Gymnastics NATIONAL COLLEGIATE WOMEN’S Highlights Alabama squeezes by Florida, edges Gators, 197.850-197.775, for crown: The 2012 NCAA women’s gymnastics championships came down to the fi nal routine, just as Alabama coach Sarah Patterson expected. Patterson was confi dent because she had senior Ashley Priess set for that last routine. Priess closed Alabama’s decisive balance beam rotation with a 9.950 and the Crimson Tide edged No. 1 seed Florida to win its second consecutive cham- pionship April 21 at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga.. Alabama won its sixth title by posting a score of 197.850 to beat Florida’s 197.775, giving the Southeastern Conference the top two spots in its Super Six showdown with the Pac-12. Entering the fi nal rotation, Florida led Alabama by only 25-thousandths of a point. The Gators scored a 49.40 on their fi nal routine, the fl oor exercise, and Alabama won with its 49.50 on the beam. ”I realized our scores had matched up with theirs pretty well and it was going to come down to that last routine,” Patterson said. Florida closed its fl oor routine with a 9.925 from all-around champion Kytra Hunter. ”I knew that Ashley was going on the balance beam, and I knew it came down to that routine,” Patterson said. If Priess knew the championship would be decided by her routine, she didn’t show any sign of pressure. ”There really was nothing in my mind that I have to stick this or I really need a good score,” Priess said. ”Championships always come down to the last routine. No matter if it was a close meet or not close, I knew I had to do my job. ”The only thing that was going through my mind was to be calm, cool and collected and just do my job.” When Priess completed her near-perfect performance, the Alabama fans in the crowd of 5,495 erupted with a roar that was renewed when the team scores were announced. UCLA was third at 197.750, followed by Stanford (197.500), Utah (197.375) and Arkansas (196.300). Only SEC and Pac-12 teams advanced to the Super Six from Friday’s semifi nals. ”I said going into this championship that this would be the closest and most contentious championship that I had ever coached in,” Patterson said. ”I just felt with the quality of the teams, it was going to come down to the very end.” The Gators had their sixth top-fi ve fi nish in the last seven years but again were denied their fi rst title. Florida coach Rhonda Faehn called the close loss ”extremely painful and hard.” ”But at the same time, I look at what our athletes did accomplish and how incredible they did,” Faehn said. ”I’m super proud of them. Of course we wanted to win, but there can only be one winner. This is incredible motivation for all of our athletes. We feel that we did everything right this season and it was just one little thing. They’re going to carry this and they should be very proud of this performance and use it as fuel for next year, too.” Senior Geralen Stack-Eaton led Alabama’s fl oor exercise with a 9.950 after scoring a 9.975 on the vault. Sophomore Diandra Milliner added a 9.950 on the vault as Alabama’s 49.625 topped the strong 49.525 vault total posted by UCLA early in the day. UCLA was led by junior Vanessa Zamarripa’s 10.0 on vault – the only perfect score of the meet – and career-best 39.775 all-around score. Zamarripa fi nished the regular season ranked No. 1 on the vault for the third time in her career. Attendance at the fi nal session was 5,495, after totals of 3,831 and 4,286 at the opening two sessions. 2 WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS—TEAM STANDINGS 2012 TEAM STANDINGS Nebraska; and Corrie Lothrop, Utah, 39.425; 14. (tie) Emily Uneven parallel bars: 1. Kat Ding, Georgia, 9.9875; 2. Sami (Note: Scores for the top six teams are from the team-final ses- Wong, Nebraska, and Brie Olson, Oklahoma, 39.375; 16. Shapiro, Stanford, 9.9000; 3. Olivia Courtney, UCLA, 9.8875; sion. Scores for all other teams are from the team-preliminary Makayla Stambaugh, Oregon St., 39.350; 17. (tie) Brittany 4. Brie Olson, Oklahoma, 9.8750; 5. Vanessa Zamarripa, session.) Harris, Oregon St.; Nicole Pechanec, Stanford; and UCLA, 9.8500; 6. (tie) Aisha Gerber, UCLA, and Mackenzie 1. Alabama ...............................................................197.850 Erica Brewer, Oklahoma, 39.325; 20. (tie) Amy Borsellino, Caquatto, Florida, 9.8250; 8. Alaina Johnson, Florida, 9.4875. 2. Florida ....................................................................197.775 Arkansas; Moriah Martin, Denver; and Sharaya Musser, Balance beam: 1. Geralen Stack-Eaton, Alabama, 9.9375; 3. UCLA ......................................................................197.750 Penn St., 39.300; 23. (tie) Melanie Jones, Oregon St.; Amy 2. Megan Ferguson, Oklahoma, 9.9250; 3. Katie Matusik, 4. Stanford ................................................................197.500 Arizona, 9.8875; 4. (tie) Ivana Hong, Stanford, and Amanda Glass, Boise St.; Rachel Updike, Missouri; and Taylor Spears, 5. Utah ........................................................................197.375 Spinner, Stanford, 9.8750; 6. Katherine Grable, Arkansas, Oklahoma, 39.275; 27. Janelle Giblin, Nebraska, 39.250; 9.8625; 7. (tie) Ashley Priess, Alabama; Samantha Peszek, 6. Arkansas ...............................................................196.300 28. Sara Stone, Oklahoma, 39.225; 29. Brittany Skinner, 7. Oklahoma ............................................................196.925 UCLA; and Sara Stone, Oklahoma, 9.8500; 10. Emily Wong, 8. Nebraska ..............................................................196.625 Nebraska, 39.150; 30. Marissa King, Florida, 39.125; 31. (tie) Nebraska, 9.8250; 11. Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, UCLA, 9.7750; 12. 9. LSU ..........................................................................196.550 Lesli Mak, Oregon St., and Aubree Cristello, Arizona, 39.075; Jaime Pisani, Arkansas, 9.6875. 10. Ohio St. ..................................................................196.525 33. Kayla Slechta, Minnesota, 39.050; 34. Vanessa Zamarripa, Floor exercise: 1. Kat Ding, Georgia, 9.9500; 2. (tie) 11. Georgia..................................................................196.500 UCLA, 38.975; 35. Alizs Vaccher, Washington, 38.925; 36. Geralen Stack-Eaton, Alabama, and Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, 12. Oregon St. ............................................................196.475 Dusti Russell, Minnesota, 38.900; 37. Randi Lau, LSU, 38.875; UCLA, 9.9375; 4. (tie) Kytra Hunter, Florida, and Melanie 38. (tie) Noel Couch, Georgia; Morgan Evans, North Carolina; Jones, Oregon St., 9.9250; 6. (tie) Vanessa Zamarripa, UCLA; 2012 INDIVIDUAL RESULTS and Samantha Peszek, UCLA, 38.800; 41. Colleen Dean, Ohio Ashanee Dickerson, Florida; and Jessie DeZiel, Nebraska, All-around: 1. 1. Kytra Hunter, Florida, 39.725; 2. Kat Ding, St., 38.575; 42. Alina Weinstein, Illinois, 38.550; 43. Brianna 9.9000; 9. (tie) Jaime Pisani, Arkansas, and Megan Ferguson, Georgia, 39.650; 3. Jaime Pisani, Arkansas, 39.625; 4. (tie) Guy, Auburn, 37.800. Oklahoma, 9.8625; 11. Rachel Updike, Missouri, 8.4375. Geralen Stack-Eaton, Alabama, and Alaina Johnson, Florida, Vault: 1. Kytra Hunter, Florida, 9.8750; 2. Diandra Milliner, 39.600; 6. Ashanee Dickerson, Florida, 39.500; 7. (tie) Ashley Alabama, 9.8250; 3. Kat Ding, Georgia, 9.8125; 4. Marissa Priess, Alabama, and Rheagan Courville, LSU, 39.475; 9. (tie) Gutierrez, Alabama, 9.8063; 5. Marissa King, Florida, 9.7875; Katie Zurales, Michigan, and Stephanie McAllister, Utah, 6. Janelle Giblin, Nebraska, 9.7625; 7. Lindsey Cheek, 39.450; 11. (tie) Katherine Grable, Arkansas; Jessie DeZiel, Georgia, 9.7313; 8. Rheagan Courville, LSU, 9.7313; 9. Kailah Delaney, Utah, 9.7000; 10. Georgia Dabritz, Utah, 8.7938. History Team Results Championships Year Champion Coach Points Runner-Up Points Host or Site Attendance 1982 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 148.60 Cal St. Fullerton 144.10 Utah 22,316 1983 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 184.65 Arizona St. 183.30 Utah 25,861 1984 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 186.05 UCLA 185.55 UCLA 21,563 1985 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 188.35 Arizona St. 186.60 Utah 21,303 1986 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 186.95 Arizona St. 186.70 Florida 25,655 1987 ............................Georgia Suzanne Yoculan 187.90 Utah 187.55 Utah 25,620 1988 ............................Alabama Sarah Patterson 190.05 Utah 189.50 Utah 23,220 David Patterson 1989 ............................Georgia Suzanne Yoculan 192.65 UCLA 192.60 Georgia 21,269 1990 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 194.900 Alabama 194.575 Oregon St. 35,614 1991 ............................Alabama Sarah Patterson 195.125 Utah 194.375 Alabama 31,769 David Patterson 1992 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 195.650 Georgia 194.600 Minnesota 32,591 1993 ............................Georgia Suzanne Yoculan 198.000 Alabama 196.825 Oregon St. 31,291 1994 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 196.400 Alabama 196.350 Utah 42,922 1995 ............................Utah Greg Marsden 196.650 Alabama 196.425 Georgia 35,875 Michigan 196.425 1996 ............................Alabama Sarah Patterson 198.025 UCLA 197.475 Alabama 45,297 David Patterson 1997 ............................UCLA Valorie Kondos Field 197.150 Arizona St. 196.850 Florida 39,413 1998 ............................Georgia Suzanne Yoculan 197.725 Florida 196.350 UCLA 31,212 1999 ............................Georgia Suzanne Yoculan 196.850 Michigan 196.550 Utah 40,028 2000 ............................UCLA Valorie Kondos Field