Auburn will compete in the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 14-16. Florida won the regional with a dominant 198.775 point total, while the Tigers advanced to nationals by defeating Kentucky’s 197.500 and Denver’s 197.225 points. Senior Derrian Gobourne earned 9.9 on bars in Auburn’s first rotation, while classmates Adeline Sabados, Cassie Stevens, and Aria Brusch all got 9.85s.
“I came in certain that we would make it,” Gobourne remarked. “That was my frame of reference. That, I believe, was also everyone’s thinking. It will not be one of us, nor will it be two of us. We’ve all invested time and effort, and we’re all going to gain.”
After the first rotation, the Tigers’ 49.2 outscored Kentucky by.175 points. Auburn overcame a deficit on beam with gradually improving scores from Brusch (9.875), Stevens (9.9), and Gabby McLaughlin (9.9), as well as a remarkable 9.95 from freshman Sophia Groth. “Our freshmen are extraordinary,” Graba stated. “Sophia is exceptional and, in my opinion, one of the country’s top athletes.” Auburn will face Florida, Michigan, and Missouri in the Elite Eight’s evening session on April 14 at Dickies Arena, with the top two teams advancing to the Final Four two days later.
