AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 20 Auburn gymnastics team returns to the road Friday, traveling to Fayetteville for a contest vs. No. 14 Arkansas. The Tigers and the Razorbacks will go head-to-head at 6:30 p.m. CT in Barnhill Arena on SEC Network.
"This is the perfect time for a road meet," assistant coach Ashley Johnston said. "This gives the group a time to bond together. It is also a perfect time for the team to really just come together away from the outside noise and really get back to trusting each other in a tough environment."
"There is a different kind of pressure at home meets because you want to do well for your home crowd," senior Emma Slappey said. "Being on the road gives us a chance to really focus on us and play with the energy coming from a hostile crowd."
AUBURN LINEUP
The Auburn lineup remains mostly the same with a few placement changes this week vs. Arkansas.
Junior Drew Watson and freshman Cassie Stevens are once again in the all-around. The pair rank in the Top 15 regionally in the category. Stevens leads the way with a 39.087 average for the Tigers.
Auburn kicks things off on bars in rotation one and Stevens will go first for the squad. Following her are classmates Adeline Sabados and Aria Brusch. The two freshmen have started in every meet in the event for the Tigers. Watson is slated for fourth with senior Gracie Day going fifth. Day is coming off a season-high 9.9 vs. Florida in the event. Sophomore Derrian Gobourne will anchor the event for the eighth-straight meet. The Sarasota, Fla., product has earned a 9.875 or better if five of the last six meets.
Senior Katie Becker will once again lead things off on vault in the second rotation. The Boone, N.C., product has 34 starts in the event under her belt. She's followed by classmates Skyler Sheppard and Day. Day has picked up back-to-back 9.925s, coming against Kentucky and Florida. Stevens is slated to go fourth with an 9.804 average on the apparatus. Watson and Gobourne are set to close things out and lead the squad in vault average this season. Gobourne holds a 9.868, while Watson stands at 9.85.
Rotation three places the Tigers on floor. Senior Emma Slappey will go first, making her 37th start in the event. Stevens and Brusch are second and third with Day going fourth. Day is coming off a season-best 9.9 vs. Florida. Watson is fifth and has been one of the team's most consistent in the event, holding a 9.846 average. Gobourne is set to anchor for the Tigers with a pair of 9.95s under her belt.
Final event is beam for the Tigers in rotation four. Slappey will once again lead off with Brusch following. Brusch is ranked among the Top 25 regionally, having a 9.793 average. Stevens is slated for third and is coming off a career-high score vs. Florida, earning a 9.875. Junior beam specialist Meredith Sylvia is fourth and holds a 9.804 average for the Tigers. Watson is fifth and Sheppard is set to anchor.