AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 3 Alabama gymnastics team (5-2, 3-2 SEC) rolled past its in-state rival No. 18 Auburn (2-8, 0-6 SEC), 197.950-197.250, Friday night at Neville Arena. The team total matched its threshold from a week ago and helped the Crimson Tide capture its first victory at Auburn since the 2018 season.

National bars leader Chloe LaCoursiere highlighted the night, registering three-straight scores of 9.900-or-higher for the third time this season and second in as many weeks. Six gymnasts captured a total of six event titles – Jordyn Paradise on vault (9.950), LaCoursiere and Azaraya Ra-Akbar on bars (9.950), Jasmine Cawley and Kylee Kvamme on beam (9.925) and Gabby Gladieux on the floor exercise (9.925).

“I’m so incredibly proud of our team tonight. Coming in here, we knew this was going to be a tough environment and a tough competition. There’s never a doubt in my mind that an Iron Bowl is going to be cutthroat and intense until the final moments, whether that’s gymnastics, football – it just doesn’t matter; there’s always a weird magic in the air and you never know which way it’s going to go. [Throughout the week], we practice and simulated what those moments were going to feel like tonight, to where our team walked in and felt prepared and ready to handle anything.

“Our word of the week this week has been ‘certain’ – whatever uncertainty we faced, we wanted to be certain that we could handle it, and I think the team did a really good job of that tonight. We got multiple half-tenths better tonight, here and there, and ultimately had another great team score. But, we’re hungry for more. That’s the mindset of this team – unphased and relentless.”

Team Stats

• Alabama secured a 197.950 team score in back-to-back weeks
• The Tide earned six event titles:

  • Vault – Jordyn Paradise – 9.950
  • Uneven Bars – LaCoursiere, Ra-Akbar – 9.950
  • Balance Beam – Cawley, Kvamme – 9.925
  • Floor Exercise – Gladieux – 9.925

• LaCoursiere secured three 9.900-or-higher scores in one meet for the second week in a row:

  • Uneven Bars – 9.950
  • Floor Exercise – 9.900
  • Balance Beam – 9.900

• For the second meet this season, Alabama counted all five scores of 9.900 or higher:
  
• As the national bars leader, LaCoursiere’s 9.950 on the uneven bars extended her run of seven straight meets scoring at least a 9.925 on the apparatus
• Sears’ 9.900 gave the junior six scores of 9.900-or-higher this season on the floor exercise

How it Happened

Uneven Bars

Vault

• The Tide registered a 49.375
• Jordyn Paradise tied her career-high score of a 9.950

Floor Exercise

• Alabama steamrolled through its third event, scoring a 49.525 as all five countable scores were either a 9.900 or a 9.925
• Jasmine Cawley and McKenzie Matters earned career-high 9.900 scores

Balance Beam

• The Tide closed the night with yet another 49.525
• Four scores of 9.900 or 9.925 highlighted the final rotation

Up Next

• Alabama will travel to Baton Rouge, La., for a two-meet weekend
• The Crimson Tide will face the LSU Tigers Friday, Jan. 27, at 8:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network
• On Sunday, March 1, Alabama will then compete at the P&G Podium Challenge against LSU and North Carolina at 4 p.m.