Auburn at Kentucky

Recap

The Big Storyline: With Sunisa Lee resting, it would have taken a near-perfect performance for Auburn to pull off the win against Kentucky, but all hopes were dashed in the final rotation when a counting beam fall left Auburn without a counting score for NQS. Kentucky continued to impress, with Makenzie Wilson breaking out on vault to score a 9.975. 

Implications: Neither of these teams saw a shift in their rankings, but with Kentucky’s NQS starting to skyrocket while Auburn’s plateaus, we could be looking at an Auburn-less night session at the conference championship after the Tigers spent much of the season as the second-ranked team in the SEC. 

Records: Kentucky set a new vault program record with a 49.550.

Preview

Current Rankings: No. 9 Auburn at No. 12 Kentucky

Why You Should Cancel Plans for It: The Wildcats have a knack for upsetting higher-ranked teams, and they’re coming in hot: They’ve scored five consecutive 197-plus scores, including a program record 197.875 in Week 7. Auburn, meanwhile, is in a bit of a slump. It’ll need to be at its best if it hopes to beat Kentucky at home on Senior Night. 

What We’re Watching: Raena Worley is one of the Wildcats’ all-time greats with numerous 9.975s on her résumé, but she has yet to score a perfect 10. What better time than senior night to join the 10 Club? 

What Else to Know Before Tuning in: Sunisa Lee was spotted in a boot after last week’s meet when she attempted a Silivas and came up short on the landing. There’s been no official word from either Lee or Auburn, so it’s probably just a precaution. However, don’t be surprised if Lee skips the leg events this week.