Well, it looks like Simone Biles’ former coach, Cecile Landi, is in a bit of hot water right now. When Cecile joined Georgia as a coach last year, many thought she’d help bring back the glory days for the GymDogs—the golden era they enjoyed from 2004 to 2009. Fans were hopeful that her experience training Olympians would be just the boost Georgia needed. But this season, things aren’t going as smoothly as planned. The GymDogs ranked No. 10, were primed to make a strong run at the 2025 SEC Gymnastics Championships in Birmingham, but it looks like they might be in danger of losing their shot at the title. So, what happened?
Well, recently, Gymnastics Inside shared the results of Session 1 of the 2025 SEC Championship, and Alabama made an unforgettable statement. Their performance blew the competition out of the water, ranking first with a score of 197.100. Kentucky followed closely behind with a strong 196.775, while Auburn secured the third spot at 195.950, tying with Georgia at 195.950. However, the Bulldogs are facing a tough road ahead.
We know that Alabama’s Crimson Tide led from the beginning, maintaining their advantage throughout the session. For Georgia, the situation is far more complicated. You see, things didn’t go as planned. First, their score was lower than expected and then came a critical 0.2 team deduction. But why?
The UGA team faced this deduction on the beam after they failed to move the springboard off the podium once the gymnast was on the apparatus, as per SEC rules. This oversight cost them valuable points and seriously impacted their standing. Now, the big question remains: Can Georgia still bounce back and win the SEC Championship, or is it too late for them to recover?
The UGA team neutral deduction for -0.2 came on beam, per the SEC.
“They left the springboard on the podium for an entire routine instead of moving it after the student-athlete was on the apparatus.”#NCAAgym
— Gymnastics Now (@Gymnastics_Now) March 22, 2025
The competition is fierce, with eight teams all vying for the top spot, and the road to victory is far from guaranteed for anyone. Georgia isn’t completely out of the race for now, but they’ll need a near-perfect performance in the upcoming sessions to stay in contention. Not scoring high enough in upcoming rounds will result in the slipping of title hopes, for sure.
It’s also worth noting that teams like LSU and Oklahoma, who haven’t competed yet, are strong contenders and could throw the standings into further turmoil. So, there’s still some hope, but the margin for error is slim.
At the same time, we can’t ignore Georgia’s historical gymnastics pedigree. The Bulldogs have won 10 NCAA Championships and 16 SEC titles, including their last SEC win in 2008. Georgia fans persist in their optimism because of the program’s illustrious achievements. But at the same time, we can not forget Alabama’s dominant performance which left others in dust.
Georgia Gymnastics faces serious competitors
We’ve got to say, Alabama’s Crimson Tide gymnastics team absolutely crushed it in Session I of the 2025 SEC Championship, finishing with a 197.100 and securing the lead. They started strong on the floor, despite a slight hiccup from Lilly Hudson, who missed a landing and stepped out of bounds, scoring a 9.7. But no worries!
Alabama quickly bounced back. Gabby Gladieux was on fire, posting a 9.9, and Rachel Rybicki, Shania Adams, Jamison Sears, and Paityn Walker all delivered solid 9.85s, giving the team a strong 49.250 to take the early lead. Then came the vault, and the Tide kept the momentum rolling.
Gladieux (9.9) and Hudson (9.925) led the way, while the rest of the squad scored well. Karis German’s 9.75 was the lowest score, but with everyone else hitting 9.8s or better, they posted 49.300, pushing their lead to 98.550 at the halfway mark. At the bars, Ryan Fuller elicited a wild audience reaction with his 9.95 score after the rest of the team stuck to standard 9.8 performances.
The team had invested significant effort in Beam this season and appeared invincible by the time they arrived at that event. Three competition elements were finished at a perfect 9.9 by Gabby Ladanyi and Adams and a 9.85 by Gladieux. With these strong scores, Alabama is heading into the next session with a solid lead and plenty of confidence. Meanwhile, Georgia Gymnastics finds itself in hot water, with their SEC Championship hopes hanging by a thread!
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