📡 Alabama Gymnastics Beats Georgia 196.525-194.525 in the Crimson Tide’s Home and SEC Opener

[RTB X Bot]

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[BAMANEWSBOT]

Traditionally, the time between football seasons has been filled with basketball in the winter and early spring, baseball in the late spring and summer. But traditions have changed over the years at Alabama. Winning national championships has something to do with that.

Alabama has won six national titles in gymnastics and is a contender almost every year and the sport has a loyal Bama following.

The Crimson Tide opens its home season and its Southeastern Conference season against Bama’s tradtionally evil opponent, the Georgia Gymdogs, at 7:30 p.m. CST Friday (today) in Coleman Coliseum.

Alabama opened its season with a loss at Michigan last week.

Alabama and Georgia have sombined for 16 NCAA team titles since 1987 and 25 Southeastern Conference trophies. Both are led by alumna of their respective programs, Dana (Dobransky) Duckworth, in her fourth year as the Crimson Tide’s head coach, competed for Alabama from 1990-93. Courtney (Kupets) Carter is in her first season as the head coach of her alma mater (2006-09). Both women were All-America and CoSIDA Academic All-America and won NCAA individual and team titles at their respective schools.

Both teams return three All-Americas. Alabama is balanced between each class, with four each in the freshman, sophomore and senior class and three in the junior class. Georgia has six seniors, one junior, three sophomores and four freshmen on its roster.

The two teams last met in the 2017 NCAA Championships Semifinal Session II, with the Tide taking third (197.600) and Georgia sixth (195.800). Alabama finished sixth nationally in 2017 while Georgia took 12th.

The Tide opened its season with a 195.675 at Michigan last Friday, led by senior Kiana Winston, winner of the uneven bars (9.925) and balance beam (9.900) and senior Nickie Guerrero who scored a 9.900 to win the vault.

 

[UA Press Release]

A game of thrones: Gymnastics dynasties Alabama, Georgia face off Friday

Separately, they were dominant.

Together, they changed the narrative.

Alabama and Georgia gymnastics combine for 16 national championships and 25 Southeastern Conference titles. Almost all of that glory came under former UA coach Sarah Patterson and former UGA coach Suzanne Yoculan Leebern.

Often, the word “legendary” precedes their titles.

“I cannot say enough about what Sarah and Suzanne did for the two programs and for the state of gymnastics, college gymnastics,” Alabama coach Dana Duckworth said. “You talk about two women going out there and raising awareness for women’s athletics–you can’t ask for better examples.”

Patterson controlled the Crimson Tide for 36 years. Yoculan Leebern led the Bulldogs for 26 years during that time span. They were both their respective program’s fifth coach.

Ever since Patterson and Yoculan Leebern stepped down, neither team has claimed another NCAA first-place trophy. Alabama has remained with six, Georgia with 10.

The Crimson Tide has won an SEC championship since Patterson left. That came under Duckworth in 2015.

“Our theme at Alabama is, ‘Where legends are made,’ ” Duckworth said, “and we have a ton of legends.”

She is one of them.

For a while, there was also the Dana-and-Danna show. Danna Durante coached at Georgia for five seasons but was let go after last year’s national championships.

Courtney Kupets Carter is now in charge. Like Duckworth was at Alabama, Kupets Carter is a former Georgia gymnast. Duckworth, whose maiden name is Dobransky, competed for the Crimson Tide from 1990-93. Kupets Carter with the Bulldogs from 2006-09. Both were All-Americans and earned NCAA titles.

The difference: Duckworth has been Alabama’s only coach since Patterson retired in 2014. Kupets Carter is Georgia’s third since Yoculan Leebern retired in 2009.

“They have a lot of changes in their program, and I wish them the very, very best because it’s a great rivalry and I want the SEC to continue to be the best conference in the country,” Duckworth said. “At the same time, for us, we’re focused on Alabama and that’s it.”

Alabama’s next opponent is Georgia. The Crimson Tide opens its home slate against the Bulldogs on Friday.

A familiar foe could be present, too. Yoculan Leebern is a UGA volunteer assistant coach.

“I don’t see it too much as a rivalry as much as the coaches do just because it was a different time with Suzanne and Sarah,” Alabama senior Nickie Guerrero said. “But for me, it’s just cool because of the history. We have the fans and the bigness of the sport just because they started that rivalry and they started making people come to the meets and getting the extreme support that we have now.”

The first-ever sellout in Coleman Coliseum for an Alabama gymnastics meet was Feb. 1, 1997. There were 15,043 fans. The opponent was Georgia.

UA has sold out the arena 10 times since then.

Last season, Alabama ranked second in the nation in women’s college gymnastics’ home attendance. Coleman Coliseum hosted an average of 12,152 people.

“It’s because of them, (Patterson and Yoculan Leebern),” Guerrero said, “and I’m just appreciative of that when I go out there.”

https://www.tidesports.com/game-thrones-gymnastics-dynasties-alabama-georgia-face-off-friday/

 

[BamaFan334]

I am usually really good about keeping up with our girls, but I missed the Michigan results until psted on here. Tongith there will be two coaches that actually performed for the team they coach for. Kupets was All-World at Georgia and Duckworth at Alabama. should be a good show watching two schools trying to get back in the thick of things after two legends.

 

[bama alum]

Kirby isn't the reason to hate Jawja (yet...); Yoculan is though. ROLL TIDE, ladies! Mop the floor with them!

 

[planomateo]

 

[BamaFan334]

Making its rounds tonight.

 

[rick4bama]

 

[bama alum]

Bama beat dat gym dawg ass! Woof, woof, woof... :eyeroll:

 

[UAgrad93]

2 points in gymnastics is like a 35-0 ass kicking in football!! Damn good job ladies!!

 

[JoshB]

Came in here for pictures, leaving disappointed... :shock:

 

[UA Press Release]

Senior Kiana Winston won three individual events while sophomore Wynter Childers won the all-around

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 9-ranked Alabama gymnastics team defeated Georgia, 196.525-194.525, Friday night in its home and Southeastern Conference opener in front of 12,081 fans in Coleman Coliseum on a frigid night in Tuscaloosa.

The Crimson Tide had to fight its way back from an early deficit to earn the win.

"That was an incredible example of teamwork," UA head coach Dana Duckworth said. "There was adversity, there were certain people not being able to go, someone stepping in and they just kept fighting. There was a great deal of consistency. There was a great deal of confidence. They were attacking. All the things we said we wanted to improve on from last week to this week, I think we really nailed it."

Individually, sophomore Wynter Childers won the all-around, scoring a 39.325, while senior Kiana Winstonwon uneven bars, the balance beam and the floor exercise. Senior Nickie Guerrero posted Alabama's highest vault score.

Alabama opened the night on the vault, and was paced by Guerrero's 9.9 followed by junior Abby Armbrecht's 9.825. Despite solid scores from four of its gymnasts, the Crimson Tide scored a 48.600 due to a fall and a half point deduction due to a gymnast going before being acknowledged by the judges.

The Tide went right to work climbing out of its early hole, turning in a strong performance on the uneven bars, including a 9.925 from Winston and 9.9s from senior Mackenzie Brannan and junior Ari Guerra. Alabama posted a 49.400 on the bars, pulling to within .075 of Georgia at the halfway point.

On the balance beam, Winston scored her second 9.9 in as many weeks to win the event and push the Tide to a 49.350 team score. Sophomore Maddie Desch and Childers both added 9.875s. Armbrecht scored a 9.85 on the beam after filling in for freshman Lexi Graber, who had to be helped from the mat after her fall on vault.

"I was a little nervous, but I've been training like that every single day in practice," Armbrecht said. "I knew to go in and do what I do. I told Lexi before I went out that I had her back, so I did it for her."

Alabama capped the night with a solid 49.175 on the floor exercise that included a 9.9 from Winston and a 9.850 from Childers to close out the Bulldogs.

"It was about having teamwork," Winston said after the meet. "We know we have each other's backs because we practice it in the gym every day."

Alabama will travel to Baton Rouge to face the LSU Tigers on Friday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. CT. The conference matchup will be broadcasted live on SEC Network at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Crimson Tide Photo Galleries

 

[TerryP]

Came in here for pictures, leaving disappointed... :shock:

A little patience? Ya know, you're here looking for pics and the meet hadn't been over for more than an hour. The gallery is liked in the press release from UA.

 

[sean]

man, sure would've loved to have beaten them in bball, too. that would've made a nice trifecta for the week.

 

[planomateo]

man, sure would've loved to have beaten them in bball, too. that would've made a nice trifecta for the week.

Funny thing, there was a tweet prior to the football game that said the previous times the same teams played basketball prior, the winner of the basketball game was winner of the football game, believe this was as of the last 6-10 years, believe it happened 2-3 times during this timeframe. Don't recall who tweeted it.