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A spirit that is not afraid

Auburn gymnastics ties Florida, uses a pair of tens to rewrite program record

<p>Auburn celebrates as a team after a new program record score on March 4 in Neville Arena.&nbsp;</p>

Auburn celebrates as a team after a new program record score on March 4 in Neville Arena. 

In a Friday night showdown with a No. 3 Florida team that had already earned a share of the SEC title, Auburn gymnastics set a new program record with a 198.575 score to match the Gators in a tie. Needing a win to split the title, Auburn finished its regular season 6-1-1 in the SEC without a championship but in excellent position going into their postseason.

“We tied potentially the national champion this year. I think that was a national championship caliber meet tonight and we held up,” said head coach Jeff Graba. “Didn’t just do a good job. We rallied from behind to tie one of the best teams in the country.”

The newly named Neville Arena might have beheld some of the best gymnastics it ever will, including two perfect scores and a new program high for Auburn. Suni Lee leaves the meet with the most perfect 10.0s in the program’s history. Senior Derrian Gobourne’s last floor routine in Auburn was a perfect 10.0, the first of her career. 

“I know the fans think she deserves a ten a lot. The teammates, the coaching staff thinks that, but I mean, just imagine what it’s like in her head, knowing that she’s put it out there before and not got it,” Graba said. “You get to this point, and it’s a relief that you finally accomplished one of those goals that you wanted to accomplish.”

Suni Lee remains perfect in the all-around competition, with a 39.800 in the individual event. Florida standout Trinity Thomas did not compete in the all-around, but still made her mark on the competition. Thomas and Slone Blakely of Florida earned a 10.0 each on vault and floor.

In everything but the score, this meet was a win for the Tigers. They broke the 198 mark that they have been trending towards in past weeks, earning eight career highs and tying two. Auburn rounds out its regular season having broken its program high score three weeks in a row. 

“The vibes, before warmups even started, you could tell there was a little something extra in all of us tonight and it was just really cool to see how it all played out,” said junior Cassie Stevens. “This is really a special team and I think we’re all just trying to take it in.”

The teams split the rotations unevenly, with Auburn winning floor, bars, and beam but Florida taking vault. Vault is where Auburn is working to improve. It had Stevens bring back a vault she has not competed in some time, combined with Lee’s debut of a new vault. Neither faltered when this combination could have been detrimental to the night. 

“You can tell we all really, really want it, but we’re doing a really good job of just being ourselves, because being ourselves is just plenty fine,” Stevens said. “Sometimes you just have to stop and realize all these people are here supporting us, cheering for us.”

In what was a meet for the history books, this was the highest combined score in a two-team meet. It was the highest score of the year across the nation by any team. Auburn’s young team went head-to-head with an undefeated opponent and potential national champion and stood tall, rallying in unbelievable fashion. 

“There’s nothing we can’t do. There’s nothing we can’t handle,” Gobourne said. “I have no doubt in this team.”


Callie Stanford | Sports Writer

Callie Stanford is from Springville, Alabama and is currently a sophomore at Auburn. She has been with The Plainsman since January 2021.

Twitter: @Stanford1Callie


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