Feb. 15, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. -- The No. 17 Auburn gymnastics team returns to Southeastern Conference competition this week, traveling to instate rival Alabama Friday. Competition between the Tigers and the No. 6 Crimson Tide will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT in Coleman Coliseum live on SEC Network.
"Alabama is coming off a loss and will be ready to get back into the win column," head coach Jeff Graba said. "It's going to be a tough environment for us against a team that will be hungry for a win so it will be imperative to stay mentally focused. I think we're physically ready to go so we just have to stay focused and go in there doing what we know how to do."
IN THE RANKINGS
Auburn enters its Rivalry Week at No. 17 in the national RoadtoNationals.com rankings with a 195.718 average.
Oklahoma holds on to No. 1 with a 197.813 average, while LSU, Florida, UCLA and Utah remain in the Top 5. Alabama (sixth), Kentucky (ninth), and Georgia (10th) also represent the SEC in the Top 10.
Auburn ranks in the Top 20 on all four events, coming in at No. 13 on bars with a 49.021 average. The Tigers are 18th on vault (48.961), 19th on floor (48.957), and tied for 20th on beam (48.779).
SCOUTING ALABAMA
The Alabama gymnastics team is the sixth-ranked team nationally, having a 196.725 average. The team is coming off a loss at nationally-ranked Kentucky and are 3-4 on the season with a 2-3 mark in SEC competition.
The Tide are in the Top 10 in all events, having the fifth-best average on beam at 49.289. The team is sixth on vault (49.179), seventh floor (49.193), and 10th on bars (49.064).
Individually, Kiana Winston is eighth in the all-around at 39.475, while coming in fourth on floor (9.936) and tied for fifth on beam (9.892). Nickie Guerrero is fourth nationally on beam at 9.896.
AUBURN/ALABAMA SERIES HISTORY
The Crimson Tide have held the upper hand throughout the entire series and has a 119-10 record vs. the Tigers. Alabama has not been beaten by Auburn at home in Tuscaloosa.
The Tigers snapped an Alabama winning streak that dated back to 1979 last season. Auburn defeated its instate rival, 197.275-197.250 in Auburn Arena in front of a sellout crowd of 7,424. Former Tiger Caitlin Atkinson captured all five event titles, including the all-around with a 39.650.
UP NEXT
The Tigers return to The Plains for another SEC meet in Auburn Arena, hosting No. 2 LSU. Auburn and the Bayou Bengals are set to square off at 7:30 p.m. CT Friday, Feb. 24, 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. Emma Engler | 1. Katie Becker | 1. Kullen Hlawek | 1. Katie Becker |
| 2. Katie Becker | 2. Samantha Cerio | 2. Samantha Cerio | 2. Samantha Cerio |
| 3. A'Miracal Phillips | 3. Kelsey Kopec | 3. Katie Becker | 3. Lucia Scaglione |
| 4. Taylor Krippner | 4. Taylor Krippner | 4. Emma Engler | 4. Kullen Hlawek |
| 5. MJ Rott | 5. Emma Engler | 5. Emma Slappey | 5. Emma Slappey |
| 6. Gracie Day | 6. Gracie Day | 6. Taylor Krippner | 6. MJ Rott |
| Alt: Kelsey Kopec | Alt: Kendal Moss | Alt: Gracie Day | Alt: Gracie Day |