CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 3 Alabama gymnastics team (9-4) defeated Illinois (4-12), 197.125-196.175, Sunday afternoon in Huff Hall. The Crimson Tide’s uneven bars rotation highlighted the day, as the squad recorded a program-record 49.700 score, spearheaded by a perfect 10.000 from freshman Azaraya Ra-Akbar.

Ra-Akbar’s perfect routine, and the Tide’s first since the 2024 season, gave her five event titles this season on the uneven bars and marked the first 10.000 on bars by a UA gymnast since program alum Makarri Doggette in 2023. Entering Sunday, the Tide’s 49.700 rotation score ranks second nationally and leads the Southeastern Conference.

Individually, Gabby Gladieux returned to the all-around, tallying a 39.500 to claim her fifth all-around title of the year. Gladieux also won vault with a season-high 9.925 to give her a team-leading 13 event titles this season. Jamison Sears’ 9.925 on the floor exercise rounded out Alabama’s individual event winners.

“I’m incredibly proud of how this team started the competition. [Factoring in] back-to-back competitions and a travel day yesterday, we came in with really activated energy. We were sharp and crisp with how we handled bars – coming out with a program-record high score which was unbelievable. I think they continued to carry pretty good momentum throughout the meet. On the final event, though, kind of fell out of the moment, which is something we’re going to put a huge emphasis on this week – figuring out how to help this team compete out of passion and love, and not out of fear, when they go over to beam.

“We learn from every single competition we’re in and I think we gained a lot from this weekend and a lot of experience. We got a lot of people in lineups, and we’re going to keep working towards finding every little way to be relentless in getting better.”

Team Stats

• With the victory, Alabama continued its streak of posting a 197 team score in every competition this season
• For the first time since 2023, a Crimson Tide gymnast scored a perfect 10 on the uneven bars, as the feat also marked the second time in three years an Alabama gymnast has scored a 10.000 on March 8

  • 2024 – Luisa Blanco – vault and floor
  • 2026 – Ra-Akbar – bars

• UA’s 49.700 rotation score on the uneven bars broke the program record of 49.675 set in 2021 and ranks second nationally, while leading the SEC, entering the week
• Three Alabama gymnasts earned four individual event titles:

  • Vault – Gabby Gladieux – 9.925
  • Uneven Bars – Ra-Akbar – 10.000
  • Floor Exercise – Jamison Sears – 9.925
  • All-Around – Gladieux – 39.550

• Chloe LaCoursiere’s 9.975 on bars extended her streak to 11 consecutive meets scoring 9.925 or higher on the apparatus
• Sears (9.925) has now scored 9.900 or higher in nine meets this season
• Gladieux set a career high on the uneven bars (9.900) and a season high on vault (9.925)
• Natalia Pawlak’s 9.950 matched her career high on the uneven bars

How it Happened

Uneven Bars

• Alabama opened the meet with a program-record 49.700
• Gladieux led off with a career-high 9.900, followed by Pawlak’s 9.950 in the No. 3 spot
• National leaders Chloe LaCoursiere and Azaraya Ra-Akbar anchored the rotation with back-to-back 9.975-or-better routines, including Ra-Akbar’s first career 10.000

Vault

• The Tide recorded a 49.200 in the second rotation
• Gladieux highlighted the event with a season-high 9.925 in the No. 4 spot

Floor Exercise

• Alabama tallied a 49.450score in the third rotation
• Three UA gymnasts highlighted the event with 9.900-or-higher routines
• Matters (No. 3 spot) recorded her second 9.900-or-better score of the weekend before Sears (No. 5 spot) added a 9.925
• Gladieux anchored with a 9.900, marking her fifth consecutive routine of at least a 9.900

Balance Beam

• The Tide scored a 48.775 in the final rotation
• LaCoursiere highlighted the event with a 9.875

Up Next

• Alabama returns to Coleman Coliseum on Friday, March 13, to face Georgia for Capes and Crowns/Senior Night
• The contest will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT and will stream live on SEC Network+