Tag: sophia groth

Auburn checks in at No. 17 in WCGA preseason rankings

Auburn, as well as the rest of the SEC, is set to be extremely competitive again in 2024.

Preseason rankings were released Friday and the Auburn Tigers are ranked No. 17 according to the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association’s poll.

The SEC is set to be a very competitive environment this year, as all eight teams rank in the top 20, and four are ranked in the top 10. The Florida Gators are the conference’s highest squad, checking in at No. 2 in the initial poll.

Without [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag] and [autotag]Sunisa Lee[/autotag] on this year’s roster, Auburn head coach [autotag]Jeff Graba[/autotag] knows that his team will have to perform at a high level each week to achieve their goals for this season.

“The SEC is always very competitive, and this year is no different,” Graba said in a press release. “It will be a tight season once again this year with every conference team in the top 20. It will be a very exciting year and we’re looking forward to getting the season started!”

Despite Lee and Gobourne not returning this year, Auburn returns several key performers such as [autotag]Gabby McLaughlin[/autotag], [autotag]Olivia Hollingsworth[/autotag], [autotag]Sophia Groth[/autotag], and [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag]. Several talented transfers have also joined the roster this offseason, such as [autotag]Anna Hill [/autotag](Temple) and [autotag]Madelynn Crow[/autotag] (Georgia).

Auburn will officially open the season on January 6th at the 2024 Super 16 Challenge in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Auburn gymnastics reveals 2024 home schedule

It’s another loaded slate of home meets for Auburn in 2024.

Auburn gymnastics unveiled its home schedule for the 2024 season on Monday and there will be some great matchups on the Plains. The schedule includes meets against perennial powers, as well as the first quad meet in Neville Arena history.

“There’s no place like the Southeastern Conference where you can create a home schedule like this,” head coach [autotag]Jeff Graba[/autotag] said. “It will be a tremendous challenge and a lot of fun in 2024. On top of a great conference schedule, we’re excited to host the first regular season quad meet in Neville Arena history. So, fans need to renew their tickets soon!”

Auburn is entering a new era without superstars [autotag]Suni Lee[/autotag] or [autotag]Derrian Goubourne[/autotag] but is returning veterans [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag], [autotag]Sophia Groth[/autotag] and [autotag]Aria Busch[/autotag]. Former five-star recruit [autotag]Olivia Greaves[/autotag] is also set to compete after missing last season with an injury.

While the road schedule has not been revealed, the Tigers will have five home meets during the season and here is a look at each matchup.

Anna Hill to join Auburn gymnastics via transfer portal

Hill becomes the third transfer to join the program ahead of the 2024 season.

[autotag]Anna Hill[/autotag] announced on social media that she would be transferring from Temple to Auburn.

Hill played a vital role in Temple’s lineup on floor and vault and posted career highs of 9.9 in both last season.

Hill committed after 2023 signee [autotag]Lyden Saltness[/autotag] announced that she would be joining the Illinois Fighting Illini instead.

Auburn’s signing class includes [autotag]Emma Grace Boyd [/autotag], [autotag]Julianne Huff[/autotag], and [autotag]Paige Zancan[/autotag]. The Tigers have also added former Georgia gymnast [autotag]Madelynn Crowe[/autotag] and former Kentucky gymnast [autotag]Lila Smith[/autotag].

Auburn lost gymnasts [autotag]Suni Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag] from last season’s roster but will return a plethora of talent in [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag], [autotag]Aria Brusch[/autotag], [autotag]Olivia Hollingsworth[/autotag], [autotag]Sophia Groth[/autotag], and [autotag]Gabby McLaughlin[/autotag].

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Tigers pick up two more gymnasts for 2024 season through the transfer portal

Jeff Graba adds two experienced members to a stacked 2024 roster.

The Auburn Gymnastics roster just got deeper as head coach [autotag]Jeff Graba[/autotag] and company has added two transfers to an already deep roster.

The new additions are [autotag]Madelynn Crow[/autotag] and [autotag]Lila Smith[/autotag].

Crow is a former Georgia Bulldog coming to Auburn as a sophomore. She is a native of Williamson, Georgia with notable accomplishments such as qualifying for the USAG Level 10 Development Program National Championships and being the first female at her high school to bring home a state title in Gymnastics.

Graba’s take on Crow: “We are so excited to have Madelynn join the Auburn gymnastics family. She brings a wealth of experience with her and has been successful at nearly all the levels of our sport. Having experience in the SEC is also going to be very beneficial as we are looking to build our team depth on all events. Even though Madelynn is best known for her beam proficiency, she should add needed depth on all the events.

Smith is a junior and a former Kentucky Wildcat. She is from Atlanta, Georgia, and competed with the same gym as Crow, Georgia Elite. She was also a USAG Level 10 Development Program National Championship qualifier and won state titles on beam and in the all-around.

Graba’s take on Smith: “We are eager to have Lila join our program as she is coming off a very successful run with another successful program. Her experience in the SEC will help as our young team will be looking to their teammates with experience as we enter this next season. Lila should give us needed depth on all the events early on.”

These two transfers will be a great addition to the 2024 roster. Crow and Smith will join an experienced roster that will feature [autotag]Aria Brusch[/autotag], [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag], [autotag]Sophia Groth[/autotag], and [autotag]Olivia Hollingsworth[/autotag].

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One more ride: Stevens, Brusch announce return to Auburn gymnastics

Two of Auburn Gymnastics’ premier athletes will return for the 2024 season.

Auburn gymnastics had an “end of an era” type season with key performers such as [autotag]Suni Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag] competing for the final time in Auburn uniforms.

On Thursday, Auburn gymnastics fans received good news as two of Auburn’s most experienced gymnasts announced that they were returning for the 2024 season.

In a video that was shot during Auburn’s time at the NCAA Regional Championship in Los Angeles, [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag] and [autotag]Aria Brusch[/autotag] revealed that they would be returning to Auburn, using the extra season of eligibility they both accumulated during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These past four years have been quite the roller coaster ride, but we are so incredibly grateful for the continued love and support of the entire Auburn family,” Stevens said in the video.

Brusch continued the statement by saying “With that being said, we are honored to have the opportunity to compete for Auburn gymnastics for one more year and finish what we started.”

Stevens has had an incredible career as an Auburn Tiger and had a senior season filled with highlights. She scored a 9.925 or higher in five events this season with her highest score of the season coming on March 4 at Kentucky, when she scored a 9.975 on vault. She was also named a WCGA All-American this season after leading the team on vault with a 9.925 NQS.

Brusch has been named a WCGA Academic All-American three times in her career and has scored a 9.900 or higher in several events over the last four seasons including a 9.900 on beam against Penn State in March.

The return of Stevens and Brusch adds to an already stacked lineup that returns to Auburn in 2024. Joining Stevens and Brusch on next season’s roster includes [autotag]Olivia Hollingsworth[/autotag], [autotag]Sophia Groth[/autotag], [autotag]Gabby McLaughlin[/autotag], and [autotag]Sarah Hubbard[/autotag].

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Auburn gymnastics’ season ends in Los Angeles

An unconventional showing on bars led to the Tigers’ downfall in the Los Angeles Regional.

The Auburn Tigers’ season comes to an end after the team posted a 195.9, placing them in fourth in the afternoon session of the Los Angeles Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

“When you get to this meet, you have to be really good to move on,” Auburn coach [autotag]Jeff Graba[/autotag] said. “You can’t have an event like we did on bars. We picked a bad night to have our worst night of the year.”

Auburn got off to a strong start on floor. [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag] earned a 9.925 in the anchor role to earn a share of the session title for the event. [autotag]Gabby McLaughlin[/autotag] and [autotag]Olivia Hollingsworth[/autotag] both scored a 9.875. [autotag]Sophia Groth[/autotag] and [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag] each posted a 9.85, bringing Auburn’s score to 49.375 which had the Tigers in second place.

The Tigers competed on vault in the second rotation. [autotag]Caroline Leonard[/autotag] led off with a 9.875, [autotag]Sara Hubbard[/autotag] followed with a 9.850. Hollingsworth and Stevens both took a 9.8 and Gobourne closed up with a 9.875. Auburn’s score after two rotations was 98.575.

Things started to go wrong for the Tigers on bars in the third rotation. After three straight falls at the beginning [autotag]Aria Brusch[/autotag] scored a 9.9. Stevens tied her career-high with a 9.925 and Gobourne anchored with a 9.85.

Auburn closed up on beam. [autotag]Hannah Hagle[/autotag] earned the top score for the Tigers with a 9.9.

“For (Hagle) to do that on beam was a huge deal,” Graba said. “Caroline on vault, going 9.875 on a 9.95 (start value) vault. Derrian (Gobourne) was great on floor. We got some really good performances, but as a group, not as consistent as we want.”

The Tigers will have a lot to build on going into next season but will return key pieces such as Sophia Groth, Olivia Hollingsworth, and Gabby McLaughlin.

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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 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: Where, when the Tigers will compete in 2023

Auburn Gymnastics’ 2023 slate is filled with solid competition, including defending national champion, Oklahoma.

Auburn Gymnastics’ 2022 season was arguably one of the most sensational in program history.

Auburn welcomed Olympic gold medalist [autotag]Suni Lee[/autotag] to its roster, and she did not disappoint. She ended the season with three perfect 10.000 scores and reached highs of 9.975 on the floor, and 9.925 on the vault.

The Tigers also earned wins over Alabama, Georgia, and Michigan on its way to a fourth-place national finish, finishing behind Utah, Florida, and eventual champion Oklahoma.

The 2023 season is expected to be just as exciting, as athletes such as [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag], [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag], [autotag]Sophia Groth[/autotag], and [autotag]Aria Brusch[/autotag] return to the roster in addition to Lee, who will be competing in her final season as an Auburn Tiger.

This season is sure to be exciting, and you do not want to miss it. Here is a look at Auburn Gymnastics’ 2023 schedule.

Auburn gymnastics moves on to Sweet Sixteen

Auburn, along with SEC rival Kentucky, advanced to the next round of the NCAA postseason.

The postseason isn’t over just yet for the Auburn Tigers.

Auburn’s gymnastics team will advance to the NCAA’s gymnastics Sweet Sixteen after being one of the two best teams in its group in Thursday’s afternoon quad-meet. The Tigers’ 197.500 was enough to defeat Southern Utah and the SEC rival Georgia Bulldogs and punch their ticket to the next round of the postseason, but the SEC rival Kentucky Wildcats bested Auburn with a score of 197.750.

The Tigers will be most proud of their score on beam, their highest of the night. Auburn netted a 49.975 on the event and freshmen [autotag]Sunisa Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Sophia Groth[/autotag] both got to put on a clinic — Lee was awarded the highest score of the meet with her beam routine, scoring a 9.975, and Groth supplemented it nicely with a 9.95 of her own.

The last of Auburn’s All-American trio, senior [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag], dazzled as well. Gobourne tied for the event win on the floor with a 9.95. Gobourne also contributed with a 9.85 on the vault and on the uneven bars.

Auburn will now wait until Saturday at 5 p.m. CT for the Sweet Sixteen portion of the regional. The Tigers will face the two best teams from Thursday night’s group of Denver, Ohio State, Iowa State and the Florida Gators, the undisputed SEC champions.

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