No. 16 Auburn Returns Home to Host Rutgers Friday

Feb. 14, 2018

No. 16 Auburn vs. Rutgers

• Promotions
• Meet Notes
• Watch ESPN
• Location

MEET

AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" The No. 16 Auburn gymnastics team welcomes Rutgers to Auburn Arena Friday for a non-conference meet. The Tigers and the Scarlet Knights will face off at 7 p.m. CT and the contest will serve as the team's 'Flip for a Cure' Pink meet and Military Appreciation meet.

"This is a young team that is looking forward to a good night in Auburn Arena," head coach Jeff Graba said. "We're coming off three meets in 10 days with some adversity thrown in there so we're looking to build some confidence Friday. The team is ready to come together as a unit at home and really improve."

PROMOTIONS
It's a full meet Friday for fans as the contest serves as both the 'Flip for a Cure' Pink meet and Military Appreciation meet. Fans are encouraged to wear pink and pink light-up pompoms and pink light-up sticks will be given out. In addition, active and veteran military members will receive free admission and will be recognized during the meet.

The Tigers will also hold their annual autograph session after the meet is over. The team will be located on the main concourse behind section 116.

PARKING INFORMATION
Reserved Parking is available in the Auburn Arena Parking Lot on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 3 p.m. CT for the following:

• Ticket holders with a valid ticket to that night's meet
• Tigers Unlimited members with a valid membership card
• Individuals possessing a meet credential

Public parking is available at the following locations:

• Donahue Dr. and War Eagle Way Parking Lot (shuttle service available from this lot to the arena)
• Coliseum Lot
• Stadium Parking Deck
• Lowder Business Lot
• Biggio Parking Deck (Top level, surface lot ONLY)

Once the arena lot fills up, we encourage fans to park in one of the surrounding lots listed above.
Accessible parking is available in the Auburn Arena parking lot (limited spaces available) in addition to parking lots SW of the intersection of Magnolia and Donahue. To access, you will need a state tag or hang tag and a photo ID of the owner of the registered tag. The owner must be present to obtain access to accessible parking.

For the Lowder Building parking lot, please avoid parking in the 13 spots labeled "Zone A Permit Parking Only" on Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. CT

While general parking is available in the Lowder Hall lot for Auburn Athletic events at Auburn Arena, parking is prohibited in spaces designated for construction personnel. These spaces are immediately adjacent to, and facing, the construction fence of the Graduate School building project. There are signs labeling these spaces and this parking restriction is enforced 24/7, including weekends. Vehicles left in these spots are subject to ticketing and towing.

SHUTTLE SERVICES
One shuttle will bring spectators from "X Lot", located on War Eagle Way and Donahue Drive to Auburn Arena and back. The shuttle will begin picking up at "X Lot" beginning at 5pm CT and run continuously until 10pm CT, reversing its route at 8pm CT. Fans will be dropped off at the transit stop in front of the arena suites.

SCOUTING RUTGERS
Rutgers stands at 6-7 overall on the season and is coming off a second-place finish in a quad meet held at Big Ten rival Maryland last weekend. The Terps took the meet, while the Scarlet Knights topped Brown and William & Mary with a 193.950.

Rutgers is 51st in the nation with a 193.495 average. The squad reached a season-best at home in a quad meet, Feb. 3, taking second with a 194.800.

The team ranks 43rd nationally on beam, average a 48.490. Their 48.650 on floor comes in 48th.

AUBURN/RUTGERS SERIES HISTORY
The two teams have met just twice in the series history. The first came in 1995 at the NIT, seeing the Tigers win the meet with a 193.225. Auburn and Rutgers last met in 1998 on the Plains where AU topped the Scarlet Knights, 192.15-184.975.

AUBURN LINEUP VS. RUTGERS
The Auburn lineup is full of youth against Rutgers as 17 of the 24 routines will come from five freshmen and three sophomores.

Freshman Drew Watson will get her third go in as many meets at the all-around after competing in the category twice last weekend on the road. Watson moved into beam at the last minute at Arkansas because of injury.

The Tigers begin the evening on vault and are led by sophomore Gracie Day and freshmen Jada Glenn and Watson. The trio are capable of putting together three-straight 10.0 vaults for the squad. Day has captured two event titles this year and is among the nation's best with a 9.857 average. Watson recently set a career-best 9.9, while Glenn has also reached a 9.9. Sophomore Katie Becker will lead off the event with juniors A'Miracal Phillips and Taylor Krippner following.

Auburn moves on to bars for rotation two with Becker once again leading off. The Boone, N.C., product earned a career-best 9.85 at TWU last Sunday. Watson and Krippner will follow with bars specialist Kendal Moss going fourth. Redshirt junior Abby Milliet is slated to fifth and Day will anchor the event after earning the title at TWU with a 9.9.

Rotation three is beam where the Tigers have seen some high scores this seaosn. Freshman Allie Riddle will lead off once again with Watson going second and classmate Meredith Sylvia going third. Riddle and Sylvia recently tied their career bests at Arkansas with a 9.85 each. Redshirt sophomore Emma Slappey follows, while Milliet and Krippner will close out the rotation.

AU will feature a youthful floor squad with three freshmen, two sophomores, and one junior. Freshman Ashley Smith leads off for the eighth-straight meet and will be followed by Glenn and Watson. Slappey and Day will follow and Milliet will anchor.

UP NEXT
Auburn closes out its home schedule Friday, Feb. 23, hosting rival and nationally-ranked Alabama. The Tigers and the Crimson Tide will go head-to-head at 7:30 p.m. CT in Auburn Arena and the meet will be televised on SEC Network. The contest will also serve as the team's Senior Night.

For the latest on Auburn gymnastics, follow @AuburnGym on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuburnGym.