Lexi Graber couldn’t hide the surprise on her face. The junior had just stuck her landing and nailed her best Yurchenko 1.5 vault of the season, earning a 9.975.

“I shock myself sometimes,” Graber said. “I swear every time I watch it back, my face is just hilarious … When my teammates were literally right there and I turn around is the best part, so I just re-watch the ending like 5 million times.”

Her facial expression was topped only by adding a big score for her team against Florida on the way to Alabama gymnastics’ highest road score since 2017.

Graber competed in the all-around that night, as she has in six of seven meets for the Crimson Tide. She contributed 9.925s on floor and beam on the way to a 39.625 as part of the team score of 197.450. 

The only other gymnasts to compete in the all-around for Alabama this year are two freshmen – Makarri Doggette and Luisa Blanco.

In order to protect her knee and help her be fully ready for the postseason, Doggette has only competed in the all-around once. She has usually competed on bars and beam, which have less impact on the knee than vault or floor. 

Doggette said she admires the consistency and competitiveness that Graber brings in the all-around on a weekly basis.

“Lexi’s somebody that I’ve always just looked up to from the beginning,” Doggette said. “Just somebody that I’ve always been like, ‘Wow, I want to be like that.’ I want to be that consistent and that sure of myself.”

Alabama coach Dana Duckworth has often called Graber a “competitor” and a “gamer.” 

Duckworth said there have been times in practice when Graber hasn’t made the top six for certain lineups (only the top six gymnasts compete on each event at a meet), and instead of pitying herself, Graber puts in the work to get back into the lineup.

“There’s been a couple positions on bars where she hasn’t been in [the top six] and hasn’t been like, ‘Oh, woe is me,’” Duckworth said. “It’s like, ‘I’ll show you.’ And she earns it back. It’s good. It creates a competitiveness that makes us stronger.”

Graber said the depth and caliber of competition at Alabama push her in practice each week. 

“You know your spot isn’t secure, so it just makes the top six even better because they know they’ve earned it,” Graber said. “So personally that’s just motivating, because I know if I’m in that top six, I’ve earned it.”

The junior is ranked 14th in the country on floor and 15th on vault. She doesn’t like the spotlight to be on her as an individual, but instead on the team. 

“I just kind of do it for my team, and so as long as our team does well, it’s kind of what I’m focused on,” Graber said. “It’s just kind of weird to have that spotlight and that attention.”

The spotlight will return to Graber and the rest of the Crimson Tide when the team returns home for a meet against Kentucky this Friday at 7:15 p.m.