BOL Round Table

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DULUTH, Ga. - The Alabama gymnastics team got off to a hot start in Friday’s second semifinal of the 2012 NCAA Championships and never looked back, winning its session with a 197.675 and advancing to Saturday night’s Super Six Team Finals and a chance at a second consecutive national title.

“At the University of Alabama, our goal is always to be on the floor on the last night with the chance to win a championship,” head coach Sarah Patterson said. “To be able to do this again, it never gets old. “

Florida (197.65) and Arkansas (197.15) also advanced out of the second semifinal, putting three Southeastern Conference teams into finals.

“I’m exceptionally proud of our team and our individuals, but also I have to give thanks to all the teams in our conference and the SEC in general,” Patterson said. “Competing against each other week-in and week-out is what prepares us for this championship. We were here a month ago for the SEC Championships and my hat is off to Commissioner (Mike) Slive for providing us this podium and this environment. I think when you see three teams from our conference that says a great deal.”

The Crimson Tide started things off by scoring a 49.6 on the balance beam, the third highest score in school history, led off by a 9.9 from sophomore Kim Jacob and anchored by 9.95s from seniors Geralen Stack-Eaton and Ashley Priess. In between, freshman Kayla Williams and sophomore Sarah DeMeo chipped in 9.9s of their own.

“Coming out like we did on balance beam, the hardest event to start on, we put the pressure on everybody else,” Patterson said. “That was a huge step for us. Beam routine after beam routine, all six of them were great. We’ve done that in practice, we got better at regionals and now it’s just a matter of doing it when it counts.”

From there, Alabama scored a 49.275 on the floor exercise, led by Stack-Eaton’s 9.9, and a 49.4 on the vault, led by 9.95s from junior Marissa Gutierrez and sophomore Diandra Milliner.

The Tide finished off with a strong uneven bars rotation, scoring a 49.4, powered by 9.9s from its last three competitors, junior Ashley Sledge, Stack-Eaton and Priess.

Stack-Eaton was fourth in the all-around with a 39.600 while Priess was seventh with a 39.475.

Alabama, Florida and Arkansas will be joined by the Pac12 trio of UCLA, Utah and Stanford, the top three finishers in the first semifinal session earlier on Friday. The Tide starts the Super Six Final, which gets underway at 4 p.m. EDT, on a bye before advancing to the floor exercise for the second rotation.