AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn Arena will host a top 10 gymnastics matchup for the second time this season as No. 7 Auburn welcomes No. 9 Missouri to the Plains Friday, Feb. 11.
"It's another tough match up for this team and the good news is that we're getting a lot of our top 10 contests at home," head coach Jeff Graba said. "We need our fans to come out and we need a loud crowd.
"I expect a really tight meet because Missouri is really solid," Graba added. "That is a team that is on the rise so our squad needs to understand that we don't need a let down after a big score last week on the road."
Auburn won the first top 10 home matchup of the season, defeating No. 9 Alabama two weeks ago with a 197.525. Friday's meet against Mizzou will be the seventh meet featuring top 10 teams since Auburn Arena opened prior to the 2011 season.
"We're looking forward to being back home to see what we can do," fifth year Drew Watson said. "We're working really hard in the gym to get all those tenths back and excited to see what we put together this Friday."
The two Tiger teams face off at 8 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
AUBURN LINEUP
Depth and experience with a mix of new talent is what the Tigers will bring to the table in 2022.
Auburn will lead things off on vault where it ranks tied for eighth nationally. Seniors Derrian Gobourne and Drew Watson lead the way as the pair each have a 9.95 under their belts.
Junior Piper Smith has worked her way into the top eight, while sophomores Tara Walsh and Gabby McLaughlin are also on the list. Freshmen Sophia Groth, Sara Hubbard and Sunisa Lee are all up for a spot in the lineup.
The Tigers move on to bars for rotation two and will be once again led by experienced leaders in Watson and Gobourne. Lee is among the the top eight following a perfect 10.0 at LSU last weekend.
Juniors Adeline Sabados, Piper Smith, Cassie Stevens and Anna Sumner are all up for a spot in the lineup against Missouri, while Groth has also cracked the top eight.
Auburn's beam squad has been improving each week and are ranked fourth nationally with a 49.340 average. Lee and Groth as well as McLaughlin are among the top on the team with solid scores this season. Sophomore Olivia Hollingsworth along with Smith and Stevens also bring experience to the team, while Hubbard and junior Morgan Leigh Oldham have earned spots in the top eight.
The Tigers are set to close out the meet on floor. Groth, Watson, Lee and Gobourne have some of the top performances on the team this season, while Stevens is also a consistent contributor on the list. Freshman Ananda Brown joins classmate Hubbard among the top eight with Oldham also making the list.
UP NEXT
Auburn returns to the road, traveling Athens, Georgia for another Southeastern Conference contest. The Tigers and Georgia will face off at 6:30 p.m. CT, Feb. 18, and the meet will be televised on SEC Network.
No. 7 Auburn welcomes No. 9 Missouri to the Plains
