April 8, 2006
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - For the second year in a row, Auburn was able to qualify at least two gymnasts for the NCAA Championships, as Lindsey Puckett advanced by winning vault and Julie Dwyer advanced in the all-around for the second year in a row on Saturday at the Northeast Regional held at Crisler Arena.
In pursuit of its fourth trip to the NCAA Championships and first since 2003, the Tigers (13-16, 1-5 Southeastern Conference) came up just short with a score of 193.050, as No. 9 Michigan won the meet with a 196.000 and No. 2 Utah placed second with a 195.700, thus earning trips to the NCAA Championships in Corvallis, Ore., April 20-22. Auburn was able to post the highest total of any of the six teams on vault with a 49.150 - the Tigers' third-highest score of the year in the event.
"We had a good start," head coach Jeff Thompson said. "We had our best vaults of the year and we won the vault as a team tonight. I'm really proud of our team in the event. Unfortunately, our youth and inexperience in big meets caught up to us tonight."
Puckett punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships by earning her third vault title of the year, as she posted a 9.900 to win the Northeast Regional title. Puckett's regional victory on vault was the first by the Tigers since Danielle Pritts won the title in 1991. Dwyer advanced to the NCAA Championships in the all-around for the second year in a row, as she finished second among all-arounders not on qualifying teams with a 38. 400. Dwyer's all-around score tied her with Rutgers' Latara Northcutt, but Dwyer advanced by winning the tiebreaker, which was the highest event score from the meet. Dwyer's 9.875 on vault and beam topped Northcutt's high of 9.775 on beam.
"I'm glad we had two individuals qualify for the NCAA Championships because it is a great culmination to the year for our SEC Gymnast of the Year in Julie Dwyer and it will be a great experience for Lindsey Puckett," Thompson said. "I'm really proud of both of their performances on vault tonight."
From each of the six regionals, the top two teams and the top two all-around competitors, who are not on an advancing team, receive an automatic berth to the national championships. Event winners, whose teams do not advance, also advance to the championships.
At the conclusion of two events for each team, Auburn's total of 97.775 placed the Tigers a close third behind Michigan (98.225) and Utah (97.900). After three solid scores on bars, the Tigers had three falls, which gave them a bars score of 47.700 and a three-event total of 145.475. At the same time the Tigers were on bars, Utah secured its victory over the Tigers by finishing with a team total of 195.700.
With Utah's team total out of reach, the Tigers' hopes of finishing in the top two came down to the sixth and final rotation with the Tigers on beam and Michigan on floor. Entering the final rotation, Michigan held a 147.100-145.475 (1.625) lead over the Tigers.
Michigan was able to secure its win over the Tigers and the meet title by scoring a 48.900 on floor to give them a meet total of 196.000. Utah finished second with a 195.700, while the Tigers placed third with a 193.050. New Hampshire finished fourth with a 192.500. Pittsburgh finished fifth with a 190.900, while Rutgers finished sixth with a 188.975.
"Our inexperience showed when during uneven bars, our girls realized we were .175 behind Utah and we saw them fall for the second time on beam," Thompson said. "We went out and tried not to fall after that. You cannot compete like that and it led to a chain reaction."
After having a bye during the first rotation, the Tigers opened on floor, where they scored a 48.625. Anchoring the lineup, Julie Dwyer posted a 9.850 to lead the Tigers. In need of a solid score, the Tigers got just that from the No. 5 position, as Lindsey Puckett scored a 9.800. Performing second for the Tigers, Claire Seiffert tallied a 9.725. Karmen Pinckney posted a 9.650. Performing fourth, Nicole Barnett secured a score of 9.600.
Following the first event, Auburn's score of 48.625 ranked third behind Michigan and Utah. Michigan opened with a 49.050 on vault, while Utah tallied a 48.950 on floor and vault to give them a total score of 97.900 through two events.
On the third rotation on vault, Auburn scored its third-highest mark of the season with a 49.150. The Tigers' vault score also matched the eighth-highest score in school history. Puckett recorded her highest score since the LSU meet on Feb. 17, as she notched a 9.900 to lead the Tigers. Dwyer once again anchored the Tigers' lineup with a 9.875. Seiffert vaulted second for the Tigers and matched the second-highest score of her career with a 9.825. Kayla Gies vaulted the her highest score in three meets, as she totaled a 9.800. Karmen Pinckney led off for the Tigers with a 9.725.
After the third rotation, Auburn's vault score gave the Tigers a two-event total of 97.775, which ranked third behind Michigan (98.225) and Utah (97.900).
Auburn had a bye during the fourth rotation before scoring a 47.700 on bars on the fifth rotation. Leading off for the Tigers on bars, A.J. Mills scored a 9.750. The reigning 2005 Central Regional champ on bars, Aimee Goheen scored a 9.750. Goheen's score was her highest since securing a 9.775 vs. Georgia on Feb. 24. Performing third, Pinckney notched a 9.675. Alicia Lenkiewicz anchored the Tigers' lineup with a 9.375. Puckett scored a 9.150.
On beam in the sixth rotation, the Tigers scored a 47.575. Dwyer redeemed herself after a rare fall on bars to score a 9.875 on beam to lead the Tigers. Shanna Somero posted her third-highest score of the year with a 9.775 to open the event for the Tigers. Mills scored a 9.475, while Puckett scored a 9.275 and Gies scored a 9.175.
Dwyer and Puckett will conclude their season at the NCAA Championships in Corvallis, Ore., April 20-22. Both Dwyer and Puckett will be paired with one of the teams that qualified for the championships.