Much like the fireworks lit before the meet, the Alabama gymnastics team finished its home and SEC opener on the floor with a bang.
As the last performer, senior Lauren Beers wrapped up the night with a near-perfect floor routine. She scored a 9.950 and locked in Friday’s 197.175 to 196.050 win over the Missouri Tigers for Alabama.
Junior Amanda Jetter also scored a 9.950 during Alabama’s final rotation.
It was Jetter’s floor debut of the 2016 season.
“I personally love doing floor. It’s so enjoyable,” she said. “I know all the rest of the team loves doing floor. We like seeing each other’s floor routines. We just get so into it. We even love training for it.”
Jetter wasn’t the only Alabama gymnast to take the floor for the first time this season. Junior Mackenzie Valentin and sophomore Nickie Guerrero also made their debut. Valentin scored a 9.825, and Guerrero scored a 9.875.
Not just new to the floor this season but new to competing at the collegiate level overall, freshman Ariana Guerra made her college debut during the floor exercise against Missouri and scored a 9.900.
“Even before I was going, I was pointing at them,” Guerra said. “I was like, ‘This is for you. This is not even for me.’ We’ve been working together to do our best that we can do every day, and it paid off in the end.”
Duckworth called Guerra’s floor routine “beautiful” and said it’s been almost two full years since Guerra has been physically able to compete.
“I couldn’t stop crying after Ari [Guerra] finished her floor routine,” Duckworth said.
Guerra came in third overall for the floor event.
With their scores of 9.950, Jetter and Beers locked in first and second, and sophomore Nicki Guerrero came in fourth with a 9.875.
Scoring a 49.500, Alabama was able to increase its floor score from Sunday’s loss against UCLA by 0.200.
There were only two gymnasts who competed on Friday night who also competed on Sunday. Beers increased her personal floor score by 0.25, but junior Aja Sims, who went first for Alabama’s final rotation, decreased her personal score by 0.125. Sims scored a 9.7000 on Friday night.
“To finish strong on floor after a rocky beam performance should give these ladies amazing confidence that if we can continue to have these kinds of experiences, we can only grow and get better,” Duckworth said.
