This Friday night, the No. 15 Auburn gymnastics team traveled to face No. 1 Oklahoma in a Southeastern Conference contest. Despite delivering a competitive performance, the Tigers fell to the Sooners, 197.975-196.150, in the Lloyd Noble Center.
The Tigers set many records on the bars and opened with a total of 49.175. The juniors in particular shone in this event. Junior Olivia Greaves had a season-best of 9.875. Junior Alex Irvine was also impressive, anchoring with a 9.825. Junior Julianne Huff closed out the first rotation with a strong 9.775. Sophomore Katelyn Jonh also made a lasting impression, earning a 9.8.
The vault event proved to be a highlight of the evening, as the Tigers put together an impressive 49.300 team score. Sophomore Marissa Neal and freshman Brynn Torry each delivered career-high 9.9s, building energy for the rotation. Junior Paige Zancan led the way with a team-best 9.925, earning a share of the vault title. Freshman Mia Leverton contributed a solid 9.8, and Huff kept the momentum rolling to close out the lineup with a 9.775.
The Tigers turned to the floor, looking to build on the previous event with another steady routine. Neal continued to be a consistent played anchoring a 9.875. Irvine followed, adding a 9.85, while Huff followed with a 9.775, and Haggle similarly scored a 9.75. Greaves finished out with a secure 9.55.
Although the Tigers ended up succumbing to the Sooners in this meet, it was a close contest of strong performances. In addition to being event standouts, Huff and Greaves showcased their talent in the all-around for the Tigers. Huff posted a 39.150, and Greaves followed with a 38.925. Coach Graba hopes to build upon the team's resilience in the future.
“We fought really hard today, and I thought we did an overall good job regardless of what the scores say,” head coach Jeff Graba said. “I thought it was a fairly good performance for us today and we’ll just get back to practice this week to get ready for the next one.
Auburn will return home to the Plains for a non-conference matchup against No. 11 Michigan State. The meet will begin at 7 p.m. CST in Neville Arena on March 6. Auburn follows this with the annual Elevate the Stage meet in Huntsville, Alabama. There, the Tigers will take on No. 6 Georgia, No. 13 Clemson, and Pittsburgh at 3 p.m. CST in the Von Braun Center.
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