CONTRIBUTED BY
AU ATHLETICS
FORT WORTH, TX —
Fifth year Derrian Gobourne closed out her Auburn gymnastics career with another outstanding performance on floor as she competed in the event for the Tigers at the 2023 NCAA Championships last Thursday night in Fort Worth, Texas.
“I was just grateful at the end,” Gobourne said. “Grateful that I had a great career and that I was able to end it like that at nationals.”
The Sarasota, Florida, native scored a 9.9125 in the night session to finish 22nd overall.
“I just wanted her to enjoy it and for her to perform well,” said head coach Jeff Graba. “She’s already accomplished so much, and nothing can take that away. I think she did a fantastic job, and I was a bit melancholy at the end. But it was still a great night for her.”
The individual showing wasn’t the first for Gobourne on the national stage. As a freshman in 2019, Gobourne traveled solo and won a share of the national vault title to become Auburn’s first national champion in the sport.
“My career has just been a blessing,” Gobourne said. “It was more than I could’ve asked for. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I first got to Auburn. I didn’t know who I was going to be and that I would be able to do all these things. I’m just so thankful.”
In her final year on The Plains in 2023, Gobourne competed on floor in all but one meet and earned regular season All-America recognition with a 9.94 National Qualifying Score. In addition, she secured All-SEC honors in the event and was named the SEC Specialist of the Year for the third consecutive year.
“Derrian has been through so much with our program,” Graba said. “She has brought her best for Auburn these last five years and has shined the brightest in some of the most pressure-packed moments. She helped put us on the map as a consistent competitor and brought us our first national championship. She is and always will be one of the best gymnasts to ever have gone through our program.”