Alabama Gymnastics Hits All-Around Team Score of 198 at Metroplex Challenge

The Crimson Tide scored a season high in Fort Worth, trailing closely behind the No. 1 and defending national champions Oklahoma Sooners.

Alabama Athletics

In a setting very similar to what the postseason will be like, Alabama gymnastics was able to hit a 198.000 for the first time this season.

It was good enough for a second place finish at the the Metroplex Challenge featuring the Crimson Tide, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Stanford. 

“I love when we have the opportunity to prepare for a championship moment, and that's what tonight felt like," Alabama head coach Ashley Johnston said. "Being neck and neck going into the final rotation, our team really stepped up, and they went big."

Alabama and Oklahoma were pretty close in scores all night, which brought lots of confidence to the team. Oklahoma won with a 198.125 all-around team score with Alabama closely following, Arkansas in third with a 197.125 and Stanford in fourth with a 196.725.

Johnston also said that the gymnasts really weren't intimidated by Oklahoma, the defending national champions.

"I think it was important for us to not worry about the competition," Johnston said. "Oklahoma's a great team, Arkansas' a great team, Stanford's a great team, and it was important for us to ignore the noise and just focus on ourselves."

Alabama gymnastics was in the lead after the first rotation on bars with a 49.425 team score. The team had three nearly perfect routines as Lilly Hudson, Luisa Blanco, and Makarri Doggette all got a 9.9 on bars. Karis German, freshman, was able to compete for the first time in her college career and scored a 9.85.

On beam, Ella Burgess led the team off strong with a 9.9. Following her, Rachel Rybicki received a season-high score of 9.875. Blanco scored her second 9.9 of the night. After the second rotation, Alabama had a team score of 98.850 and was in second place behind Oklahoma by two tenths of a point.

Shania Mitchell has scored a 9.9 on floor the past three meets in a row this season which shows lots of consistency. Gabby Gladieux, Blanco, and Hudson all received a 9.95 on floor with it being a season-high for Gladieux, a 10.0 to one judge for Hudson, and Blanco's third 9.95 of the night.

After the third rotation, Alabama had a team score of 148.475 putting them back in the lead by only .025 with Oklahoma closely behind. 

On the last rotation, Makarri Doggette opened with a huge yurchenko 1.5 and scored a 9.925. Last week against Auburn, she had a fall on vault, but clearly redeemed herself. Johnston said that the team didn't really change anything at practice to perfect their vaulting skills.

Instead, she said that the team needed to go big and try to get those stuck landings. The gymnasts know how to play it safe or take a step. After the four stuck landings tonight, Johnston said going big surely paid off.

"We’ve approached it to go for the sticks," Johnston said. "That hasn’t paid off the last couple of weeks, but we really believed that it would.”

Along with Doggette, Jordyn Paradise and Blanco also scored a 9.925, and Shallon Olsen scored a 9.875. Those four gymnasts all had beautiful stuck landings, which is something the team has worked on.

All-arounder, Blanco, finished with a 39.675 all-around score. The second all-arounder, Hudson, finished with a 39.550. The team was able to break personal records and receive a season-high of 198.000, which shows the potential of this team. 

“It really helps our confidence tremendously, but there is still more work to do," Johnston said. "And so we're going to take the things that went really well try to replicate those things, but then work on the things that we struggled with so that we can continue to improve that scoring potential.”