BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama gymnast Azaraya Ra-Akbar was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.

The Baltimore, Md., native recorded her first career 10.000 on uneven bars against Illinois, becoming the Crimson Tide’s first gymnast to score a perfect 10 on the apparatus since the 2023 season and Alabama’s first 10.000 on any event since 2024.

Ra-Akbar also made an impact across multiple events during the weekend. She posted a career-high-tying 9.975 on vault against No. 22 Kentucky, which tied for the highest vault score in the SEC during the weekend. Additionally, she matched her career best with a 9.950 on floor exercise, the second-highest mark recorded in the conference.

Aaraya Ra-Akbar – SEC Freshman of the Week

• Third career SEC weekly honor
• Became the first SEC gymnast this season to score a 10.000 on the uneven bars
• Anchored a record-setting UA bars rotation that produced a program-record and SEC-leading 49.700, which currently ranks second nationally
• Captured her fifth bars event title of the season, bringing her total to 12 event titles overall
• Ranks No. 2 nationally on uneven bars and No. 6 on vault

Alabama’s SEC of the Week Award Winners

• Jan. 20 – Azaraya Ra-Akbar – Gymnast of the Week
• Feb. 17 – Ra-Akbar – Freshman of the Week
• Feb. 24 – Jasmine Cawley – Freshman of the Week
• March 10 – Ra-Akbar – Freshman of the Week