The Alabama Crimson Tide hosts the Missouri Tigers in its home opener in a top-10 SEC matchup. Both teams are coming off a loss and looking to assert their standing in the conference. Alabama has looked sharp to start the season, led by strong freshman like Azaraya Ra-Akbar and Jasmine Cawley. The Tigers entered 2026 with a bang, led by a strong floor squad. This matchup could be an early preview of the fight for the final spot in the night session of the SEC championship. Look for vault landings and beam composure to make the difference.
The meet will be streamed on SECN+, and scores can be found on Virtius.
Getting started soon, some minor lineup changes for Missouri, Tanskanen only on floor today, with Acevedo taking her spot on vault and Horton on bars.
Rotation 1: Alabama VT, Missouri UB
Cawley (VT): Great Yurchenko 1.5, nearly stuck to start the meet, some slight knee bend. 9.925
Macpherson (UB): Tkatchev, misses a handstand and has to re-kip, Bail is fine. Short hs, FTDT with a step. 9.325, will need to drop this one.
Paradise (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, nice distance, medium sized hop, 9.875
Kelly (UB): Great first hs, Church, overshoot, nice foot form throughout. Strong hs, stalder, double tuck, one step. Nice routine to reset the rotation 9.825
Sears (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, really nice form in the air, similar sized hop to Paradise and holds on to not take another step. 9.850
Green (UB): Maloney, Pak, nice leg form, small elbow bend on the Maloney. Clean finishing position on the half pirouette. Strong handstand, double layout, leg separation and a step. 9.825
Gladieux (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, one big step forward and some knees, nice distance 9.825
Terry (UB): Geinger, small leg separation, directly connected to overshoot. Great last handstand, full twisting double tuck with a step. 9.825
Kvamme (VT): Another strong Yurchenko 1.5, some slight leg separation on the table, but great form in the hair, small hop 9.875
Horton (UB): Maloney, Pak, close catch on the Pak but works out of it fine. Slightly short on the final handstand, double layout stuck with a lean forward. 9.825
Ra-Akbar (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, huge vault, bigger hop on the landing 9.850
Echols (UB): Strong handstand, crisp Bail. Another great handstand, Khorkina is clean. Stuck double layout with perfect form. Excellent. 9.950, well deserved
EXHIBITION: Marshall (VT): Front handspring pike half, lands with her chest low and some bent knees at the end, but a nice option. 9.750
EXHIBITION: Lawerence (UB): Maloney, Pak, switch kip. Nice leg form. Giant full, quite a bit late, stuck double tuck. Very clean routine. Only a 9.650, I must have missed something here.
AFTER ONE: Alabama 49.375, Missouri 49.250
Alabama leads after one after scoring a season high on vault led by a strong stick from Cawley in the leadoff spot. Overall, the Tide’s vaults were dynamic and clean in the air and the landing control is improving. On bars, the Tigers bounced back from a leadoff miss to hit five routines in a row, capped off by Echols superb 9.950 routine. A nice showing for Missouri after struggling on bars last week. A solid start for both teams!
Rotation 2: Missouri VT, Alabama UB
Griffin (VT): Yurchenko full, good block and amplitude, medium hop. 9.775
Walker (UB): Maloney, Pak. Good handstand, Van Leeuwen with a little bit of leg form. Hit handstand, full twisting double back is stuck, some leg separation at the end. 9.850
Acevedo (VT): Yurchenko full, stuck. A little piked down and her feet were a bit wide on the landing, but a strong vault. 9.800
Gladieux (UB): Straddled Jaeger, overshoot, fine. Good handstand, late on the giant full, stuck double tuck. 9.875
Jackson (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, step to the side and over the line, good distance. 9.775. A bit lower than I was expecting
Fuller (UB): Clean Pak salto, great leg form on the Van Leeuwen. Last handstand was a tiny bit short, stuck double layout. 9.850
Echols (VT): Yurchenko full, absolutely huge, small hop in place. 9.900
Pawlak (UB): Arch arch on the first handstand. Maloney, Bail, strong. Better final handstand. Stuck double layout, chest a little bit forward, nice routine. 9.900
Tisler (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, medium hop forward, some knees in the air. 9.850
LaCoursiere (UB): Maloney, Pak, Van Leeuwen is clean. Crisp handstands throughout. FTDT is stuck, legs glued together, fantastic routine. I also love how straight her arms on the backswing of her Maloney. 9.975, would’ve been fine with 10. Setting up a huge moment for Ra-Akbar
Horton (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, maybe not as high as she normally goes, shuffle forward 9.875
Ra-Akbar (UB): Arch on first handstand, Pak, Short handstand. Great Van Leeuwen. Toe on double tuck, step and a leg up, not her strongest. 9.800
Exhibition: Essenpriess (VT): Yurchenko 1.5, a bit short with a step back
Exhibition Cawley (UB): Straddled Jaeger, good handstand. Pak, small leg separation. Strong handstand, FTDT small step in place. A great 7th option, feels like there’s more opportunity for deductions though because of the number of cast handstands in the routine compared to some others.
AFTER TWO: Alabama 98.825, Missouri 98.450
Alabama grows it leads to just under four tenths after a strong bar rotation, led by LaCoursiere’s 9.975. That rotation should continue to score well for the Tide this season, a lot of great form in those routines. Missouri was a little more conservative on vault today, using 3 Yurchenko fulls and posted a solid 49.200, a tenth lower than the last two weekends. A great day for Echols who scored a 9.950 and 9.900 on her two events.
Rotation 3: Alabama BB, Missouri FX
Cawley (BB): Double wolf turn. Bhs, loso, crisp. Cat leasp, switch quarter, a bit flat with a small lean but works through it quickly. Gainer full, a little piked with a step. 9.825
Tisler (FX): Front lay Rudi, nice twisting form. Switch half, Popa, fine. Back 1.5, front lay, well controlled, but not the highest. 9.850
Ladanyi (BB): Front aerial, split jump, nice extension. Bhs, loso, sharp. Switch leap, split jump. Bhs, gainer full stuck, nice routine, 9.875
Jackson (FX): Clean double pike to start, well controlled. Switch ring, switch half, wolf full – fine, not the most precise landing postion. front tuck through to double tuck, nice chest position on the landing. 9.850
Kvamme (BB): Full turn, small check. Front aerial, leg up check. Bhs, loso. Switch leap, split jump, fine. Front toss, split jump. Gainer front full off the side of the beam, stick. Recovered well 9.800
Acevedo (FX): Big double pike, Back 1.5, front layout, front layout is not the highest. Leaps are good. Double tuck, strong landing. 9.825
LaCoursiere (BB): Candle mount, holds the position well. Split jump, double stag, a little tentative. Front aerial, backhandspring, smooth connection. Back 1.5, with a small hop, 9.900
Tanskanen (FX): Full in, good control on the landing, a small lean with her left arm. Switch side half, straddle jump. Back 1.5, front layout, strong amplitude. Best routine so far, 9.925
Gladieux (BB): Bhs, layout to two feet, secure. Front aerial, beat jump. Switch leap, split jump, good 180s on those. Double full, some feet crossing but stuck, another 9.900
Griffin (FX): Double pike, stuck, chest was just a touch forward though. Front tuck through to double tuck, another stick. Tour jete half, Popa, Popa, nice. 9.925
Ra-Akbar (BB): Front aerial, backhandspring, clean. Split jump, split ring, nice ring position. Switch half, foot was not perfectly placed but works through it with no issues. Back handspring, 1.5 dismount, short with a stumble back. Great on the beam, dismount issue is unfortunate, 9.700
Horton (FX): Double layout, lacing control and took a second step back, close to the line but stays in. Leaps are fine. Front pike through to double tuck, nice control. 9.800
Exhibition: Birt: wolf turn with a wobble. Front aerial, split jump. Bhs loso, fine. Switch leap, straddle quarter, with a lean. Gainer full, hop in place.
Exhibition: Echols: Huge full in, nice control and form. Switch leap, switch ring half, decent ring position. Front tuck, back 2.5, lunge forward, lacking a little control. Would love to see that in the lineup – that full in is so, so good.
AFTER THREE: Alabama 148.125, Missouri 147.825
Missouri pulls to within three tenths after a strong floor performance scoring 49.375, though it missed on the opportunity to capitalize on Horton’s score. Alabama was solid on beam, but could’ve scored higher with some more stuck dismounts. Last rotation coming up!
Rotation 4: Missouri BB, Alabama FX
Wier (BB): Front aerial, bhs, bhs, a little slow moving but keeps it going. Straddle jump, split half, nice position on the straddle jump. Cartwheel, gainer full stuck. 9.825
Matters (FX): Front tuck through to double tuck, secure. Switch side half, Popa, lacking some control. Double pike with the camera man directly in the way lol, seems like there were no major issues, though. Okay we see it in slow-mo, lacking some amplitude, 9.800
Macpherson (BB): Switch leap, split jump. Bhs, bhs, loso, leg up check but stays on. Full turn. Gainer loso, another leg up check. Back 1.5 with a lean and step in place. 9.625
Cawley (FX): Tucked full in, nice in the air, jump to lunge was a little awkward, but she covers it well. Switch half, wolf full, wolf full, precisoin is prety god. Back 1.5, front lay, not the highest on either skill. 9.850
Griffin (BB): Front toss, bhs, smooth. Switch leap, switch split jump, bit of a lean split jump, beat jump, the initial connections was probably fine, so I’m intrigued that she repeated the split jump, beat jump. brokem but she moved forward with each jump. Front full stuck. 9.775, 9.70/9.85 split, 10 SV
Ra-Akbar (FX): Front through to back 2.5, clean. Switch ring, switch half, that ring position was to die for. Back 1.5, front tuck, supposed to be a layout – will be a start value issue. She’s been a little off tonight, 9.625
Kelly (BB): Front aerial, bhs clean. Switch leap, split jump, nice extension on those leaps. Side aerial, no issue. Double wolf turn, clean. Stuck 1.5, really nice, 9.900
Long wait on floor for LaCoursiere,The commentators are loving these Hamilton puns….
LaCoursiere (FX): Double tuck, stumble back. Switch ring, tour jete half, nice. Front lay, Rudi, stag jump, chest really forward on the Rudi and jumps from like a horizontal position. 9.825, I was expecting that to be a bit lower
This meet is getting closer than expected, if Missouri has two more strong hits and Alabama has another mistake, there could be an upset….
Jackson (BB): Front aerial, bhs clean. Switch leap, switch half, beat jump, superb split positions. Stuck gainer pike, Missouri putting the pressure on, 9.950!
Another floor conference for LaCoursiere, and its a 9.825, so Alabama is still in control.
Sears (FX): Double layout, large but controlled lunge. Straddle positions are amazing. Front tuck through to double tuck, good amplitude but a step forward. 9.925
Lawrence (BB): Side aerial, bhs, secure. Splut jump, split 3/4, nicely done. Stuck 1.5, going to be a huge score. Another 9.950
Gladieux (FX): FTDT, good control. Really nice straddle positions on her leaps. Front lay, Rudi, split jump, great chest position on that jump. Needs a 9.725 to secure the win and that will certainly do it! Really strong routine, 9.975! LOL at ESPN flashing the graphic for a 10 before the second judge flashed their score
FINAL: Alabama 197.500, Missouri 197.225
The Tide hold on to defeat the Tigers with a new season best 197.500 Alabama continues to look strong, but will still feel like it left a few tenths on the table in a looser scoring environment on beam and floor specifically. Missouri ended the meet strong with a 49.400 on beam en route to another 197. The back half of that lineup is really excellent with Kelly, Jackson, and Lawrence all hitting 9.9+ in a high pressure situation.
VT: Cawley 9.925
UB: LaCoursiere 9.975
BB: Lawrence, Jackson 9.950
FX: Gladieux 9.975
AA: Gladieux 39.575
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Live blog by Rebecca Williams