Alabama gymnastics finishes second at NCAA Michigan Regional Final, advances to Nationals
Alabama gymnastics will compete for a national championship after placing in the top two at the Michigan Regional Final.
The No. 8 seed Crimson Tide scored 197.575 on Saturday to finish in second place behind No. 1 seed Oklahoma (198.4). Alabama outscored Ohio State (197.2) and Penn State (197.05) to claim second place in the meet.
The reigning national champion Sooners maintained a stronghold on first place from the first rotation, while the Crimson Tide stayed firmly in second ahead of the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions. Alabama opened on the uneven bars and moved to the balance beam in the second rotation, posting scores of 49.35 on both. Strong floor routines in the third rotation gave Alabama a comfortable hold on second place heading into the final rotation, where the team maintained its hold on second place to clinch a national semifinals berth.
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Alabama will advance to nationals for the first time under head coach Ashley Johnston, who has experience on the national stage as a Crimson Tide gymnast. Johnston was a member of Alabama's back-to-back national championship teams in 2011 and 2012.
Here are some takeaways from Alabama's performance at the NCAA Regional Final:
Alabama gymnastics overcomes another balance beam fall
In Thursday's Regional Semifinal, Mati Waligora fell off the balance beam as Alabama's second performer in the event. The remaining four gymnasts responded to the pressure with four consecutive scores of 9.9 or higher, including Ella Burgess' 9.925 which claimed the event title.
Burgess was the victim of a stumble on Saturday, though, as a fall from her led to a score of 9.3 as the third performer. This put Gabby Gladiuex, Shania Adams and Luisa Blanco in another high-pressure situation on the balance beam, but all three responded well. Gladieux scored 9.825, Adams added a team-high 9.925, and Blanco scored 9.85 as the closer.
Alabama's team score of 49.35 on the beam was its lowest since Feb. 19, but it was still enough to maintain a solid lead on Ohio State and Penn State through the first half of the meet.
Strong floor routines boost Alabama into the final rotation
The Crimson Tide got a nice boost from its floor exercise group in the third rotation.
Alabama's 49.275 on the floor on Thursday was its second-lowest score this season, but that was mostly due to the Tide opting to scratch its final performer with the victory already clinched. Alabama held a 0.3 lead over third place after the first two rotations and was able to double that lead to 0.6 with strong floor exercises.
Alabama only counted floor scores of 9.9 or higher. Waligora matched her season-high again with a second-consecutive 9.9, and Cam Machado followed with a 9.925. Blanco and Lilly Hudson scored 9.95 each, and Gladieux added 9.925 as the closer to clinch a team score of 49.65, its third-highest floor exercise score this season. Hudson's 9.95 was a personal season high.
Vault struggles continue for Alabama gymnastics
Alabama started the regional semifinal with a low vault score, and they closed out the regional final in a similar fashion.
No Crimson Tide gymnast scored higher than 9.9 for the second straight meet. Two freshmen opened the vault rotation: Jamison Sears scored a second consecutive 9.85 and Chloe LaCoursiere added a 9.825. Hudson added another 9.85, and Blanco scored a team-high 9.9. Gladieux closed the rotation with 9.8.
Alabama's 49.225 on vault was lower than its regional semifinal score of 49.25, both of which were below its vault average of 49.323. The vault is one area the Crimson Tide will need to improve in order to advance to the tournament's final round.
What's next for Alabama gymnastics?
The Crimson Tide will advance along with the Sooners to the National Semifinals in Fort Worth, Texas. Those two will face the top two teams from the Florida Regional, which will be held on at 4 p.m. CT Sunday on ESPN+. The four teams competing there will be No. 4 seed Florida, No. 5 seed Utah, No. 12 seed Michigan State and No. 13 seed Missouri.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama gymnastics advances to 2024 NCAA National Championships
