Auburn gymnastics has advanced past the semifinals to qualify for the four-team NCAA championship meet. The No. 7 Tigers earned a 197.8375, placing second behind a 197.9750 from No. 2 Florida.
“Really excited about finally accomplishing what they set out to accomplish months ago,” said head coach Jeff Graba. “We felt like we were capable of this. I’m really proud of the group. We talked a lot about how much fight that was going to take to get through.”
Individual event titles are determined at the semifinals and Suni Lee was the only Tiger to take one home. She earned a 9.9625 on balance beam to earn the national championship. She also placed second in the All-Around competition with a 39.6750 behind Florida’s Trinity Thomas, who also snagged two individual event titles.
“In the past couple meets I’ve been struggling on beam so to come back and build that confidence again means a lot,” Lee said. “The team makes it all so much better because it’s so memorable, and it’s something I’m never going to forget.”
Lee’s beam championship is just the second program history after Derrian Gobourne earned the first on vault in 2019. In 2022, Gobourne's senior season will end with her winning national runner-up in both floor and bars, also falling just behind Thomas.
“A little bit of validation that we are that good,” Graba said. “We felt like we were capable of this. I’m really proud of the girls. A lot of pride for the program and where we’ve elevated this program to, and now it’s just excitement. Just looking forward.”
The event’s rotations, because there were four teams, was unlike the one in Auburn’s regular season, but the same as their regional competition. The Tigers started the evening on beam.
Olivia Hollingsworth opened with a 9.8375, followed by a 9.85 from Aria Brusch. Cassie Stevens earned a 9.8375, Sophia Groth a 9.925, and Gabby McLaughlin with a 9.9. Lee anchored with a 9.9625 that would stick for the remainder of the competition and earn her the individual event title.
Auburn was in second place after the first rotation, finishing with a 49.475 and down a tenth of a point below defending national champion Michigan. Their second rotation of the night was on the floor.
Brusch got the Tigers going with a 9.8625, followed by super senior Drew Watson with a 9.650. Stevens and Groth got the scoring up with back-to-back 9.900s before the anchoring duo was up.
Lee took the momentum and ran with it, scoring a 9.950. Senior and anchoring Gobourne closed the rotation with a 9.9625 that lasted through the entire night and would have earned an individual title if not for Thomas’ 10.0, the final routine of the day.
“Making it to the Final Four is just amazing,” Gobourne said. “I had a calmness about myself and the team, even watching the first event I was thinking something great is going to happen. I wasn’t really focused on the outcome. I was just focused on the moment.”
At the halfway point, Auburn surged into the lead to take a comfortable cruising position for the remainder of the night. They remained even-keeled through the vault.
Groth remained strong, starting things off with a 9.8, then Sara Hubbard upped the ante with a 9.9. Stevens had a slight falter and finished with a 9.7875, but Gobourne followed with a 9.875 to keep the scoring high. Watson continued her postseason vault success with a 9.925. Lee anchored again, this time with a 9.850.
“Drew has stepped up so many times,” Gobourne said. “She’s great at what she does.”
Following vault, Auburn remained at the top of the leaderboard as things shifted wildly below. Florida sat in second, two tenths behind, and later surged ahead to take the lead with their floor routines.
The Tigers wrapped up the night on bars, where they needed only avoid falls to qualify for the national championship.
Adeline Sabados opened with a 9.8, then Groth nailed a 9.8375. Stevens, one of Auburn’s All-Around competitors, finished her night with a 9.85. Brusch followed with a 9.8875. Gobourne threw down a 9.95 to set up the anchor Lee, whose 9.9125 closed the night.
“I’m so proud of us and how we handled tonight,” Gobourne said. “I’m super excited for Saturday.”
Auburn advances to compete again on Saturday, April 16 at noon against No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 Utah and semifinal foe Florida.
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Callie Stanford, junior in communications, is the sports editor at the Auburn Plainsman. Currently a junior, she has been with The Plainsman since January 2021.
Twitter: @Stanford1Callie
