LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior Cassie Stevens won the all-around Saturday for the No. 9 Auburn gymnastics team, but the Tigers fell at No. 12 Kentucky 197.675-196.450 at Memorial Coliseum.
"I thought the team fought really hard," Auburn coach Jeff Graba said. "I was happy with the mentality. I felt like we came in and tried to get some things accomplished and we were in it all the way until the end."
Auburn rested sophomore Sunisa Lee to prepare the final stretch of the season.
The Tigers got off to a solid start on bars, scoring 49.2, with fifth year Derrian Gobourne delivering a 9.9 in the anchor position. Junior Gabby McLaughlin scored a career-high 9.875, Stevens added a 9.85, senior Aria Brusch earned a 9.825 and sophomore Sophia Groth scored a 9.8.
Stevens tied her career vault high with a spectacular routine earning a 10 from one judge while scoring a 9.975.
"It was great to see Cassie start to vault like that again," Graba said. "It's nice to see her start to hit that vault like she's capable."
Gobourne and junior Olivia Hollingsworth each scored 9.875s on vault while sophomore Sara Hubbard added a 9.85 and Groth scored 9.8 in the second spot. Auburn totaled 49.375 on vault, its highest rotation score of the meet.
Hollingsworth scored a career-high 9.9 on floor to lead the Tigers in Auburn's third rotation. Groth added a 9.875 while McLaughlin led off with a career-best 9.850. Stevens contributed a 9.825 while Brusch and Gobourne each scored 9.8s.
Finishing on beam, Stevens led the way again with a 9.850 to take the all-around with a 39.5.
"I think it shows what a quality athlete she is and the depth of our team," Graba said. "If we get everybody on the same page like where Cassie is right now, we're in really good shape."
After Hollingsworth led off with a 9.825, freshman Hannah Hagle made her Auburn debut with an impressive 9.8, a score duplicated by Brusch. The Tigers were forced to count one of two falls leading to a team beam score of 48.575.
"Maybe it will leave a bad taste in our mouth but we've got a week to work on it and get ready to go for Senior Night," Graba said.
Auburn concludes the regular season Friday at Neville Arena vs. Penn State at 7 p.m. CT.
