Alabama gymnastics beat the Arkansas Razorbacks Friday evening with a margin of greater than 1 point at the Power of Pink meet. The final score was 197.95-196.9.
“We could really just feel the energy in the air, and it was just so uplifting,” head coach Ashley Johnston said. “We were really focused and mission driven, but we had a lot of fun tonight. That’s the recipe for this team.”
Rotation 1
As the home team, Alabama competed in Olympic order starting on the vault. Arkansas started the meet on the uneven bars. The Crimson Tide posted a 49.5 and the Razorbacks posted a 49.25.
Alabama’s highest scorer was freshman Azaraya Ra-Akbar, who posted a 9.975. This score landed Ra-Akbar the vault title.
Rotation 2
Alabama was on the uneven bars for Rotation 2 and made a score of 49.475. Arkansas made a 49.075 on the vault. This brought Alabama’s total to 98.975 and Arkansas’ to 98.325.
On the uneven bars, senior Natalia Pawlak fell in the fourth position, scoring a 9.275. This put pressure on the last two competitors, Ra-Akbar and junior Chloe LaCoursiere, to compete at their best. Those two delivered, each posting a 9.95.
“Following that [the fall] up, I was proud of her [Pawlak] and I knew that didn’t change my job,” LaCoursiere said. “So I stepped up, went for my handstands, went for the big dismount, and I knew my routine was going to be there because my team had my back.”
LaCoursiere’s and Ra-Akbar’s routines got spectators in Coleman Coliseum up on their feet shouting “10! 10! 10!” in hopes of their routines achieving that score. Ra-Akbar and LaCoursiere shared the uneven bars title.
Rotation 3
For the third rotation, Alabama was on the balance beam and Arkansas was on the floor. On the balance beam, Alabama posted a 49.425 to bring its total to 148.4. On the floor, the Razorbacks made a 49.275 to bring their total to 147.6.
The Crimson Tide’s highest beam score was a 9.9. Freshman Jasmine Cawley, senior Gabby Gladieux and LaCousiere each posted a 9.9. Cawley, Gladieux and LaCoursiere shared the title.
“Staying present is what was super huge this week. Staying present, being in the moment and playing our game,” Cawley said.
Rotation 4
Alabama’s final rotation was on the floor, and Arkansas’ was on the balance beam. Alabama made a 49.55 on the floor, and Arkansas made a 49.3 on the balance beam.
Junior Jamison Sears posted a 9.1 after falling out of bounds on her last tumbling pass. Following that, in the anchor position, Gladieux posted a 9.975 after one judge gave her a 10 and the other a 9.95.
Gladieux took the floor title and the all-around title with a total score of 39.6.
Alabama gymnastics will be back in action next Friday at Auburn for the Iron Bowl of Gymnastics. The meet is set to start at 7:45 p.m. CT and can be streamed on SEC Network.
