Being named the Southeastern Conference Gymnastics Scholar-Athlete of the Year is an impressive accomplishment. Stevens has done it twice in a row, which is doubly incredible.
“I like how that award encapsulates both the academic side and the athletic side because I really like to pride myself on both aspects of the sport,” said Stevens, who maintains a 4.0 grade-point-average while pursuing a master’s degree in exercise science at Auburn University after earning an undergraduate degree in information systems management. “Winning it last year was a wonderful experience. Winning it again was the icing on top. It means a lot.
Stevens is in her fifth season and has excelled. She has participated in all four events at each competition and is ranked among the top 15 nationally, average 39.590 while winning five all-around titles: four on vault, three on beam, and one on floor.
“It’s just amazing what she’s done inside and outside the gym,” Auburn coach remarked. “A terrific leader. “She is everything to the program.”
This week, Stevens and her Tiger colleagues will compete at the NCAA Berkeley Regional on the West Coast. Auburn begins play on the floor Friday night at 9 p.m. CT against host Cal, Stanford, and the winner of Wednesday’s play-in game between San Jose State and Southern Utah.
“Really excited to go to Cal,” said Stevens, whose team finished its 2023 season in the NCAA Los Angeles Regional. “I look at it as an opportunity to rework the story. There are very few occasions in life when you are given a second opportunity.
“You start on the floor and end on the beam. Floor and beam have proven to be really reliable events for our team. If you can start strong and finish strong, you can’t ask for much more.”
While it is still a long travel from her family’s home in Phoenix, Arizona, the distance to the Bay Area is less than half of that from the desert to the Plains.
“My parents were happy about Cal because it’s closer to home for me,” said Stevens, who earned All-SEC honors in all-around and vault for the second straight season. “I think it’s going to be a fun trip.”
Before embarking on the westward voyage, Graba discussed with reporters the formula that has resulted in Auburn’s highest scores this season.
“Building on each other. “It takes a lot of confidence,” he explained. “If we can get rolling early, we’ll be in a great position. We need to leave the locker room with the appropriate mindset, and it is up to our leaders and upperclassmen to ensure that happens.
“We’ve been really good when we haven’t dipped our toe in the water; when we’ve just jumped into the deep end and figured it out.”
Stevens went on to say, “I firmly believe that if we put together four events that we know we’re capable of, then we have a really good shot at (advancing).”
Cassie Stevens, like Drew Watson and Derrian Gobourne in recent seasons, and classmate Aria Brusch this year, returned to the Plains for an encore, which reaped dividends for both herself and Auburn.
“Think of it as a celebration, a victory lap,” she went on to say. “Try not to set too high expectations and pressure on it. I’m just trying to appreciate it. I was very thrilled to return, and I’m pleased with what I’ve accomplished this year, but we’re not done yet.”
