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March 10, 2006
AUBURN, Ala. - After two consecutive close defeats, the 13th-ranked Auburn gymnastics team pieced together its fourth-highest score of the season en route to a convincing 195.775-192.625 victory over Illinois-Chicago Friday at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.
On a night where Auburn (8-9, 1-5 Southeastern Conference) celebrated Senior Night with lone senior Danielle Holtz, the Tigers outscored Illinois-Chicago (7-7, 4-0 Midwest Independent Conference) in all four events and won all four individual event crowns.
"We are very pleased with tonight's performance," head coach Jeff Thompson said. "Although vault and bars weren't the best we've done this season, I was very happy with the way they rebounded on beam and floor. I think the girls may have been looking ahead to next week's rematch with Alabama and not really concentrating on the performances needed to defeat Illinois-Chicago."
Individually, Julie Dwyer ran away with her seventh all-around title of the year, scoring a 39.425. Dwyer won three of four event titles. Her title came on the heels of her school-record performance of 39.550 at Arkansas.
"Julie Dwyer is on cruise control right now and we are glad we have her on our team," Thompson said.
Dwyer's all-around total was aided by her career-best score of 9.900 on bars. Dwyer's bars score marked the third straight meet the Bloomington, Ind., native has either set or tied a career high in the event.
The only event Dwyer did not win came on vault, where Kayla Gies won the first event crown of her career by vaulting a 9.800. Lindsey Puckett placed second in the all-around for the Tigers with a 38.950.
As a team, Auburn had at least the top-three individual finishes in each event, including having the top-six finishers on floor.
With the win, the Tigers improved to 20-2 against non-conference foes under Thompson.
Opening on vault, Auburn posted a 48.775. Kayla Gies had her highest vault score since the Centenary meet, as she recorded a 9.800 to pace the Tigers. Julie Dwyer anchored the Tigers' lineup with a 9.775. Karmen Pinckney vaulted fourth and collected a score of 9.775. Claire Seiffert vaulted second for the Tigers and scored a 9.750. Danielle Holtz opened on vault for the Tigers and posted a 9.675 in the final vault of her career at home.
Following the first rotation, Auburn held a 48.775-48.175 advantage.
In the second rotation on bars, the Tigers put together their fourth-highest score of the year with a 48.975. On bars, Dwyer set a new career high with a 9.900 to pace the Tigers. Dwyer's score marked the third week in a row that she has either set or tied her career high in the event. Dwyer's score tied A.J. Mills' score at Centenary as the top scores on the year by the Tigers. Mills anchored the Tigers lineup and scored the second-highest score for the Tigers with a 9.800. Pinckney scored the second-highest mark of her career with a 9.775. Performing third, Puckett pieced together a solid score of 9.775. A week after falling at Arkansas, Aimee Goheen redeemed herself by posting a 9.725.
At the conclusion of the second rotation, the Tigers led the Flames, 97.750-96.475. Illinois-Chicago scored a 48.300 on vault in the second rotation.
Performing on beam, Auburn scored a 48.925. Julie Dwyer paced the Tigers for the second event in a row with a 9.875. For the second week in a row, Gies matched her career high on beam with a 9.825. Matching Gies' score was Lindsey Puckett, who performed fifth for the Tigers. Shanna Somero opened on beam for the Tigers, posting a 9.750. Lenkiewicz performed third in the lineup for the Tigers with a 9.650.
Entering the fourth and final rotation, Auburn led the Flames by a score of 146.700-144.400. Illinois-Chicago scored a 47.925 on floor.
In the final rotation on floor, Auburn scored a 49.075. Leading the way for Auburn was Julie Dwyer, who scored a 9.875.Pinckney scored a 9.825, which matched her career high. For the second consecutive meet, Nicole Barnett collected a 9.800 for her floor routine. Performing second, Seiffert matched the second-highest total of her career with a 9.800. Opening on floor, Holtz matched her second-highest score of the season with a 9.775. Also scoring a 9.775 on floor was Puckett, who performed fifth in the lineup.
Holtz, the lone senior on the team, was honored prior to the match with a video tribute and a framed collage displaying her days at Auburn.
Auburn returns to action on March 17, when the Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face Alabama at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be the third of the year between the two teams.