Tag: Cassie Stevens

Cassie Stevens is the SEC Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete of the Year

This honor is well deserved for the senior.

Auburn senior [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag] was named the SEC Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Sunday, the SEC announced.

She has a 4.00 grade-point average in information systems management and has had a great season as a gymnast. She has won three all-around titles, three on vault, one on bars, and one on beam. She ranks 19th nationally in the all-around.

She has set or tied career highs on vault (9.975), bars (9.925), beam (9.950), and floor (9.925) this season and was a major reason why Auburn won the first session of the SEC Championships on Saturday. She scored 39.650 in the all-around and took home a share of the vault title.

The Phoenix, Arizona product is a three-time Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) Scholastic All-American and is a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree. She has earned a spot on the Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll twice and on the 2019-20 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll.

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Auburn gymnastics wins first session of SEC Championships with 197.100

Cassie Stevens posted a 39.650 all-around score and earned a share of the vault title during the first session of the SEC Championship on Saturday.

Auburn gymnastics began the postseason on the right foot by taking first place in the afternoon session of the SEC Championships at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia.

The Tigers competed with Arkansas, Missouri, and Georgia in Session I of the championship, and took home the crown by scoring 197.100. Auburn edged out a persistent Missouri squad who built high scores on bars, beam, and floor. However, amazing personal scores by [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag] and [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag] pushed Auburn to the title.

“I felt that for the most part, the team did a good job of picking each other up and getting through the meet,” head coach [autotag]Jeff Graba[/autotag] said Saturday. “We talked a lot about how that is what it takes to get through the postseason. You’re going to have adversity and you have to conquer it. I really feel like we did a good job with that today.”

Stevens posted a 39.650 all-around score and took home a share of the vault title on Saturday. She did not score below a 9.9 on any event during the championship.

“Knowing we had some bumps and bruises along the way, I just wanted to do it for them and I wanted it for us,” Stevens said. “We’ve worked so hard, and we’ve been through a lot this season. We’re ready for the hard work to pay off and just to be able to do this and step up in these moments for my team was really rewarding.”

Gobourne’s highlights include a 9.9 on bars and 9.875 on floor.

The Tigers ended fifth in the SEC Championships. Here’s a look at how the rest of the field did on Saturday:

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Auburn gymnastics ends regular season with 197.600 in win over Penn State

Cassie Stevens and Derrian Gobourne take home multiple event titles in their final meet at Neville Arena.

For seven Auburn seniors, their final meet inside Neville Arena ended in the best way possible.

No. 9 Auburn welcomed Penn State for the regular season finale on Friday night and ended with a 197.600-197.025 win. Not only did the team have to battle the emotions of senior night, but they also had to compete without Suni Lee for the second week in a row. Despite the challenges, head coach Jeff Graba was thrilled about his squad’s performance.

“I thought the girls did a good job of coming in and building off what we’ve tried to work on in practice,” head coach [autotag]Jeff Graba[/autotag] said following Friday’s meet. “This is a hard night, a lot of emotions, and I thought they did a really good job to get through it and get us set up for the next few weeks.”

Auburn ended the first rotation by trailing Penn State but jumped ahead after a solid performance on bars. Four Tigers scored 9.9 or higher on bars, with seniors [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag] and [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag] earning 9.925’s in Auburn’s overall score of 49.525. Gobourne was delighted with her team’s performance on bars and says that it proves just how talented Auburn is at the event.

“With Suni in or out, we’re going to have her back. We’re going to do what we need to do,” Gobourne said. “Showing up the way we did even though we were missing her is really special, and it shows what we can do.”

Auburn continued to separate themselves from the Nittany Lions in their third rotation by scoring 49.250 on the beam. [autotag]Gabby McLaughlin[/autotag] paced the Tigers with a 9.950 and senior [autotag]Aria Brusch[/autotag] closed her home campaign on beam with a 9.900.

Then, in what has become the norm, Auburn closed out the event with a spectacular showing on the floor.

Brusch and [autotag]Sophia Groth[/autotag] scored 9.9 in the first half of the event, which paved the way for [autotag]Olivia Hollingsworth[/autotag] to put on a spectacular show for a team-leading 9.950, which sets a new career high. Seniors Cassie Stevens and Derrian Gobourne ended the meet with 9.9 and 9.875 respectively. Stevens was the all-around winner by recording a 39.525.

“I think we came together as a team tonight, and it was really fun,” Stevens said following her final meet at Neville Arena. “The vibes were different. We were doing it for each other. We were having fun while we were doing it. That’s Auburn gymnastics.”

The regular season has now concluded, and Auburn will now get ready for its next task, the SEC Championships. Auburn will compete for a series of conference crowns next Saturday at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia.

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Auburn gymnastics vs. Penn State: How to watch Friday’s home finale

Eight gymnasts will take part in their final meet at Neville Arena on Friday night.

No. 9 Auburn faces No. 37 Penn State on Friday night at Neville Arena, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

Auburn gymnastics will face Penn State to close the regular season on Friday, and it will also be the end of an era as eight members of this year’s roster will compete in front of their home fans for the final time in their Auburn careers.

Senior such as [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag], [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag], [autotag]Aria Brusch[/autotag], and [autotag]Adeline Sabados[/autotag] will take part in one last meet at Neville Arena, while [autotag]Suni Lee[/autotag] will also be recognized despite not competing due to “non-gymnastics health issue.”

Below, you will find key information ahead of the final regular season meet including a how-to-watch guide, gymnasts to watch, and last week’s results.

Suni Lee to miss regular season finale vs. Penn State

Head coach Jeff Graba says that Lee is going through a non-gymnastics health issue.

Gold medal olympian [autotag]Suni Lee[/autotag] was expected to participate in her final meet at Neville Arena on Friday when Auburn takes the floor against Penn State for senior night.

However, Auburn head coach [autotag]Jeff Graba[/autotag] revealed that Lee will not compete in Friday’s meet due to what is being called a “non-gymnastics health issue.”

Here is the official statement that Auburn Gymnastics posted on Twitter.

“Suni is going through a non-gymnastics health issue that has impaired her ability to train. We do not want to put our athletes in any position that could risk their overall health and well-being. With that said, we’ve decided that it is in Suni’s best interest to take Friday’s meet off.”

Lee did not compete in last Saturday’s meet at Kentucky, though no reason was given. In her last meet, Lee won the all-around title by scoring a 39.475 in Auburn’s win over Georgia at Neville Arena on Feb. 24.

Auburn Gymnastics closes the home slate on Friday night with Penn State at 7 p.m. CT. Auburn will honor Lee, as well as seniors [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag], [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag], [autotag]Aria Brusch[/autotag], [autotag]Morgan Leigh Oldham[/autotag], [autotag]Adeline Sabado[/autotag]s, and [autotag]Anna Sumner[/autotag].

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Cassie Stevens wins all-around title in Auburn’s meet at Kentucky

Stevens’ 9.975 on vault paved the way for the senior to take the meet’s overall high score.

Due to projected inclement storms in the Lexington area on Friday, No. 9 Auburn‘s meet at No. 12 Kentucky had to be pushed to Saturday afternoon.

Despite the slight change in routine, Auburn stayed close to Kentucky until the end, falling to the Wildcats, 197.460-196.450.

Both teams stayed close to one another until the final event.  Kentucky would post a 49.400 on floor, but two scores of 9.300 and 9.275 caused Auburn to have a low score beam, thus propelling Kentucky to an overall win.

“Maybe it will leave a bad taste in our mouth,” head coach [autotag]Jeff Graba[/autotag] said of Saturday’s meet. “We’ve got a week to work on it and get ready to go for Senior Night.”

[autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag] won the all-around with an overall score of 39.500, beating out Kentucky’s Raena Worley. Stevens’ best event was the vault, where she scored a 9.975. In her other three events by scoring 9.825 or higher.

“I think it shows what a quality athlete (Stevens) is and the depth of our team,” Graba said. “If we get everybody on the same page like where Cassie is right now, we’re in really good shape.”

[autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag] paced the team on bars with a 9.900, Stevens led on beam with a 9.825, and [autotag]Gabby McLaughlin[/autotag] earned a 9.990 on floor. Auburn sophomore and Olympic gold medalist, [autotag]Suni Lee[/autotag], did not participate in Saturday’s meet.

Auburn will conclude the regular season on Friday by hosting Penn State at 7 p.m. CT. The Nittany Lions squad currently ranks No. 32 in the country by posting an average score of 195.995 per meet.

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Auburn Gymnastics posts season-high 197.750 in top-10 win over LSU

Suni Lee’s 10.0 on bars and a dominant team effort on floor gives Auburn a pivotal win over LSU.

After No. 5 Auburn took a narrow defeat at No. 11 Alabama last Friday, head coach [autotag]Jeff Graba[/autotag] said, “I think you’ve got to be a 198 team to win the national championship. Clean some things up and just keep going.”

His team took a giant step forward in reaching that goal Friday night by posting a season-high 197.750 in a win over No. 9 LSU in front of a sellout crowd at Neville Arena.

After taking a 49.325-49.275 lead through the first rotation, Auburn suffered a setback as LSU’s Aleah Finnegan scored a 10.0 on vault. It would not take long for Auburn to respond, as [autotag]Suni Lee[/autotag] closed the rotation by posting a 10.0 of her own on bars, which was her third perfect score over the last two meets and her first 10.0 on bars in front of the home crowd at Neville Arena.

“I didn’t even know it was my first time getting a 10 here at Neville Arena on bars,” Lee said following the meet. “(It was) a super-amazing feeling.”

At the halfway point, Auburn led LSU, 98.825-98.625.

The second half of Friday’s meet got off to a great start for Auburn, as Lee and [autotag]Olivia Hollingsworth[/autotag] each grabbed a 9.9 on beam to stay ahead of the upset-minded Tigers from Baton Rouge.

“I was most impressed with beam,” Graba said following the meet. “That says a lot about our mentality and focus.”

Auburn already held a lead over LSU heading to floor, but a dominating performance by Auburn in the event solidified the impressive win.

Hollingsworth and [autotag]Sophia Groth[/autotag] started off with 9.9’s, which boosted the already electric atmosphere for [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag], Suni Lee, and [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag] to close out the meet with great performances.

The trio did just that, as Stevens scored 9.900 while Lee and Gobourne scored 9.975.

“The energy was crazy tonight. It’s always so special every time I end on floor,” Gobourne said of Auburn’s floor performance. “We wanted to be strong and get it done. It was special to see everyone go out there and show out and not be afraid of the crowd, the judges, or the scores. Everyone really shining their light was so special to see.”

As for the goal of reaching a 198 overall score? Graba says that his team’s preparations are setting a favorable path to achieving the target.

“We’re proving that we’re a 198 team if we can put all four events together,” Auburn coach Jeff Graba said. “We’ve got to refine some stuff but we’re also pressing really hard to get to that 198. It’s a balancing act right now.”

Next up for Auburn is a trip to Columbia to face Missouri. Auburn and Missouri will meet next Sunday, Feb. 19, at 5 p.m. CT.

Auburn Gymnastics tops NC State in top 25 clash

Cassie Stevens wins all-around as Auburn takes down its’ second straight top-25 squad at Neville Arena

It was business as usual for No. 5 Auburn Gymnastics, as they earned their second-straight home win over a top-25 foe. The Tigers used a different game plan where several gymnasts were moved around, or even omitted, from different events. Despite the change, Auburn was able to defeat No. 25 NC State, 197.175-196.125.

One of the most notable changes was [autotag]Suni Lee[/autotag] being bumped from the all-around by receiving a break from the floor routine. Fans shared concern after noticing her absence from the event, but head coach [autotag]Jeff Graba[/autotag] says that it was all a part of a plan that will help Auburn succeed later in the season.

“We are trying to be smart with her. We got to the end of last year, and our all-arounders were really tired. We are doing three or four all-arounders at times right now. It was just Suni’s turn,” Graba said after Friday’s meet. “We have both Cassie (Stevens) and [autotag]Olivia Hollingsworth[/autotag] who are holding up right now, but at some point, we are going to have to do the same thing with them.”

Although the team planned for said changes throughout the week, it affected the team’s routine, which threw off its’ usual energy. Senior [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag] says that despite the adversity the team faced, she is pleased that they were able to still post a high overall score.

“We made some mistakes, and those are things that we are going to want to improve on in the future. I feel like we haven’t really hit our stride yet, we know that there is so much more in the tank,” Stevens said. “It is comforting to know, like, even with a not-so-great meet that we can still go 197. It also looked like we know that there is so much more.”

Stevens won the all-around title in Friday’s meet, scoring a 39.600, with her best scores coming on vault and floor, where she scored a 9.925 in both events. She also scored a 9.9 on beam.

“I was really happy with my performance. I feel like, just working on all of those little, finer details in the gym this past week paid off, which is always really nice when your hard work pays off,” Stevens said. “I had to face some adversity just in random things… slipping on puddles, mats not being underneath of me, but it was just nice to go out there and fight and have it pay off.”

Auburn will hit the road next week to face their sixth-straight top-25 opponent, No. 13 Alabama. The Tigers and Tide will meet at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa next Friday at 6:30 P.M. CT.

Auburn Gymnastics vs. Arkansas: How to watch Friday’s home opener

The No. 7 Tigers welcome No. 25 Arkansas on Friday night for the first meet of the season at Neville Arena.

Auburn Gymnastics hosts Arkansas on Friday night, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

After a challenging first two weeks of the season, No. 7 Auburn Gymnastics returns to Neville Arena on Friday to host an up-and-coming SEC squad in No. 25 Arkansas for a 7:30 p.m. CT clash.

The Tigers have performed well this season despite competing against the nation’s best teams. Last week, Auburn scored 197.200 at No. 2 Florida behind strong performances from [autotag]Suni Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag], who led Auburn in the all-around competition.

Head coach Jeff Graba says that he is happy with his team’s strong start.

“We’ve been on the road the first two weeks and they were tough trips with little practice,” Graba said. “I feel like we’ve tested ourselves well and we did well so I’m happy with where we are heading into our home schedule.”

Arkansas is the lowest-ranked squad that Auburn has had the chance to compete with to this point in the season, but the Gymbacks will be bringing in a solid lineup that features UCLA transfer Norah Flatley. Flatley is a member of Team USA and was a three-time All-American at UCLA before transferring to Arkansas for this season. She currently averages high scores for vault, bars, and all-around.

It also helps Arkansas’ case that they are led by Olympic gold medalist Jordyn Wieber. Graba says that Arkansas’ experience will provide a needed challenge to his squad.

“I think we have our hands full this Friday because Arkansas is full of talent and experience with really good coaches,” Graba said. “We have to be on our game, which is going to be good for us. We’ve already had a few heavy match-ups this season so just because we’re at home, doesn’t mean we can take a breath.”

Here’s a look at everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s meet between Auburn and Arkansas.

Auburn Gymnastics posts 197.200 in SEC opener at Florida

Suni Lee and Cassie Stevens earned the Tigers’ highest all-around scores in Friday’s meet.

Friday’s meet between the No. 2 Florida Gators and the No. 5 Auburn Tigers was expected to be an entertaining affair in Gainesville. It is safe to say that it lived up to the hype.

In a meeting of NCAA Gymnastics’ most talented squads, Florida came out on top by a tight margin, 197.825-197.200.

“We weren’t really sharp so I thought we fought really hard today. I wish we were a little bit cleaner but I’m really happy with where we are. A decent road score,” head coach Jeff Graba said after the meet. 

The Tigers performed well in all events, as neither Tiger scored below a 9.7 in an individual event. Auburn’s strongest event of the evening was beam- where six Tigers scored 9.8 or better. [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag] carried Auburn in the event by scoring a 9.925, while [autotag]Aria Brusch[/autotag], [autotag]Gabby McLaughlin[/autotag], and [autotag]Suni Lee[/autotag] each scored a 9.8 on the way to an overall score of 49.375.

On floor, [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag] performed her famous “God Save the Queen” routine and scored a 9.925, which was the individual high score for Auburn.

Auburn opened the meet with a 49.250 on bars. Each Tiger scored 9.800 or higher, led by Lee’s 9.9. In Auburn’s second event, Lee and Gobourne scored a 9.9 as Auburn scored 49.225 on vault.

Despite a strong effort that resulted in an impressive score, the Tigers fell to the Gators due to the performances of Florida’s Leanne Wong and Trinity Thomas, who combined to score three 10.000’s. Behind Wong and Thomas, Stevens and Lee tied for third in the all-around with individual scores of 39.525.

“My warm-ups were a little shaky so if felt good to go out there and have the confidence to put together a great routine for the team,” Stevens said.

Auburn hosts Arkansas next Friday night at Neville Arena for the home opener. The meet will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT on Jan. 20.

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