📡 🤸 GymTide- 2026: Alabama posts program-best season-opening score in win at Clemson

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Meet Info:	Traveling to Littlejohn:	Tune In:
Date: Friday, Jan. 9 Time: 6 p.m. CT Location: Clemson, S.C. Venue: Littlejohn Coliseum	Tickets Parking + Fan + Meet Attendance Information	Alabama's matchup with the Clemson Tigers will be streamed on ACC Network Extra Live Stats will be available via Virtius

 

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Gymnastics Posts Highest Season-Opening Score in Program History, Defeats Clemson on Road - Alabama Athletics

The Crimson Tide posted a program-high, season-opening total en route to the 197.475-196.550 win over the Tigers

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The Crimson Tide posted a program-high, season-opening total en route to the 197.475-196.550 win over the Tigers

CLEMSON, S.C. – The Alabama gymnastics team opened its 2026 season with authority, defeating the Clemson Tigers 197.475-196.550 in Littlejohn Coliseum. The Crimson Tide's score broke the program's highest season-opening total in UA history by .350 of a point.

Alabama delivered a complete performance across all four events, highlighted by standout efforts from its freshman class. Azaraya Ra-Akbar made her collegiate debut with a sensational 9.975 on the uneven bars, earning the event title as she anchored the Tide's opening rotation. Fellow freshman Jasmine Cawley also impressed in her first collegiate meet, contributing two 9.900s as she captured individual event titles.

Alabama Head Coach Ashley Johnson:​

"I'm extremely excited about how this team started out tonight. One of our main goals was to compete like it was our sixth meet of the season, and not like it was our first, and I feel like our team competed with a lot of poise and confidence. Their approach, all around, was exactly what we've been talking about, what we wanted to see them bring to life. They had a lot of personality, they had a lot of fun, they stayed calm, had cool heads, were composed, and that's really what it's all about – when they can get themselves into that place, they're able to perform at a really high level.

"Across the board, it was exciting to see some real breakthrough moments from both freshmen and upperclassmen. Overall, I think it was a strong start, but we left many tenths on the table. I think our stick percentage is not what we trained with as our average in the gym, so we'll look to dial in to that, specifically, going into next week."

Team Stats​

• Alabama's 197.475 is the highest season-opening score in program history
• The Tide earned multiple individual event titles
  • Uneven Bars –Ra-Akbar – 9.975
  • Vault –Cawley – 9.900
  • Balance Beam –Chloe LaCoursiere, Gabby Ladanyi – 9.9925
  • All-Around – Cawley – 39.475
• Ra-Akbar recorded the top score of the night in her collegiate debut
• Cawley posted two scores of 9.900-or-higher in her first collegiate appearance
• LaCoursiere scored either a 9.900 (floor exercise) or a 9.925 (bars, beam) in all three of her events

How it Happened​

Uneven Bars

• Alabama opened the meet with a strong bars rotation, headlined by rookie Ra-Akbar's meet-high 9.975
• Junior All-American LaCoursiere opened her year with a 9.925 to set up Tide anchor Ra-Akbar
• UA posted its first of three 49.425 rotation scores of the night

Vault

• Freshman Cawley opened the second rotation with a team-leading 9.900 on the apparatus
• Alabama recorded a 49.200 rotation score

Floor Exercise

• The Tide rolled through the floor exercise as a trio of upperclassmen performed a 9.900 routine – LaCoursiere (career-high tying), Jamison Sears, Gabby Gladieux
• Freshman McKenzie Matters made her collegiate debut, serving as leadoff on the apparatus
• UA posted its second rotation score of 49.425

Balance Beam

• Alabama stamped its opening meet of the season behind three scores of 9.900-or-higher from Cawley (9.900), Ladanyi (9.925 – career-high tying), LaCoursiere (9.925 – career high)
• The results totaled to the Tide's third and final 49.425 rotation score of the meet

Up Next​

• Alabama will face off against the Florida Gators on Jan. 16 in Gainesville, Fla.
• The Tide's first Southeastern Conference dual meet of the season is set for a 6 p.m. CT start on ESPN2