No. 4 Alabama Gymnastics Beats West Virginia on Valentine’s Day, 197.375-195.250

The No. 4 ranked Alabama gymnastics team used another huge balance beam rotation to come away with its second highest score of the 2016 season, beating No. 24 West Virginia, 197.375-195.250 in front of 12,476 fans in a rare Sunday afternoon meet.

Alabama posted a 49.550 on the balance beam behind four consecutive 9.9-plus routines, including back-to-back 9.95s from juniors Katie Bailey and Aja Sims. Junior Keely McNeer came up after a fall from senior Lauren Beers and posted a 9.9, which was followed by Aja Sims and Bailey’s 9.95s, which was followed by sophomore Nickie Guerrero’s 9.925 in the anchor spot. Sophomore Mackenzie Brannan started the Tide off on the beam with a 9.9825. The Tide’s balance beam tally ties its own 2016 national-leading mark from earlier in the season and is tied for the fifth-best score in school history.

Alabama started things off with a solid 49.275 on the vault, paced by Winston’s 9.9. On the uneven bars, 9.875s from Brannan and junior Amanda Jetter pushed the Tide to a 49.225.  After the fall on beam, Beers closed strong with a 9.95 to anchor the floor exercise and the meet, pacing the Tide to a 49.325 team score.

After five Friday and three Sunday meets this season, Alabama will compete on Saturday for the first time in 2016 when it travels to State College, Pa., to take on Penn State, Denver and Cornell in its first quad meet of the season.

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