (Bama): Gorgeous front thru to 2.5 twist and a perfect landing. Switch ring to switch half is beautiful and LOVING this routine. Back 1.5 to front layout is great. Double wolf turn is really good into her ending choreo, such a great routine for her! 9.950!
Williams (Georgia): BHS HUGE layout two feet, but a little off and takes a step back to fight for it. Side sumi and really fights to keep it on with a few arm circles but is off. Beat jump to the most beautiful straddle 3/4, followed by a full turn finishing up on releve. So good, dismounts Gainer pike off the end and sticks it, ugh so good up until that but finished strong. 9.225
Sears (Bama): Alabama’s opportunity to get it back. Double layout is CRAZY. So good, Switch side to straddle full is so high. Second pass front thru to double tuck is sky high and keeps it in! Crowd is going crazy!!! 9.950
Scott (Georgia): The Bulldogs need calm energy in this last spot as Coleman Colosseum is going CRAZY and Scott is waiting on a judge’s conference. Great full turn to start. Solid BHS LOSO. Front aerial to split jump to BHS is perfect. Switch leap to split jump is gorgeous. Really handling this the best she can and MOON WALK!! Front handspring step out to rudi and a small step on the landing and she might’ve just saved the win for the Bulldogs. 9.900
Gladieux (Bama): SENIOR FLOOR! BIG full in stuck cold to start. WOW. Torjete 1/2 to straddle full is great and moves into her front layout to front rudi to split jump, perfection. What a way to go out here.
*exhibition Cawley (Bama): Big full in to start. Switch half to wolf full wolf full is great, and last pass lost connection but looks like she made it!
FINAL: Georgia 197.525, Alabama 197.425
Georgia kept Alabama on its toes this entire competition and came out with a narrow win of just a tenth and the first time the Bulldogs have won in Alabama sine 2006.
The Bulldogs really took the lead after a big floor rotation moving into the last rotation with a five tenth gap. Going to beam, it gave up little tenths here and there and after a fall in the fifth spot, Scott came up huge with a 9.90 to get the win in the end. Georgia looked strong, even with a few mishaps and is showing such growth as it heads into post season the best it has looked!
Not the senior meet competition Alabama wanted, but certainly things to be proud of in this competition. With a great bar rotation for the Tide and an even better floor rotation highlighted by a huge 9.975 for Gladieux on senior night, Bama comes up short to Georgia by just a tenth. Heading into conference, Alabama needs to take the great things it did tonight and make small adjustments to show why it has been one of the top teams in the nation all season.
VT: Moll, Williams (Georgia) 9.925
UB: Gladieux, LaCoursiere, Ra-Akbar (Alabama) 9.950
BB: LaCoursiere (Alabama), Scott (Georgia) 9.90
FX: Gladieux (Alabama) 9.975
AA: Gladieux (Alabama) 39.375
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Live blog by Julianna Roland
