Get ready to cringe.

On Friday night, Auburn University gymnast Sam Cerio competed in the NCAA Regional Semifinals in Baton Rouge.

During her first pass on the floor exercise, something went horribly wrong.

The 22-year-old performed a handspring double front, and she mistimed her landing.

Coming in too high, holy cow…she appeared to hyperextend her knees.

As reported by the Times-Picayune, Sam broke both her legs, in addition to dislocating — and tearing multiple ligaments in — both knees.

She was carried off on a stretcher in two aircasts.

The injury was gruesome.

Her Instagram post began with an unsurprising announcement:

“Friday night was my final night as a gymnast.”

Uhhh…correct.

A startling end to a two-decades career:

Prayers up for Sam Cerio 🙏 — SEC Network (@SECNetwork) April 6, 2019

Fortunately, the senior will soon have an aerospace engineering degree to fall back on. In fact, she’s already secured a job with Boeing in Seattle.

Sam’s team was rattled by the tragedy, but the Tigers went on to score their second-highest of the season.

About the accident, Sam’s coach, Jeff Graba, definitely understated it:

“It was pretty tough to watch.”

If you have the will to view it, find the video below. But BE WARNED: IT’S GRAPHIC. My knees are still hurting.

Good luck to Samantha during this time of healing, and in her future endeavors.

-Alex

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