AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 9 Auburn gymnastics team hits the road for the first time in 2021, traveling to No. 8 Kentucky for a Friday night conference meet. The SEC rivals will go head-to-head at 6 p.m. CT in Memorial Coliseum, Jan. 15, and the meet will be televised live on SEC Network.
"This trip is not going to be easy," head coach Jeff Graba said. "I think we can get better on the road this week and it's going to be a great opportunity for mental success. We haven't had much success at Kentucky and we're hoping to get a good meet in and come away an even stronger, more cohesive team."
"Kentucky is a lot like us right now as far as talent and youth," Graba added. "They are extremely talented and we're going to have to stay tough to get through Friday with a solid score."
AUBURN LINEUP
The Auburn lineup once again features a wealth of youth as 15 of 24 routines will come from sophomores and freshmen at Kentucky.
Auburn will have a pair of Tigers competing in the all-around with junior Derrian Gobourne leading the charge. She's coming off a 39.425 last week in the category, which was just .050 off her career high.
Joining her will be freshman Olivia Hollingsworth. The all-around nod will be the first of her career.
Being on the road, the Tigers will go bars, vault, floor and beam.
Freshman Gabby McLaughlin will lead things off on bars, competing in the event for the first time in her career. Hollingsworth will follow in the second spot and is also making her first start on bars.
Three sophomores follow in the event with Anna Sumner going third. The Sumner, Ga., product led off last week with a 9.75. Classmate Piper Smith is fourth with Adeline Sabados going fifth. Gobourne will anchor the event following a 9.9 vs. Florida. That score gave her the event title.
The Tigers move on to the vault in the second rotation and have two freshmen kicking off the event. Getting her first start as a Tiger will be Payton Smith who will lead off. Hollingsworth will go second with Piper Smith going third. Smith finished with a 9.8 vs. Florida in her first start.
Sabados is slated for fourth and put together a 9.85 last week on her Yurchenko full. Senior Drew Watson is fifth and Gobourne will anchor.
Auburn will head to floor for rotation three and junior Sabrina Cheney is down in the lead off position. McLaughlin will earn her first start on floor and will go second. Hollingsworth, who led off last week with a 9.75, is down in the third.
Sabados and Watson will go fourth and fifth for the Tigers in the third rotation. Watson earned a 9.85 last week for the squad. Gobourne will anchor following a 9.925 performance vs. Florida.
The Tigers close out their first road trip on beam with Watson leading off for the second-straight meet. Hollingsworth and Piper Smith will make their first starts in the event and will go second and third.
Senior Meredith Sylvia is slotted at fourth on beam. Gobourne will go fifth and McLaughlin will anchor. McLaughlin kicked off her career on beam vs. Florida, scoring a 9.825.
UP NEXT
Auburn continues its road swing, traveling to rival and No. 4 Alabama next Friday, Jan. 22. The two squad will face off at 7:30 p.m. CT in Tuscaloosa on SEC Network.
No. 9 Auburn faces first road test of 2021 at No. 8 Kentucky
