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Tuscaloosa Title

There really is no place like home. Just ask the Alabama women's gymnastics team.

Buoyed by familiar surroundings and the backing of its home fans, Alabama racked up a championships-record score of 198.025 points to cruise past the field and win the 1996 National Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships team title April 27 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The Crimson Tide, who finished second at the past three championships, scored 49.475-plus points in three events to eclipse the championships-scoring mark of 198.000 set by Georgia in 1993.

UCLA scored 197.475 points to earn runner-up honors, while Georgia and Utah tied for third with 196.775 points. The Bruins' second-place finish equaled their best ever. UCLA also finished second in 1984 and 1989.

Winning the team title at home marks the second time that Alabama has accomplished the feat. The Crimson Tide claimed the 1991 title in their only other time as championships host.

"This is the most memorable and wonderful year of coaching that (assistant coach and husband) David and I have experienced in 18 years," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "We enjoyed the journey, now we'll enjoy our destiny.

"It was great being here at home. Our behind-the-scenes work has been tremendous. I'm so appreciative of all the cooperation."

After posting the second-highest preliminary-round score, Alabama ascended to the top largely on the strength of its performance on the vault and floor exercise. The Crimson Tide posted team-best scores of 49.775 and 49.625 points, respectively, in those events.

Kim Kelly, Danielle McAdams and Merideth Willard led the charge, each scoring 39.000-plus points in the all-around. McAdams, who posted a perfect 10.000 on the vault, accumulated a team-high 39.550 points. Kelly, who scored 10s on the vault and floor exercise, totaled 39.200 points, while Willard posted 9.950 scores on both the vault and floor exercise to finish with 39.050 points.

"In the locker room before the last event (vault), we told the girls to get off their feet," Patterson said. "I looked at them and said, 'We can do this, ladies.' At that moment, I saw an incredible spirit in this team.

"We went out there and Meredith nailed that first vault, and then when Danielle and Kim hit 10s, I knew we were not to be denied. We knew what it took to win."

The Crimson Tide also knew what it took to dominate the individual-event championships as Willard, Kelly and Stephanie Woods each claimed their first individual-event titles.

Willard scored 39.450 points to win the all-around title, while Woods won the uneven-bars crown with a mark of 9.975.

Kelly posted another perfect 10 during the individual-event floor-exercise final to share first-place honors with Heidi Hornbeek of Arizona.