The No. 8 Alabama gymnastics team defeated No. 16 Missouri 196.85-196.55 Friday night at Hearnes Arena in Columbia, Missouri.
“I thought the fight, resilience and ability just to adapt was incredible,” UA coach Dana Duckworth said. “I think that we didn’t get the landings we totally wanted. But I also feel like it was a very aggressive performance. And we were looking for that, too.”
Alabama started the meet with a season-high 49.25 on the uneven bars, led by Shea Mahoney’s 9.9, which earned her the individual title on the apparatus.
On vault, Alabama decided to go with just five gymnasts instead of six. That meant everyone’s score counted, and UA finished with a 49.125. Mahoney and Lexi Graber both scored a team-high 9.875, tying for first on the event with two Missouri gymnasts.
Graber unexpectedly competed all-around for the Crimson Tide after sitting out last week’s loss to LSU with a big toe injury sustained in warmups. Duckworth had said Wednesday that Graber would most likely do vault, bars and balance beam, holding off on the floor exercise since there’s still a lot season left. Things clearly changed by the time of competition.
According to the SEC Network broadcast, Abby Armbrecht did not make the trip to Missouri because of a stomach bug. She normally competes vault, beam and floor for Alabama. That probably factored into the Graber decision.
Regardless, Graber knocked out a career-high and a meet-high 9.925 on floor to boost the Crimson Tide to a season-best 49.375.
Alabama, heading into the fourth and final rotation, had a strong four-tenths overall lead over Missouri. The Crimson Tide finished out with a 49.1 on beam, paced by Alonza Klopfer’s 9.875 that won the event, that ultimately sealed the deal.
Up next, Alabama heads to No. 24 Arkansas.
Reach Terrin Waack at twaack@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0229.
ALABAMA SCORES
Uneven bars
Ariana Guerra: 9.85
Kylie Dickson: 9.85
Jensie Givens: 9.8
Shea Mahoney: 9.9
Lexi Graber: 9.8
Emily Gaskins: 9.85
Vault
Shea Mahoney: 9.875
Emily Gaskins: 9.85
Ariana Guerra: 9.75
Lexi Graber: 9.875
Shallon Olsen: 9.775
Floor exercise
Maddie Desch: 9.85
Shea Mahoney: 9.85
Lexi Graber: 9.925
Ariana Guerra: 9.9
Shallon Olsen: 9.85
Emily Gaskins: 9.2
Balance beam
Alonza Klopfer: 9.875
Maddie Desch: 9.825
Wynter Childers: 9.825
Shallon Olsen: 9.75
Emily Gaskins: 9.825
Lexi Graber: 9.75
