Despite dealing with injuries and last-minute lineup adjustments, No. 11 Auburn put up a determined effort but ultimately fell short against top-ranked Oklahoma, 197.925-196.9, on Friday evening at Neville Arena.
The Tigers competed without standout freshman Katelyn Jong, who joined fellow freshman Marissa Neal and senior Olivia Hollingsworth in cheering on their teammates from the sidelines..
“I’m really proud of the group. This was a tough meet. It’s been a tough week, it’s been a tough month,” Auburn coach Jeff Graba said. “We had to shuffle four new lineups in the last 22 hours. That’s the third time we’ve had to do that. It’s been difficult for this team. I think it’s been very emotional for them.”
Auburn fought to stay competitive, nearly reaching a 197 team score, but Oklahoma proved dominant, sweeping all event titles. Elle Mueller claimed the vault crown with a near-perfect 9.975, while Faith Torrez impressed on both bars and floor with 9.95 on each. Jordan Bowers delivered a stellar beam routine, scoring 9.95, and captured the all-around title with a 39.675 total.
“What they should take away from tonight is we are fully capable,” Graba said. “I’m really impressed with us. We’re competitive with anybody in the country but our margin for error is less at this point.”
The Tigers started strong on vault, with freshman Sophia Bell leading the charge with a 9.9. Sara Hubbard followed closely with a 9.875, while Paige Zancan contributed a 9.85. Julianne Huff added a 9.8, and Sarah Zois rounded out the scoring with a 9.775, bringing Auburn’s event total to 49.2.
Olivia Ahern performs a beam routine in Neville Arena versus Oklahoma on Feb. 28th, 2025.
On bars, Alex Irvine and Olivia Greaves delivered standout performances, each scoring 9.9 to anchor the rotation. Bryn Bartman posted a solid 9.8, Sophia Groth added a 9.825, and Emma Grace Boyd and Caroline Leonard both earned 9.775s, helping Auburn secure another 49.2 in the second rotation.
“For them to come in and fight like they did, I’m really proud of them,” Graba said. “We have to get better, and we have to get back into the practice gym and settle down a little bit. I’m really proud because you can’t teach fight, so I’m glad they have that in them, and we can clean up all the things we need to.”
Auburn's strongest performance came on beam, where the team showcased poise and precision. Gabby McLaughlin led the way with an impressive 9.925, while Groth followed with a 9.9. Olivia Ahern set the tone early with a 9.85, and Zois contributed a 9.875. Zancan added a 9.725 to bring the Tigers’ beam total to 49.275.
The team closed out the meet on floor, with Groth and McLaughlin each scoring 9.875. Greaves delivered a 9.85, Zois led off with a 9.825, while Bell and Zancan each posted 9.8s, giving Auburn a final event score of 49.225.
Caroline Leonard performs a bar routine in Neville Arena versus Oklahoma on Feb. 28th, 2025.
“We’re a team that rallies together,” Bell said. “We’ve done it since the beginning. We’ve had to overcome a lot of adversity. It’s pushed us to be closer and to stick through it together. I’m proud of everybody. To put our best foot forward and be certain that we can count on whoever we put in to hit, and we did just that. We went out there and hit it.”
Looking ahead, the Tigers will aim to bounce back as they travel to face No. 8 Missouri next Sunday at Noon CST on SEC Network.
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Grace is a Sophomore majoring in Speech Language Hearing Sciences. She joined the Plainsman in the spring of 2024.
