Alabama gymnastics wins senior night quad meet as Luisa Blanco scores two perfect 10s

Alabama gymnastics won its final home meet of the season with a score of 198. The No. 9 Crimson Tide defeated No. 17 Minnesota (197.4), No. 24 Illinois (196.075) and Talladega College (191) in a quad meet.

Alabama honored its gymnastics alumni with "Eras Night" and honored its senior student-athletes following the meet. The team recognized seniors Shania Adams, Cameron Machado and Isabella Martin, as well as super seniors Luisa Blanco, Ella Burgess, Makarri Doggette and Mati Waligora.

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The Tide held a strong lead after the first rotation thanks to a season-high vault score. Minnesota took the lead with a great showing on the balance beam in the second rotation, but Alabama responded in the third rotation with a strong beam performance of its own before locking up the win with its floor routines. Alabama scored 198 for the second time this season.

Here are some more takeaways from Alabama's senior night quad meet victory:

Luisa Blanco strikes perfection twice in Coleman Coliseum swan song

In her final meet in Coleman Coliseum, Blanco got her night off to a perfect start. As the closer for Alabama's vault lineup, she recorded her first career perfect 10 on the vault and fifth total of her career. Before the night was over, she would add a sixth. Blanco's final floor performance in Coleman earned her her first career 10 on that event as well. She was the first gymnast in Alabama history to score two 10s in the same meet.

"I still don't think I have processed it. Even when the second 10 went up, I was just focused on the next person that was going," Blanco said. "I really couldn't do it by myself. It takes doing the work outside the gym, it takes building your connections with your teammates to keep you grounded and make those moments so special."

Blanco's perfect score contributed to Alabama's season-high score of 49.5 on the vault, topping the 49.45 it scored in the loss at Auburn. Jamison Sears and Corinne Bunagan each recorded a new season-high with 9.925 and 9.875, respectively. Reigning SEC vault champion Gabby Gladieux added a 9.9, and Lilly Hudson contributed a 9.8.

Blanco's 10s were Alabama's second and third of the season. The first came from Hudson, also on the vault, in the meet at Florida. Blanco claimed the floor and vault event titles and a share of the uneven bars title, which she split with Illinois' Mia Takeakawa. Blanco won the all-around title with a career-high 39.85, the highest all-around score by an Alabama gymnast in 20 years.

Alabama gymnastics sets a season-high balance beam score

After posting a then-season-high 49.5 on the balance beam in last week's loss at LSU, Alabama was strong on the event once again Friday night, setting a new season-high once again with 49.525. Gladieux and Hudson each posted season-high scores of 9.95 and claimed a share of the balance beam event title, tying with Minnesota's Sarah Moraw.

Blanco added a 9.9, her lowest score of the night, while Burgess and Adams rounded out the beam rotation with a 9.875 and 9.85, respectively.

Alabama gymnastics has elevated its floor routines

Out of the four events, Alabama's National Qualifying Score for floor routines ranks the lowest. The Crimson Tide rank third in the nation on uneven bars, eighth on the vault and 11th on the balance beam, but their floor NQS ranks 15th. However, its floor routines have taken a significant leap forward in recent weeks.

"I think it says a lot about their buy-in," coach Ashley Johnston said. "Each athlete is looking at the facts and understanding how they need to improve. They're not offended by it, they're just simply looking at it as 'OK, this is what I need to do to get closer to my potential and true capabilities.'"

Alabama scored 49.725 on Friday, its second-highest score of the season. Over the first six weeks of the season, Alabama's average score on the floor was 49.367. In its last four meets, the Crimson Tide is averaging 49.606 on the floor. The improvement has been noticeable, and Alabama's gymnasts will need to maintain the caliber of these recent floor performances if they want to make an impact at the upcoming SEC championships.

What's next for Alabama gymnastics?

The Crimson Tide will head to Norman, Oklahoma, for a road meet against the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners on Sunday, March 17. The meet at Oklahoma will be Alabama's final meet of the regular season.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama gymnastics wins senior night quad meet; scores and analysis