Senior Caitlin Atkinson was named SEC Gymnast of the Year by the league office on Thursday, becoming the fourth Tiger ever to earn the annual honor.
Atkinson has served as anchor in all four events for the sixth-ranked Tigers virtually all year, and she led the team to its second-straight appearance in the night session at the SEC Championships.
Atkinson was a difference-maker in historic wins over Alabama and Georgia. Against Alabama, her 9.925 on floor clinched the program's first win over the Crimson Tide in 117 meets, and against Georgia, her 9.925 on beam pushed the Tigers to their first win ever in Athens.
She's also helped Auburn earn its first No. 1 regional seed for the first time in program history, as well as achieve its highest RQS score in program history at 197.150, good for sixth nationally.
This season, Atkinson won 14 event titles and four all-around titles, and she is tied for fifth nationally in all-around with an average score of 39.570. She also ranks seventh nationally on beam, while placing in the top 20 on vault and floor.
Along with Atkinson's honor, Auburn freshmen Taylor Krippner and Samantha Cerio earned spots on the SEC All-Freshman team.
Krippner has competed on vault, bars and beam for the Tigers, and she earned SEC honors with her 9.700 on beam at the SEC Championships.
Cerio competed on bars and beam for the Tigers this season, and her 9.850 on bars at the SEC Championships was tied for the top score by any freshman.
Auburn will compete in the NCAA Ann Arbor regional on Saturday, April 2, and the top two teams will advance to the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
