April 20, 2006
CORVALLIS, Ore. - After earning second team All-America honors on vault at the 2005 NCAA Championships, sophomore Julie Dwyer became just the third gymnast in Auburn history to earn multiple All-America honors for her career, as she was named second team All-American on beam after tying for fifth with a 9.825 at the 2006 NCAA Championships held at Oregon State's Gill Coliseum on Thursday.
Competing in the first of two sessions at the NCAA Championships, Dwyer was set to advance to the individual event finals on Saturday by finishing in the top four on beam until LSU's April Burkholder posted a 9.875 in the final beam routine of the first session to knock Dwyer into a tie for fifth. The top four gymnasts in each event and the all-around from both sessions advance to the individual event finals, which will be held on Saturday at 9 p.m. CT.
In what has been her top event all season, Dwyer concluded the season a perfect 15-for-15 in top-five finishes on beam. Her beam score of 9.825 tied for the third highest of the session. With the honor, Dwyer became just the second gymnast in school history to receive All-America honors on beam, joining Becky Erwin in 1994.
Dwyer was paired with Michigan throughout the meet and tied for 10th in the all-around with a 39.125. Dwyer, the 2006 Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Year, just missed becoming a two-time All-American on vault, as she tied for 11th with a 9.825. The Bloomington, Ind., native stepped out of bounds on floor and finished with a 9.750 and in a tie for 33rd. She also tied for 34th on bars with a 9.725.
"Julie finished similar to how she did last year at the championships, where she was bumped from the finals at the end," head coach Jeff Thompson said. "She's just been solid for us on beam all season long and I thought her vault was the best vault she's ever done."
Also competing as an individual at the NCAA Championships for the Tigers was freshman Lindsey Puckett, who tied for 31st on vault with a 9.700 in her debut at the championships. Puckett qualified for the championships by winning the vault title at the Northeast Regional with a 9.900. Puckett vaulted in the third rotation with LSU.
"Lindsey's vault was as good as her vault at regionals, unfortunately, the scores didn't match up," Thompson said. "I'm proud of the composure she showed in her first-ever appearance at the NCAA Championships.
"I'm really proud of the way both the girls performed today. This is a very high-pressure meet and I feel they both carried themselves very well and didn't allow the pressure to get to them."
The top three teams from each session advance to Friday's Super Six team finals. In the first session, Nebraska finished first with a 196.325. Also advancing to the Super Six was Alabama (196.250) and Utah (196.175). The second session will take place later this evening.