AUBURN, Ala. – After back-to-back meets on the road, the No. 11 Auburn gymnastics team will return home Friday night for the last SEC home meet of the season.
Auburn Arena has been good to the Tigers this season. They are 3-0 at home, and the past two meets – both sellouts – they knocked off No. 4 LSU and No. 6 Georgia. This Friday, it will be an Arkansas squad that is ranked No. 21 nationally and that has beaten the Tigers in each of the past three regular-season meetings.
"A home-field advantage is big for everybody in the SEC," Auburn head coach Jeff Graba said. "You want to make it nearly impossible for the opposing team to have any advantage at all. I think that was true to course when LSU and Georgia came here. They were ranked ahead of us, they were hitting on all cylinders, and they came in and had some struggles. And we actually rose above our expectations and got better.
"We need it this Friday, obviously. Arkansas is a thorn in Auburn's side for the last five or six years, and they're definitely coming in to get their act together. I think they're a little under ranked right now. I think we are as well. But we need everybody."
The meet is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and can be streamed on SEC Network+.
EVENT INFORMATION
It will be "Are you shorter than Jeff Graba night?" at Auburn Arena on Friday. Fans who are shorter than head coach Jeff Graba (5-foot-5) will receive free admission to the meet.
Also, free shakers will be available to fans while supplies last.
For students, the first 300 to arrive will receive a free Aubie fanny pack.
PARKING INFORMATION
Fans should park in the Campus Safety Lot off Wire Road and Donahue Drive. The location is a quick walk to the main entrance of Auburn Arena.
INSIDE THE SERIES: ARKANSAS
Arkansas took the series lead (17-16-1) last year after finishing higher in the SEC championship. Though the Razorbacks have back-to-back wins, Auburn has a 5-4-1 edge in the last 10 meetings dating back to 2014.
In 2015, the last time Auburn beat Arkansas at home, the Tigers posted the highest bars score (49.525) in program history. They also posted one of their top five beam scores (49.400) the following year in Fayetteville.
AUBURN LINEUP
We're past the midway point of the regular season, and through the first six meets, Auburn has shown the ability to hit on all four events. Now the challenge becomes trying to hit on all four events in the same meet.
First up will be vault, and the Tigers are looking to rebound after failing to post a 49.000 or higher for only the second time all season last week at Florida.
The coaches still plan to roll out nearly the same lineup this week with seniors A'Miracal Phillips and Taylor Krippner leading off followed by junior Gracie Day. The only change will be moving sophomore Jada Glenn from the anchor to the four spot, which means freshman Derrian Gobourne and sophomore Drew Watson will each move back a spot. Watson, the new anchor, is first on the team and tied for 15th nationally.
Auburn will move to bars next where the team is currently ranked No. 1 in the SEC. The Tigers earned a 49.375 last week after all six gymnasts scored a 9.850 or higher on the event.
The only change to this week's lineup will be the season debut of junior Kendal Moss, who will take the place of Krippner in the second slot. Watson will once again lead off, and then after Moss, it will be Gobourne, seniors Samantha Cerio and Abby Milliet, and then Day as the anchor.
The final two events of the night, beam and floor, the lineups will be identical to what Auburn used a week ago.
Watson will serve as the lead on beam followed by Gobourne and junior Skyler Sheppard. Then it will be Krippner, Milliet and sophomore Meredith Sylvia, who has earned the team-high score in each of the last two meets. Sylvia is currently ranked top 50 nationally on the event.
On floor, the Tigers earned their highest score of the season last week with a 49.450. One of the main reasons for the big score was the return of Day in the anchor spot. The junior matched her career high with a 9.925, and she will once again close out the event. In front of her will be junior Emma Slappey followed by Sheppard, Watson, Gobourne and then it's Milliet, who also posted a 9.925 in last week's meet.
UP NEXT
Auburn will travel to Denton, Texas next week where it will face Texas Woman's University for a rare Sunday meet on Feb. 24. The meet is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. CT.