Freshman Alabama Gymnast Chloe LaCoursiere Stepping into New Challenge

Alabama gymnastics' regular season home opener on Friday will be an early test for a promising new member of the roster.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Year two of the Ashley Johnston era of Alabama gymnastics is underway. The aspirations for the 2024 season are vast, including the landmark goal of winning a national championship, a feat that hasn't been accomplished since 2012. While the squad returns a wealth of experience, including future Olympian Luisa Blanco, the new faces are a significant part of the equation. One of those new faces is Chloe LaCoursiere, and she's dialed all the way into the prospect of raising a national championship trophy at season's end.

"I came to Alabama knowing that was our goal," she said. "I joined the team that I knew was capable of that. I'm just taking every opportunity that I have from Luisa and our super-seniors and our seniors as learning opportunities." The all-arounder added that with the college experience being new to her, it's important to be around competitors who are familiar with it that she can learn from and grow alongside. She's soaking in every chance to learn from her teammates as she becomes further acclimated to a new setting.

In her collegiate debut at last Saturday's Mean Girls Super 16 in Las Vegas, LaCoursiere scored a 9.900 on bars, which played no small part in the highest total for an event that the Crimson Tide netted in the contest. That number also helped Alabama reach beyond the 197-point mark in a season opener for the first time in a decade. "That was a moment that I will never forget," she said. "Starting off as the leadoff spot, I knew that's an important role that creates the energy for the routine for the lineups and stuff. When I stuck that dismount, it was a moment where I was like, 'Yes, I did this.'"

Johnston is excited about the depth on the team. She's impressed with her freshmen. An emphasis on winning moments remains, and that team-first mindset has made its mark on the newcomers. "She's so humble," Blanco said of LaCoursiere. "She's just a freshman and she has all this wisdom and gratitude that I could only dream of when I was [her] age. I love this girl. She's a superstar." 

As with any major change of scenery, adjusting to the dynamic of collegiate athletics brings its share of challenges. The San Diego native is taking this in stride, embracing competing for a team rather than herself. "There's just a different mindset going into it," said LaCoursiere. "That just makes it so much more exciting going in to compete." 

Her home debut has technically already happened (at the Crimson and White Preview Meet on Dec. 8). However, the next time LaCoursiere competes inside Coleman Coliseum, the implications will be vastly different.

It's all systems go for a major test in the first regular season home meet of her career. Alabama's triumph over three different teams in Vegas vaulted the team's ranking to fourth— one spot behind its opponent on Friday night, Missouri. These are the moments that can bring out the best in an athlete, particularly one hoping to continue showing off their skills and proving themselves. 

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Alabama Gymnastics Wins Season Opener over Auburn, UCLA and Cal in Super 16 Championship