Tonight No. 12 Auburn defeated No. 9 Oregon State 197.025-196.975, however, for a tense few minutes, Neville Arena believed the Beavers had come away with the victory.
Throughout the meet, Auburn was on pace to beat Oregon State, but disaster seemingly struck near the end of the fourth rotation. Marissa Neal’s 9.875 floor routine received a neutral deduction of 0.100 for stepping out of bounds with one foot. However, Auburn submitted a video inquiry in an attempt to overturn the scoring. It did pose a risk, as the inquiry could potentially have resulted in Neal’s routine losing even more points in the judges’s reevaluation.
The judges saw the mistake and repaired the scoring, which put Auburn over the top by 0.050. Oregon State briefly celebrated what they thought was a comeback win, but the news soon broke to the arena that Auburn had managed to escape with the victory.
In addition to the nail-biting ending of the night, there was also a stressful beginning for the Auburn Tigers. They began with three vaults that all scored under 9.8, a sign of nerves for the young team.
Paige Zancan shares a facial expression of joy after landing her vault routine against Oregon State on Jan. 24, 2025 at Neville Arena.
“We had some fits and starts at the beginning, and that is a hallmark of a young team. They just don't know how to get on a roll.” said head coach Jeff Graba. “They're pushing a little too hard, and that's not really the recipe for doing your best gymnastics.”
This young Auburn team consists of four true freshmen: Olivia Ahern, Sophia Bell, Katelyn “Kuko” Jong, and Neal. Jong competes in all four events, while Bell and Neal compete in two. Jong and Neal in particular have performed well this season. Jong tied her season-high all-around score of 39.500 tonight, while Neal scored the highest all-around score for gymnasts who competed in two events. Gabby McLaughlin spoke on the freshman and their adjustment to college life and gymnastics.
“They're super consistent. They really just dove into college headfirst. They've been doing phenomenal inside the gym and outside,” said McLaughlin. “I can't be more proud than I am right now. They've done a phenomenal job with everything, and they've been a huge backbone to our team. “
Part of the challenge in tonight’s meet was facing 3-time Olympic medalist Jade Carey, a talented gymnast who competed in all four events like Jong. Carey easily beat Jong in the all-around competition with a 39.625 and tied for first in both the balance beam and floor.
Despite the challenges of the night, Auburn put on a strong performance. The Tigers did exceptionally well on the balance beam, an apparatus that the team generally excels on. Neal scored a 9.975, tying Carey for first. Jong scored a 9.925 and McLaughlin scored a 9.900, strong performances that helped Auburn hold momentum as they moved into the fourth and final rotation.
The gymnastics team will compete next in Lexington against No. 6 Kentucky on Friday, January 31 at 6:00 PM CST.
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Jackie is a freshman majoring in Drug and Biopharmaceutical Sciences. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2024.
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