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Auburn’s Suni Lee practices on beam during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Auburn head coach Jeff Graba said Wednesday at the NCAA Championships that superstar freshman Suni Lee will be meeting with her coaches after the completion of the college season to map out the next steps of her gymnastics career.
Graba said there’s no indications as of now to whether or not Lee will return to Auburn for the 2023 season. The Olympic all-around champion has been sensational at Auburn as a freshman, and has repeatedly reveled aloud over how much she enjoys being on campus and being with her teammates — but looming large is a potential run at the Olympics in 2024.
Graba spoke Wednesday on the floor of Dickies Arena, site of the NCAA national championship meet, which opens Thursday. Auburn is one of eight teams at the national meet. Auburn competes at 5 p.m. Thursday trying to advance to the national final as a team, and Lee is also among the favorites to contend for an individual title at nationals.
“We’re meeting after this year,” Graba said, when asked about Lee’s future. “We’ve all decided to try to get through college, the NCAA season, and then we do have to have a plan for what’s coming up. I know she wants to come back. I know she wants to go back to FIG. But I also know that she’s still got a lot on her plate and needs to balance it. So we’re going to be here.”
The possibility of another Olympics run has been on the radar ever since Lee stepped on campus at Auburn. Her training at Auburn is synergized with her training for Olympic-level competition: Lee’s club coach is Jeff Graba’s twin brother Jess Graba. Jess Graba was on the floor with Lee at the Olympics in Tokyo last summer when she won the all-around gold, and for college she committed to Jeff Graba’s Auburn, where she has been keeping her skills sharpened for any potential return to international competition.
“All I’ve told her, and all my brother’s told her, and all she’s expected, is that we’re going to be here for her no matter what she decides,” Jeff Graba explained. “But yeah, we’ll meet afterward. We’re just trying to keep her brain uncluttered as long as we can.”
At Auburn, Lee brought the masterclass Olympic-level skill the Nabieva to NCAA competition for the first time ever earlier this season — an example of how she’s staying sharp for another potential Olympics run and simply bridging the gap from Olympics to Olympics by competing in college. On vault, Lee has been working on mastering the rare Cheng, competing at Auburn a half-on front layout and later the Lopez as a way to work her way up to it.
The goal at Auburn from the beginning has been to keep her options open: If the 2024 Olympics somehow get taken off the table, she’d also like to have the option to continue her career at Auburn for as long as she can.
Meanwhile, Lee isn’t the only gymnast facing the question this offseason. Alongside Lee at nationals as favorites to compete for the individual medal stand are Oregon State’s Jade Carey, UCLA’s Jordan Chiles and Utah’s Grace McCallum — all teammates last summer on Team USA. New name, image and likeness rules passed by the NCAA last summer make it easier than ever for those gymnasts to compete in college — and now the trailblazers of the new NIL era face decisions ahead.
Auburn’s Suni Lee practices on floor during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Aria Brusch practices on beam during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Sophia Groth practices on beam during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Sophia Groth practices on beam during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Gabby McLaughlin practices on beam during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Suni Lee practices on beam during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Cassie Stevens practices on beam during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Suni Lee practices on beam during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Suni Lee practices on beam during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn head coach Jeff Graba surveys his team during Auburn’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn head coach Jeff Graba instructs Olivia Hollingsworth during the team’s podium training on April 13 ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Suni Lee shares a laugh with Derrian Gobourne as Auburn practices on beam during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Sophia Groth adjusts her equipment on floor during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Drew Watson practices on floor during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Suni Lee and head coach Jeff Graba share a laugh during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn head coach Jeff Graba offers instruction to Derrian Gobourne during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Aria Brusch soars during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Derrian Gobourne reacts during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Suni Lee practices on floor during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Derrian Gobourne practices on floor during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Suni Lee jumps on UCLA’s Jordan Chiles as the two Team USA teammates reunite during podium training Wednesday the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Auburn’s Suni Lee adjusts her equipment during podium training Wednesday at Dickies Arena, the site of the NCAA national championship meet.
Sophia Groth adjusts her equipment during podium training Wednesday at Dickies Arena, the site of the NCAA national championship meet.
The Auburn gymnasts chalk up during podium training Wednesday at Dickies Arena, the site of the NCAA national championship meet.
Derrian Gobourne adjusts her equipment during podium training Wednesday at Dickies Arena, the site of the NCAA national championship meet.
Suni Lee prepares for bars during podium training Wednesday at Dickies Arena, the site of the NCAA national championship meet.
Suni Lee practices bars during podium training Wednesday at Dickies Arena, the site of the NCAA national championship meet.
Suni Lee celebrates after sticking a landing on bars during podium training Wednesday at Dickies Arena, the site of the NCAA national championship meet.
Auburn poses for a photo during podium training Wednesday at Dickies Arena, the site of the NCAA national championship meet.
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Auburn’s Suni Lee practices on beam during the team’s podium training on Wednesday ahead of the NCAA national championship meet in Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
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