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Tigers ready for National Championships

By Sam Butler | Sports Writer | April 14

On the day before the Auburn gymnastics team travels to Texas for the NCAA National Championships, the team had one final practice in the McWhorter Center on April 14, followed by a short conference with coach Jeff Graba, Caitlin Atkinson and Bri Guy. “There’s a lot of energy in the gym, a lot of excitement,” Atkinson said. After placing second in the NCAA Regional on April 4 in Auburn, the Tigers earned one of the 12 possible spots in the national championship, a feat the program hasn’t achieved since 2003. Despite reaching the national championship for only the third time in 22 years, the Tigers insist that the gravity of the situation won’t overwhelm them. “I think everyone expects us to just go in there and explode, to just collapse,” Guy said.

Gymnastics breaks regional record, advances to nationals

April 4

No. 8 gymnastics performed above and beyond in front of a full house Saturday night, April 4, during the NCAA Gymnastics Championship in the Auburn Arena. The team totaled 196.900 overall, smashing the record for the highest regional total in the program’s history. “We talked all day about, ‘You have to fight for everything you get here,'” said head coach Jeff Graba.

Gymnast embraces pressure during record season

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | April 3

Before she was an All-American at Auburn, and even before she was a national recruit as a teenager, Auburn gymnast Caitlin Atkinson knew she had the talent and the drive to become great. “I always kind of knew when I was younger because, even from the start, I always wanted to go more, always wanted to train more hours,” Atkinson said.

Auburn gymnastics’ Atkinson and Walker selected as All-Americans

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | March 27

Auburn junior Caitlin Atkinson was selected as a first-team All-American on all-around, and senior Megan Walker was selected as a second-team All-American on beam by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches and Women. Atkinson, from Houston, Texas, ranked seventh nationally in all-around this season with a 39.535 average.

​Auburn gymnastics coach Jeff Graba named SEC Coach of the Year

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | March 26

Auburn gymnastics coach Jeff Graba was voted SEC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season and the third time in four years. Graba led the Tigers to a historic season that included several broken program records, including highest NCAA Regional seed, highest overall score and first sellout crowd of 7,424 in Auburn Arena. Graba also led Auburn to a win over Georgia, only the fourth in 80 meetings. The eighth-ranked Tigers finished fourth at the SEC Championship for the first time in the program’s history, and its RQS of 197.045 is a program record. Auburn scored a 197 or higher five times this season.

Auburn gymnastics finishes regular season No. 8

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | March 24

Auburn gymnastics held its No. 8 ranking as the regular season comes to a close, its highest final regular season ranking in program history. The Tigers also managed to raise its Regional Qualifying Score to 197.045, another program record. Auburn ranks eighth nationally on vault (49.345), 12th on bars (49.265), eighth on beam (49.315) and 10th on floor (49.315). Individual rankings of note include Caitlin Atkinson at seventh nationally in all-around and Megan Walker at 11th on beam. Up next for the Tigers is the NCAA Regional on April 4 at 6 p.m.

No. 8 Auburn gymnastics earn No. 2 seed in NCAA Regional

March 23

No. 8 Auburn gymnastics was selected as the No. 2 seed for the NCAA Regional in Auburn Arena on April 4.

No. 8 Auburn gymnastics posts program record score at SEC Championship

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | March 21

By Andrew Monson Sports Writer Auburn gymnastics placed fourth at the SEC Championship with a program record 196.925 on Saturday, March 21 in Duluth, Georgia. The fourth place finish is the highest for Auburn at the SEC Championship since 1993. Alabama placed first with a 197.525, followed by LSU’s 197.450 and Florida’s 197.400. Auburn began on floor, scoring a 49.075.

Gymnastics finishes fourth at SEC Championship, highest since 1993

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | March 21

Auburn finished on beam, where it scored a season-high 49.400 and were led by a 9.900 from Demers, Milliet and Megan Walker.

Musically-inclined Graba builds gymnastics power

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | March 19

Since coach Jeff Graba’s arrival on the Plains in 2010, the Auburn gymnastics program has slowly improved year by year. Now, he’s a two-time SEC Coach of the Year, and the program has been firmly entrenched in the national top 10 all season. Senior Bri Guy, who was part of Graba’s first recruiting class, said she has enjoyed the process. “It’s crazy really,” Guy said.

Gymnast overcomes torn Achilles tendons in one year

By Sam Butler | Sports Writer | March 18

For once in her life, Bri Guy, senior in physical activity and health, said she knew her stubbornness would pay off. Guy had torn both of her Achilles tendons in a floor routine against Alabama, but she didn’t know it immediately.

Auburn gymnastics drops to No. 8, but raises RQS

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | March 16

Auburn gymnastics fell one spot to No. 8 nationally in the Regional Qualifying Score rankings with an RQS of 197.025, breaking the program’s RQS record it set last week. Auburn raised its RQS with a score of 197.100 against North Carolina on Friday, March 13. This is the highest the Auburn program has been ranked this far into the season in the program’s history and the first time it has been in the top 10 leading into the SEC Championship. Auburn is the fourth-highest ranked SEC team behind No.

No. 7 Auburn gymnastics defeats North Carolina on Senior Night

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | March 13

In their final home, regular season meet, the Auburn seniors were sent off with a 197.100-194.025 win over North Carolina on Friday night, March 13, in Auburn Arena. Seniors Bri Guy, Caryn Kadous, Kelsey Thomasson, Megan Walker and Brittany Webster were honored before the meet. As a part of coach Jeff Graba’s first recruiting class, the seniors helped build the program from the ground up, which Graba appreciates. “I remember talking to them early on about, ‘Hey, if you guys buy into the program and help us lead, we’ll get somewhere really special’,” Graba said.

Auburn gymnastics climbs to No. 7 nationally

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | March 9

Auburn gymnastics jumped two spots to No. 7 nationally in the Regional Qualifying Score rankings with an RQS of 197.020, the highest in program history. Auburn raised its RQS with a record performance against Alabama in Birmingham on Sunday, March 8, where the Tigers scored the highest away total ever and the highest total against Alabama for the program. Auburn’s previous away score at Florida was replaced with its higher score against Alabama, increasing the Tigers’ RQS despite the loss. This is the highest the Auburn program has been ranked this far into the season in the program’s history. Auburn now ranks seventh nationally on floor (49.310), eighth on beam (47.220), eighth on vault (49.295) and ninth on bars (49.250). The Tigers meet North Carolina for Senior Night Friday, March 13 at 7 p.m.

Auburn gymnastics loses to Alabama despite another record performance

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | March 8

In its final conference game before the SEC Championship, Auburn gymnastics fell to Alabama 197.200-197.025 in Birmingham Sunday afternoon, March 8. Auburn’s 197.025 is the program’s highest away total of all-time and the highest score against Alabama of all-time. The Tigers’ Caitlin Atkinson won the all-around title with a 39.750, the highest score in program history and her seventh-straight title. In 34 career meets, Atkinson has 15 all-around titles. She led the Tigers on bars, vault and floor, and her scores on bars and vault were career-highs. Auburn began on bars with a 49.325, and Atkinson’s score of 9.975 led the Tigers. The Tigers then moved to vault, scoring a 49.300.

Auburn gymnastics increases overall Regional Qualifying Score in loss to Kentucky

By Derek Thompson | Sports Reporter | March 6

Ninth-ranked Auburn fell 196.575-196.325 to the Kentucky Wildcats Friday, March 6 at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky. Caitlin Atkinson led the way for the Tigers as she claimed the event titles on vault, bars and floor.

Auburn gymnastics’ Caitlin Atkinson, MJ Rott earn weekly honors

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | March 3

After a record win vs. No. 10 Georgia, Auburn gymnastics’ Caitlin Atkinson and MJ Rott earned SEC Gymnast and SEC Specialist of the Week honors, respectively. Atkinson set a program record with a 39.675 all-around score, which included a career-high 9.975 on floor and 9.900 on vault, bars and beam to win SEC Gymnast of the Week honors. MJ Rott won SEC Specialist of the Week for the second time this season with a program record 9.975 on vault and a career-high 9.950 on floor. Atkinson’s all-around title was her fifth straight, giving her 41 titles in her Auburn career. Individually, Atkinson is ranked 15th nationally in all-around, and Rott is ranked 19th in vault. The Tigers return to action Friday, Mar.

Gymnastics drops two spots after record Georgia win

By Andrew Monson | Sports Writer | March 2

Auburn’s current RQS of 196.745 is a .135 increase from last week and the highest RQS score in program history.