Jan. 25, 2013
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - No. 18 Auburn gymnastics posted its second straight season high score on Friday night as it posted a 196.025 against No. 3 Florida in the O'Connell Center.
The Gators finished with a total of 197.650. Auburn's totals of 49.075 on balance beam and 49.050 on floor exercise were season highs.
"Job one for tonight was to stay healthy and we did that," Auburn head coach Jeff Graba said. "Job two was to give some people some opportunities and see what they were capable of and they all stepped up, every single one of them. That really brightens up the next few meets for us, because we have some options again. On top of it, we went 24-for-24, so the team should take something away. I'm taking something away. We can move on to the next step and that's cleaning up a little bit."
The total score of 196.050 is the first road 196 or more in Graba's three-year tenure and the first score of more than 196 since the regional meet in Auburn last season.
Auburn opened on uneven bars and recorded a total score of 48.950, the second-best total of the season. Leading the way was senior Petrina Yokay with a score of 9.850. She ranked eighth nationally entering the meet with an average bars score of 9.883.
The four other scorers for the Tigers each recorded a mark of 9.775.
Led by a 9.850 by Bri Guy, Auburn scored a total of 48.950 in the second rotation on vault. Yokay added a 9.825 to equal her career high. In her first collegiate vault, Lexus Demers scored 9.775.
The Tigers came through in floor exercise with a 49.050, a season high total on the apparatus. Guy scored 9.85, while Caitlin Atkinson and Toi Garcia both scored 9.825. Completing her first competition floor routine this season and the first since the BYU meet in 2012, Yokay scored 9.750. Brittany Webster added a 9.8.
Yokay led off on beam and equaled her season high score with a 9.775. Demers followed up with a 9.7 on beam, in her second first-time collegiate event. Florida-native Abbey Habicht recorded a 9.8 and then Guy added a 9.775.
Megan Walker scored a 9.850, and then Atkinson closed out the meet for Auburn with a score of 9.875 to give the Tigers a season best 49.075 on the event.
Atkinson and Guy tied for the Tigers' vault lead at 39.250. Yokay scored 39.200.
Auburn is in action next on Friday, February 1 at Missouri.
RESULTS
Vault: Lexus Demers - 9.775, Brittany Webster - 9.725, Petrina Yokay - 9.825, Bri Guy - 9.850, Toi Garcia - 9.750, Caitlin Atkinson - 9.775, TOTAL - 48.950
Bars: Toi Garcia - 9.675, Bri Guy - 9.775, Abbey Habicht - 9.775, Megan Walker - 9.775, Caitlin Atkinson - 9.775, Petrina Yokay - 9.850, TOTAL - 48.950
Beam: Petrina Yokay - 9.775, Lexus Demers - 9.700, Abbey Habicht - 9.800, Bri Guy - 9.775, Megan Walker - 9.850, Caitlin Atkinson - 9.875, TOTAL - 49.075
Floor: Petrina Yokay - 9.750, Toi Garcia - 9.825, Lexus Demers - 9.450, Brittany Webster - 9.800, Caitlin Atkinson - 9.825, Bri Guy - 9.85, TOTAL - 49.050
All-Around: Caitlin Atkinson - 39.250, Bri Guy - 39.250, Petrina Yokay - 39.200