2022 Elevate the Stage Huntsville presented by SportsMED & Crestwood

Alabama, Auburn Headline Elevate The Stage Huntsville

Alabama, Auburn Headline Elevate The Stage Huntsville

On Sunday at Elevate the Stage, expect to see a lot of NCAA action. With just two weeks left in the regular season, four top SEC teams will compete.

Mar 2, 2022 by Kelly Feng
Alabama, Auburn Headline Elevate The Stage Huntsville

On Sunday at Elevate the Stage, expect to see a lot of NCAA action. With just two weeks left in the regular season, four top SEC teams will compete in Alabama.

Join us on Sunday, March 6 at 1:00 p.m. CST as Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia compete on the podium. Here’s a snapshot of what to expect in Huntsville. 

2022 Elevate the Stage Huntsville presented by SportsMED & Crestwood


Collegiate Quad Meet 

Auburn

Coming in with an 8-1 record, in addition to a three-week winning streak, Auburn has a National Qualifying Score of 197.455. It doesn’t hurt that the Tigers have freshman Suni Lee on their roster. If you haven’t already heard, Lee is the 2020 Olympic all-around champion, team silver and uneven bars bronze medalist.

Ranking: 6th

Event To Watch: Beam, ranked 4th and Bars, ranked 9th

Key Routines:
Suni Lee - Bars & Beam
Aria Brusch - Bars
Sophia Groth - Bars & Beam
Cassie Stevens - Bars & Beam
Sara Hubbard - Floor & Vault

Alabama

Alabama has a 5-4 record, with a National Qualifying Score of 197.360, putting them slightly behind Auburn. The Crimson Tide is led by Dana Duckworth, the team's head coach since 2014. In 2021, Duckworth coached the team to 5th in the national rankings, falling just short of making the NCAA gymnastic finals. 

Ranking: 7th

Event To Watch: Beam, ranked 5th and Bars, ranked 7th 

Key Routines:
Luisa Blanco - Bars, Beam & Vault
Kaylee Quinn - Vault
Lexi Graber - Floor
Makarri Doggette - Bars

Arkansas 

Coached by Olympic gold medalist Jordyn Wieber since 2019, the Gymbacks have thrived under the coach, rising to a high level of consistency. The Gymbacks record of 2-6 doesn't necessarily reflect how good this team is. While they have come away with many winning victories this season, they will still bring their stand competitiveness and zeal. 

Ranked: 16th (as of week 6 — no National Qualifying Score yet). 

With no National Qualifying Score, they are ranked 69th, but this doesn’t accurately reflect their standing. 

Event To Watch: Floor, ranked 11th (as of Week 6) 

Key Routines: 
Bailey Lovett - Floor
Makenzie Sedlacek - Vault
Leah Smith - Vault

Georgia 

Despite a record of 3-6, Georgia is incrementally climbing the ranking, most recently beating Arkansas this past weekend, where they reached a season-high. A highlight of the season was Senior Rachel Baumann earning a Perfect 10 on floor against Florida.

Coached by 2004 Olympic team silver and individual bronze medalist Courtney Kupets Carter, the Gymdogs have slowly built momentum since Kupets Carter took over the program in 2017.

Although the Gymdogs fell to Auburn a few weeks ago, the team posted a season-high score on beam, softening the loss. In addition to outstanding beam routines, look for Junior Soraya Hawthorne to perform the Georgia moonwalk tradition on beam, debuting it in 2021. 

Ranking: 28th 

Event To Watch: Vault, ranked 10th 

Key Routines:
Mikayla Magee - Beam & Bars, Vault & Floor
Megan Roberts - Vault
Rachel Baumann - Vault & Floor