No treats. Just tricks.
The Alabama gymnastics team held its annual Halloween-themed intrasquad meet Tuesday night in the Frances Smith Practice Facility at Coleman Coliseum. For the second year in a row, the Ghosts defeated the Goblins, 50-47.
“Oh, I love competition,” Alabama coach Dana Duckworth said. “I think any time you can compete in this kind of environment, where you can get the butterflies and create an atmosphere that’s more like a competition, is the ideal situation to prepare for the season.”
The winning Ghosts included seniors Kiana Winston and Jennie Loeb, junior Ari Guerra, sophomores Wynter Childers, Shea Mahoney and Maddie Desch and freshmen Alonza Klopfer and Lexi Graber.
Meanwhile, seniors Nickie Guerrero and Mackenzie Brannan juniors Angelina Giancroce and Abby Armbrecht, sophomore Peyton Ernst and freshmen Bailie Key and Kylie Dickson competed as the Goblins.
But there’s always one who spooked the most.
“Shea Mahoney,” Duckworth said. “To see her not get too juiced up and do the vault that she did, the floor that she did and then that bar routine, yeah, I’d have to says she’s the MVP.”
It was the first time Alabama fans got to see the four freshmen in action, too.
The victory marked the Ghosts’ third in six years and fourth in the last 14. It came down to stuck landings since those garnered an extra point this year with the way scoring worked.
“I felt very proud of the beam performances,” Duckworth said. “Because – I don’t know how many beam routines we did but – everyone fought maybe some small wobbles, but for the most part, we nailed it.”
Alabama’s competitive schedule starts Jan. 5 at Michigan. The following week is the team’s home opener against Georgia.
The intrasquad was just a preview of what’s in store for this season.
“Fifteen young women and I can’t really pick one thing that stood out more than anything except the fact they all work so well together,” Duckworth said. “They have done everything we’ve asked them to do. We are further along right now than we have been in the past.”
