AUBURN, Ala. – With the 2024 season a month away, the No. 17 Auburn gymnastics team got a taste of competition Friday night in Neville Arena at its annual Preview Meet presented by On To Victory.
"I was really happy with the energy, the vibe, the mental focus," head coach Jeff Graba said. "I felt like they were trying to do the right stuff, and then actually some good gymnastics was involved in all of that. So pretty happy."
The Tiger lineup featured a combination of newcomers as well as seasoned veterans putting mostly full routines throughout the night. Seven student-athletes made their Neville Arena debut, including five freshmen.
Auburn saw big routines from a wealth of experienced returners, including grad students Cassie Stevens and Aria Brusch as well as seniors Gabby McLaughlin and Olivia Hollingsworth and junior Sophia Groth.
Stevens, Hollingsworth and Groth each put together a solid night in the all-around. Hollingsworth anchored Team Blue on vault with a Yurchenko 1.5 as well as anchoring floor and bars. Stevens anchored Team Orange on beam, vault and floor and put together a solid Yurchenko 1.5 on vault for the Tigers.
Auburn saw strong landings and clean routines from Groth throughout the night, while McLaughlin anchored Team Blue on beam with a stunning routine.
The home crowd also got to see the future of Auburn gymnastics as a handful of freshmen and transfers competed tonight. Freshman Julianne Huff, a Hoover, Alabama native, shined in the all-around for the Tigers, while classmate Bryn Bartman competed on beam, floor and bars. Freshman Paige Zancan earned a spot on the vault, beam and floor lineups for Team Blue.
"It was like a surreal moment, looking up in the stands and seeing so many people here to just support," Huff said. "I was going for clean routines and just basically a basic mindset of just getting my routines down so I can be more consistent."
"I thought they did a great job," sophomore Hannah Hagle said. "I thought they handled themselves very, very well and I'm excited to see what they can do for the rest of the year."
Auburn opens the 2024 season on the road, traveling to Las Vegas for the Super 16 Challenge. The Tigers will compete on January 6 in Orleans Arena. Time and opponents will be announced soon.
