No. 5 Alabama Gymnastics Misses Out on Nationals for First Time since 2023

The Crimson Tide finished in last place at the Corvallis Regional Final to put a disappointing end to a once promising season.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 2:22am

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Alabama gymnastics, ranked No. 5 in the nation, failed to advance to the NCAA National Championships for the first time since 2023 after finishing in last place at the Corvallis Regional Final with a score of 197.175. No. 4 UCLA and No. 13 Minnesota will be moving on to nationals in Fort Worth, while No. 12 Utah's season also came to an end alongside Alabama's.

Why it matters

Alabama gymnastics has been a perennial powerhouse, making the NCAA National Championships every year since 2023. This marks the first time in four seasons under head coach Ashley Johnston that the Crimson Tide will not compete for a national title, a disappointing end to what was once a promising season.

The details

Despite no major mistakes, the small errors throughout the meet, such as hops on landings, bad form on leaps, balance checks, and short handstands, added up to too many deductions for Alabama. The Tide was in last place heading into the final rotation on uneven bars, trailing the second-place spot by three tenths. Alabama needed near perfection from its top bar workers Chloe LaCoursiere and Azaraya Ra-Akbar, but LaCoursiere stumbled on her dismount, effectively ending any hopes of a comeback.

  • The Corvallis Regional Final took place on Sunday, April 6, 2026.
  • Alabama's last failure to qualify for the NCAA National Championships was in 2023.

The players

Ashley Johnston

The head coach of the Alabama gymnastics team, in her fourth season leading the Crimson Tide program.

Chloe LaCoursiere

Alabama's top-ranked gymnast on the uneven bars, who stumbled on her dismount in the critical final rotation.

Azaraya Ra-Akbar

Alabama's second-ranked gymnast on the uneven bars, who was also unable to lead the Crimson Tide to a comeback.

Gabby Gladieux

A four-year contributor and individual SEC champion for Alabama, whose collegiate career has now come to an end.

Corinne Bunagan, Karis German, Jordyn Paradise, Natalia Pawlak, Rachel Rybicki

Other Alabama seniors whose collegiate gymnastics careers have concluded with the team's failure to qualify for nationals.

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What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This disappointing end to Alabama's season raises questions about the program's ability to maintain its status as a national gymnastics powerhouse, especially with the departure of several key seniors. The Crimson Tide will need to regroup and refocus in the offseason to bounce back and return to the NCAA National Championships in 2027.