LIVE BLOG: No. 5 Auburn at No. 16 Missouri

It’s Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! After narrowly taking down LSU in Week 6, Auburn battles Missouri in its quest for ultimate SEC Tiger supremacy. 

Just kidding. However, this is the first time these teams are meeting since last year’s national championship semifinals, which is fun. Auburn is the heavy favorite heading into today’s meet, averaging nearly a point higher than Missouri on the season.

Particularly in the wake of last week’s vault scoring debacle at Florida, let’s address the elephant in the room: Missouri seems to suffer from tighter scoring than most SEC teams, especially at home. Granted, it’d likely need to have a season best performance and then some to upset Auburn, but–if both teams hit–don’t be surprised if this ends up being a much closer competition than the rankings would indicate. In any case, it’ll be interesting to see how Auburn fares against the notoriously stingy judges at the Hearnes Center. My money’s on Suni Lee still getting at least one 10.   

You can watch along at home on SECN and find live scoring here.

Gorgeous new leo for Mizzou!

https://twitter.com/MizzouGym/status/1627404489388077056?s=20

Love to see the Michigan State solidarity 💚🤍

https://twitter.com/AuburnGym/status/1627419721720115201?s=20

Heads up, we may have a late start: Ole Miss WBB is tied with No. 1 USC with 25 seconds to go… And heading to OT, so start time has been pushed to 06:05 PM. This is the one and only sport you’ll see this Clemson fan rooting for the Gamecocks! For those of you who don’t follow NCAA women’s basketball this would be like an EAGL team beating Oklahoma.

Rotation One: Missouri vault, Auburn bars 

Hollingsworth (Aub): 9.775

McCrary (Mizzou): Solid Y full, decent height and distance with a minor pike down and hop back. 9.825

McLaughlin (Aub): Leg sep on her Maloney, lovely Pak. Good half pirouette. Aggressive final handstand. Slightly past vertical on her blind full to double tuck, stuck. 9.825

Shreiber (Mizzou): WOW! Textbook Y full, flared out and stuck. Best I’ve seen her do in competition. 9.900

Sabados (Aub): Good height on her Ray, just some leg sep on her regrasp. Some elbow bend in her casts, but good position on her bail to handstand. Some leg sep and knee softness on her DLO and a small hop back. 9.775

Celestine (Mizzou): Y 1.5, ne of her good ones. Some soft knees, but exceptional height and distance. Small hop forward. 9.875

Groth (Aub): Nice, big Tkatchev. Arms a little funky on her Pak. Sorry, I missed her dismount! 9.775

Moore (Mizzou): … This was at least as good as her vault last week. Fabulous Y 1.5, flared out and perfectly stuck. SHE FINALLY GETS THE 10!

Gobourne (Aub): Huge Tkatchev with foot form, and big hangtime on her Pak. Sky high FTDT with a little leg sep, college stick. 9.875

Davis (Mizzou): Strong Y 1.5 with a sizable bounce forward. One of the best she’s done this season. 9.850

Lee (Aub): Blind change to pristine straddled Jaeger. Pak to Maloney to Gienger, all with legs beautifully stuck together. FTDT, stuck. 9.950

AFTER ONE ROTATION: Missouri 49.450, Auburn 49.200

That was an exceptional vault rotation from Missouri. Obviously, Moore’s 10 was the highlight. Just did some checking and that actually ties its best vault total ever. Well done!

A fine bars rotation from Auburn, but they certainly left some tenths on the table. They shouldn’t be too worried, though. They’ve got three great events left.

Rotation Two: Missouri bars, Auburn vault

Sabados (Aub): Significantly underrotated Y full with a big pike-down and large step forward. 9.600

Celestine (Mizzou): Big leg sep on her Maloney. Whippy Pak and a little loose on her VL. Gorgeous Celestine dismount (stalder pike front half), stuck. Strong start! 9.825

Groth (Aub): Much better Y full! Good block with a ton of distance. Medium hop back.

Shreiber (Mizzou): Minor leg sep on her Maloney, probably not visible to the judges. Tight form in her bail to handstand. Lovely rise and position on her DLO. Miniscule scoot back. 9.875

Hubbard (Aub): Man, ridiculous distance on her Y 1.5. Almost landed off the mat! Much cleaner in the air than we’ve seen from her, and a large bounce forward. 9.775

Sheremeta (Mizzou): Blind change to a HIGH straddled Jaeger, a touch close on the regrasp. Good bail. Blind change to a lovely Rudi with a small forward hop. 9.800

Hollingsworth (Aub): Solid Y 1.5, no major form or amplitude issues. Large step forward. 9.850

Moore (Mizzou): Giant Tkatchev with good rotation, elbows bent on the catch. No problems on the bail. Excellent FTDT in the air, landed with her weight shifted a bit but a stick. 9.800

Stevens (Aub): Y 1.5 somewhat flat, has to take a large hop off to the side. 9.775

Hu (Mizzou): Beautiful Church to Pak, lovely. Crisp full pirouette to double tuck with pointed toes. Barely there hop back. 9.90.

Gobourne (Aub): Really great Y 1.5 in the air, but shuffled and kind of pirouetted out of the landing.

Burns (Mizzou): Oh hey! Haven’t seen her in a hot second. She’s a former JO champ who’s been injured forever. Awesome straddled Jaeger. Lost some form on her bail. Shy final handstand, but a pretty DLO with a college stick. 9.850

AFTER TWO ROTATIONS: Mizzou 98.700, Auburn 98.225

We still don’t have live scores, so I’ll update as I can!

Graba says they’re testing depth this week to let some of the “big dogs” rest, and that everyone just needs to calm down. Fair enough! Hollingsworth’s still new Y 1.5 is looking really comfortable for her. When she gets the landing dialed in, it’s going to be great.

Mizzou continues to impress, managing to put even more distance between themselves and Auburn. So glad to see Burns back in her element!

They’re doing a fun fluff piece on Gobourne’s and Celestine’s brothers who choreographed their respective sisters’ floor routines.

Rotation Three: Missouri beam, Auburn floor

Lawrence (Mizzou): Tick tock on her shoulders, very cool. Switch leap to split jump, perfect. Distinct position on her full turn, good. A little wonky on her bhs loso, but corrected mid-skill. Needle scale, a little jittery. Front aerial with a tiny hint of a waver. RO back 1.5, stuck. A few minor breaks, but nice lead-off routine from the freshman. 9.800

Hubbard (Aub): Last minute sub for Gobourne. HUGE FTDT that flew OOB, too bad. Better now than during the postseason. Switch half to wolf full, good positions on both. Back 1.5 to front full, nicely done. Coach Graba said, “You don’t have depth until you test it, so we’re testing them tonight.” 9.450

McCrary (Mizzou): Front toss to beat, swift connection. Bhs loso with a little foot form but solid. Split jump to ring with a shoulder drop and well-covered wave. Kicked out full turn. Piked gainer with good rise, small hop forward. 9.800

Scores still not working, sorry!

Bart just said this is a program record crowd in attendance. You love to see it!

Brush (Aub): Front tuck through to double tuck, some flexed feet but still fabulous. Perfect control on the lunge. Switch half to straddle half to wolf full, high amplitude and definitive positions on all three. I love that she doesn’t lose her form and precision during the choreo. Double pike with another great landing. 9.875

Davis (Mizzou): Sliiightly overrotated full turn. Excellent bhs loso. Front toss, stands it right up. Beat jump to sheep with a minor foot adjustment on the landing. Switch split to a FLOATY side gainer full with a tiny foot readjustment. 9.850

McLaughlin (Aub): They played the wrong music, so she’s starting over. Back 1.5 to front lay, a little flat on the lay. Switch full to wolf full, gorgeous. Gogean, not sure she got it all the way around. Double pike a hair under and a small hop forward. Very cool, very intense performance! 9.825

Sheremeta (Mizzou): Beat jump, good. Bhs loso, wonderfully extended. Full turn with her free leg in extension, great. Front aerial to one leg to split jump, lovely. Shushunova, always fun. Tucked gainer full off the end of the beam, stuck. Fantastic routine! 9.875

Groth (Aub): Front double full, a little stutter and cross step on the landing. Switch half to wolf full, no problem. Back 1.5 to front lay, well done. And disco choreo! Fhs to Rudi with a delicate lunge back. Oh, apparently Derric Gobourne choreographed Groth’s routine too!

Hu (Mizzou): Korbut mount to the gorgeous handstand. Y scale, beautiful. Front aerial to one foot to front aerial (not Liukin) with a little waver. Impeccable precision and extension on her leaps. Needle scale, no problem. Bhs side gainer full with a hop forward. Things to take, obviously, but such a uniquely lovely routine. 9.825

Hollingsworth (Aub): Big, open full out with a controlled lunge forward. Chest position was fine, so I’m not sure if they’ll ding her for that. Straddle, good. Switch full to Popa, good positions on both. Front tuck through to a double tuck. Fantastic routine! 9.900

Shreiber (Mizzou): Shoulder cartwheel mount, very nicely done. Kicked out full turn, great. Bhs loso with a major leg up check and hip bend, too bad. Beat jump to split 3/4, pretty. Switch half with another leg-up check. Beat jump to stuck side gainer full. Unfortunate missed opportunity for Mizzou. 9.375

Stevens (Aub): Soft front lay to Rudi with a minor front foot slide. The Stevens, check. Switch full to wolf full, cheated the former a bit. Double tuck with flexed feet, but a well-controlled landing. 9.875

AFTER THREE ROTATIONS: Mizzou 147.850, Auburn 149.600

A good, not great beam rotation for Missouri, but that 197 and the upset are still within their reach. Sheremeta proved yet again that she’s one of the unsung heroes of the SEC: Impeccable routine from the grad student!

After a miss in the lead-off spot, Auburn’s floor looked great, though obviously lacking the star power of Lee and Gobourne. Brusch was actually the highlight for me; I wouldn’t have minded seeing her break 9.900.

Rotation Four: Missouri floor, Auburn beam 

Hollingsworth (Aub): Shoot-through mount. Very quick full turn. Bhs loso, soft elbows and a little waver. Switch half with a lean and her foot started to come up. Side aerial with a big leg-up check and turn out. Switch leap to split jump, nicely done. Side gainer full with an arm wave. Not a disaster by any means, but lots of little things to take. 9.425

Shreiber (Mizzou): Cat leap. Rudi to split jump, a little bit off… Not sure if she meant to take out the back lay and punch front? Back extension roll. Front full to front lay to stag jump, no problems. Switch full to split full series, solid positions on all three. 9.850

Brusch (Aub): Front aerial to split jump with a tiny little shoulder check. Bhs loso, love how she pushes completely through her feet. Switch split to switch side, nice height and oversplit. Side gainer full, stuck. 9.875

Kratzer (Mizzou): High, tidy double tuck with a minute front foot adjustment. Switch side to Popa, big amplitude and strong position. Such fun and unexpected choreo! Back 1.5 to front lay with good rise. The audio is out of sync and I’m about to lose my mind…. Pretty double pike to close. Would like to see her chest a bit higher, but a very secure landing. 9.900

Stevens (Aub): Just a bhs loso today, cleaner legs though. Split jump to double stag with a very small hip check. The Stevens. Wolf turn with a major bobble. RO back 1.5 didn’t get a ton of rise, but excellent stuck landing. 9.900 is way too high. The first truly egregious overscore we’ve seen today,

McCrary (Mizzou): Front lay to Rudi, beautifully done. Switch side to Popa, didn’t quite hit horizontal. Double pike way high in the air, a little front foot slide. Wolf jump to Shushunova to close, very cool. 9.875

Groth (Aub): Bhs loso bhs, very secure. Switch half to split, looked a little shy on the former. Full turn kicked out, great. Crooked side aerial to tucked gainer full with a hop to the side. 9.875

Sheremeta (Mizzou): Fabulous fhs front double full. Switch side to Popa, big air and oversplit. Fhs Rudi to loso, excellent. Sheep jump to Shushunova. Super fun routine. 9.950 and I’m not mad.

McLaughlin (Aub): Lovely switch leap to bhs loso; the connection looked a hair slow, but the form was pristine so I think they’ll give it to her. Pretty full turn. Switch leap pretty timid, but the switch side is great. Piked gainer with a minor hop back. 9.850

Moore (Mizzou): Big DLO with a minor piked down. Switch full to Popa series, little low on the split but her straddle positions are impeccable. Front tuck through to double back, excellent rise and good control on her landing. 9.925

Lee (Aub): Double wolf turn, flawless. Switch leap to switch half; front leg was pretty low. Bhs loso loso and she comes off, oh no! Bhs side gainer full, stuck. A little crooked on her acro series from the beginning and just couldn’t save it. 9.450

Celestine (Mizzou): The hosting Tigers have already secured both the win and a 197-plus in front of a record crowd, so this is just icing on the cake. Massive FTDT, little leg form but very secure. Switch full series, no problems. Back 1.5 to front lay, excellent. Dive forward roll, love it. So much rise on her closing double tuck, love it. 9.950

FINAL: Missouri 197.450, Auburn 196.550

Hell of a night for Missouri! This is their fourth highest score ever and Moore’s 10 is the first in program history. This is by far the team’s most complete meet of the season even with a somewhat lackluster beam routine. Underestimate this Mizzou team at your own risk!

Certainly a frustrating night for Auburn, but glad to see them testing depth. Hollingsworth and McLaughlin are proving their mettle as extra depth while Brusch and Stevens continue to quietly crush as utility players.

READ THIS NEXT: Data Deep Dive: SEC ScoringLive blog by Claire Billman  Like what you see? Consider donating to support our efforts throughout the year!