AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 14 Auburn gymnastics team opens up the postseason at the 2024 Southeastern Conference Championships Saturday, March 22. The two-session meet will be held at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans and will be televised on SEC Network.
Auburn will compete in the afternoon session at 2:30 p.m. CT and is the seventh seed. The Tigers will start on beam and will go against No. 5 seed Arkansas, No. 6 seed Missouri and No. 8 seed Georgia. LSU is the top seed, while Florida (No. 2), Kentucky (No. 3) and Alabama (No. 4) will compete at 7 p.m. CT.
"Everyone in the league is the top 18 in the country so it's going to be a competitive day," head coach Jeff Graba said. "There is a lot on the line this Saturday as every team is working towards an improved ranking with a big score."
Auburn enters the postseason with a handful of podium experience this season, having competed on the elevated surface three times prior to Saturday.
"You gotta go through the growing pains during the season and we have a lot of young people on our team that haven't had a lot of podium experience," Graba said. "We set up the schedule the way we did so that all the newcomers could get that key experience as we head into the postseason. Any time we can get on a podium is helpful."
POTENTIAL LINEUP
Auburn will kick off the meet on beam and will follow with floor, vault and end on bars.
The Tiger beam squad has continued to build and excel this season and are currently ranked seventh nationally with a 49.420 NQS.
Leading the way among the top eight is senior Gabby McLaughlin and fifth year Cassie Stevens. McLaughlin is among the nation's best with a 9.920 NQS and has seven scores of 9.9 or better, including a 9.95.
Stevens has a 9.915 NQS and has a career-best 9.975 to her credit this season.
Joining the pair is upperclassmen Aria Brusch, Olivia Hollingsworth and Sophia Groth. Brusch and Hollingsworth have been consistent competitors for the squad, while Groth has seven scores of 9.9 or better.
Freshman Paige Zancan has been in the lineup for all but two meets this year, while redshirt freshmen Hailey John and Olivia Greaves are also among the top eight for the squad.
Auburn heads to floor for rotation two and has been a consistent team in the event all year, having a
Hollingsworth is among the nation's best with a 9.915 NQS. Stevens, McLaughlin, Brusch and Groth have competed in every meet on floor this season for the squad.
McLaughlin earned back-to-back 9.925s leading into this Saturday, while Groth (9,925) and Brusch (9.9) picked up big scores last week in Nashville. .
Freshman Julianne Huff along with junior Sara Hubbard and Zancan are also among the top eight. Huff has earned back-to-back 9.875s.
Auburn moves on to vault for the third and are looking to regroup for a big score this Saturday.
The Tigers have six of their top eight with 10.0 start values. Senior Sydney Schumaker along with Hollingsworth, Hubbard, Huff, Stevens and Zancan are all among the top eight with 10.0 vaults.
Stevens is coming off a 9.95 in Nashville last week, winning the event title.
Groth and Greaves both have a 9.95 start value and are among the possible starters for the squad.
The final rotation has the squad on bars.
Stevens, Brusch, Hollingsworth, McLaughlin, Groth and Greaves have all been consistent competitors for the Tigers, while sophomore Hannah Hagle and freshman Emma Grace Boyd are among the top eight.
Auburn reached a season-high 49.4 in Nashville behind big scores including a 9.95 from Brusch.
UP NEXT
Auburn will await its placement for the 2024 NCAA Regional Championship. The selection show is slated for 11 a.m. CT on Monday, March 25.
