Auburn will face Georgia in Athens tonight for an SEC matchup you’ll want all the updates on. Auburn is coming off a redemption of a meet this past weekend against Missouri, scoring a 196.625 and taking first place. In a similar situation, the Gym Dogs are getting back on track this weekend as well after an improved meet against Oklahoma where they finished with a 196.600.
Fellow Gym Dogs, Vega, Dickson and Babalis brought the fire in Stegeman Coliseum on Monday night, all scoring 9.9s throughout the evening. From week one to week two we’ve seen an improvement in confidence within the team, and they are beginning to get their momentum rolling into 2018. Although doubts have been made about the lack of depth, from watching them perform this past weekend, it seems as they are taking adversity as a challenge accepted. Auburn had a rocky start to the 2018 season as well, but a handful of gymnasts stole the show with event titles against Missouri. Gracie Day took first on vault (9.875) and floor (9.9), and teammates Kendall Moss placed first on bars (9.925) while Abby Milliet won beam (9.925). Tonights SEC matchup will be a close meet to watch and one you won’t want to miss out on!
Be sure to follow @ncaagymnews on Instagram for updates on our story and keep refreshing here for live updates on each routine throughout the night!
6:23- 5 minutes left in warm up! Last rotation wrapping up and Intros will begin here soon @7pm!
6:33- Update: Looks like Georgia has added depth to their vault and bar line up. They will be putting up 6 scores tonight on each event. Vaculik will be contributing to the vault line up and Pedersen will be contributing to the bar line up. (Discloser: Monday night against Oklahoma they only put up 5 scores for both vault and bars…they are bringing all they got for Auburn! This will be an exciting meet to watch)
6:49- Auburn Tigers marching out!
6:50- Georgia Gymdog Intro has begun! I get chills every time this intro plays. The crowd is super pumped up!
6:52- They have the Gymdogs do a pose at the top of the staircase against a white background screen as the lights turn on and then they run down through the stands and audience onto the gym floor. I thought this was such a unique intro. I have not seen this before in all my gym years! The fans love this!!
Injury update: Marino (Georgia) is still on crutches for tonight’s meet. We’ll have to keep an eye out if she will return this 2018 season. I sure hope so!
Leotard Update (The MOST important update I know!)
Georgia: is rocking the sparkles again tonight in an all black bodice with red sleeves. Big “G” on their back, and sparkly red horizontal strip across their mid section.
Auburn: Is showing off an open back halter Leo with a dark blue bodice and sparkly orange sleeves.
Rotation 1: Georgia Vault, Auburn Bars
Vega (Georgia): Yurchenko layout full. Small hop on landing but improvement from last week! Great start for Georgia. 9.775
Becker (Auburn): Mount to high. Blind Jager straddle. Bail to low bar a little loose. Short handstand. Double lay dismount stick! 9.75
Oakley (Ga): Yurchenko layout full with a medium hop backwards. Slight crunch on the table but good distance. 9.8
Watson (Auburn): Oops! Fall over on handstand. Remounts bar to start over. Toe Tkatchev to toe hand to bail to low bar. Full out dismount with step to side. 9.125
Vaculik (Ga): Yurchenko full with hop to side a little. Good height and distance. 9.725
Moss (Auburn): Clear hip to Gainer. Bail to low bar. Double lay dismount STICK! She nailed that in. 9.8
Dickson (Ga): Huge layout yurchenko full with small hop backwards. Super clean. Love that form! 9.85
Day (Auburn): Toe on blind to straddle jaguar connected immediately to bail to low bar. Double front dismount stick. 9.85
Johnson (Ga): HUGE Yurchenko full stick. No question there. 9.9
Cerio (Auburn): Clear to inverted grip connected to Jager pike. Bail to low. Blind full to double tuck stick. 9.875
Snead (Ga): Yurchenko full to step forward with chest down. Looked like she tried to stick a little too hard. Great Height. 9.825
Milliet (Auburn): toe on to toe on Tkatchev. Pak Salto to low. Blind full to double tuck dismount stick. 9.675
Scores after one Georgia: 49.150/ Auburn: 48.950
Rotation 2: Georgia Bars; Auburn Vault
Becker (Auburn): Yurchenko full STICK! she glued those feet in. Looks like chest was a little down and forward but should score well for Auburn. 9.775
Johnson (Ga): Mount over low bar to high. Clear hip to Gainer is massive. Bail to low bar. Double lay dismount small hop back great height and distance. 9.725
Phillips (Auburn): Yurchenko layout full. Pike down and chest a little low. She had a big block and height off the table. 9.75
Oakley (Ga): Shaposh to high bar connected to Oak salts. Pirouette jump to high. Double tuck dismount to slight hop backwards. 9.7
Krippner (Auburn): Yurchenko full with slight step forward. Chest was a little low and down. 9.675
Vaculik (Ga): Blind full to Gainer. Bail to low bar toe transition to high. Full out dismount tucked with step to side and back. 9.7
Watson (Auburn): Yurchenko one and a half with small hop forward. Great 10.0 start value vault for Auburn. 9.875
Snead (Ga): Mount to high. Clear hip to Tkatchev. Bail to low. Double lay STICK! Great form and lines. Her toe point was stellar throughout. 9.875
Day (Auburn): Yurchenko one and a half full twist with slight hop forward and to side. Great landing. 9.85
Dickson (Ga): Toe on Tkatchev is huge. Bail to low bar. transition to high. Double lay with small hop forward. 9.875
Glenn (Auburn): Yurchenko one and a half with slight foot shuffle forward. Don’t think judges will give that stick but it was a great vault for Auburn. 9.875
Pedersen (Ga): Blind to pike Jager. Missed transition to low bar. Double front dismount with chest down and big step forward. 9.6
Scores after two Georgia 98.025 ; Auburn 98.075
Rotation 3 Georgia beam; Auburn floor
Snead (Ga): Back handspring connected to layout step out connected to back handspring solid. Punch front slight bobble. Round off double twist dismount stick. Super solid set for lead off spot for Georgia. Very confident and calm routine. 9.875.
Smith (Auburn): Opening pass Double pike slight chest down and forward. One and a half punch front layout to sushanova straddle jump to stomach. Crowd loves that move. Last pass Double tuck stick. Great lead off for floor. 9.8
Oakley (Ga): Switch leap connectedd to ring jump. Back handspring layout solid. Front aerial to split jump stick. Gainer dismount full off the side stick! What a solid and clean routine. Should score well. 9.825
Sheppard (Auburn): Opening pass triple twist with slight chest down and hop step forward. One and a half front layout clean. Last pass Double full twist to punch front. Love the E pass at the beginning just needs to clean up that landing. 9.65
Arnold (Ga): Switch to tuck jump full small wobble. Front aerial connected to back handspring solid. Switch to straddle quarter jump slightly short. Round off one and a half dismount with small step. Arnold looked very calm up there! 9.675
Cerio (Auburn): Opening pass Double pike very clean. Little bit of violin mix music very elegant I like it. Back layout step out into her corner for second pass very unique. One and a half front layout to wolf jump connected great bonus. Last pass front handspring Rudi twist very clean. 9.775
Babilis (Ga): Front aerial to back lay set out connected. Switch to split jump to back tuck solid. Babilis looks very confident up there. Front pike toss slight wobble check. Front punch full dismount small hop forward. 9.825
Day (Auburn): Opening pass Arabian double front. Love that E pass. Good control of it for a blind landing. Her music is my favorite so far from Auburn. Clean two slato front full pass. Double tuck last pass solid. Great set for Day. 9.85
Dickson (Ga): Front aerial to leap series little wobble to side. Back handspring lay series Slight arm balance check. Switch leap to split half solid. back handspring one and a half twist dismount off the end stick. Loved the confidence on the dismount. 9.775
Slappey (Auburn): Opening pass Front layout to front Rudi twist. Very intense music I really like this mix also. Double pike chest low a little. Double tuck last pass chest low again. Love the Auburn celebration tunnel from her teammates on the side. 9.825
Vega (Ga): *Cue the Michael Jackson music. The crowd loves this routine. Ring leap wobble. Back lay series stick. Hitch kick to front aerial to beat jump solid. Switch to split quarter jump. *moonwalk- Crowd goes wild! Side aerial back layout full twist slight shuffle with feet back. 9.875
Milliet (Auburn): Opening pass Front handspring front lay to Rudi twist clean. Big double pike very clean. One and a half punch front lay very clean. Jump to splits at the end, love the choreography. 9.85
Scores after three Georgia 147.200 ; Auburn 147.175
Rotation 4: Georgia Floor; Auburn Beam
Riddle (Auburn): Back handspring layout series wobble. Full middle splits on beam, so impressive! Switch leap to split jump half slight wobble and short. Side aerial dismount tucked, looks like it was suppose to. be layout position? Good start for Auburn on beam. 9.725
Arnold (Ga): Opening pass Huge double pike very clean. Such fun choreography I love it. The crowd is super pumped for this opening routine. She’s having so much fun. Last pass one and a half punch front layout clean. Crowd loves that one! 9.85
Sylvia (Auburn): Looking very sharp and confident. Front aerial to back handspring solid. Split jump to sheep jump slight wobble. Cartwheel gainer off side to full twist slight foot shuffle on landing. 9.75
Babilis (Ga): Double tuck very clean. Whip half punch front full. Very fun and upbeat routine. Last pass Round off double pike stick! Very clean set for Babilis. Should score very well. 9.875
Cerio (Auburn): Straddle press mount, very impressive! Switch side solid. Back handspring lay series stick. She looks very calm and confident. Switch half. Punch front layout full dismount stick. 9.875
Snead (Ga): Whip to double back handspring to double tuck very clean. Love the Ed Sheehan music mix. Front handspring Rudi to sushanova straddle jump to stomach. Crowd gets so excited for that move! Last pass Double pike very clean and manages to stay in bounds. 9.925 wow!
Slappey (Auburn): back handspring lay series little wobble. Hitch kick to side aerial connection into dismount off end stick. Lots of connections in that, quick confident and short routine I love it! 9.825
Dickson (Ga): Double pike very clean and the crowd loves Dickson’s music. One and a half punch front layout solid. Last pass double tuck stick. Very clean set for Dickson. This will score very well. 9.925!
Milliet (Auburn): Punch front mount stick. Back handspring lay series stick. Back walkover very unique choreography. Sheep jump stick. Hitch kick gainer full off the side stick. 9.875
Vega (Ga): Double pike huge stick! Middle pass One and a half punch front layout. She has so much sass and fun with this routine you can really feel her energy in Stegeman. Last pass double tuck with a huge stick and finish. This will score high! Crowd chants U-G-A!! 9.95 and the crowd loves that score!
Krippner (Auburn): Switch to split solid. back handspring series no wobble. Round off one and a half twist almost stick. Not sure if judges will give that. Great finishing set for Auburn. 9.875
Final scores Georgia 196.725; Auburn 196.375
Titles: No event titles were given tonight.
Tonight I was very impressed with the way Georgia came out and put on a show tonight in Stegeman. Auburn is a tough SEC team to match up against and the Gymdogs managed to steal a win at home against the Tigers. I noticed the Gymdogs on Monday night only put up 5 routines on vault and bars, but tonight they added to their depth with Vaculik on vault and Pedersen on bars. This gives Georgia less pressure to nail those routines and more wiggle room for errors, however they didn’t need to worry about that tonight. Neither teams had to count a fall and both looked pretty confident. I noticed with Auburn on vault that they lacked some of the higher scores due to landing errors. They seemed a little hesitant to go after those chest up stick landings we know they are capable of. Same goes fro beam with small wobbles here and there that really added up tin the end. As season progresses I know they will be working on this to clean these little errors up and gain those tenths back. I was very impressed with Georgia on their routines that they put up tonight. They continue to build and look more confident each meet and this momentum is great as they head further into season. Tonights SEC matchup was a close one, but Georgia claims the SEC win with a 196.725, and Auburn finishes with a 196.375.
Live blog by Megan Jimenez
