No. 21 Auburn Finishes Tied for Third at NCAA Regional

April 1, 2017

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" The No. 21 Auburn gymnastics team concluded the 2017 season Saturday in Barnhill Arena, finishing tied for third with a season-high 196.600 at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional.

"We hit all 24 routines tonight and that's a big deal for us," head coach Jeff Graba said. "It was the first time all year that we looked this consistent. Our young team really stepped up in this tough event and I think the results show the guts and determination of this team. I'm really proud of the way we finished the season."

Top-seeded Utah won the meet with a 197.150, while No. 2 seed Denver came in second with a 197.050. Host Arkansas also finished with a 196.600, while California came in fifth at 196.300. Central Michigan closed out the team scoring at 195.675.

A pair of Tigers will represent Auburn as individuals at the NCAA Championships, April 14-15, in St. Louis. Sophomore Samantha Cerio finished tied for first on bars with a career-high 9.925 to advance in the event, while freshman Katie Becker's career-best 39.200 in the all-around was good to move on.

"The future is really bright for Auburn gymnastics," Graba said. "Having two of our young student-athletes advance will really set the table for next year."

Auburn kicked off the day with its best event, tying a season-high score on bars with a 49.375. Behind Cerio's 9.925, sophomores Taylor Krippner and Emma Engler added a pair of 9.9s. That total set a career high for Krippner, while it tied a career best for Engler. Freshman Gracie Day chipped in a 9.85 and Becker led things off for the Tigers with a career-high score of 9.8.

The Tigers moved on to beam, finishing with a 49.000. Senior Kullen Hlawek and Cerio put the Tigers in a good position with solid routines, scoring a 9.8 apiece. Following Becker's 9.775, redshirt freshman Emma Slappey finished with 9.8 and Krippner anchored with a 9.825.

After enjoying a bye, the squad put together a solid showing on floor with a 49.150. The youthful Tigers were led by three of its seniors in the event as MJ Rott and Hlawek had team best scores of 9.85s, while Lucia Scaglione chipped in a 9.825. Slappey also earned a 9.825 and Becker and Day kicked off the event with 9.8s.

The meet concluded on vault for the Tigers and the squad's 49.075 was the second-best score of the season. Becker led off the rotation with a career-tying 9.825 and was followed by a 9.8 from Engler. Rott once again had a team high, finishing with a 9.85 on her Yurchenko full. Krippner earned a 9.825 and Day anchored with a 9.775.

Auburn Results