Alabama gymnastics: 5 things to know about the Tide's 2024 season

TUSCALOOSA — The Alabama gymnastics team enters the 2024 season with high expectations after an encouraging but disappointing end to 2023.

The Crimson Tide went 7-5 last season and 4-4 in SEC meets. They closed the season with a second-place finish at the SEC Championships and were ranked eighth in the country before the postseason. Alabama advanced to the NCAA regional finals but failed to qualify for the national championship meet.

For its first meet of 2024, Alabama will travel to Las Vegas for the Mean Girls Super 16 Championships. They will face off against UCLA, Cal and archrival Auburn in a quad-meet on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. CT.

Here are five things to know about Alabama gymnastics before the 2024 season:

What is Alabama gymnastics ranked going into 2024?

The WCGA preseason poll, released on Dec. 8, has the Crimson Tide ranked No. 8, the same ranking they finished last season with.

They are behind two SEC teams (No. 2 Florida and No. 3 LSU) but will have a big opportunity to improve their ranking at the Super 16 Championships. UCLA, Cal and Auburn are ranked Nos. 5, 7 and 17, respectively, so a first-place finish would certainly help Alabama's national standing.

Meet the head coach of Alabama gymnastics

Ashley Johnston is entering her second year as head coach and was a member of the school's back-to-back national champions in 2011 and 2012.

"Last year was really important for us to be able to re-establish what our culture was about," Johnston said. "As a new coaching staff, the most important thing was to create the culture where every athlete was going to thrive and be able to reach their full potential."

Alabama has not won a national title since 2012, but Johnston and her team are well aware of what it would mean to return to that level and what they need to do to get there.

"At Alabama, competing for championships is in our DNA," she said. "It would be amazing to be at that place and that's obviously a goal of this team, but I think more importantly it's about helping each athlete maximize their potential. This team is talented enough to be at the top of NCAA gymnastics, but it's about staying in the moment and our process to give ourselves that shot."

Who are the top returnees for Alabama gymnastics?

Alabama gymnastics will be led by a quartet of fifth-year seniors. Luisa Blanco, Makarri Doggette, Ella Burgess and Mati Waligora all announced their return to the Tide on April 25.

"It says a lot about who they are, but also a lot about the culture that we're building, that all four of them wanted to be part of this program for another year," Johnston said. "Bringing that level of experience and perspective to our team is going to help us in the long run and provide some great leadership this season."

Blanco was an all-SEC gymnast and qualified for the NCAA championships as an individual on the uneven bars. Blanco led the team in individual titles with 16 and finished the season nationally ranked in the top 10 in balance beam, floor exercise and all-around. Alabama will count on her to continue a stellar collegiate career in what will be her final season with the Tide.

Who are the top newcomers for Alabama gymnastics?

Last season saw Gabby Gladieux enjoy a breakout freshman year, as she won an SEC championship on the vault and was named All-SEC and an All-SEC Freshman. Coach Johnston said to expect even more from Gladieux this year and provided some insight on potential breakout freshmen for 2024.

"Jamison Sears is one of our standout freshmen who will slowly and steadily be adding to our lineups," Johnston said. "Chloe LaCoursiere is another freshman who is very polished as a gymnast and has that 'wow' factor to her. I think you'll see both of them make an immediate impact in our lineups."

Alabama gymnastics has tough schedule in 2024

Alabama faces one of the most challenging schedules in the country, based on early-season rankings. Each of Alabama's first eight opponents will open the season ranked in the top 20 of the preseason poll, and they will meet each of the preseason top three teams (Oklahoma, Florida, and LSU) on the road. Johnston and her team aren't letting this difficult schedule deter them, though.

"We've been looking at the season a lot like a road trip," Johnston said. "We have a destination in mind, we know that there's going to be some great moments and some challenging moments, and it's about what we gain from those challenging moments and how we hold onto those winning moments to help us find the best route to the destination we want to be at, which is a national championship."

Alabama gymnastics 2024 schedule

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama gymnastics 2024 season preview, 5 things to know