When gymnast Ashley Priess decided to return for a fifth year, managing her health through a grueling season was paramount for Alabama and head coach Sarah Patterson.

In the first meet against Missouri, Priess competed on the balance beam and scored a 9.75. She anchored the Tide’s uneven bars routine and tallied a 9.825. She has anchored the Tide’s uneven bars routine every year she’s been healthy. Priess wasn’t happy with her scores but understands it is a work in progress. Head coach Sarah Patterson said handling Priess’ ankles would be a “week-to-week” decision.

“We’ve got a good program in terms of managing her body,” head coach Sarah Patterson said. “You can say she has glass ankles, so we have to be very smart with what we’re doing.”

While Priess paces herself before reaching midseason form, teammates are stepping up to fill the holes for the Tide.

“She’s one of those athletes who knows her body really well,” Ria Domier said. “So she’s not pushing herself too hard right now. She’s definitely taking it easier at the beginning of the season, relying on the rest of the team knowing that they can back her up. We love having her compete, but we don’t necessarily need her to compete in the all-around every week to still post great scores.”

Priess is optimistic about the week-to-week management of her ankles.

“I honestly think my past four years have been a constant management between the coaches and myself,” Priess said. “Coming from the elite program, I would say I was a little more beat up than most athletes. But I think the coaches have been very smart and we’ve had good communication to maintain my health. And I feel great this year. Just week by week we’ll see how I feel.”