| NEWS Alabama Gymnastics 2023: GymTide Falls to No. 2 Florida Friday Night, 197.325-196.450

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 7 Alabama gymnastics team will open its season against No. 12 Michigan State Friday night at 6 p.m. CT inside of Coleman Coliseum.

The Crimson Tide and the Spartans last competed against each other on April 2, 2022 in the NCAA Regional Finals, where the Tide advanced to the NCAA Championships with a score of 198.175 and the Spartans finished in third at 197.650. Michigan State closed out the 2022 season at No. 9, the program's best finish since 1998.

Alabama returns 12 gymnasts from last year's squad, while welcoming in a six-member freshman class. The Tide's returnees accounted for 18 of the 24 routines in the 2022 NCAA Championship lineups.

Season tickets and single meet tickets are currently available through the Alabama Ticket Office (205-348-2262), located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum, or online at RollTide.com.

Head Coach Ashley Johnston said​

"We're looking forward to the matchup with Michigan State. They are a talented team and are coming off a record-breaking season. We are excited for our six freshmen to make their debut in Coleman Coliseum. This team is eager to get started and put all their hard work to the test. We are as prepared as we're going to be and will use this first competition to help determine how we need to grow and move forward."

Friday's Meet​

  • The No. 7 Alabama gymnastics team opens its 49th season on Friday
  • Alabama is led by Ashley Johnston, in her first season as UA's head coach, while Mike Rowe is in his sixth season leading Michigan State
  • The Crimson Tide finished its 2022 campaign in seventh at the NCAA Championship semifinals, while the Spartans earned their best finish since 1998, closing out the season at No. 9
  • There are 18 gymnasts on the 2023 Crimson Tide roster, including six freshmen, three sophomores, three juniors, four seniors, and two super-seniors
  • Coming into the 2023 season, Alabama returns 18 of its 24 routines from the 2022 NCAA Championships
  • The Crimson Tide's lineup returns four All-Americans – Luisa Blanco, Shallon Olsen, Makarri Doggette and Lilly Hudson
  • The Crimson Tide is 64-13-1 in season openers since 1979, a tally that takes several multi-team meets into account, including an eight-year run (2000-07) of starting things off with the Super 6 Challenge, and a quad meet to begin the 2019 season
  • Alabama last kicked off its season at home in 2021 against Kentucky, taking home the win 196.850-198.825

Up Next​

  • After Friday's meet against the Spartans, Alabama heads out on the road, traveling to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. CT
  • The meet will be broadcast live on SEC Network
  • The Crimson Tide then returns home to compete against the Florida Gators on Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. CT at Coleman Coliseum. The meet, which features the two most recent SEC Champions, will air live on ESPNU.
 

It was 13 years ago when Ashley Johnston stepped into Coleman Coliseum as a member for the Crimson Tide for the first time. Now, she returns to Tuscaloosa as head coach of Alabama gymnastics.

“It was very surreal,” Johnston said. “It was something I dreamed about for a long time. When I finally did realize this was the path I wanted to go down, that I wanted to coach in college gymnastics, this was absolutely a dream of mine.”

Johnston, who was Ashley Priess when she competed at UA as a student, will debut in her new role Jan. 6 when Alabama hosts Michigan State (6 p.m., SEC Network).

Several former collegiate and professional athletes make their way into coaching roles. Some think about coaching while they’re still suiting up for gameday. But for Johnston, the desire to coach came after dabbling in different disciplines after her collegiate career.

“I really liked the whole leadership development world,” Johnston said. “I liked the marketing world. I liked the sport psychology side of things, and I was trying to find which area I really wanted to invest in and started looking into different educational opportunities to possibly get a doctorate in one of those areas.”

Johnston started her coaching career in Fairfield, Ohio. Soon enough, she realized that coaching encapsulated all the areas in which she was interested.

Throughout her hiring process, Johnston impressed people within Alabama athletics with her desire to support the students outside of gymnastics. That can be traced back to her freshman year of college, when she herself was trying to figure out who she was without gymnastics.

“I had a moment where I had an identity crisis where I had to figure out who I was without gymnastics,” Johnston said. “During that time period, I started college here and (Sarah and) David (Patterson) were my coaches, and I just remember them allowing me that time to figure out who I was to refine my love and my purpose for the sport.”

The values the Pattersons instilled in Johnston are the ones she tries to instill in athletes she coaches. Her ability to communicate with the person first is what stood to Auburn gymnastics head coach Jeff Graba.

“She’s just a great people person,” Graba said. “She has a great mind for the sport, but she can actually communicate with people and get on everyone’s different level.”

Auburn gymnastics has seen a great deal of success over the past few years. Last season, the Tigers finished second in the conference and placed third at the SEC Championships. Auburn also had four members named to the All-SEC team. Graba said that much of the recent success Auburn has seen is credit to the culture Johnston helped create.

“I believe the athlete is better when you communicate with the person first and when you prioritize the person,” Graba said. “That’s really who she is. That’s how she operates.”

Johnston didn’t know she would dedicate a part of her life to coaching when she first came to Tuscaloosa. But competing under the guidance of the Pattersons changed Johnston’s perspective on what’s important in life: becoming a better person. This is something she hopes to instill in Alabama’s gymnasts.

“I think it was really through that experience that helped shape my perspective and how I approach coaching my athletes,” Johnston said. “I care about the person first, and I trust that by investing in the person investing in every part of who they are. The gymnastics part comes later, and that part gets easier.”
 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 7 Alabama gymnastics team opened the 2023 season with a 196.975- 196.550 win over No. 12 Michigan State Friday night in Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide hit 24 of 24 routines without a fall in the opener and won every single event, posting the program's second-highest score for a season opener.

Seniors Luisa Blanco and Makarri Doggette combined for all four event titles and finished as the top two in the all-around. Blanco won the all-around with a 39.575, taking home the event titles on balance beam (9.900) and floor exercise (9.925). Makarri Doggette, competing in the all-around for the first time since her freshman year, finished with a 39.375 and won both the vault (9.900) and uneven bars (9.900).

Making her debut in Coleman Coliseum, freshman Gabby Gladieux impressed as she posted a 9.900 on floor exercise in the final rotation to push Alabama to a 49.250 total and seal the win. The rookie also posted scores of 9.825 on both vault and balance beam in the meet.

Head Coach Ashley Johnston said​

"I'm really proud of this team. Our goal tonight was to commit to the approach. I didn't want to get distracted with the score, with the win or the loss or with the little things on the way. I just wanted everybody to go out there and commit to their approach, meaning their mental cues, their breathing and the pre-meet rituals that they know help them be successful on each event. I feel like we accomplished that goal, and this win was a great starting point for us. I am excited about our girls that were able to get out there in the all-around. Luisa was a rockstar and did a fabulous job. Makarri Doggette stepped up as the leading scorer on vault and bars to help us get a strong start to the meet. Lilly (Hudson) is a rock and showed her fighting spirit out there. Freshman Gabby Gladieux showed why she's one of the best gymnasts in the country in the three events she performed tonight. Overall, we will celebrate the things we did well, and will go back to work to improve the details and be undeniable as we move through the upcoming weeks."

Inside the Score Sheet​

  • The Crimson Tide won all four events, totaling rotation scores of 49.325 on vault, 49.275 on the uneven bars, 49.125 on balance beam and 49.250 on floor exercise
  • Alabama began the meet on vault with all six gymnasts scoring a 9.850 or higher to establish an early lead, led by a 9.900 from Makarri Doggette
  • The Tide totaled five scores of 9.900 or higher on the night, with Doggette on vault (9.900) and bars (9.900), Luisa Blanco on balance beam (9.900), and Gabby Gladieux (9.900) and Blanco on floor exercise (9.925)
  • Blanco took home the all-around title with a 39.575, posting a 9.875-or-higher on all of her routines
  • Doggette competed in the all-around for the first time since Feb. 7, 2020, and for just the second time in her career, totaling a 39.375 to finish runner-up to Blanco
  • Lilly Hudson also competed in the all-around, totaling a 39.200, combining with Doggette and Blanco to account for 12 of the Tide's 24 routines
  • Gladieux competed three events in her debut, posting a 9.900 on floor exercise, a 9.825 on vault and a 9.825 on balance beam
  • Alabama's score of 196.975 is its second highest score for a season opener in program history (197.150 vs. Missouri on Jan. 10, 2014)
  • The event marked coaching debut for Ashley Johnston, who was hired as the seventh head coach in program history last May

Up Next​

  • Alabama heads out on the road, traveling to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. CT
  • The meet will be broadcast live on SEC Network
  • The Crimson Tide then returns home to compete against the Florida Gators on Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. CT at Coleman Coliseum. The meet, which features the two most recent SEC Champions, will air live on ESPNU.
 

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 8 Alabama gymnastics team defeated the No. 16 Arkansas Razorbacks 196.525-195.575 Friday night in Barnhill Arena. The meet was the Crimson Tide's first Southeastern Conference match-up and its first away contest of the season.

Alabama (2-0) got off to an early lead in its opening rotation and led the entirety of the meet. The Crimson Tide scored a 49.300 on the uneven bars in rotation one, while the Razorbacks posted a 49.150 on the vault. The Tide extended its lead to over a point with a 49.00 on the uneven bars after the second rotation of the night.

Luisa Blanco won a share of the uneven bars title with a 9.900, giving her the title on three out of the four events through two meets on the season. Ella Burgess and Lillian Lewis both made their first appearances of the season on balance beam.

Head Coach Ashley Johnston Said​

"I was proud of the team for the resilience they showed tonight. We had a few uncharacteristic mistakes, and they did a great job of not letting that affect their approach. They just kept working and kept chipping away and making the most out of every moment. I feel like meets like this build a lot of resilience and will pay off in the long run for us."

Inside The Scoresheet​

  • The Crimson Tide led the contest wire-to-wire, opening up a lead after the uneven bars and maintaining it throughout
  • Freshman Lillian Lewis made her collegiate debut on balance beam, scoring a 9.775
  • Alabama began the meet on the uneven bars with all five counting scores a 9.825-or-higher, led by a 9.900 from Luisa Blanco
  • Blanco and Jordyn Paradise posted matching totals of 9.825 to lead the Tide's vault lineup to a 49.000, followed by another 49.000 total on floor exercise
  • Alabama closed out the win with a 49.175 on balance beam, led by a pair of 9.875s from Gabby Gladieux and Lilly Hudson
  • Ella Burgess entered the Tide's lineup for the first time this season, leading off on balance beam with a 9.850

Up Next​

  • Alabama returns home to Coleman Coliseum to take on the Florida Gators on Friday, Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
  • The meet features the two most recent SEC Champions and will be broadcast live on ESPNU
 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 11 Alabama gymnastics team will host the No. 2 Florida Gators at 6:30 p.m. CT Friday night in Coleman Coliseum. The meet features the two most recent SEC Champions, with both teams owning undefeated records this season.

Alabama defeated Michigan State and Arkansas to start the season, while Florida defeated Auburn and took first in a quad meet featuring West Virginia, Lindenwood and Ball State.

The meet is Alabama's Be the Change Meet, which is inspired by the statement 'Be the Change You Want to See in the World.' Friday's meet is also student appreciation night. Pizza will be handed out to the first 200 students, with the first 100 students also receiving a 'Be the Change' t-shirt.

The meet will be broadcast live on ESPNU at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Head Coach Ashley Johnston Said​

"I'm really excited for this week. I think there is a fire within this team, and they are ready to go after it. I think we gave too many things away at Arkansas. We gave away some sticks and gave away some of those little details that they typically have in the gym. I think they're ready to unleash and go out there and show the world what they're capable of."

Friday's Meet​

  • The Crimson Tide and the Gators are the two most recent SEC Champions, with Alabama winning the title in 2021 and Florida taking home the win in 2022
  • The two teams last competed against each other at the 2022 SEC Championship, where Florida won with a 198.200 and Alabama finished second at 197.825
  • Alabama and Florida are two of only seven programs in NCAA gymnastics history to win an NCAA title
  • All three of this week's SEC Weekly Award winners will be in Coleman Coliseum on Friday: Florida's Leanne Wong (SEC Gymnast of the Week) and Kayla Dicello (SEC Specialist of the Week, along with UA's Gabby Gladieux (SEC Freshman of the Week)

Last Time Out​

  • Alabama opened its conference slate with a 196.525-195.525 win over the Arkansas Razorbacks
  • The meet was Alabama's first road matchup of the season
  • The Crimson Tide led the contest wire-to-wire, opening up a lead after the uneven bars and maintaining it throughout
  • Luisa Blanco won a share of the uneven bars title with a 9.900, giving her an event title on three out of the four events through two meets on the season
  • Freshman Lillian Lewis made her collegiate debut on balance beam, scoring a 9.775
  • Alabama began the meet on the uneven bars with all five counting scores a 9.825-or-higher, led by a 9.900 from Blanco
  • Blanco and Jordyn Paradise posted matching totals of 9.825 to lead the Tide's vault lineup to a 49.000, followed by another 49.000 total on floor exercise
  • Alabama closed out the win with a 49.225 on balance beam, led by a pair of 9.875s from Gabby Gladieux and Lilly Hudson
  • Alabama improved on its meet one rotation total on both the uneven bars (49.300) and balance beam (49.225)

Up Next​

  • After Friday's meet against the Gators, Alabama heads back out on the road to Lexington, Ky., to compete against the Kentucky Wildcats on Friday, Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m. CT
  • The meet will be broadcast live on SEC Network
  • Following the meet against the Wildcats, the Tide will return home to compete against the Auburn Tigers in Coleman Coliseum on Friday, Jan. 3 at 6:30 p.m. CT
 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 11 Alabama gymnastics team came up short against the No. 2 Florida Gators, 197.325-196.450, Friday Night in Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide rallied after a slow start with its highest balance beam and floor exercise totals of the season so far.

After counting a fall on the uneven bars for a 48.675 rotation total, Alabama surged back on the balance beam with a 49.250, led by a leadoff 9.900 from Ella Burgess. The Tide then closed out the night with a 49.425 on floor exercise, led by four consecutive scores of 9.9-or-higher: Shania Adams (9.900), Gabby Gladieux (9.900), Lilly Hudson (9.925) and Luisa Blanco (9.950).

Jordyn Paradise won her first event title of the year on vault (9.900), while Blanco earned her second title of the year on floor exercise with her 9.950.

Head Coach Ashley Johnston said​

"It was great to get three new faces into the lineup. That was actually unexpected, and I think they did a really good job of responding and stepping up when they were needed. It's always hard to have back to back falls like that, and it was a big moment for our team to learn how to recover from those mistakes and not let that affect the next person. I give a lot of credit to Mati Waligora for turning the corner and stepping up and going big in her approach. Taking that over to beam and floor and having our two highest scores of the year so far says a lot about this team and how they come together and just commit to each moment. I was so excited to see all of the fans out there tonight and the student section at capacity. It truly makes a huge difference and brings so much energy. I think this meet helped us get better, and we'll continue to see people step up and get a few people healthy as we move forward throughout the season."

Inside the Scoresheet​

  • Alabama won the floor exercise in the matchup, scoring a 49.425 to Florida's 49.300 on the event
  • The Crimson Tide recorded seven scores of 9.9-or-higher in the matchup: Jordyn Paradise on vault (9.900), Luisa Blanco on the uneven bars (9.900), Ella Burgess on balance beam (9.900) and Gabby Gladieux (9.900), Shania Adams (9.900), Lilly Hudson (9.925) and Luisa Blanco(9.950)
    • Adams' 9.900 matched her career high
    • Burgess' 9.900 on balance beam gives her a 9.900-or-higher on eight of her last 10 routines, with no score below 9.850
    • Gladieux has now scored 9.875-or-higher in all three of her floor routines so far this season
  • Shania Adams, Sania Mitchell and Lauren Little all made their first appearances in the Tide's lineups this season, with Adams competing on vault and floor exercise, Little on vault and the uneven bars and Mitchell on the vault
  • Lilly Hudson was the Tide's sole all-around competitor, scoring a 39.425 with scores of 9.875 on the vault, 9.775 on the uneven bars, 9.850 on balance beam and 9.925 on floor exercise
  • The Crimson Tide's balance beam (49.250) and floor exercise (49.425) were its highest of the season

Up Next​

  • Alabama heads back out on the road to Lexington, Ky., to compete against the Kentucky Wildcats on Friday, Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m. CT
  • The meet will be broadcast live on SEC Network
  • Following the meet against the Wildcats, the Tide will return home to compete against the Auburn Tigers in Coleman Coliseum on Friday, Jan. 3 at 6:30 p.m. CT
 
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