The Auburn gymnastics team knew following up on a season where it reached the Super Six for the second time in school history would not be easy.
The early-season schedule made the task even more challenging, as three of the first four meets for the Tigers have been against ranked teams. But according to head coach Jeff Graba, those ranked showdowns are a good thing.
“When I first got here, that was our goal,” Graba said. “Get to the point where these really good programs coming in and we could have these top 10 matchups and actually have a shot at knocking some of them off.”
In those three meets against Kentucky, Alabama and Florida, the Tigers beat the Wildcats but suffered losses to the Crimson Tide and Gators. Graba’s group is unsatisfied with its 1-2 conference record, but he said that’s something he wants to see.
"I actually like the fact that we're frustrated right now,” Graba said. “When I first got here, I think our first year we never scored a 196. The fact that we're going three 196s and we're frustrated and two of them are on the road, that's a pretty big deal for this program right now."
The hardest part of the beginning of the season hasn’t been the opposition but the timing of the meets, as the Tigers have competed in four meets in 12 days, leaving them little time to train.
Senior Lexus Demers feels getting back to practice is just what she and her teammates need.
“It’s been a hectic schedule, the beginning of our season,” Demers said. “You really only have one day to train in between each meet, so it’s going to be nice to finally settle down and get back to a regular schedule and a regular week.”
Though some time off is needed, senior Kait Kluz appreciates the experience gained from a chaotic opening schedule, especially for the younger member of the team.
“It’s a whole new team this year,” Kluz said. “We have five freshmen that are a big part of our team. I think it was really important for us to do those first three crazy meets in the first two weekends. It sped up our process, but we got that experience for the freshmen and our new lineups.”
Meets against ranked opponents Arkansas, LSU, Georgia and Alabama remain down the road, but Graba hopes the regular practice schedule will help prepare his team for those stages.
“We’re just now getting back to normal,” Graba said. “We’ve had nine practices in the last month, so we actually need practice right now, and I think that was showing in our performances. Typically this program starts hitting its stride in week three or four, so that’s what I’m looking for."
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