AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 12 Auburn gymnastics team put an exclamation on the regular season, earning the team's second highest score of the year with a 196.825-193.275 win over Air Force Friday in Auburn Arena. The win moved the team to 8-3 on the year heading into postseason.
"The team definitely brought their A-game tonight," Graba said. "No matter what they face, this team keeps pushing and keeps fighting. They are finally figuring out that they are a really good team when they are focused on themselves."
The team honored its four seniors prior to the meet – Samantha Cerio, Taylor Krippner, Abby Milliet and A'Miracal Phillips.
"We just focused on it being another home meet," Cerio said. "It was a great meet to enjoy and we really wanted to put it all out there for the team and the home crowd."
The win also helped the team finish undefeated at home. The squad enjoyed three sellouts on the year and went 5-0 in front of the home crowd.
The Tigers captured all five event titles, while sophomore Drew Watson earned her team-leading sixth all-around crown with a 39.350.
"I'm really focused on my training and doing what I can for my team," Watson said. "I really love doing the all-around and just have to keep pushing myself to be better."
Auburn will travel to New Orleans next week for this year's SEC gymnastics championship. The two sessions will both take place on Saturday, March 23, from the Smoothie King Center.
VAULT
The Tigers put together one of their best performances on vault this season, earning the second-highest score as a team this year in the event with a 49.275. Watson won her fifth vault title with a 9.9 and was followed by a pair of 9.875s from junior Gracie Day and freshman Derrian Gobourne. Krippner anchored the event with a 9.825 and classmate Phillips contributed to team score with a 9.8.
BARS
Day maintained her consistency in the event, winning the crown with a 9.925 for her second-highest score on the year. Cerio and Gobourne picked up a 9.875 each and Watson earned a 9.85. Krippner added a 9.8 for the squad. The Tigers finished with a 49.325 in the event.
BEAM
Sophomore Meredith Sylvia led the Tigers in the third rotation as the squad put together a 49.025. The Macungie, Pa., product picked up another event title as she finished with a 9.875. Redshirt junior Skyler Sheppard followed with a 9.85 and sophomore Allie Riddle continued her solid streak on the apparatus with a 9.825. Gobourne and Watson finished with a 9.75 and a 9.725, respectively.
FLOOR
Auburn capped the night with a 49.200 on with two Tigers sharing the title with a 9.875. The score was a season high for Cerio and gave Watson her first title in the event this season. Junior Emma Slappey and Sheppard chipped in a pair of 9.825s and Gobourne finished with a 9.8.