No. 11 Bama scores season-best at Metroplex Challenge

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 11 Alabama gymnastics team scored a season-best 198.000 at the Metroplex Challenge, finishing second to No. 1 Oklahoma in the quad meet. The Tide finished just .125 behind the Sooners (198.125), while finishing ahead of Arkansas (197.125) and Stanford (196.725).

Alabama and Oklahoma went back-and-forth throughout the competition, with the Tide earning a 49.425 on the uneven bars to open the meet with the team lead. UA scored another 49.425 on the balance beam in the second rotation of the night to total a 98.850 at the halfway point, right behind the Sooners at 99.050. Alabama came back strong with a 49.625 on floor exercise, closed out with three consecutive 9.950s, to take a 148.475-148.450 lead heading into the final rotation. Alabama closed out the night with a season-high 49.525 on vault, closing out its season-high team total of 198.000.

Luisa Blanco, Jordyn Paradise and Makarri Doggette all tied for the vault event title with matching scores of 9.925. Lilly Hudson, Doggette and Blanco also led the Tide on the uneven bars with a trio of 9.900s, with Ella Burgess and Blanco leading UA on beam, also with a pair of 9.900s. Alabama's floor rotation ended with four consecutive scores of 9.9-or-higher, with Shania Adams (9.900), Gabby Gladieux (9.950), Hudson (9.950) and Blanco (9.950) leading the Tide to a 49.625, its second consecutive floor score of 49.600-or-better.

Head Coach Ashley Johnston said

"The momentum out there was incredible tonight. I love when we have the opportunity to prepare for championship moments, and that is what tonight felt like. We were neck-and-neck with Oklahoma heading into the final rotation, and our team really stepped up and went big. I think this meet showed a huge amount of growth for our team, on all of the events, but especially on vault in our final rotation. The team continued to just one-up each other, build momentum and stick vault after vault. That sort of attack in the way they compete is what we want to see on a championship floor, and I'm really proud of how the team went for it out there."

Inside the Scoresheet

• Alabama scored a season-best 198.000 to finish second of four teams at the Metroplex Challenge, only finishing .125 behind the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners
• All four of Alabama's rotation totals were 49.425-or-higher, with Alabama earning a 49.625 on the floor exercise and a 49.525 on the vault to go along with matching scores of 49.425 on the uneven bars and the balance beam The Crimson Tide's 49.625 on the floor exercise marked its second straight week with a score over 49.600, following its 49.700 against Auburn last Friday
• Luisa Blanco scored a 39.675 in the all-around, with a 9.950 on floor exercise, 9.925 on the vault and a pair of 9.900s on the uneven bars and balance beam
• Lilly Hudson scored a 39.550 in the all-around, marking her third consecutive week with an all-around total 39.550-or-higher following back-to-back 39.575s against Kentucky and Auburn Hudson scored a 9.950 on floor exercise, with one judge giving her a perfect 10.0 on the routine, a 9.900 on the uneven bars, a 9.875 on balance beam and a 9.825 on the vault
• In Alabama's season-best 49.525 rotation on the vault, the Tide had three stuck Yurchenko 1.5 vaults that all scored 9.925, with Makarri Doggette, Jordyn Paradise and Luisa Blanco all reaching the mark
• The Crimson Tide posted 12 scores of 9.900-or-higher in the meet, with Doggette (9.925), Paradise (9.925) and Blanco (9.925) on the vault, Hudson (9.900), Doggette (9.900) and Blanco (9.900) on the uneven bars, Ella Burgess (9.900) and Blanco (9.900) on the balance beam, and Adams (9.900), Gladieux (9.950), Hudson (9.950) and Blanco (9.950) on the floor exercise

Up Next

• Alabama will stay on the road for a second straight week and travel to Athens, Ga., for a SEC matchup against the Bulldogs
  The meet will get underway at 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on SEC Network