No Regrets: Gymnast Mackenzie Brannan suffers career-ending injury in practice

Tide senior gymnast Mackenzie Brannan suffered a terrible injury in practice over the weekend, blowing out her Achilles tendon on Sunday. Brannan, one of the Tide’s specialists on the uneven bars and beam, had also seen time as an all-arounder during her Alabama career. It was while practicing one of her floor routines that the injury occurred.

Unfortunately, a rupture of that tendon is a career-killer. For the team, losing Brannan’s senior presence is certainly a huge blow. She was trying to work her way into a fluid ‘Bama floor rotation. And she is one of the most consistent performers on the uneven bars, an event where the Tide is still looking for other standouts. The stretch run doesn’t get any easier for UA either: In addition to the SEC Championships, Alabama squares off against archrival Auburn (twice), hosts UNC and ends the season with a showdown against the Death Star — No. 1 Oklahoma in Coleman Coliseum. Additionally, Tuscaloosa is a host regional this year for the NCAA Championships, and the Tide would not like to miss its own party.

Brannan is handling the circumstances far better than one would expect and is anticipated to still have a role on the team for the remainder of the season.

From the CW article:

“Today’s injury is unfortunately one of those things that happens in sports,” Brannan said in the statement. “I was practicing my floor routine when it happened, working to get out there on another event. And while no one wants to end their competitive career like this, I have no regrets.”

We send our very best to Mackenzie and wish her all the best in her recovery and for the future: it is a life that is just beginning, even if this chapter has now closed.

Roll Tide, Mackenzie