Star Auburn Gymnast Samantha Cerio Dislocates Both Knees And Retires From Sport

Auburn gymnast Samantha Cerio snaps both legs

An Auburn University gymnast has retired following a gruesome leg injury. During her floor routine at the NCAA Gymnastics regional final in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she appeared to break both her legs as well as dislocating both of her knees.

Auburn’s Samantha Cerio Breaks Legs During Routine

Samantha Cerio of Huntsville, North Carolina was attempting a handspring double front with a blind landing on her first tumbling pass when she landed harder than expected and collapsed to the ground.

Cerio had earned All-SEC honors in 2017 and 2018. Medical staffers and trainers worked with her for almost ten minutes on the floor before carting her off. The crowd, in shock for a moment, gave her a standing ovation as she left.

“It was pretty tough to watch,” Auburn coach Jeff Graba said. “She’s a trouper. The last thing she said was, ‘Go help the girls.’ The girls rallied around her. They’re doing this for her right now.”

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The No. 13-ranked Auburn Tigers gymnastics team did in fact rally around her and reached the championship round. However, they placed second with a score of 197.075 to host LSU.

“She’s the heart and soul of the team,” Graba added. “This is what she’s poured into the team for four years now.”

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Cerio, an engineering major, took to social media to announce her retirement on Sunday. On Instagram, she wrote: “Friday night was my final night as a gymnast. After 18 years I am hanging up my grips and leaving the chalk behind. I couldn’t be prouder of the person that gymnastics has made me to become. It’s taught me hard work, humility, integrity, and dedication, just to name a few. It’s given me challenges and road blocks that I would have never imagined that has tested who I am as a person. It may not have ended the way I had planned, but nothing ever goes as planned.”

“Thank you Auburn family for giving me a home and a chance to continue doing the sport that will always be my first love. I am honored to have had the privilege to represent the navy and orange AU for the past 4 years with my team by my side. Thank you for letting me share my passion with you. Thank you for letting me be a part of something bigger than myself.”

Bill Piersa