When Dana Duckworth got in her car to go work out Friday morning, the first song that played was the Black Eyed Peas' “I Gotta Feeling.” The University of Alabama gymnastics coach didn’t think it was a coincidence that the chorus repeatedly states that tonight’s going to be a good night.
Because it was.
No. 6 Alabama defeated No. 3 Florida, 197.825 to 197.425, in its annual Power of Pink meet.
“It just started right,” Duckworth said. “The ladies were comfortable. They were relaxed. They did what they needed to do.
“Were we perfect? No, and we talked about that. Don’t worry about perfect. Stay present.”
Except, one Alabama gymnast was flawless.
Junior Kiana Winston joined the exclusive perfect-10 club. She’s now one of three gymnasts in the nation who have earned a 10 on the floor exercise this season. She is also the first Alabama gymnast to receive the high mark so far.
“Well, Kiana does it all the time in practice,” Amanda Jetter said. “It’s like she does 10 floor routines all the time, so we’re kind of used to it.”
Although Jetter is a senior, she looks up to Winston because of the hard work and dedication she shows every day. If anyone deserves 10s, Jetters votes Winston.
Before she even finished performing, Winston had a smile on her face. Those pearly whites didn’t go away.
“I feel amazing,” Winston said. “It was good to go out there and just trust my training, have all my sisters behind me and everyone else in the crowd.”
There was yet another aspect of perfection Friday night, too.
Alabama continues to be untouched when competing in pink leotards, regardless if home or away. It defeated Missouri on the road earlier this season for the Tigers’ pink meet, and the upset over the Gators marks the Crimson Tide’s 25th pink victory.
Jetter didn’t know about the streak, but she didn’t seem surprised.
“We all did it for the people who have breast cancer,” she said. “Just for them to be here and watch, maybe forget about their weaknesses and their cancer just for a moment. Just to see and enjoy a gymnastics meet.”
It was a good meet to follow along with.
Before the meet, Florida was ranked higher than Alabama on every individual event and overall. The odds were stacked against the Crimson Tide, but it excelled.
Besides, the last time Alabama lost to Florida in Tuscaloosa was in 1989. It was the second time the Crimson Tide has hosted the Gators for a Power of Pink meet.
“We needed that,” Duckworth said. “I could not be more proud of how we demonstrated and the amazing amount of teamwork.”
There’s only one other team in the country that has scored higher than what Alabama did Friday, and it’s No. 1 Oklahoma.
The Crimson Tide’s 49.625 on the floor and 49.4 on the uneven bars were both new season-highs. Its 49.375 on the vault tied another.
Alabama may have needed that boost in confidence, but it wasn’t concerned about just itself. It was concerned about the all the survivors in attendance.
“Let’s not lose sight of what’s really important,” Duckworth said.
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