Although Alabama gymnastics honored four graduate students and three seniors on senior night, two of those athletes are returning to Coleman Coliseum for one final season: Shania Adams and Cameron Machado.
“Alabama holds such a special place in my heart, and there is nowhere else I’d rather be for my fifth year. These aren’t just teammates to me, they’re my sisters — my family,” Adams said.
Over the last four years that Adams and Machado competed for the Crimson Tide, they helped the gymnastics team make it to the 2024 national championship semifinals and 2023 NCAA regionals as well as win the 2021 SEC championship.
“Alabama is such a special place. The memories and relationships I’ve made here made me realize that I couldn’t leave just yet,” Machado said.
Shania Adams
After four years competing for the Crimson Tide, Adams earned honors for SEC All-Freshman in 2021 and overall All-SEC in 2021 and 2022..
In Adams’ first year, she was the SEC champion on the uneven bars after posting a 9.95. She won five individual titles: two in the all-around, two in the uneven bars and one on the vault.
In her rookie season, she managed her career best on the uneven bars, a 9.975, at the NCAA regional finals.
Coming off of the high of a rookie season as an SEC champion, Adams continued to do well in her sophomore year. She posted a career-high 9.95 on the balance beam at the NCAA regional finals and vaulted a career-best 9.95 in the Crimson Tide’s home tri-meet against North Carolina and Western Michigan.
During the season, she competed on the balance beam five times. She earned a 9.9 or better in four of her routines, three of which were at the NCAA championships.
In Adams’ junior season, she recorded a career best of 9.925 on the floor against Boise State in Coleman Coliseum. She competed on the floor 11 times, achieved a 9.9 or better six times, and earned a season high of 9.9 on the uneven bars and balance beam at the Norman regionals.
Adams started her senior season with a win on the balance beam after posting a 9.9 at the Mean Girls Super 16 Gymnastics Championships.
Adams helped lead Alabama to its third-highest score in program history, sharing an event title on the uneven bars with graduate student Luisa Blanco at the Crimson Tide’s meet against Georgia in February after posting a team score of 9.95.
“Making the decision to come back for my fifth year, with this program, was something I didn’t want to miss out on because I know what all this team is still capable of,” Adams said. “We still have more to accomplish together, and I know there’s still more I can give, in return, to this program and its people.”
Cameron Machado
As a rookie, Machado competed in every meet of the regular season on the uneven bars, winning the event title against Auburn after posting a 9.875. She competed on the balance beam in two meets, with a career-best 9.825 against Kentucky.
As a sophomore, Machado made her floor exercise debut at the season opener against Oklahoma. She went on to receive the David Patterson Work Ethic Award, an Alabama gymnastics award given out at the end-of-the-season awards banquet.
In the 2023 season, Machado scored 9.9 on the uneven bars in all three postseason meets: the SEC Championships, Norman regional semifinals and Norman regional finals.
The 2024 season was full of wins for Machado, as she scored new career bests of 9.975 at the Texas Women’s University Quad Meet on the uneven bars and 9.95 against Georgia on the floor. Against Auburn, she also won the event title on the uneven bars after posting a 9.925.
“Making the decision to come back for a fifth year was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I still have more to give to this program and I can’t wait to run it back for my final year,” Machado said.
