Alabama senior Kayla Hoffman nails her landing on the vault. She scored a 9.95 and tied for first place with freshman teammate Diandra Milliner at the NCAA Championships on Saturday, April 16, 2011 in Cleveland, Ohio. (UA photo)In the past eight years, the Alabama gymnastics team finished second three times and third thrice at the NCAA Championships.
Congratulations? Quite the contrary.
"There was a time when we finished second three years in a row, and I would return from nationals and receive sympathy cards from several fans," Alabama coach Sarah Patterson said Saturday night.
Sympathy? Hold those cards this year.
The top-seeded Crimson Tide won its fifth national championship at the Wolstein Center on Cleveland State University's campus, edging defending champion and second-seeded UCLA 197.650 to 197.325.
Patterson was asked how it felt finally to get over the hump.
"I think it is the expectations," Patterson said. "At the University of Alabama, we compete for the national championship. We have great teams in all our sports, and I feel like it is an expectation."
A team that looked too young before the season never looked better than it did on this night, and two of the gymnasts that led the way were newcomers.
Freshman Kim Jacob won the balance beam competition with a score of 9.95 and freshman Diandra Milliner tied senior teammate Kayla Hoffman for first place on the vault with a score of 9.95.
Suddenly, coaches who voted Alabama No. 2 in the preseason poll looked fairly smart.
Expectations? All around.
"When I saw it, I thought, 'Are you kidding me?'" said Patterson, who completed her 33rd season as Alabama's head coach. "That is what people expect us to do, that by the end of the season, somehow, some way with 13 new routines, eight freshmen, people who haven't competed before, that we would find a way to be competitive.
"I guess my peers were off by one."
Third-seeded Oklahoma (197.250) finished third, followed by Nebraska (196.725), Utah (196.500) and Michigan (196.425).
Going into the final rotation, Alabama led UCLA by the slimmest of margins (.025). The meet came down to Alabama on the floor and UCLA on the balance beam. Alabama scored a 49.45. UCLA scored a 49.2.
Hoffman had stumbled on the beam, scoring only a 9.375, but she performed last on the floor exercise and won with a score of 9.95. Junior teammate Geralen Stack-Eaton finished second at 9.925.
"Kayla has been an anchor for us all year," Patterson said. "I will tell you the moment that I think made the difference was when Kayla made the mistake on the balance beam and came off. Freshman Sarah DeMeo and Geralen was next. She came off - and these two here (Hoffman and Stack-Eaton) can be pretty hard on themselves - but she just smiled and told Sarah, 'I know we've got this.'
"We've talked about teamwork and that you don't have to be perfect, but you step up when somebody needs you. That's what they did. I think the way Kayla handled the situation set the tone for the entire night."
Alabama junior Geralen Stack-Eaton competes on the balance beam. She scored a 9.875. (UA photo)DeMeo scored a 9.85 and Stack-Eaton added a 9.875 on the beam, giving the Tide a team score of 49.350. Only Oklahoma (49.425) scored higher.
"I was very nervous," Stack-Eaton said of her beam routine. "I have never been that nervous since my freshman year. And when I missed my connection and nailed that handspring, I just took a deep breath and went for it, and I made it, thankfully, and I kept the team going and kept the energy going."
Stack-Eaton finished second on the all-around with a 39.475. Michigan's Kylee Botterman defended her 2010 all-around title, winning with a score of 39.575.
Hoffman admitted she felt pressure going into the floor exercise.
"You know, so many emotions going through my head," she said. "I really just kind of took a deep breath and knew that I had to do this for my team. ... I just tried to relax and let it happen.
"I have been doing this for a long time, and sometimes it's better if you don't over think it and just let it happen. It was just a great way to end my senior year. I just couldn't think of a better way to end it."
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
SUPER SIX FINALS
Saturday at Cleveland
....................Score
1. Alabama 197.650
2. UCLA 197.325
3. Oklahoma 197.250
4. Nebraska 196.725
5. Utah 196.500
6. Michigan 196.425