AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 14 Auburn gymnastics team returns to competition and kicks off the 2021 season in Auburn Arena, hosting No. 1 Florida Friday, Jan. 8. The Tigers and the Gators will square off in the season opener at 7 p.m. CT and the meet will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
"We are so excited and thankful to be starting the season Friday," head coach Jeff Graba said. "This season is going to look and feel different, but we are looking forward to competing in front of our fans again. We have a young group, but we are an extremely talented squad that is ready to compete.
"With an SEC-only schedule this year, it's going to be a challenge each week," Graba added. "Florida is the top team in the country for a reason and will be ready to come out and hit on all cylinders. We just need to keep our blinders on and focus on what we're doing Friday and I think we can be very successful."
EVENT INFORMATION
In accordance with current state health COVID-19 guidelines, Auburn Arena capacity will be reduced to approximately 20% for the 2021 Auburn gymnastics season. Tickets for home meets have been reserved for Auburn students as well as season ticket holders who opted in. No single meet tickets will be available in 2021.
To meet SEC protocol and to allow for proper physical distancing, the team corrals will take up the west side of the arena floor. Bleachers in sections D-N will be unavailable for student/fan seating for the 2021 season. In addition, seating in sections A-C will not be available. Available seats will be arranged in groups of two and four with 6 feet of distancing between each block of seats. Unavailable seats will be marked accordingly.
Face coverings (over the nose and mouth) will be required for all spectators and gameday workers upon entry and while inside the arena. Guests may remove face coverings while actively eating or drinking. Additional information related to health and safety guidelines for Auburn Arena will be communicated directly to ticket holders.
More information can be found at the Auburn Gymnastics Meet Day website by clicking HERE.
AUBURN LINEUP
The Auburn lineup is full of youth as 17 of 24 routines will come from sophomores or freshmen.
Being the home squad, Auburn will kick things off on vault in the first rotation. Four of the six competitors in the lineup will be competing the event for the first time in their careers.
Freshman Olivia Hollingsworth is down as leadoff for the Tigers, while sophomore Piper Smith got the nod in the event and will be second. The opening pair will both be competing in the Auburn lineup for the first time Friday.
Sophomores Adeline Sabados and Aria Brusch will go third and fourth on vault, securing their first career starts in the event. Sophomore Cassie Stevens is set in the fifth slot. The Phoenix, Ariz., product secured SEC All-Freshman team accolades for her performances on vault last season. Anchoring the event will be junior Derrian Gobourne, who was the 2019 NCAA champion on vault and an All-American.
The Tigers head to bars for rotation two and will be sophomore heavy. Sophomore Anna Sumner is making her first start in the event after competing in exhibition last season, leading off for the squad. Smith will follow with Stevens, Sabados and Brusch going in spots three through five. The trio were regulars in the bars lineup last season with Brusch being one of the top bars workers in the NCAA Central Region.
Gobourne will anchor once again, securing the spot after an outstanding 2020 in the event. As the anchor last season, Gobourne secured second team All-America honors on bars and recorded a career-best 9.925 on three occasions.
Rotation three has Auburn on beam and will feature a good mix of experience and youth. Senior Drew Watson will lead things off, making her 31st start in the event. Smith will once again go second in her first beam start, while senior Meredith Sylvia is down for third. Sylvia, who has competed in every meet in the event so far in her career, has a pair of 9.925s under her belt.
Gobourne is set in the fourth spot, making her return to the beam lineup this year after only competing in the event once in 2020. Freshman Gabby McLaughlin earned the starting nod for the team and Stevens will anchor.
The final rotation will be floor and is once again a mix of experience and new faces. Leading off will be junior Sabrina Cheney. The Port Orange, Fla., product competed in the event three times last season for the squad. Sophomore Morgan Leigh Oldham is slated to go second with Sabados going third. Oldham had one start on floor last year, while the appearance for Sabados in the event is the first of her career.
Stevens and Brusch, who each competed in the event in every meet in 2020, will go fourth and fifth. Gobourne closes out the rotation as anchor. The Sarasota, Fla., product finished with a 9.875 NQS last season, scoring a career-best 9.95 twice during her sophomore campaign.
The Tigers will have two exhibitions per event Friday. Senior Jada Glenn and freshman Payton Smith will go on vault, while McLaughlin and Sylvia will exhibition on bars. Oldham and Brusch are down for beam and McLaughlin and Watson will cap the night in exhibition on floor.
No. 14 Auburn hosts No. 1 Florida to kick off 2021 season
