It’s an in-state rivalry showdown as No. 10 Auburn travels to face No. 15 Alabama!
With NQS reshuffling the rankings this week, Auburn holds steady in the top 10 after last weekend’s dual meet with Florida. The Tigers struggled on bars—the only event not cracking a 49—but still secured a solid away score to bolster their standing heading into week eight. The team is likely still adjusting lineups following Olivia Hollingsworth’s injury two meets ago, but will aim to continue building consistency across all events as the season enters its back half.
Meanwhile, Alabama is in need of a strong home score to climb the rankings after a 196.750 last Friday. Despite several solid outings this season, the Crimson Tide has yet to post a big number, with its season-high 197.075 coming at its last home meet. Beam has been the biggest hurdle for Alabama, but competing in Coleman Coliseum should help the team settle in and hit its potential. The Tide will also ride the momentum of eight 9.9+ scores last week, including a perfect 10 from Lily Hudson on floor.
With both teams gaining steam, this evenly matched rivalry comes down to who can put all the pieces together for the win—and the bigger score.
Follow along at 8:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network+ for one of many SEC duals tonight!
Rotation 1: VT Alabama, UB Auburn
Sears (Alabama): Opens up this competition with a Yurchenko full, big hop, jumps up and drops in her chest in place, a little bit of a weird landing but if safe walking away. 9.650.
Boyd (Auburn): Opens with a Maloney, little legs apart and a huge Pak, stalder to double tuck and sticks! 9.825
Paradise (Alabama): Yurchenko 1.5, slightly underrotated and hops back on the landing.
Leonard (Auburn): Nice handstand, Tkachev, nice and down with a shoot over a little crooked but ends with a nice double layout, just a little shift on the landing. 9.850.
Bunagan (Alabama): Yurchenko 1.5, super squatty on the landing and takes a couple steps back on that landing and steps off the mats. 9.575.
Groth (Auburn): BIG Ray down to a nice Pak, a little shoulders over the bar but keeps it moving, blind full to double tuck, STUCK! 9.900!
Kvamme (Alabama): Yurchenko 1.5, another underrotated and steps back on that landing. 9.775
Irvine (Auburn): Nice blind to piked Jaeger right to shootover, a stuck full in dismount to cap that routine off! 9.925
Gladieux (Alabama): Yurchenko 1.5, big hop forward on that landing. 9.800
Greaves (Auburn): Huge Church to Pak, right to toe handstand, into Maloney half and a full in dismount with a big step forward on that landing but way to come back after an uncharacteristic fall last weekend. 9.725
Hudson (Alabama): Yurchenko 1.5, just a small hop to the side but the best vault for Alabama! 9.900
Jong (Auburn): Maloney to Pak, perfect, another gorgeous held handstand, Maloney 1/2 and a full in dismount STUCK to close a huge rotation for Auburn! 9.925
After 1: Alabama 48.925, Auburn 49.425
Auburn is take a big lead after the first with a HUGE opening bar rotation! With three 9.9 + scores in this rotation, the Tigers looked locked in and fought for every tenth, and will be looking to keep this sizable lead as they head into vault. For Alabama, this vault rotation wasn’t how they wanted to open, but with three more rotations, they have the opportunity to come back strong and make up for these tenths along the way.
Auburn has NEVER won at Alabama, so, if they keep this up, this could truly be a historic competition!
Rotation 2: VT Auburn, UB Alabama
Huff (Auburn): Yurchenko 1.5, big step forward on that. 9.675
Gladiuex (Alabama):Nice Jaeger to shootover, really good, back up with a blind full to stuck double tuck getting Alabama back on track! 9.875
Schumaker (Auburn): Yurchenko tuck 1.5 stuck! 9.900!!
Hudson (Alabama): Good Maloney up, legs apart on the catch and back down to shoot over, a huge full in stuck to end! 9.900
Hubbard (Auburn): Yurchenko 1.5, just a tiny shuffle back, really great! 9.875
Walker (Alabama): HUGE Pak, back up to Maloney right to in bar Geinger and another stuck full in dismount! 9.875
Jong (Auburn): Yurchenko 1.5 STUCK COLD. Amazing. 9.950!!!
LaCoursiere (Alabama): Maloney really nice and back down with a Pak, Maloney half, really nice and a full in dismount, super squatty and takes a step forward on that landing. 9.700
Zancan (Auburn): Front handspring, front on pike off STUCK. Auburn!! WHAT?! 9.9!
Fuller (Alabama): Nice Pak down and a Maloney 1/2 up, holds that last handstand and a stuck double layout dismount! 9.90!
Zois (Auburn): Yurchenko full, smallest scoot back. What another great rotation for the Tigers! 9.875
Adams (Alabama): Maloney to shootover and a full fight for that handstand but doesn’t budge and a gorgeous double tuck dismount stuck for that landing! 9.900
After 2: Alabama 98.375, Auburn 98.925
What a bounce back for Alabama with this second rotation! With 5/6 stuck dismounts, Alabama fought for every tenth to come away from bars with a 49.450 event total, just what they needed as they head into the second half of this competition. After a huge first rotation, Auburn follows it up with an even better vault rotation with a 49.500! With a 9.950 from Jong, a handful of stuck landings, this is the confidence Auburn needs to dial into for the rest of the meet, still holding onto a pretty significant lead as they go to floor!
Rotation 3: BB Alabama, FX Auburn
LaCoursiere (Alabama): Split jump to double stag ring, nice. Front aerial to BHS good movement throughout that series. Little bobble on the full turn. Round off 1.5 dismount, fights for the stick but scoots back on that just a little. 9.850.
Zancan (Auburn): Opens with a front through to huge double pike, nice landing on that! Switch leap to switch half to wolf 1.5, really nice height. Closed with a STUCK double tuck, wow. What a lead off routine! 9.875
Fuller (Alabama): Beam debut! Front aerial to split jump, really nice. Another bobble on that full turn. BHS LOSO, solid. Switch leap to split jump, nice. Round off 1.5, hop back on that landing but a nice first collegiate beam routine! 9.825
Bell (Auburn): Front double full to front tuck to start! Switch half to wolf full fwolf full, nice rotation and height on those. Fun routine!! Ends with a huge double pike, perfect controlled landing! 9.875
Rybicki (Alabama): BHS LOSO, really nice. Switch half (?) doesn’t really get that around but keeps it on the beam. Straddle jump to straddle 3/4, nice. Front full dismount, stuck! 9.850.
Greaves (Auburn): Front through to double tuck, really nice. Switch ring to switch half, nice. Last pass, double pike, great landing on that! 9.875.
Bunagan (Alabama): Good full turn to start, sets up for BHS LOSO , little off but doesn’t even flinch. Split jump to double ring stag jump, nice and ends BHS Gainer full stuck off the side! 9.875.
Jong (Auburn): BIG full in, little chest down and somewhat uncontrolled step back on that. Double wolf turn, really nice. Good leaps going into second pass a back 1.5 to front full almost goes down but keeps it on her feet. 9.750
Hudson (Alabama): Front aerial to BHS, perfect. No LOSO from BHS, so looking for those tenths. Switch leap to switch leap, makes the start value up there. Side aerial, really nice. Round off 1.5, small hop to pull it together! 9.875.
McLaughlin (Auburn): 1.5 to front layout, a little low but rotates nice. Love this dance! Torjete full to wolf 1.5, pretty good rotation. Second pass, double pike, perfect landing! 9.875.
Gladieux (Alabama): BHS Layout to two feet, really nice. Good turn, front aerial to beat jump, nice. Switch leap to split jump, good. Ends with round off double STUCK! 9.925!
Groth (Auburn): Opens with front double full, lots of power but keeps it in. Really nice leap series into her dance. Second pass back 1.5 to a stuck front layout! I love this Mamma Mia routine, makes me so happy. Third pass to close a beautiful front rudi! 9.950!
After 3: Alabama 147.750, Auburn 148.375
This is getting so exciting! Alabama had a great beam rotation with no scores under a 9.825, and highlighted with a 9.925 by Gladiuex in the anchor spot. Still trailing five tenths to Auburn, Alabama has come back strong in these past two rotations and will need to keep it up in this final event to close the gap Auburn has created. Another big rotation for Auburn with a 49.450 on floor! Four 9.875s for the rotation and a 9.950 for Groth in the anchor spot maintains Auburn’s lead as they head into beam. They have held the lead the entire meet, so going into beam, this is when the gymnastics becomes mental. One more event and we will see who takes home the ‘Iron Bowl’ win!
Rotation 4: BB Auburn, FX Alabama
Ahern (Auburn): Solid BHS LOSO to start off this lineup, beat jump to front aerial perfect and a stuck 1.5 dismount to end! 9.900!
Walker (Alabama): Last minute lineup change, huge double pike, maybe a little too much power and slides that foot. Switch side to straddle 1.5, should get credit for that in rotation. Ends with a back 1.5 to front half to switch split, HUGE! 9.850
Greaves (Auburn): BHS LOSO, small adjustment. Switch leap to split jump, nice. Beat jump to side aerial, good. Gainer pike stuck off the end! 9.850.
Rybicki (Alabama): Opens with a really nice double tuck. Good leaps to dance going into her second pass, a back 1.5 to front full done really well! 9.900!
Zancan (Auburn): BHS LOSO, really nice. Switch leap to switch half, good. Round off 1.5 STUCK! 9.925!
LaCoursiere (Alabama): Really nice double tuck to start off! Goes into a front layout to front rudi, nice. Torjete full to wolf full, nice rotation on that. Last pass, front layout to front full, right into choreo, so good! 9.90.
Groth (Auburn): BHS LOSO BHS, amazing. Switch leap to switch half to beat jump, very nice. Cartwheel Gainer full, just a hop back on the landing. 9.850.
Adams (Alabama): Huge double pike to start, switch half to wolf full, very clean. Into the second pass a back 1.5 to layout right into choreo. Nice ending for her! 9.90
Jong (Auburn): Standing LOSO LOSO, very nice. Switch leap to pike jump, love a good pike jump. Round off double full, super squatty but keeps it up on the landing. 9.625
Hudson (Alabama): Coming off a 10 last week! Front layout to front double to start, perfect. Second pass 2.5, squats a little into that lunge but another beautiful routine! 9.950.
McLaughin (Auburn): Auburn needs a big one and she can certainly deliver here. BHS LOSO, small adjustment on that . Side aerial, really nice. Split jump to straddle half, nice. Dismounts with a stuck Gainer pike off the end! Is that it!!!!?? 9.850! They have it!!
Gladiuex (Alabama): HUGE full in! Wow. Torjete full straddle full, big amplitude on that and ends with a front 1.5 to split jump, huge! 9.950!
FINAL: Alabama 197.350, Auburn 197.750
What an Iron Bowl upset! Auburn has NEVER won in Alabama in program history, but comes away with the win tonight! Auburn was strong the entire competition and never gave up the lead. The Tigers looked strong, locked in, and fought for every tenth to get them a huge 197.750 team total. After Alabama’s first rotation, they came back exactly how they needed to get over a 197 score, and looked strong in the final three! This was SUCH an exciting meet, and a historic night for the Auburn Tigers!
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Live Blog by Julianna Roland
