AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 7 Auburn gymnastics team takes to the road in Southeastern Conference action, facing Georgia Friday night in Stegeman Coliseum. The Tigers and Bulldogs will face off at 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
"We're looking forward to competing at Georgia," head coach Jeff Graba said. "They are a team that is starting to find its stride. The goal is to get a few more people some experience and work on our depth. When we're on the road and focused, we need to do the job we're there to do and hopefully we come away with a good score and a win."
Auburn is looking to find success in Athens as the squad has only won once when facing the Bulldogs on the road.
"It's a tough place to compete and there is a lot of history within the program," Graba said. "Sure, we want to win, but we also want to make sure we come away with a good road score that will help set us up for success down the road."
"We've proven that we are a good team that can consistently score well," junior Piper Smith said. "Now it's time for us to make those little decisions that will push us to the next level no matter where we are competing. We're really excited for Friday to see what we can do in a tough environment."
AUBURN LINEUP
Depth and experience with a mix of new talent is what the Tigers will bring to the table.
The Tigers kick off the meet on bars in rotation one. The squad ranks 11th nationally in the event this season.
Auburn's top eight for bars includes fifth year Drew Watson and senior Derrian Gobourne. Freshman Sunisa Lee is 11th nationally in the event with a 10.0 under her belt.
Juniors Adeline Sabados, Piper Smith and Cassie Stevens are also among the top eight, while sophomore Gabby McLaughlin and freshman Sophia Groth both have potential to compete.
The team heads to vault for the second rotation and ranks seventh nationally in the event.
Auburn will once again be led by Watson and Gobourne. Lee, Groth and freshman Sara Hubbard are also set to provide big vaults, while Smith, Stevens and sophomore Tara Walsh have also worked to get on the list.
Auburn moves on to floor for rotation three and the team is ninth nationally with a 49.321 average. Gobourne leads the team on floor with a 9.921 mark, while Lee and Groth are also among the top 50 nationally.
Watson and Stevens are also among the team's top competitors. Hubbard, junior Morgan Leigh Oldham and freshman Ananda Brown are on pace to compete for a starting spot.
The Tigers close out the meet on beam where the squad is second in the nation at 49.388.
Groth and Smith are among the country's top 15 in the event, while Lee and McLaughlin each have a 9.975 this season. Stevens is coming off a 9.95 and sophomore Olivia Hollingsworth has led off the last five meets. Fifth year Allie Riddle makes her debut in the top eight, while Oldham is also on the list.
UP NEXT
The Tigers return to Auburn Arena next Friday, hosting No. 10 Kentucky on Feb. 25. The two teams will face off at 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
No. 7 Tigers face Georgia in Athens Friday night
