AUBURN, Ala. – One after another, Auburn gymnasts delivered nearly flawless beam routines, scoring five 9.9s or better to set the program event record while cruising to victory in another top 10 matchup Friday at sold-out Auburn Arena.
Freshman Sunisa Lee won the all-around with a 39.575 to lead No. 7 Auburn past No. 9 Missouri 197.575-196.275, the Tigers' highest home score of the season.
"Pretty happy with the fight tonight," Auburn coach Jeff Graba said. "Getting a little frustrated with leaving things out there. Overall, I'm very happy and really liked their fight and determination, but we've got to clean up."
Auburn entered the meet ranked No. 4 nationally on beam with an average 49.340, but the Tigers raced way past that to score a 49.625, highlighted by sophomore Gabby McLaughlin's career-high 9.975.
"I hope she takes some confidence away from it," Graba said. "I'm really happy with where she is. She's very busy in the gym and I'm really happy with her mental game. She's bringing her tough mentality to the table and she got rewarded for it."
Junior Cassie Stevens, showcasing the innovative beam maneuver that bears her name – "the Stevens" –scored a career-high 9.95.
"I thought we killed it, I'm not going to lie," Stevens said. "I saw what we do in practice every day. We're feeling pretty good but we know we left a lot out there tonight. When you see multiple people in front of you nailing it, it makes you excited. You're setting each other up for the end of the lineup to knock it out of the park."
"We do that in practice all the time so I'm not surprised," Graba said. "I'm really pleased with their cohesion. We're that good of a beam squad."
Junior Piper Smith, after falling on bars, rebounded strongly on beam to score a 9.9, tying her career high.
"That's what we expect from her," Graba said. "She's been in tough environments and scored 9.9s before. She's capable."
Lee and Sophia Groth also recorded 9.9s on beam.
For an encore, Auburn put up big numbers on floor, including Groth's 9.925, a career best, which shared the event crown with Lee.
Fifth year gymnast Drew Watson set the tone by winning the vault title with a 9.925. Senior Derrian Gobourne added a 9.9 on vault.
Lee shared the bars title with a 9.9 while adding a 9.85 on vault.
Auburn rested junior Aria Brusch, allowing other gymnasts to enter the lineup.
"We have to develop our depth and we made a good step forward tonight," Graba said.
The Tigers travel to Athens, Georgia, next Friday to compete against UGA at 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
"We've done a really good job so far this season," Stevens said. "The next step for us is taking it to the next level by focusing on those little things."
VAULT
Auburn led off with it's third-highest score of the season on vault, scoring a 49.325. Watson took the title with a 9.925, while Gobourne added a 9.9. Lee and Groth chipped in a pair of 9.85s and freshman Sara Hubbard finished scoring with a 9.8.
BARS
The Tigers had a solid showing on bars in rotation two, coming in with a 49.225. Lee shared the bars title with a 9.9, while Stevens and Gobourne earned a pair of 9.85s. That score tied a season best for Stevens. Junior Adeline Sabados had a season-high 9.825 and Watson led off with a 9.8.
BEAM
The beam dream squad bested the program's event record with a 49.625 behind big scores. Smith, Groth and Lee earned 9.9s. That score tied a career best for Smith. Stevens set a career high with a 9.95, while McLaughlin's 9.975 was also a career best.
FLOOR
Auburn capped the night with it's second-highest floor score of the season with a 49.400. Lee and Groth shared the floor title, finishing with a 9.925. That was a career best for Groth. Gobourne chipped in a 9.875, while Watson and Stevens earned a 9.85 and 9.825, respectively.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
No. 7 Auburn breaks beam record in top 10 win vs. No. 9 Missouri
