Auburn gymnastics is gearing up for another Top-25 match-up versus No. 2 LSU after taking an early bye week.
The meet was originally scheduled for Jan. 29 but was postponed because of COVID-19 concerns within the LSU program.
“We took advantage of the bye week,” said head coach Jeff Graba. “We did give them one day off and tried to let them rest up. We got some people back, partially back or hopefully on the way to getting fully back from being on the outside looking in. I think we’re stronger this week. We’re definitely not 100% yet, but we’re definitely moving in the right direction.”
Friday’s meet will be the fourth consecutive Top-25 matchup for the Tigers this season. Auburn might be 0-3 on the season, but Graba is focused on keeping team morale high.
“I’m hoping that in February that if [the team] stays mentally strong, and that’s on all of us to keep them focused on what’s controllable, that we’ll be better,” Graba said. “[We’re] trying to keep young people from feeling like their head keeps getting shoved underwater because they really don’t get a breath of fresh air here until the by week. We just have to keep our heads up and keep trying to accomplish what we can accomplish.”
No. 22 Auburn heads into Friday’s meet after losing on the road to Alabama two weeks prior. However, some positives did occur in Tuscaloosa for sophomore Piper Smith. Smith scored career-highs on bars and beam with a 9.85 and 9.9, respectively.
Smith led on both events boosting Auburn’s bar score to 49.000 for its highest event of the meet. Overall, the Tigers finished with a 195.575, which was their highest road score of the season.
“I’ve been working hard in the gym and working on refining the details,” Smith said. “I just stayed very calm and hit good clean routines. It felt really good.”
Now, it’s a Tiger versus Tiger battle on the Plains with LSU coming to the Plains on Friday. LSU is undefeated and averages a 197.00 overall, which is a score Auburn hasn’t gotten close to in its previous three meets.
Despite the challenge that LSU presents, Auburn’s young team is continuing to work toward its first win and is putting up high averages for underclassmen.
After the first meet, Auburn faced challenges in the lineup, missing sophomore Aria Brusch and sophomore Cassie Stevens. The two have been power players for Auburn, and their absence has forced young gymnasts to step in.
This preemptive bye week gave the two Tigers ample amount of time to rest and start getting back into the gym.
“[Brusch and Stevens] have been practicing more,” Graba said. “Aria is doing a couple of events. She’s dipping her toe into floor a little bit but that’s where she got dinged up. We’re probably going to have to change her floor routine so we don’t re-aggravate the shoulder. Bars and beam is what she’s been doing a little bit more of and she’s starting to look like she can handle, get there and get strong enough to be able to be an option there.
Cassie is back in the all-around training. She was able to do some stuff on Friday last week. She’s looking better each day so hopefully, she’ll continue to progress.”
Stevens competed in the first meet in the all-around but hasn’t competed since the first meet. While Brusch hasn’t competed at all this season.
Auburn is glad to be back home. It means changing practices for the new rotation as the Tigers will lead with vault and end with floor. Graba feels that it is only a matter of keeping up the endurance from an energized vault and carrying it to the floor.
“I think now we’re utilizing this well,” Graba said. “We have three home meets in this stretch now of five meets. Hopefully, that means we’re not traveling a whole lot and we can actually get some training in. If we’re smart this is going to be a really good stretch for us.”
No. 22 Auburn will compete against No. 2 LSU inside Auburn Arena on Friday. The meet will air on SEC Network.
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Mattison Allen is a senior from Springville, Ala. She's majoring in public relations communications with the goal of becoming a sports information director one day.
