It came down to the last routine. The weight of a 117-meet losing streak to rival Alabama rested on the shoulders of Auburn’s All-American Caitlin Atkinson, yet she didn’t even know it.
“I didn’t know the score I needed, I still don’t even know what score I got,” Atkinson said. “But I knew [the score] was within a tenth of a point or closer. I just trusted myself when it was my turn to go because I know how to do it.”
And do it she did.
Atkinson scored a 9.925 on the final floor routine, leading No. 8 Auburn to a 197.275-197.250 over No. 4 Alabama in front of a sellout crowd in Auburn Arena.
“The energy was like nothing we’ve seen this season yet, and so I really think we stayed in our bubble and just had fun with it,” sophomore Abby Milliet said. “We didn’t care what was going on on the other side.”
The pressure of the moment never fazed Atkinson, and she credited her teammates for helping her keep composure.
“They trust me and believe in me, so that allows me to trust myself in the anchor spot,” Atkinson said. “A lot of trust from teammate to teammate I think is a really big key, and I think we have that. It’s spectacular to do this, and our team is going to keep building off this. We’re going to feed off of it, and we still have a lot of places to go.”
The meet marked the first time this season the Tigers broke 197, and coach Jeff Graba was happy to do it in front of the home fans.
“I really think this is for the Auburn family and for our fans," Graba said. "We want to look up and be able to give them what they’ve given us. This is really special to us, and it’s really something we wanted to share with them ... It’s a lot of fun on that end, but it’s also validation of this program, making it into a top five program on a consistent basis, not just a fluke.”
Just how long did the losing streak last? Graba put it in context afterward.
“I know it’s been a long time, I know Jimmy Carter was president last time we won,” Graba said. “I asked the girls if they even knew who he was, and they remembered the name but just from the history books.”
Even with the history made, Atkinson and the team were happier with just beating their archrival.
“It means everything,” Atkinson said. “This is my last dual meet against Alabama, and when you come into a rivalry like this, your goal is to always come on top against your rival. To finally do that as a senior, it means everything, and I think it means a lot for the team.”
The Tigers began the night on vault with a 49.275, led by Atkinson’s 9.900.
On bars, Auburn scored a season-high 49.300. Atkinson and Milliet each scored a 9.900 to lead the Tigers.
Auburn scored another season-high with 49.250 on beam, and Atkinson led the Tigers again with a season-high 9.925.
The Tigers finished on floor with a 49.450, led by Atkinson’s meet-clinching 9.925.
In the end, seven season-high’s were set, but while Graba wants his team to enjoy the moment, the team focus will not change.
“Our philosophy is post-season philosophy,” Graba said. “This is a lot of fun, and this is a feather in their cap. They own this and can take this for the rest of their life, but let’s not get carried away short-term. Let’s be focused on what we’re going to do in the future. We’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us. It wasn’t a perfect night. We can get better than what we did tonight. You can’t take this thing away from them, but you can’t get carried away too much with it.”
Auburn is now 3-3 on the season and 2-3 in the SEC. Up next for the Tigers is a road meet at LSU Friday, Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m.
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