AUBURN, Ala. – The 2021 Auburn gymnastics season was full of big moments and growth for the youthful squad. Through the many obstacles faced, the team put together a season to be proud that included big scores and big awards.
Most of the hurdles in the team's way were related to the continuing restrictions that came from the COVID-19 pandemic. That included an abrupt end to the year just as the NCAA postseason was beginning.
"We had a slow trickle of bad news after the SEC Championship and through contact tracing and other factors, we realized we wouldn't have enough bodies to fill a team slot," head coach Jeff Graba said. "It was unfortunate, and I think everyone on the team, including the coaching staff, took it really hard."
Because of positive tests and contact tracing, the Auburn team had to withdraw from the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional in early April. That ultimately concluded the season for the Tigers.
Despite the disappointing end, the 2021 Auburn gymnastics team put together a great season in spite of the challenges COVID-19 brought with it. Those challenges included a shortened regular season that consisted of just eight Southeastern Conference meets, two contests without some of the team's top competitors and a rescheduled competition halfway through the year.
"We only had eight meets this year and out of the eight, we broke 197 four times," Graba said. "Looking back, reaching those milestones was really impressive considering the fact that we had one of the youngest if not the youngest team in the country."
The youthful Tigers first reached a 197 when it faced then-No. 2 LSU in February, scoring a 197.075. Auburn followed with back-to-back 197s against Georgia (197.050) and at No. 1 Florida (197.025) before concluding the regular season with a 197.125 at home against Arkansas (March 5).
Throughout the year, Auburn's lineup featured 16 of a possible 24 routines coming from sophomores and freshmen. And of the 16, 14 came from the sophomore class.
"Looking back, it was apparent how much improvement this team displayed throughout the year," Graba said. "Not only did they start fast with one of our best season opening scores in history, but they also performed at a high level in one of the hardest environments in the history of our sport."
Despite the youth movement in the lineup, Auburn's upperclassmen stepped up and provided solid leadership throughout the unconventional season.
"I think this young team learned a lot this year from those ahead of them," Graba said. "A lot of individuals had the opportunity to lead and be led and I'm excited to build off of these experiences to really grow and become a stronger unit."
In addition to gained experience, 2021 was highlighted by a handful of postseason accolades. Senior Drew Watson, junior Derrian Gobourne and sophomore Cassie Stevens each earned All-SEC recognition, while Gobourne was named SEC Co-Specialist of the Year.
"For us to go out and get three All-SEC awards in a year like this is a tremendous feat," Graba said. "With all this team has battled through, I'm just so proud of the three for being recognized by the league."
To add to her list of awards, Gobourne was named a first team All-American for her performances on floor this season. She finished with a 9.956 NQS in the event and won four titles. She reached a career-high 9.975 on two occasions.
In addition, she led the squad in two other events and totaled three bars titles and two vault crowns. She finished with a 9.913 NQS on bars and a 9.894 on vault.
"There isn't much more that can be said about Derrian and what she means to this team that hasn't already been said," Graba said. "Her dedication and focus to not only her own performances, but to her team as well has helped her get to this point."
But despite the awards and progress made throughout the year, the abrupt end to the season gave the Tigers a hunger to come back stronger and finish what they started.
Auburn is set to return 23 of 24 routines for 2022 as a trio of seniors in Watson, Jada Glenn and Allie Riddle chose to come back for their extra year granted by the NCAA. Meredith Sylvia decided to move on after her graduation in May and put together a tremendous four years on beam where she started in all but two meets.
"It's great to see our seniors not only come back, but really want to come back," Graba said. "The desire is there to finish on a good note, and I think this will help the younger ones on the team stay focused as we hopefully progress back to a somewhat normal season. At this point, we only have a few people with the experience of what it's like to go through a whole season and that will be invaluable next year as we try to capitalize on the big strides we made this year."
The Tigers have their sights set on 2022 as the crew hopes to build off the experiences of this year and welcome in one of the best recruiting classes in the country. That includes an Olympic hopeful as well as high level competitors on the club level.
"Our future is so bright," Graba said. "We really only lose one routine from this season and we have the highest ranked recruiting class in Auburn history coming in next year. It's going to be very competitive and it's going to be important to build a solid team culture early. I'm extremely excited about what's happening here and it's going to be a lot of fun."