So far this season, Alabama has defeated reigning co-national champion, Florida, and handed Auburn its 111th consecutive loss in a lopsided rivalry series. The team is ranked No. 6 nationally, and has dropped only one meet on the road. Take a look at how the team performs in each rotation of the meet.
Vault
National rank: No. 5
Season-high score: 49.5
Powerful vaults open home meets for the Crimson Tide and opened a new era for the team under Duckworth. The first athlete to perform under Duckworth was sophomore Keely McNeer, who posted a 9.8. McNeer, the team’s usual lead-off athlete on the vault, said the honor of beginning a new chapter of Alabama gymnastics is one she won’t soon forget. On Friday, the team posted a 49.2 behind senior Kayla Williams, who scored a 9.9. Williams missed the entirety of last season after suffering an injury before the team’s first meet, but was still voted a team captain.
Bars
National rank: No. 12
Season-high score: 49.35
Though the team is ranked No. 12 nationally on the uneven bars, it is consistently the team’s lowest scoring event. In the first meet of the season, the team struggled on the apparatus after suffering a pair of falls in the second rotation of the meet. On Friday’s victory over Auburn, though, Alabama posted a 49.35 on the apparatus, its highest score of the season, topping its previous high score of 49.225. The team was led by a pair of 9.9s by Lauren Beers and Katie Bailey, followed by a 9.875 by Aja Sims.
Beam
National rank: No. 7
Season-high score: 49.325
The balance beam gave the Crimson Tide trouble earlier this season, after it suffered three falls at Arkansas in its first road match of the season, resulting in the team’s first loss. Duckworth said moving forward, she expected Alabama to perform like the beam team it was capable of being, and it did. The next week, Alabama counted no falls and went on to defeat reigning national co-champions Florida. The team is ranked No. 7 nationally in the event with a season-high score of 49.325, which the team tied on Friday against Auburn, led by a pair of 9.9 scores from McNeer and Beers.
Floor
National rank: No. 2
Season-high score: 49.45
The floor exercise has been Alabama’s strong suit this season which is not surprising with Duckworth at the helm of the program. Duckworth has choreographed five national championship floor routines, including three for the Crimson Tide.
“The way you pick out the style is a lot based on the personality of the athlete,” Duckworth said. “It’s designed about what piece of music is going to help them be their best.”
The Crimson Tide was ranked first nationally on the floor exercise for much of the season, but is currently sitting at No. 2 behind reigning national co-champion, Oklahoma. On Friday, the team posted a 49.450 on the event.
