Alabama Gymnastics Trying to Maintain Momentum Despite Injury Issues

The Crimson Tide continues to try and fight through injuries as it pushes toward the postseason

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It's been nothing short of a  juggling act. 

As the University of Alabama gymnastics team heads toward its final home meet of the regular season, against Georgia on Saturday (7:15 p.m., SEC Network), the lineup remains in flux. 

Freshman Makarri Doggette is coming back from a knee injury, while sophomore Griffin James suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against Arkansas on Valentine's Day. Meanwhile, hard falls have also forced last-minute changes. 

From senior Maddie Desch to junior Lexi Graber, the substitutions have been arguably the one constant of the season. Consequently, the Crimson Tide’s lineup has always been in flux, especially during its last meet against Kentucky.

“When one person is down, someone else has the opportunity to step up, step in, grow and dominate. I think we have seen that multiple times,” Crimson Tide coach Dana Duckworth said. “The other day we knew Makarri was not going to go on beam and Lexi had to pull herself out. I had to throw Ella Burgess back in there and ask Maddie to take a brand-new beam routine we have not done yet and say 'Let’s just go for it.'

"It is the hardest part of your job because you do not want to see anyone’s hard work be at a disadvantage because they are injured.”

While the injuries are definitely known in a physical aspect, the gymnast are mentally affected by it too.

For example, Griffin's absence has left a lineup spot that junior Alonza Klopfer, freshman Louisa Blanco and sophomore Emily Gaskins are trying to full. 

Duckworth also has to weigh trying to rest Doggette to be ready for the postseason, or slowly adding to her workload each week. 

Alabama still has the equivalent of a depth chart for each event. On bars the Crimson Tide has nine possibilities. 

But the postseason is a different kind of grind. 

"When you look at health it becomes more of a mental health for me," the coach said. "I think that now it is a mental game. They are physically prepared. We are strong and I think we can handle two days in a row really well. I just hope we are given the opportunity to do that. Not only at the regional championship but at the national championship, because that is our goal.”

Despite the injuries, Alabama gymnastics keeps its drive towards the end goal: a national championship. 

However, it's essentially in the same spot as a year ago, when the Crimson Tide was seeded 10th overall. It finished third at the Ann Arbor Regional and failed to reach the NCAA Championships for the first time since the championships began in 1982.

Last week, Alabama went into the Kentucky meet ranked ninth. Yet it knows it still has the potential to make a postseason run.

“I was voting today, and someone said, 'Hey coach I am sorry you are having a bad season,'" Duckworth explained. "I said, 'No sir you are wrong, we are having a great season as a matter of fact.' They get tied up in the rankings. 

"The idea is that you get to that regional championship and everyone starts from zero, and we know it and what a great team we are. So, I focus on our scoreboard, which is to go in there every day and do the very best we can. We are going to do great today and not get caught up in what’s next. A lot can change.”

Each gymnast has been able to adapt to not only the competition but to the role she has to play for the team.

“It has been really awesome to see just how serious people who aren’t in the top lineups take their role," senior Shea Mahoney said. "If they didn’t then we would not be able to do what we do.

“You never know, on any given day, the ninth person can go in. We have already done it this year and that ninth person was so ready to go and hit a great routine because they owned their role. I think that is what is so special about this team because it doesn’t matter if you are top six or not. Everybody on this team has embraced their role to the fullest. As seniors we couldn’t be prouder to see them truly own that.”