AUBURN, Ala. – The 2025 Auburn gymnastics season is set to kick off Saturday, January 4 as the No. 17 Tigers will compete in the American Gold Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Classic. The podium quad meet will be held in the Nashville Municipal Auditorium at 5:30 p.m. CT.
“We're looking forward to getting this thing started and hopefully start higher up the ladder than we did in the past few years," head coach Jeff Graba said. "We're hoping to knock out some of the little things in this meet like getting warmups figured out, how to support each other, etc. If we do that early, we have a shot at being really good this year."
The Tigers will face No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 23 Nebraska and No. 27 BYU to start the season Saturday.
AUBURN LINEUP
A wealth of fresh faces along with experienced returners highlight the Auburn lineup to start the new season.
The Tigers will start the meet on bars and the top eight include one fifth year, two seniors, three sophomores, one redshirt freshman and one freshman.
Leading the charge will be experienced veterans in fifth year Olivia Hollingsworth and senior Sophia Groth. Hollingsworth has a career-high 9.9 with 26 starts, while Groth has been a mainstay in the event since her first year on the Plains with 35 starts and a career-best 9.925.
Joining the pair in experience will be sophomore Olivia Greaves. She anchored the team most of last year in the event with a career-best 9.9.
Also working to be in the lineup will be senior Caroline Leonard, sophomore transfer Alex Irvine, sophomore Emma Grace Boyd, redshirt freshman Bryn Bartman and freshman Katelyn Jong.
Auburn moves on to beam in the second rotation and will be a mix of new and old as the squad looks to build off a top 15 regular season finish in the event with a 49.420.
Hollingsworth, Groth and fifth year Gabby McLaughlin highlight the top eight with a combined 136 routines to their credit. That includes 50 from McLaughlin, who has a 9.975 to her name. Groth enters her final year as a two-time All-American in the event.
Joining the trio in the top eight with experience is sophomore Paige Zancan, who was the primary leadoff for the squad in 2024. Greaves has worked her way into the top eight for the squad as well.
Three freshmen in Jong, Olivia Ahern and Marissa Neal have each had great preseasons for the Tigers and have secured their potential spots in the lineup.
Rotation three will be floor and it will be a similar story with a mix of experience and new faces.
Jong and Neal are joined by fellow freshman Sophia Bell in the top eight with Greaves and Zancan also working their way into the potential lineup.
Groth, Hollingsworth and McLaughlin headline the group and have 95 routines between the three.
The final rotation has the team finish the meet on vault with seven of the eight top vaults having a 10.0 start value.
Leading the way will be All-SEC performer and sophomore Julianne Huff as well as senior All-American Sara Hubbard. Hollingsworth and fellow fifth year Sydney Schumaker also have 10.0 start values, while Bell, Jong and Zancan hope to bring big vaults for the squad.
Senior transfer Sarah Zois has earned her spot in the top eight with a beautiful Yurchenko full.
UP NEXT
Auburn continues on the road for another podium meet, competing in San Antonio on January 11. The Tigers will face No. 20 Arizona State, No. 21 Penn State, No. 24 Maryland and Temple at 12 p.m. CT.