Jan. 11, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. -- The No. 13 Auburn gymnastics team continues its homestand this weekend, hosting SEC rival Georgia Friday night in Auburn Arena. The Tigers and the Bulldogs square off at 6 p.m. CT and the meet will be televised live on SEC Network.
"It's always a battle in the SEC, especially with a team like Georgia," head coach Jeff Graba said. "They beat us out last year to advance to the Super Six and are a national powerhouse. The home field advantage is so important in this sport. Friday is going to be a big task with Georgia coming to town and we're looking forward to having a great crowd in Auburn Arena."
EVENT INFORMATION
It is Flip for a Cure night in Auburn Arena Friday as all fans are encouraged to wear pink. There will be free LED Sound Wristbands and Flip for a Cure t-shirts given out (while supplies last) along with the usual activities in the Kids Zone.
Free ticket vouchers are available for fans to pick up at various locations in Auburn and Opelika.
- Auburn Bank (Gay Street, S. Donahue & Bent Creek)
- Burger Fi
- Chicken Salad Chick
- Chick-Fil-A
- Momma Goldberg's
- Newks
Fans are able to purchase tickets at AUBTix.com. General Admission tickets are available for $6, while Reserved are $8. Tickets for groups of 15 or more are $3 apiece. Fans are encouraged to arrive before 6:45 p.m. CT and to take advantage of Auburn's "Print-at-Home" ticket feature to avoid lines at the ticket office.
Shuttles will run continuously for fans from the Athletic Complex and McWhorter Center parking lots from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
For more meet day information, visit http://www.auburntigers.com/facilities/gym_arena.html.
IN THE RANKINGS
Auburn enters the week ranked No. 13 in the national rankings after opening the 2017 season last Friday in Auburn Arena. The young Tigers finished with a 195.275 in the loss to the nationally ranked Oregon State team.
"We don't try to pat too much attention to the rankings at this point in the season since it is so early," Graba said. "However, to be ranked in the top 15 at this point is good news for our young squad. We obviously have some work to do, but overall we are happy to be headed in the right direction."
LSU moved up into the top spot nationally with Oklahoma slightly behind at No. 2. Florida stands third, while Alabama and Utah close out the top five.
Auburn ranks in the top 15 in three events early in the year. The Tigers are 12th on vault, tied for 12th on bars, and tied for 15th on beam.
SCOUTING GEORGIA
The Georgia Bulldogs come to the Plains at No. 30 nationally following a season-opening score of 193.6 at then-No. 2 LSU. LSU's 197.825 bested the Bulldogs in Baton Rouge.
Sophomore Sydney Snead led UGA in the opening week, finishing with a 39.225 in the all-around. She led the Bulldogs in three of the four events on the night, scoring a pair of 9.875s on bars and vault and a 9.8 on beam.
UP NEXT
Auburn takes to the road for the first time this season, traveling to nationally-ranked Kentucky. The Tigers and the Wildcats face off at 6 p.m. CT in Lexington, Jan. 20, and the meet will stream on SEC Network+.
For the latest on Auburn gymnastics, follow @AuburnGym on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuburnGym.
| Auburn's Projected Lineup | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Vault | Bars | Beam | Floor |
| 1. Telah Black | 1. Samantha Cerio | 1. Kullen Hlawek | 1. Samantha Cerio |
| 2. Katie Becker | 2. Kelsey Kopec | 2. Samantha Cerio | 2. Emma Slappey |
| 3. A'Miracal Phillips | 3. Taylor Krippner | 3. Emma Engler | 3. Gracie Day |
| 4. Taylor Krippner | 4. Emma Engler | 4. Taylor Krippner | 4. Lucia Scaglione |
| 5. Gracie Day | 5. Gracie Day | 5. Emma Slappey | 5. Kullen Hlawek |
| 6. MJ Rott | 6. Abby Milliet | 6. Abby Milliet | 6. MJ Rott |
| Alt: Emma Engler | Alt: Kendal Moss | Alt: Gracie Day | Alt: Katie Becker |