Auburn Gymnastics went toe-to-toe with No. 1 Florida and nearly pulled off the upset, falling just short in a thrilling 197.1-196.7 finish. Despite entering the meet ranked No.11, the Tigers pushed the Gators all night in a meet defined by momentum swings and standout performances.
The night marked the long-awaited return of Katelyn Jong after an Achilles tear less than a year ago, and Auburn wasted no time setting the tone. Paige Zancan’s near-perfect 9.9 vault ignited the Tigers, while consistent scores across the lineup kept Auburn in the hunt.
Strong scores across the lineup kept Auburn competitive as Florida responded with big bar numbers to briefly take the lead. Auburn answered in bars, posting 49.125 while Florida struggled on vault. Jong matched the team high with a 9.85 as Auburn carried a slim lead into the midpoint, 98.3-98.225.
Sophomore Marissa Neal stole the show, posting a 9.9 on beam and winning the all-around with a 39.375. Auburn’s floor rotation brought the energy, highlighted by Neal and Julianne Huff both scoring 9.9, and the team’s highest score of the night with a 49.3. However, Florida surged in the third rotation behind Skye Blakely’s 9.925 on the floor to take a slim lead heading into the final event.
The Tigers refused to back down, delivering their strongest rotation of the night on the floor. Neal and Julianne Huff each scored 9.9s, while Auburn finished with a meet-high 49.3. Florida, in spite of that, rose to the pressure on the beam, stacking clutch scores of 9.9 or better to seal the victory.
Auburn returns to action in 10 days, traveling to Georgia on Feb. 1 before coming back to Neville Arena for Country Night against Kentucky on Feb. 6.
