After recording one of its highest scores of the season, the Auburn gymnastics team is preparing for a home meet against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.
Auburn placed second at their Feb. 24 meet in Lexington, Ky.
The 195.25 score was Auburn's second-highest road score of the season.
Auburn also posted its third-highest bar score of the season, a 49.175, in Lexington.
Senior Kylie Shields and freshman Megan Walker each posted a 9.850, and Kentucky transfer Nikki Galluzo finished with a 9.775.
Junior Petrina Yokay, sophomore Abbey Habicht and senior Allison Sandusky all posted a 9.825 to round out the team's total.
"If you would have told me that we're not going to have Bri Guy and Lexus Deremus available to us, we would have been excited about going 24-for-24," said coach Jeff Graba. "I was very happy with the team, and I feel we've done as good of a job on the road as we have done all year."
Auburn faces the Thunderbirds Friday in Auburn Arena at 7 p.m in front of a home crowd that has supported the team all season.
Auburn ranks fifth nationally in attendance, a trend Graba said he would like to see continue.
The meet will be a "pink zone" to promote breast cancer awareness.
"We would like to bring a bunch of crowd out. Also we would like to bring awareness as a women's sport to breast cancer awareness and the Susan G. Komen Foundation," Graba said. "I think it's touched every one of us at some point and that is what we are trying to accomplish."
Auburn and Southern Utah will wear pink leotards in recognition of the theme.
Sandusky recalls one rivalry meet in particular that gave her an adrenaline rush this season.
"The Alabama meet was a lot of fun," Sandusky said. "Even though we weren't sure what the scores were, it was just fun and we were energetic and it was great."
Galluzo shares her teammate's enthusiasm and said while the team's performance at Kentucky was solid, she thinks Auburn can do even better against the Thunderbirds.
"I'm just focused to do the best I can," she said. "The team atmosphere is great and we have to keep up the team atmosphere. The better we practice, the better we compete, and we just keep on going."
Galluzo said she enjoyed the home meet against Georgia and performing in the Auburn Arena was a thrill for her.
"The first meet at home we had an amazing crowd, and it was my first time being in an arena at Auburn," Galluzo said. "I will never forget it."
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