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A spirit that is not afraid

After season-high score at UF, Auburn gymnastics hoping to repeat in final home meet against Arkansas

#14 Auburn Gymnastics defeated #4 LSU 196.700 - 196.275 on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.
#14 Auburn Gymnastics defeated #4 LSU 196.700 - 196.275 on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, in Auburn, Ala.

For Auburn gymnastics, last Friday's loss may end up being the team’s biggest win of the season. 

In a meet that not many outside of the Auburn area thought would even be close, the-then undefeated and No. 12 Tigers posted a season-high score against the No. 2 team in the nation, the Florida Gators. 

Florida has a vice grip hold on the all-time series between the two teams with a 71-10 lead, so expectations were low for the Tigers going in. 

Not even many on the team would have thought that they would come out posting a score of 196.700, which is the highest score of the season for the squad and top-10 for Auburn all time. The loss even moved the Tigers up to No. 11 in the following poll.

"I feel like what the girls should take away is that they can compete with anybody in the country," said Auburn head coach Jeff Graba. "That was probably the toughest environment we have been in all year and they held together… we wanted to see what our potential was.”

Abby Milliet, Skyler Sheppard and Gracie Day all posted career highs in their respective routines. The team also earned a program-best road score on the floor of 49.450. 

"Floor was a home run for us," Graba said. "We finally started to get the lineup that we think we need in, and they hit a home run. In this environment, that's great."

The loss to Florida may erase a zero in the loss column, but it might end up being the momentum spark that Auburn needs to light a wildfire in their next home matchup. 

Auburn will return home, where Auburn is 3-0 this year, for its final SEC home meet of the year to face No. 21 Arkansas. The last two meets at home for the Tigers proved just how much a home field advantage matters as the squad upset the No. 4 and No. 6 teams in the nation, in LSU and Georgia, respectively. 

Arkansas has the historical advantage on its side however, carrying a 3-0 lead in the past three matches against the Tigers. 

“Arkansas is a thorn in Auburn's side for the last five or six years, and they're definitely coming in to get their act together,” Graba said. “I think they're a little under ranked right now. I think we are as well. But we need everybody."

Home field, especially against the Razorbacks, falls to Auburn’s favor because the last time Auburn played Arkansas at home, the team had its highest bars score in program history. 

The orange and blue are set to face off against the Razorbacks tonight at 7 p.m. CST, broadcast on SEC Network.


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