Alabama's Miles vying for third NCAA title

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) The vault competition is all about routine for Alabama gymnast Ashley Miles, who counts her steps and focuses on the same things every time.<br> <br> ``The vault for me is automatic,&#39;&#39; said Miles, who prefers the less predictable uneven bars. ``I do the same thing every time.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> The NCAA championships have been close to automatic for her, too. Miles is bidding to win a third consecutive individual title at the NCAA championships Thursday through Saturday at Auburn.<br> <br> No Alabama gymnast has ever managed that feat.<br> <br> Miles won NCAA titles in the vault as a freshman in 2003 and on the floor exercise last season.<br> <br> Penney Hauschild, who won four individual titles in 1985 and 1986, is the only Alabama gymnast to claim more national individual titles.<br> <br> Miles is more interested in helping the Crimson Tide win another team title.<br> <br> ``Sure, she&#39;d like to win three national championships on vault,&#39;&#39; Alabama coach Sarah Patterson said. ``But I remember at the end of practice (last week), she held up her hand and said, `It doesn&#39;t matter if you&#39;re the seventh, eighth or ninth person on this event, you need to be ready.&#39;<br> <br> ``That tells me right there from her conversation with her teammates she wasn&#39;t thinking about being the individual national champion. She&#39;s thinking, `How do I get my teammates all ready to go.&#39;&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Miles is a powerfully built 5-foot-8 junior who commands plenty of attention when she&#39;s competing in a sport typically dominated by smaller competitors.<br> <br> ``It doesn&#39;t matter where we were,&#39;&#39; Patterson said. ``When she did that floor routine, if you&#39;re not watching your daughter out there, your eyes drift over to Ashley. We&#39;ve had a lot of great floor exercise routines. We&#39;ve had national champions on floor. I&#39;ve never seen someone just grab the crowd like she does.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Miles finished the regular season ranked No. 1 nationally in both the vault and floor exercise. She doesn&#39;t seem to be feeling any pressure to keep her string of titles alive.<br> <br> ``I&#39;ve been through it two years already and before I got to college,&#39;&#39; she said. ``I have been through enough pressure situations. You kind of have to stay calm leading up to it and just know that you&#39;re going to get the job done.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Information from: The Birmingham News<br> <br> (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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