Auburn has gone through some big roster changes this offseason. Derrian Gobourne graduated and Sunisa Lee left to train for Paris. Auburn filled in its roster through the transfer portal, picking up Sydney Schumaker, Anna Hill, Lila Smith, and Madelynn Crow. The Tigers have also added a large freshman class, headlined by former five-star recruit Julianne Huff. The new faces will make for an exciting preview meet.
On vault, check out Schumaker’s tucked Yurchenko one and a half. Without Olivia Greaves, who is currently injured, there are more open roster spots on bars, so look out for Bryn Bartman. While the beam lineup is returning all routines from the 2023 postseason lineup, there is room for improvement. Sophia Groth looks to have a new dismount, and Paige Zancan has a great mount that you won’t want to miss. Top floor workers don’t always compete in the preview meet, but if they do, Huff will have the routine to watch.
Rotation 1: Vault and Beam
VT Brown: The stream came in during the vault.
BB John: Little over on the full turn. Some knees on the front aerial, but smooth to the beat jump. Solid bhs loso and hesitant into the split jump. Clean switch to split. Small hop forward on the gainer pike dismount.
VT Zancan: FHS onto the board to FHS front tuck vault. Good dynamics. Flexed feet and a large step forward.
BB Brusch: Strong switch half to split jump. A little hesitant on the full turn. Super solid bhs loso. Clean switch to straddle quarter. Small slide on the gainer full dismount.
VT Woolsey: A little formy in the full with some knees, but good height. Had a significant hop back.
BB Huff: Check on the side aerial loso. Some feet. Nice amplitude on the switch to straddle. Front toss piked was really high. Small check on the landing though. Small hop back on the double full dismount. Nice routine, but a little checky.
VT Schumaker: Tucked Yurchenko 1.5 with flexed feet throughout. Came in low on the landing with a large step forward.
BB Groth: Solid bhs loso bhs series. Some feet in the loso. Great rhythm as always in the switch to switch half, just low back leg. Switched her dismount to a bhs gainer full and stuck it after her dismount trouble last season.
VT Hollingsworth: Nice Yurchenko 1.5 with some soft knees and large step forward. A little off to the side of the mat too.
BB Stevens: Looked off right from the beginning of the bhs loso loso series and came off. Leaps were solid. The Stevens and wolf turn were on. Hop forward and to the side on the RO back 1.5
After 1:
No scores in this preview meet. Ananda Brown’s vault ended in a front pike, but I am not sure on the entry, my stream started mid vault. Also not sure if any routines happened before that. Huff will be a great beam lineup edition with more numbers to limit the checks. Groth sticking her beam dismount is a great sign for as her dismount is what kept Groth from scoring over 9.9 last season. Only the last two vaults are likely to be in the lineup, but there are some fun backup options.
Rotation 2: Vault and Beam
BB Zancan: Great press handstand mount. Small check on the loso series, but doesn’t raise her foot. Shaky on the switch to switch half and has a large check. She ad libs a couple of extra jumps there to get dance series credit. Sticks the 1.5 dismount:
VT Leonard: Flairs out of her Yfull. Good form in the air, but pretty close to the table.
BB Schumaker: Off on the side aerial. some flexed feet. Wanted to connect it to a split jump. Feet on the loso series, but secure. Clean on the split to split 3/4s series. Step on the gainer full dismount.
VT Groth: Not the biggest full, but clean form and a slide back on the landing.
BB Bartman: Clean full turn. Flexed feet on the bhs loso series, but landed well. Clean dance series and side aerial to split jump combo. Underrotated and off to the side on the punch front full dismount and takes a large step back and to the side.
VT Hubbard: Not the highest Yurchenko 1.5, but she traveled far and only had a small hop forward. Most controlled of the bunch so far.
BB Hollingsworth: Front roll mount to start. Clean on the full turn. Bent arms on the bhs in the loso series, but landed well. Clean switch half to split jump combo. Confident landings. Stuck the bhs gainer full dismount.
VT Huff: New best of the bunch. Very big Yurchenko 1.5 and she almost stuck it. Held the stick for a second before the step back.
BB Hagle: Smooth front aerial to split jump. Front leg up on the bhs loso. Great toes throughout. Hesitation after the dance series. Korbut clean. The back 1.5 dismount just had a small hop to the side.
VT Stevens: Normal knees on the Yurchenko 1.5, but great landing, just slid her feet together.
BB McLaughlin: Strong bhs loso series. Great toe point. Clean on the side aerial and almost connected to split jump. Good positions on the split to straddle quarter. Stuck the gainer pike dismount. She is in mid season form already.
After 2:
There were some really strong routines that rotation. Hubbard, Huff and Stevens had great vaults that will likely be the back half of that lineup come January along. Hollingsworth is very steady on beam and looks to be the leadoff again this season with McLaughlin the likely anchor. The slight routine change by not connecting the switch leap to the acrobatic series could give McLaughlin the shot to match her career high this season.
Rotation 3: Bars and Floor
FX Zancan: Slight slide back on the opening double pike. Switch ring to switch half to wolf full was solid. Short of position on the ring potentially. Placeholder for the last pass. It looks like it will be a front tuck to double tuck.
UB Leonard: Clearhip to high tkatchev. Funky fit and little turnover. Wonky bail. Big step back on the double layout.
FX Bartman: Front layout to front full with multiple steps back. Around on the switch half to Popa. Great precision on the double wolf. Placeholder last pass with just a layout. Likely a double back of some sort there.
UB Huff: Toe hand to Maloney to bail. Some soft form. Giant half to double front dismount with cowboyed legs and a hop forward.
FX Hubbard: Big full in with a hop back and some wonky legs in the air. Might have overturned the switch half going into the wolf full. Bounds out of the back 1.5 to front full.
UB Groth: Big Ray. A little archy in the pak. Nice cast half. Good finish on the giant full and stuck the double tuck. Legs together throughout.
FX Hagle: Normal size step out of the back 1.5 to front full. Good positions in the tour jete half to Popa. Nice wolf turn. Bounces out of the double tuck a little bit.
UB Stevens: Toe hand to Ray with feet to shootover. Kept it going, but loose form throughout. Archy double layout dismount with a hop back.
FX McLaughlin: Leg separation on the back 1.5 to front layout. tour jete half to wolf 1.5 was around. Not all the way around on the tour jete full though. Low chest on the double pike to end and a slide back.
UB Brusch: Nice first handstand before the toe hand Maloney bail. Tried to hard on the double layout stick and dropped her chest really far before taking a step forward.
FX Hollingsworth: Great half in half out with a controlled landing. Clean switch half to Popa. High on the front tuck to double tuck, but steps out of bounds.
After 3:
Hollingsworth looks ready to go on floor. The height on her tumbling passes are fantastic. The camera angle made it impossible to tell handstands for the most part so I am sure there were some short handstand, but I couldn’t really tell from the stream.
Rotation 4: Bars and Floor
UB Boyd: Legs glued together on the toe hand and then separates them a little on the Maloney before regluing for the pak. Small step back on the dismount.
FX Leonard: Small hop back on the opening double arabian. Bounds forward and out of bounds on the combo pass. Switch side half to straddle jump is clean.
UB Hagle: Nice turnover on the tkatchev, but funky connecting pak with a big leg separation. Under on the double layout dismount and has to hop forward a bit.
FX Huff: Controlled landing on the opening full in. Some form. Switch ring to tour jete half for the dance series. Nice front layout to Rudi with a little large of a lunge and a scoot back.
UB McLaughlin: Clean Maloney to pak combo. Quite a bit over on the giant full finishing position, but sticks the double tuck dismount.
FX Brusch: Stutter steps at the end of the front tuck through to double tuck. Great amplitude on the jump combo. A little short on the double pike with a step forward.
UB Bartman: Snaps legs together on the handstands. Leg separation on the pak. Nice Maloney half. Sticks the double front dismount.
FX Groth: Large step out of the front double full. Clean leaps. Slight scoot back on the back 1.5 to front layout. Slid back the front foot a bit on the Rudi to end.
UB Hollingsworth: Nice first handstand. Piked jaeger with good height. Clean bail. Arch on the last handstand. Hop back on the FTDT.
FX Stevens: Front layout to Rudi to stag jump. All a little lacking in amplitude. Solid leap series. Very controlled on the double tuck.
FINAL:
My overall takeaway from this meet is that Huff, Stevens, Brusch, Hollingsworth and Groth are going to be the featured gymnasts for Auburn this year. Hollingsworth upgraded bars and looked ready to go on the other three events and looks to do the all around with Stevens with Groth and Huff likely competing all four at some point this season.
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
