Kentucky showed encouraging signs of a return to form last weekend, holding its own against Oklahoma, but the Wildcats still have work to do to climb back into familiar ranking territory. Leading the charge has been Delaynee Rodriguez, who quietly sits eighth in the all-around nationally. She claimed the all-around title last weekend against a field loaded with star power, continuing to anchor the lineup in Creslyn Brose’s absence.
Rodriguez has carried much of the load early, and support will be key moving forward—only three routines outside of hers have cracked the 9.900 mark this season. Matching her intensity and execution will be critical if Kentucky wants to build momentum.
That opportunity comes tonight in Auburn against a Tigers squad that has looked more vulnerable than usual. Auburn has benefited from favorable scoring to maintain a top-12 ranking, but routines have appeared labored at times, and lineups remain unsettled. Back at home, the Tigers should be positioned to stabilize, but the status of star sophomore Sophia Bell looms large. Bell appeared injured after vaulting last weekend and completed floor in visible discomfort; her presence—or absence—could significantly impact Auburn’s outlook.
The meet will be streamed on SECN+, and scores can be found here.
Rotation 1: Auburn VT, Kentucky UB
Greaves (Auburn) VT: Full pikes down a little and hops back. 9.725
Rivelli (Kentucky) UB: Airy jaeger to bail is good, last handstand hit, DLO piked a bit and looked stuck but may have hopped back. 9.775
Leverton (Auburn) VT: Y1.5 good execution in the air, step forward. 9.825
Nemcek (Kentucky) UB: Giant full to gienger slight feet form but caught, full-in far from the bar and holds stick. 9.900
Neal (Auburn) VT: Way off to the side on y1.5 but just a hop to get there. 9.825.
Van Frayen (Kentucky) UB: Jaeger well-executed, legs way apart on Pak, nice last handstand, full-in solid chest position and stuck it. Nice ends to the lineup to start out! 9.850
Huff (Auburn) VT: Just a hop forward on the Y1.5. 9.850
Bennett (Kentucky) UB: Maloney to Pak legs glued together, DLO and has to step forward. 9.850
Zancan (Auburn) VT: Doesn’t stick the front pike tonight, step forward. 9.875
Noonan (Kentucky) UB: Flexed feet on the jaeger but good amplitude, DLO chest down and steps forward. 9.825
Torry (Auburn) VT: Stepping in for Bell for her college debut, piked down and flares with a big hop back. 9.725
Rodriguez (Kentucky) UB: Tkatchev to bail, last handstand sharp, DLO holds stick. Dance stick celly, first of the lineup. 9.950 woah! First 9.9+ score of the night.
AFTER ONE: Kentucky 49.375, Auburn 49.100
Cats with a season high bars score by over three tenths, and it’s good to take the lead on the road after one. Rodriguez was her usual, but the rest of the lineup looked mostly clean and confident as well. Auburn’s vaults had some big hops that the scoring didn’t necessarily reflect, and it’s now going on to its lowest ranked event by a lot, with the bars squad currently sitting at 29th. The Tigers will be happy to get past what’s about to come.
Rotation 2: Kentucky VT, Auburn UB
Gormley (Kentucky) VT: Lands a little squatty but just a small hop back on her full. 9.700
Neal (Auburn) UB: Form looking good on her Gienger to Pak. Love her difficulty so early on, but falls going into the giant full. Step back on giant full. 9.225
Rizo (Kentucky) VT: Full looks really pretty in the air and stuck, agree with commentator “Best vault of the night so far!” 9.900
Huff (Auburn) UB: Time to get back on track, Maloney to bail legs together and toe point maintained, DLO stuck with chest up, DEFINITELY back on track. 9.925
Gardner (Kentucky) VT: Pike half big stumble back and some arm swings to stay upright. 9.750
Booth (Auburn) UB: Maloney to Pak and that leg separation is especially clear after Huff, DLO whippy and labored and lands with a big lunge to her knees, they hit the mat and that is another fall. 9.325
Noonan (Kentucky) Half onto the board and sticks, we’re alternating sticks and tough landings but the Wildcats will take it. 9.900
Jong (Auburn) UB: Maloney to Pak legs together, VL they come apart, chest way down on dismount and a hop forward. 9.800
Rodriguez (Kentucky) VT: Not alternating anymore, it’s a stick on her Yurchenko one and a half, bit off to the side. LOL Sharon Lee’s reactions to these sticks are amazing. 9.925
Greaves (Auburn) UB: Piked Tkatchev good height, full-in and similar to Booth’s landing but I don’t THINK her knee hit the mat. 9.725 is charitable with that dismount…so is commentator’s description “higher than we would have thought.”
Cashion (Kentucky) VT: She was originally committed to Auburn! Small hop back on her pike half. 9.825
Irvine (Auburn) UB: Piked Jaeger to bail, full-in left foot small movement back. As usual, the palette cleanser of the lineup. 9.875
Hofseth stuck her yfull in the exhibition spot, Boyd whippy Pak in the exhibition spot for Auburn and legs come way apart in a wonky way on her VL, dismount is just a small hop.
AFTER TWO: Kentucky 98.675, Auburn 97.750
Auburn’s bars struggles continued on, with the bright spots in the lineup looking especially bright in comparison; Irvine’s form is a treat at the end, and Huff is ensuring that the all-around competition between her and Rodriguez will stay close in spite of the team competition. While the nerves are still there overall, Kentucky is bringing it; the Cats’ 49.300 on vault is another season high.
Rotation 3: Auburn BB, Kentucky FX
Ahern (Auburn) BB: BHS LOSO, “Choosing Texas” beam music is SEC AF (yes I know it’s country night in Neville), leaps maybe just short of 180, back 1.5 chest down and a small hop forward. 9.800
Van Frayen (Kentucky) FX: Double back controlled step back, front lay to Rudi was a bit low to the ground but great performance quality. 9.800
Zancan (Auburn) BB: First time in the lineup in 2026. BHS LOSO some bending in the LOSO and a tiny check. Leap looks like ever so slight of a connection break and a wobble on the half, wobble on the full turn and a step forward on back 1.5. 9.750
Bennett (Kentucky) FX: SKY high double pike, looked like not the most control on the landing. Double back similarly high and more controlled landing. On the replay we see first pass was OOB. 9.850
Huff (Auburn) BB: BHS LOSO big check but stays on. Split to straddle quarter was 180. Squatty gainer full with arm circles but holds stick. 9.775 with that error.
Gardner (Kentucky) FX: Carnival music is fire, big DLO. Leaps looked 180, love her dramatic performance quality. Front tuck through to double back strong to end. 9.900
Hagle (Auburn BB): Front aerial to BHS was good, side aerial to beat no hesitation. Stuck gainer full. 9.800
Rizo (Kentucky) FX: The Kentucky lineup is finding the camera. Front tuck through to double back, double pike a little less control and slides back. 180 position on straddle, then back 1.5 to front lay. Loving these three pass routines. 9.850
Irvine (Auburn) BB: Front toss to BHS, one armed BHS looking confident thus far. Wolf jump kept toe point. Held stick on tucked gainer full off the side. 9.850
Rodriguez (Kentucky) FX: Double tuck chest up, back 1.5 to front half to straddle, I love the opening motif from “Sorry” to cap off the Justin Bieber routine. 9.900
Neal (Auburn) BB: Triple series slight check but good overall, switch to split leaps are quick and 180, back 1.5 very small hop forward. 9.900
Brose (Kentucky) FX: The Gymnasties will have so much fun with this one. Double pike chest up as usual. Front full to front lay got around, that’s my favorite floor routine of the season for sure. 9.950
AFTER THREE: Kentucky 148.125, Auburn 146.875
Auburn got things back on track on beam, as it’s been wont to do thus far after bars. You just don’t see the same nerves and form breaks on that event. However, the gap remains substantial against the away team, who’s putting the January nerves behind it. Rodriguez is the star of the night thus far, sitting at a big 29.775 all around total thus far.
Rotation 4: Kentucky BB, Auburn FX
Rizo (Kentucky) BB: Check after aerial and could miss connection, full turn confident after a few checks. Back 1.5 chest low and a bobble w arms but stays up! 9.775
Bartman (Auburn) FX: Back 1.5 to front lay. Straddle leap combo good positions and amplitude, double pike a little wobble to finish off. 9.850
Brose (Kentucky) BB: Love the air on her punch front tuck. Front aerial to BHS super confident, small wobble on beat jump. Fights for stick another squatty one but holds it. 9.825
Irvine (Auburn) FX: FHS to Rudi and I thought that was supposed to be a split jump out of it but does not hit 180, also missed her leap connection and kind of had to dance out of the wolf jump, uncharacteristic for her tonight after great bars and beam. Back half to front half, she just did her leaps again to get the SV. 9.775
Lee (Kentucky) BB: Triple series no hesitation. Full turn same. Back 1.5 squats it and does have to take a step back, but overall clean routine. 9.825
Ahern (Auburn) FX: Front Rudi to LOSO, missed some after I hit remote…back 1.5 to front lay. 9.875
Bennett (Kentucky) BB: Triple series strong, bobble further down the beam on her acro, slight check before beat jump. Gainer pike stuck off the beam. 9.700
Neal (Auburn) FX: Good control on double pike. Front tuck through to double back, looked really strong throughout. 9.900
Van Frayen (Kentucky) BB: BHS to onodi with a small bobble. Beat jump combo clean, back 1.5 stuck again. 9.900
Huff (Auburn) FX: Underrated full-in in the NCAA, front lay through to front tuck to front lay and a little stumble out of it, commentator thinks OOB…nope. 9.850
Rodriguez (Kentucky) BB: Triple series ever so slight check but almost entirely on, lands on side after aerial and chest up, back 1.5 stick loooked the cleanest of the lineup so far.
Bell (Auburn) FX: Back on floor after missing vault, hmm…double full to front lay, wolf jumps look good. Double pike big stumble back, ginger walking off the floor.
FINAL: Kentucky 197.325, Auburn 196.275
I said Kentucky could definitely upset tonight, but I don’t know if I had it by over a point on my bingo card! The Cats really brought it, showing improvements on all four events, and there is definitely still room to grow, particularly on vault and beam. Auburn definitely improved as the night went on, but there are some serious flaws in the Tigers’ bars lineup that will hold it back in the conference and nationally compared to its peers.
Event Winners
VT: Rodriguez 9.9250
UB: Rodriguez 9.950
BB: Neal and Van Frayen 9.900
FX: Brose 9.950
AA: Rodriguez 39.650
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Live blog by Katherine Weaver
