After gaining Olympic all-around Champion Sunisa Lee in 2022, Auburn gymnastics suddenly had a spotlight on it at every meet. It was able to successfully feed off that all season long to eventually punch a ticket to nationals, all the way to the team final. The following season, it struggled with consistency, especially after Lee was sidelined due to ongoing health issues, causing the team to be knocked out of nationals during the first round. Losing star all-arounders Derrian Gobourne and Sunisa Lee will be a struggle for the Tigers as they are looking to replace eight key routines on their road to redemption. This past weekend at the Super 16 Competition in Las Vegas, the Tigers utilized all-arounders Sophia Groth, Cassie Stevens, and Olivia Hollingsworth, leading to a third-place finish with a 196.600.
Coming off a stellar performance in the postseason last year in 2023, Kentucky looks to continue that momentum into the 2024 season. The Wildcats also competed in Las Vegas last weekend, finishing second with a 196.775. They are off to a fantastic start with Raena Worley returning for her fifth year and posting an outstanding 39.625 in her season debut, also winning the all-around and posting a near-perfect 9.975 to claim the bars title. Freshman Cadence Gormely also performed in exhibition on bars, scoring a 9.925. Viewers can likely expect to see her in the main lineup moving forward.
After seeing both teams in a neutral location in the postseason format, it will be interesting to see them back in the SEC in Neville Area at Auburn. Going in, Kentucky most likely has the advantage, but Auburn is not too far off its tail given it will be at home.
Rotation 1: Auburn VT Kentucky UB
Groth (VT): Beautiful FTY. 9.825
Rodriguez (UB): 9.825
Shumaker (VT): Great tucked 1.5 as always. Just a hop forward. Great addition to the Tigers on vault. 9.900
Gormley (UB): Here we go. Toe hand, Maloney to Pak. Looked nervous. Double lay to finish. Steps back. Solid debut. 9.775
Hubbard (VT): Chewing gum while she vaults. 1.5 with a stumble back. Clean in the air. 9.775
Reigert (UB): Sky high Jeager. Nice bail handstand. Finishes with a double lay, fights for the stick and ultimately steps back. 9.75
Huff (VT): Nice 1.5. 9.800
Procasky (UB): Maloney to Pak. Solid. Great piroette. Double lay to a college stick. Good handstands. 9.850
Hollingsworth (VT): Great 1.5. Hop forward. Cleanest so far. 9.875
Bunn (UB): Almost over on first handstand. Huge Jeager to stuck double lay. Little nervous on the handstands. 9.800
Stevens (VT): Another 1.5. Just a slide forward. Cleaned up from last year. 9.875
Worley (UB): Huge Tkachev. Pak. Full out with perfect form and a stuck landing. Aggressive on those handstands. Wow. 9.925
After 1: Auburn 49.275 Kentucky 49.175
A little nervous on bars for Kentucky and a huge start for Auburn on Vault. Kentucky will have to dial in for the next three.
Rotation 2: Auburn UB Kentucky VT
Rodriguez (VT): Stuck FTY. 9.850
Haggle (UB): Huge Tkatchev to pak. Hits her hips on the pak. Finishes to double lay. Will want to drop. 9.200
Rizo (VT): Stuck FTY. Huge. 9.900
Hollingsworth (UB): Nice Jeager. Bail with small leg separation. Beautiful stuck full out. Solid. 9.850
Patterson (VT): BIG handspring pike half. Slides back. Love it. 9.875
Brusch (UB): Maloney to bail. Double lay. Love her swing into that dismount. Small slide back. 9.825
Magnelli (VT): Handspring pike half. A bit piked down and lands with the chest down. Needed a bit more power. 9.800
McLaughlin (UB): Maloney to pak. Blind full with a bit of legs to a stuck double tuck. 9.875
Worley (VT): High and floaty 1.5 with small hop forward. Love the power on this vault. 9.875
Groth (UB): Ray, a little close. Pak. Little short on the half turn. Great blind full to double tuck. Nice. 9.850
Wilson (VT): Handspring pike half. Great amplitude, but would like to see the chest up on landing. 9.875
Stevens (UB): Ray. Also close. Nice bail. Fights for the last handstand. Sticks her double lay. Definitely cleaned up the legs this summer. Love seeing these fifth years thrive. 9.800
After 2: Auburn 98.475 Kentucky 98.550
Kentucky takes back the lead after a fantastic vault rotation. Auburn leads a solid bar rotation and avoids counting a fall, but fails to break the 9.9 mark. The title is still fair game..
Rotation 3: Auburn BB Kentucky FX
Hollingsworth (BB): Handspring lay. Solid. Great leaps. Handspring to gainer full off the side. Stuck. Love the confidence. 9.850
Rodriguez (FX): Great front double full. Switch ring to tour jete half. Double back. Nice control and chest position. Back 1.5 to front half to straddle jump. Great start. 9.825
Brusch (BB): Handspring lay with a lean. Manages to stay on. Switch leap to straddle quarter. So high. Gainer full with a hop back. 9.650
Wilson (FX): Back 1.5 to front lay. Wonky legs. Auburn student section is cracking me up. Front through to double tuck. Great rise throughout the double. Would like the chest a bit higher. 9.825
Huff (BB): In for Haggle. Handspring lay and is off. Oh no. Love the amplitude on these jumps. Piked front toss. Double full. Finishes strong. 9.250
Procasky (FX): Front lay front full to stag. Little under, but covers it well. Switch ring to tour jete half. Double tuck with good control. Quick routine. 9.875
Groth (BB) Handspring lay handspring. Cartwheel gainer full and sticks it. Nobody ever looks more excited than Sophia Groth when Sophia Groth does beam. 9.900
Davis (FX): Huge double pike and slides back. Switch side to popa. Missing some precision. 1.5 to front lay. Very bouncy today. Double tuck. Absolutely perfect. 9.900
Stevens (BB): Handspring lay lay. Wobbles with a bit of knees and feet. Love the “Stevens”. I always wonder if that hurts her knee. Stuck 1.5. Good finish. 9.825
Brose (FX): Roundoff double pike. Giving a class on amplitude. Front full front lay. A beauty. Great performance quality. Ends with a front double full. Now THAT is control. I’m speechless. Wow. 9.950. as she should.
McLaughlin (BB) Handspring Lay. Great. Side Ariel to split jump. Small check. Piked gainer off the end. Stuck. Such a performer. Presentation is her middle name. 9.900
Worley (FX): BIG full in. Front full to front lay. Great. Double tuck. Maybe even higher than the full in. HUGE. Great end to a fantastic rotation. 9.950
After 3: Auburn 147.600 Kentucky 148.050
After counting a 9.650 on beam, Auburn will hope to make a comeback with a solid floor rotation to close out the meet. Kentucky KILLED it on floor giving them a .450 tenth lead over the Tigers. Kentucky heads to beam, hoping to keeps this lead, as it is not enough to cover counting a fall.
Rotation 4: Auburn FX Kentucky BB
Rodriguez (BB): Becoming THE leadoff. Handspring handspring lay. Solid. Side sumi. Great. Roundoff 1.5. Stuck. So impressed with her today. Future STAR. 9.850
Brusch (FX): Front through to double tuck. Huge but opens early and steps forward. Switch half to huge popa to wolf full. Undercooked. Double pike. Leans on the lunge. 9.850
Gormley (BB): Okayyy UK with the freshman. Switch side. A little lopsided. Front Ariel. On. Handspring lay with a check. Switch leap to straddle quarter. Solid. 1.5 dismount. Almost sticks. She seems a bit nervous today, but still one to watch. 9.750
Huff (FX): Great opening pass. Nice Rudi. A bit chest down. 9.850
Bunn (BB) Handspring lay lay. Doesn’t move. Great leaps. Stuck double full. Love seeing all the double fulls this season. 9.950
McLaughlin (FX): 1.5 to front lay. Little whipped. Perfect double pike. Looks excited as she should be!!! 9.900
Patterson (BB): Before He Cheats is playing and the whole crowd is singing. Valid. Handspring lay with small check. Ariel to small check. Switch side. Great. Gainer full off the end and sticks it. Wildcats are putting on a beam clinic over there. 9.850
Groth (FX): Front double full with great landing. Again with the excitement. Switch half to wolf full. 1.5 to front lay. Nice. Great Rudi to end. Never stop smiling Sophia Groth! 9.900
Worley (BB): Crowd still singing. Switch leap to switch half. Front Ariel to handspring lay. Sticks. Roundoff 1.5. Sticks. What a meet for her. Can’t believe I’m saying it, but she “Worleyed” that. 9.900
Stevens (FX): Front lay to Rudi. Drops the chest slightly. Switch half to wolf full. Double tuck, leans back out of it and takes a big step. 9.850
Magnelli (BB): Handspring lay lay. No wobbles. Straddle quarter. Front Ariel. Stuck gainer full off the end. Great end for Kentucky. 9.875
Hollingsworth (FX): Great full out. Foot slides ever so slightly. Love a good full out. Switch half to popa. Front through to double tuck. What a landing. Beautiful. 9.925. Great finish for the Tigers.
FINAL: Kentucky 197.475 Auburn 197.025
VT: Schumaker, Rizo 9.900
UB: Worley 9.925
BB: Bunn 9.950
FX: Brose, Worley 9.950
AA: Worley 39.650
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Live blog by Mary Collier
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