Auburn Pushes No. 1 Florida to the Brink in Electric Gymnastics Showdown
AUBURN, Ala. - If Friday night was any indication, Auburn gymnastics isn’t just competing - it’s learning how to contend. In front of a charged-up crowd at Neville Arena, the No. 11 Tigers went toe-to-toe with top-ranked Florida and didn’t flinch, pushing the Gators all the way to the final rotation before falling just short, 197.1-196.7.
But the story here goes well beyond the scoreboard.
Less than a year removed from an Achilles tear, Katelyn Jong made her long-awaited return to competition - and didn’t just show up, she showed out. Matching the team high on bars with a 9.85, Jong’s comeback was as gutsy as it was graceful.
“It was so fun,” Jong said post-meet. “A lot of gratitude and I’m happy to be back out there.
Everything I do is for the team. It felt fulfilling and the recovery wasn’t super easy.
I’m here now and so excited to be back.”
That energy - that fight - was the theme of the night for Auburn.
The Tigers came out swinging on vault, where Paige Zancan continued her rise with a 9.9, leading the opening rotation. Mia Leverton followed with a 9.875, while Marissa Neal and Julianne Huff each delivered solid 9.825s. The rotation wrapped with Olivia Greaves and Sophia Bell each scoring 9.75s.
Florida, however, wasted no time flexing its No. 1 ranking. A trio of 9.925s on bars, capped by a 9.975 from Riley McCusker, gave the Gators a hefty 49.625-49.175 lead after one.
But Auburn didn’t blink.
In the second rotation, the Tigers flipped the script. While Florida stumbled through three vault landings - scoring just 48.6 - Auburn capitalized on bars.
Jong, Greaves, and Alex Irvine each posted 9.85s, with Charlotte Booth adding a 9.8 and Bryn Bartman chipping in a 9.775. That 49.125 total was enough to give Auburn a narrow 98.3-98.225 lead at the halfway mark.
And then came the beam - where things can tighten up quickly. Auburn needed poise, and sophomore Marissa Neal delivered.
Anchoring the lineup, Neal posted a clutch 9.9 to secure a 49.1 team score. Olivia Ahern opened strong with a 9.875, Hannah Hagle followed with a 9.85, Irvine added a 9.8, and Huff rounded it out with a 9.675.
“I want to do everything I can for the team,” said Neal, who also took the all-around title with a 39.375. “It was good to go up there and hit like normal.”
Still, Florida responded like a championship-caliber squad. Skye Blakely’s 9.925 on floor helped the Gators post a 49.425 in the third rotation, swinging the momentum back in their favor and giving them a quarter-point edge heading into the final event.
But Auburn wasn’t done yet.
The Tigers came out firing on floor, turning the last rotation into a full-on showcase. Neal and Huff each nailed 9.9s in the heart of the lineup - Neal’s marking a career high - while Bartman and Greaves each added 9.85s. Ahern and Bell contributed matching 9.8s, giving Auburn its best event score of the night: a 49.3.
“Floor was a party today,” Neal said. “Everyone showed up and showed out.
I love floor. The team supported me.
It was amazing.”
Still, Florida had the final word. Closing on beam - a notoriously high-pressure event - the Gators stacked three straight scores of 9.9 or better, sealing the win with a 49.45 in the clutch.
For Auburn, the result may not have been a win on paper, but it was a big step forward for a young team still learning how to put it all together.
“We were learning on the job tonight,” head coach Jeff Graba said. “I’m really happy.
I can’t teach fight, I can’t teach energy, I can’t teach desire, and they have that. The team is capable.
We just have to settle down and perform at our average.”
Auburn now gets a 10-day breather before hitting the road to face Georgia in Athens on Feb. 1. Then it’s back home for a Friday night showdown with Kentucky on Nov. 6 - and if this performance was any indication, the Tigers are just getting started.