AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 12 Auburn gymnastics team hosts No. 17 Arkansas Friday, January 17 in Neville Arena in the team's 2025 home opener. The Tigers and the Razorbacks will face off at 6 p.m. CT and the meet will be televised on SEC Network.
"It's going to be a tough one," head coach Jeff Graba said. "Arkansas is coming off its first meet of the year and are really talented. We're going to have to have a really good performance to come away with a good score.
"That's the way it is in the SEC," Graba added. "Auburn has the toughest schedule in the country. It's partly because that’s what we chose to do on the road and also partly because we're in the SEC. So, we're going to have our hands full."
The Tigers are looking forward to the home-crowd advantage that Neville Arena brings, especially the newcomers.
"We have a young team that's really excited to get in front of our crowd and show them what we've been working on," Graba said. "It's all about the team with this group. I'm really excited with where we are and can't wait to be at home on Friday."
AUBURN LINEUP
The Auburn Tigers will be at home and going into its first dual meet of the year. With that said, the Tigers will start the meet on vault with bars, beam and floor following.
The team is coming off a season-best 49.250 on vault last week in San Antonio and will start the meet on the apparatus.
Highlighting the top eight is senior Sara Hubbard and freshman Katelyn Jong. The pair won a share of the event title in Texas, earning a 9.875 each. That was a season best for Hubbard and a career high for Jong.
Joining the duo in the top eight is fifth year Sydney Schumaker and senior Sarah Zois, along with sophomores Julianne Huff, Paige Zancan and Olivia Greaves. Huff led off with a 9.8 last week and Zancan chipped in a 9.85.
Freshman Sophia Bell has once again earned a spot in the top eight.
The team moves on the bars and has a 49.1 average over the first two meets.
Jong leads the top eight with a pair of 9.9s to her credit.
Also working a spot in the lineup with a wealth of experience is senior Sophia Groth, who has 37 starts in the event. Classmate Caroline Leonard remains in the top eight and has solid performances in exhibition for the squad.
Youth will highlight the rest of potential lineup. That includes redshirt freshman Bryn Bartman, who is coming off a career-high 9.825 last week. Sophomores Alex Irvine, Greaves, Huff and Emma Grace Boyd round out the rest of the group.
Rotation three has the squad going on beam, where the Tigers are ranked tied for 10th nationally with a 49.175.
Leading the way are freshmen Marissa Neal and Jong as each are averaging a 9.85. Jong took the event title in San Antonio.
Fifth year Gabby McLaughlin looks to continue her starting streak as the Aliso Viejo, California product has 52 starts in the event.
Joining the three in the top eight include freshman Olivia Ahern, Zancan, Groth, Zois and Greaves.
Auburn will finish the night on floor and once again, the top eight is a mix of experience and youth.
Bell is coming off a huge 9.925 in San Antonio where she won the event. Jong and Neal are other freshmen among the top eight.
McLaughlin and Groth have a wealth of experience, while Greaves has been in the lineup the last two meets.
Zancan and Bartman have also worked their way into the top eight for the squad.
UP NEXT
Auburn remains at home and welcomes nationally-ranked Oregon State for a non-conference contest, January 24. The Tigers and the Beavers face off at 8:30 p.m. CT and the meet will be televised on ESPN2.