WCGA Central Region of the Year Honors Awarded to Alabama

PITTSBURGH – Alabama gymnastics' coaching staff picked up Central Region awards with head coach Ashley Johnston being named the Coach of the Year and assistants Justin Spring, Amelia Hundley and Ross Thompson earning Assistant Coaches of the Year honors, the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) announced Wednesday.

The Crimson Tide is coming off its best regular-season finish in 10 years as it concluded the season as one of only two teams in the nation to score above a 197.000 in every single meet. Additionally, UA earned its 44^th-straight appearance at the NCAA Regionals, advancing every year since 1982.

Ashley Johnston – Central Region Coach of the Year

Under her guidance, the Crimson Tide was one of only two teams in the nation, and the only Central region team, to score above 197 in every meet of 2026
Led Alabama to its 44^th-straight NCAA Regionals appearance as the Tide has advanced every year since 1982 – except for the 2020 season getting cancelled due to COVID-19
Led the Tide to its highest regular-season finish in 10 years, as Alabama spent close to 60% of its season ranked in the top-three nationally
Under Johnston's leadership, rookie standout Azaraya Ra-Akbar became the first UA freshman since 1999, and fourth overall, to be named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year
- Ra-Akbar was the only Central region gymnast to score a 10.000 on bars – first UA gymnast since 2023 and first UA freshman since 1999
Helped guide the Tide's bars unit to a program-record 49.700 score against Illinois and saw UA's floor squad earn a top-four-program score of 49.675 against Oregon State
Coached premier program specialist Chloe LaCoursiere to the nation's top uneven bars performer for nine straight weeks – the most consecutive weeks of any gymnast in the nation – with 12 straight scores of 9.950 or better on bars and more than half of her 42 routines being scored 9.900 or higher this season
Saw close to 45,000 fans pour into Coleman Coliseum throughout Alabama's home season – the second most in the region and third most in the SEC
Mainly overseeing the balance beam, she directed the Tide to a season-high 49.525 score against Auburn
Saw three gymnasts (Ryan Fuller – 9.900; Kylee Kvamme – 9.950; Gabby Ladanyi – 9.900) earn All-SEC honors at the SEC Championships
Kvamme finished as the third-ranked gymnast in the Central region on the event, with a 9.930 NQS
Had the Tide's balance beam rotation ranked in the top two of the Central region every week of the season except for Week 1 due to no scheduled competition

Justin Spring – Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year

In his fourth season on the Crimson Tide staff, and his second as associate head coach, overseeing the Tide's vault unit
Alabama scored above a 49.075 on the apparatus in every meet this season, highlighted by a 49.500 against Arkansas
Directed the Tide to 15 routines of 9.9-or higher on vault, including a team-high 9.975 – twice – from SEC Freshman of the Year Azaraya Ra-Akbar
Had the Tide ranked second in the region and fifth in the SEC, while also holding a top-10 national ranking on vault
Four different gymnasts accumulated eight event titles on the apparatus under Spring's watch
Ra-Akbar finished as No. 3 in the Central region on the event, as the gymnast also earned All-SEC and All-Freshman honors on the event in her SEC Championships debut
Had the Tide's vault rotation ranked in the top three of the Central region every week of the season except for Week 1 due to no scheduled competition

Amelia Hundley – Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year

In her third season as an assistant coach on the UA staff, overseeing the Tide's floor choreography
Alabama scored above a 49.350 on the apparatus in every meet this season, most notably a 49.675 against Oregon State which tied for the program's fourth-highest and the second highest in the Central region
Directed the Tide to 52 routines of 9.9-or higher on the floor exercise
- Gabby Gladieux won the SEC floor exercise title behind a 9.950 performance
Guided Alabama to a season-high 49.675 on the floor exercise
Gladieux earned her fourth career All-SEC honor at this year's SEC Championships and ended as the second-ranked gymnast in the Central region on the event (fifth nationally)
Had the Tide's floor rotation ranked in the top two of the Central region every week of the season except for Week 1 due to no scheduled competition

Ross Thompson – Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year

In his second season as an assistant coach on Alabama's staff, overseeing the Tide's uneven bars unit
Alabama scored above a 49.375 on the apparatus every meet this season, including a program-record 49.700 against Illinois
Directed the Tide to 39 routines of 9.9-or higher on the uneven bars, including a perfect 10.000 from SEC Freshman of the Year Azaraya Ra-Akbar
- Only gymnast in the Central region to earn the 10 score
- First UA gymnast since 2023 to score a 10.000 on bars and first UA freshman since 1999
Under Thompson's watch, premier specialist Chloe LaCoursiere led the nation on the uneven bars for nine consecutive weeks, the most of any gymnast in the country, while her 9.965 NQS was the highest of any junior in the nation
Additionally, LaCoursiere recorded a stretch of 12 consecutive scores of 9.925 or higher on the uneven bars
Had the Tide's uneven bars rotation ranked in the top two of the Central region every week of the season except for Week 1 due to no scheduled competition
- Alternated between first and second place in the region for 11 straight weeks, holding the No. 1 spot for the last five consecutive weeks

University of Alabama Athletics