AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 13 Auburn gymnastics team is set to travel to No. 4 Arkansas to take on the Razorbacks Friday night, January 25. The two teams will go head-to-head at 7 p.m. CT in Barnhill Arena and the meet will be streamed on SEC Network+.
"Arkansas is going to have a great crowd and have proven they are a great team early in the season," head coach Jeff Graba said. "However, at the end of the day it's all about us and doing what we know we are capable of doing. If we do a good job on Friday, I think we can compete with anybody in the country."
The Tigers are closing out the month of January having faced a gauntlet of opponents. Not a single meet in the season-opening month was against a team outside the top 10.
"We're in a really good spot right now," Graba said. "Physically, I think we're doing really good gymnastics. All top 10 matchups with a young team have been a good thing, but it's all starting to hit them right now that it doesn't matter who the other team is. What matters is who we are."
POTENTIAL LINEUP
Auburn will take to the road for a true dual for the first time this season.
The Tigers will kick off the meet on bars and a plethora of upperclassmen are set to lead the charge in the event as five of the top eight are fifth years, seniors or juniors.
Senior Gabby McLaughlin is coming off back-to-back meets where she tied her career high in the event with a 9.875.
Fifth year Stevens kicked off the year with a 9.925 in the event and has anchored the first three meets. Senior Olivia Hollingsworth and junior Sophia Groth each earned 9.9s at the start of the season.
Fifth year Aria Brusch is also among the top eight and has 39 starts in the event in her career.
Joining the experienced crew in the top eight on bars will be sophomore Hannah Hagle as well as freshmen Emma Grace Boyd and Julianne Huff. Boyd secured the first start of her career last week against Florida, scoring a 9.775.
The second rotation will have the Tigers go to vault and the squad is hoping to see a handful of 10.0 vaults from the top eight.
Leading the way is Stevens, who has a pair of 9.975s under her belt and was SEC Co-Champion in the event last year.
Groth is coming off a 9.9 vs. Florida last week, setting a season best and winning the event title.
Joining them in the top eight is Hollingsworth and senior Sydney Schumaker. Both earned career bests at home against Kentucky two weeks ago. Schumaker, a transfer from SUNY Brockport, earned a share of the vault title with a 9.9 against the Wildcats, while Hollingsworth followed with a 9.875 to tie a career best.
Junior Sara Hubbard led the Tigers at the Super 16 on the opening weekend, scoring a team-best 9.875 on her Yurchenko 1.5. Huff, fellow freshman Jersie Woolsey and junior transfer Anna Hill are also among the team's top eight.
Auburn moves on to floor in rotation three and have been building over the last three meets.
The Tigers are coming off a season-best 49.450 against the Gators, seeing four student-athletes earn a 9.9 or better.
Stevens and McLaughlin each set career bests, earning a 9.925 apiece. Brusch and Groth were awarded 9.9s, which was a career best for Brusch.
Also among the top eight are Hollingsworth, Huff, Hubbard and Hagle.
Auburn concludes the night on beam and had a season-best showing against Florida.
McLaughlin earned the beam title last week with a season-beset 9.95. Stevens chipped in a 9.9, while Hollingsworth had a 9.85.
Freshman Paige Zancan earned a spot in the lineup last week and remains in the top eight for the Tigers. Groth, Brusch, Huff and Hagle are all in the top eight as well.
UP NEXT
Auburn returns to Neville Arena on February 2, hosting its first-ever quad meet in the regular season. The Tigers will welcome Temple, Fisk and Talladega to the Plains and the meet will kick off at 7 p.m. CT.
No. 13 Auburn travels to No. 4 Arkansas for Friday Night Heights
