AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 12 Auburn gymnastics team will host No. 13 Missouri on Friday, February 23 in Neville Arena. The two Tiger teams will face off at 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
"We want a good home meet with it being our last this year," head coach Jeff Graba said. "The score is the most important thing for us this Friday, so we are hoping to get a good score against a really good Missouri team in front of our home crowd. Missouri is going to be extremely tough and will be ready to go so we need to have a great night on all four events."
Friday's meet will be the last home meet for the squad in 2024. The team will recognize it's six seniors at the conclusion of the meet. Those being honored are Ananda Brown, Olivia Hollingsworth, Gabby McLaughlin, Sydney Schumaker, Aria Brusch and Cassie Stevens.
"It's going to be a good celebration," Graba said. "We have a lot of seniors that have contributed so much to this program. We're looking forward to a big crowd in the best environment in collegiate gymnastics to send these seniors out in style."
In addition, the Tigers will welcome almost 30 alumni for the annual Alumni Meet celebration weekend. Those in attendance will be recognized during the pre-meet activities.
FAN INFORMATION
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. CT and fans are encouraged to plan accordingly to arrive before we get started at 6 p.m. CT.
PARKING
The Neville Arena Lot is reserved for those with premium seating and requires a parking pass to park in the lot. Those parking passes have been emailed to the appropriate ticket holders.
For those without a Neville Arena Lot parking pass, free and recommended parking is available in the Campus Safety Lot located off of War Eagle Way. This lot provides easy access to the main entrance of Neville Arena. Additional free parking is also available in the Stadium Parking Deck, Athletics Complex Parking Deck and the Coliseum Lot.
There are a lot of events on campus this weekend and in an effort to accommodate, parking will also be available at the Hayfield Lot off of Donahue Drive. Tiger Transits will drop fans off at the Scholarship Entrance.
ADA parking is available in the Wire Road lot and a golf cart shuttle as well as a transit will begin running 90 minutes prior to each meet. The shuttle will run for one-hour post-meet.
FAN EXPERIENCE
A few reminders for fans during the meet…
- WEAR PINK!
- Auburn University students as well as fans in the lower bowl will receive pink t-shirts courtesy of the Harbert College of Business.
- It's Senior Night so help us send out our seniors in style!
- Fans will be able to collect the final autograph cards, featuring seniors Olivia Hollingsworth, Gabby McLaughlin and Sydney Schumaker as well as fifth years Aria Brusch and Cassie Stevens.
- Concessions and team shops are cashless.
POTENTIAL LINEUP
Auburn is once again at home this week and will once again start on vault. The Tigers are hoping to see a handful of 10.0 vaults from the top eight.
Fifth year Cassie Stevens and freshman Julianne Huff each are among the top 50 nationally in the event with their Yurchenko 1.5s. Huff finished second last week at LSU with a career-best 9.925, while Stevens added a 9.9 to the team score.
Joining the pair with 10.0 start values are seniors Olivia Hollingsworth and Sydney Schumaker and junior Sara Hubbard. Hollingsworth and Schumaker have both hit 9.9s this season, while Hubbard has been a consistent contributor week in and week out.
Junior Sophia Groth along with junior transfer Anna Hill and freshman Jersie Woolsey all have a spot in the top eight for the squad.
The team's top eight on bars remains the same this week.
Leading the way are graduates Stevens and Aria Brusch, while seniors Hollingsworth and Gabby McLaughlin as well as Groth are all among the top eight. Stevens, Hollingsworth and Groth each have a 9.9 or better twice this year, while McLaughlin has been steady all season long.
Joining the upperclassmen in top eight will be sophomore Hannah Hagle, redshirt freshman Olivia Greaves and freshman Emma Grace Boyd.
Greaves has three starts to her name with a career-high 9.875. Boyd and Hagle have both competed in the event this season for the Tigers.
The Tigers will go to beam where the team ranks sixth nationally with a 49.279.
Stevens set a career best two weeks with a 9.975, earning the event title against Alabama.
McLaughlin and Groth each had a 9.925 on the road at LSU last week for the squad and McLauglin is among the nation's best with a 9.892 average.
Joining the three in the top eight will Hollingsworth, Brusch, Hagle, Boyd and freshman Paige Zancan. Hollingsworth and Zancan each have a 9.9 to their credit this year, while Brusch has been a steady contributor all season long.
The Tigers will go to floor for the final rotation and have been a solid team this season in the event, averaging a 49.393.
The top eight includes Stevens, Brusch, Hollingsworth, McLaughlin and Groth.
Hollingsworth won the event title against Alabama with a season-best 9.925, while Stevens, McLaughlin and Groth all had 9.9s vs. the Crimson Tide
Hagle has competed in the last three meets on floor for Auburn and scored a career-best 9.9 two weeks ago.
Also in the top eight are Hubbard and Zancan.
UP NEXT
Auburn will be road warriors the rest of the 2024 season, starting March 1 with a trip to Georgia. The Tigers and the Bulldogs will face off at 6 p.m. CT in Stegeman Coliseum. The meet will be broadcast on SEC Network.