AUBURN, Ala. — The No. 11 Auburn Tigers (10-3, 3-2) defeated the No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide (3-6, 0-6) for their first gymnastics win inside Coleman Coliseum. The Tigers and Crimson Tide had their highest scores of the season in the Iron Bowl of gymnastics, but the Tigers finished with 197.750 and the Crimson Tide finished with 197.350.
The first rotation saw Auburn bounce back from a season-low score on Bars of 48.925 last week against Florida with 49.425. This bounce-back week on bars shows why the Tigers are ranked number twelve nationally on the apparatus, finishing the night with three 9.900s or higher.
Sophia Groth and Katelyn Jong tied their season bests with 9.900 and 9.925 respectively, and Alex Irvine rounded out the trio of 9.900s or higher with 9.925. However, the star of the show on Bars for the Tigers was senior Caroline Leonard who made her debut on Bars in a rivalry meet and scored an impressive 9.850.
Auburn’s momentum continued to the second rotation where they had a season-best and tied the program best on Vault with a score of 49.500. The first two rotations for the Tigers showcased some of the best gymnastics for them this season, and in a rivalry meet.
On Vault, Sydney Shumaker tied a career-high with 9.900, Sara Hubbard tied her season best with 9.875, and Katelyn Jong scored a career-high with 9.950. Paige Zancan and Sarah Zois rounded out the rotation with 9.900 and 9.875.
Entering the third rotation, the Tigers had a 0.550 lead over the Crimson Tide, and on Floor, the Tigers continued to build off of earlier success. Auburn put up a quartet of 9.875s on the Floor from Paige Zancan, Sophia Bell, Olivia Greaves, and Gabby McLaughlin. Sophia Groth anchored the event tying her season best with an impressive 9.950.
Auburn’s final rotation was on Beam, which is the event on which they rank fourth in the nation, but ironically enough against Alabama it is the apparatus on which they had the lowest apparatus score of the night.
Olivia Greaves and Paige Zancan were the standouts for the Tigers on Beam with Greaves scoring 9.900 to open the event, and Zancan finished her impressive night with a career-high of 9.925 on the apparatus.
Despite the Crimson Tide mounting a slight comeback in the final rotation on Floor scoring no less than a 9.850 and finishing the evening with their highest of the season on the event with a 49.600, the Tigers won for the first time inside of Coleman Coliseum by four-tenths of a point in dominating fashion.
The Auburn Tigers will be back in action inside Neville Arena against the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners on February 28th on the SEC Network.
