Suni Lee doesn't participate in the all-around, Auburn gymnastics scores season-low 196.55
Auburn gymnastics coach Jeff Graba used his team's away meet at No. 16 Missouri on Sunday as an opportunity to give some key contributors a rest, including Suni Lee.
Lee, who had participated in the all-around in five of the No. 5 Tigers' previous six meets, didn't perform on vault or floor, but she scored a 9.95 on bars in the first rotation, which was the highest score for Auburn in any event of its 197.45-196.55 loss to Missouri.
The Tigers picked up season-low marks on bars (49.2), vault (49.025) and beam (48.950). Cassie Stevens, who also usually competes in the all-around, didn't perform on bars.
"Our big dogs are wearing out," Graba said on the SEC Network broadcast. "So, we're resting people. ... It's time for other people to step up. But the other people who are used to being in, they need to calm down. They don't need to get 10.5s."
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Derrian Gobourne led Auburn with a pair of 9.875s on bars and vault, but she also received a break, not participating on floor for the first time this season.
In the third rotation, Sophia Groth and Olivia Hollingsworth, the only Auburn gymnasts to register all-around marks, tied their season-best scores on floor with a pair of 9.9s. Finishing the meet on beam, though, only one visiting Tiger, Stevens, had a score of 9.9 or better.
Lee picked up a 9.45 on beam after she fell. The score is by far her lowest in any event this season.
Groth won her first all-around title with a 39.275.
Up next
The Tigers will look to put their showing against Missouri behind them as they return home and welcome No. 19 Georgia to Neville Arena on Friday (6:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network).
Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn gymnastics: Suni Lee doesn't do all-around in loss to Missouri
