Last Friday, the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide gymnasts beat the North Carolina Tar Heels at home. This Friday, the team will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, to compete against the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats for Week 2.
After a big win last week, the Crimson Tide is looking to repeat but is still trying to keep its attention to detail.
“I want to celebrate the amazing moments yet at the same time keep our tunnel vision and focus on the things we need to get better,” head coach Ashley Johnston said.
Against UNC, several freshmen made their collegiate debut. Freshman Paityn Walker landed the uneven bars title.
“I’m really proud of our team, who is a little bit younger than past teams we’ve had. [They] just jumped in and competed like seasoned veterans,” Johnston said. “I was really proud of how they transitioned all their work onto the competition floor.”
In the 2024 season, Alabama’s first loss was to Kentucky, which went on to be the SEC runner-up. The Wildcats held the lead throughout the meet, and then-Kentucky fifth year Raena Worley won most of the event titles. However, Worley has since graduated to being an assistant coach for the Wildcats, leaving some room for Alabama to sneak in and win titles.
“As we head into Kentucky I want to keep that mindset of starting strong, handling the noise for our first away trip,” Johnston said.
Last season, Crimson Tide gymnasts fell on the balance beam and made a few other missteps that knocked crucial hundredths of points off the team score. However, last week, they did not fall on the balance beam and will hope to continue that trend.
The meet starts at 6 p.m. CT and will be streamed on SEC Network+.