The Auburn gymnastics team suffered a tough loss on Sunday night in Athens to the No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs.
This marked their third loss in their last three meetings against top-ten opponents.
After an impressive performance against the top team in the nation, Florida, last Friday, the Tigers were hoping to carry momentum into their meet against the Bulldogs. Unfortunately, Auburn scored its lowest mark of the year, while Georgia led the way with an incredible night, winning the meet 197.550–196.050.
Despite the loss, the Tigers did secure their highest score of the year on the balance beam, posting a combined 49.225 in the event. Half of Auburn’s four scores of 9.8 or higher, and all of their 9.9-plus scores, came during that event.
Auburn also continued its streak of strong vault performances, recording its second-highest mark of the year with a 49.200.
The most surprising part of the night was Auburn’s rare sub-49.0 score in the floor exercise. The Tigers entered Sunday ranked in the national top 10 for the event, and this marked the first time all season that Auburn failed to earn a score of 49.0 or better on floor.
The Tigers still saw several impressive performances Sunday night.
Junior Alex Irvine recorded her second consecutive score of 9.9 on the balance beam.
Marissa Neal also earned her second 9.9 of the season on beam and has yet to receive a score lower than 9.850 on the apparatus through Auburn’s first four meets. Neal continues to play a pivotal role for the Tigers, leading the team in the all-around for the third consecutive meet.
Georgia had an outstanding night overall, but the Bulldogs’ performances on vault and floor ultimately led to the decisive victory.
On the floor, all Georgia gymnasts scored 9.875 or higher, with freshman CaMarah Williams and junior Lily Smith each earning near-perfect 9.975s. Williams had an exceptional night, scoring 9.95 or higher in all three of her events, securing the highest score for either team in nearly every event.
Auburn will face its first unranked opponent of the season this Friday when the Tigers take on the Kentucky Wildcats, hoping to earn their first SEC meet win and regain the momentum seen earlier in the year.
Be sure to catch the Tigers this Friday as they host Kentucky at 7:00 p.m. CST. Fans in attendance will have the chance to receive a free cowboy hat as Auburn celebrates Country Night in Neville Arena.
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Jonathan is a freshman majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
