April 10, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah- Junior Rachel Inniss scored a 9.9 on floor to tie for event title while sophomore Kylie Shields scored a 39.200 in the all-around competition of the 2010 NCAA Salt Lake City Regional Saturday night at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. As a team Auburn (8-15) scored a 194.925 to place sixth. The Tigers will await the word of the NCAA Gymnastics committee on whether Shields and Inniss will advance as individuals to NCAA Nationals on April 22-24. Inniss tied with seven other performers, including four non-team qualifying gymnasts with the 9.9, while Shields tied for second with Denver's Brianna Artemev among non-team qualifying gymnasts with the 39.200.
Only the top-two athletes from non-qualifying schools (Florida, Utah) advance to nationals as individual qualifiers.
The Tigers began the NCAA Salt Lake Regional on vault, using a new line-up for the first time since the Maryland meet. Sophomore Kylie Shields led off for the Tigers with a 9.75, and senior Krissy Voss followed with a 9.8. Freshman Toi Garcia replicated Voss' performance with a 9.8 in the No. 3 spot as each tied for 22nd-place in the meet. Sophomore Justine Foster, returning from injury after missing the SEC Championship, hit a 9.775 in the anchor position as Auburn scored a 48.875 in the first rotation.
Following a bye, Auburn took to bars. The recently named Brad Davis Community Service Award winner, Voss, led off on the event, and scored a 9.8. Senior Carmen Nelms, participating in the final regional meet of career, followed up her classmate with a mark of 9.725. In the No. 3 position, Shields tallied a 9.8, which was followed by a 9.775 by sophomore Allyson Sandusky in the anchor spot. The 9.8's by Voss and Shields earned the pair a tie for 15th-place. Auburn scored a 48.775 on the event, and carried a score of 97.650 through two rotations.
"We got off to a really good start on vault," said head coach Jeff Thompson. "Then we went to bars and two of our bars specialists just forgot their routines. From there we went to beam and one of our girls fell on a leap, which is something that is silly to have happen."
Heading to beam, the Tigers sat in fourth place behind Florida (98.675), Utah (98.425) and Denver (97.975).Boise State was in fifth place with a 97.475, while Washington was sixth with a 96.800 after two full rotations.
On beam in the fourth rotation, junior Katie Hurley scored a 9.775 in the No. 2 position. The Tigers were forced to count a fall after junior Lauren Brzostowski scored a 9.075 in the leadoff spot, and Voss marked a 9.3. However, Sandusky scored a 9.8 followed by a 9.85 by Inniss, which ranked ninth in the meet. The Tigers scored 48.525 on the event headed into Auburn's second and final bye of the competition.
"Krissy fell on beam during her series, which happens sometimes, but she bounced back. One of the last things she does in her collegiate career is one of her most memorable routines she's ever done. As a team, we went out there with almost no pressure on us, and simply underperformed."
The Tigers led off with Brzostowski on floor, who scored a 9.65. Shields was third in the lineup, and needed a solid score to keep her in the all-around race for nationals. She delivered just that, nailing a 9.85 to run her all-around tally to 39.200. Senior Krissy Voss then closed out her Auburn career with one of the most memorable floor exercises of her career, as she nailed a 9.825 to total an all-around score of 38.725. Inniss then capped off Auburn's night with the career-best 9.9 on floor, which was Auburn's highest score of the season in the event.
Florida won the meet with a 197.675, while Utah finished second with a 196.900. Denver was third with a season-best 196.175, while Boise State (195.075) and Washington (195.075) placed fourth and fifth, respectively.
For latest information on Shields and Inniss and their possible trip to the NCAA National Championship, please check back to AuburnTigers.com, or follow AU_Gymnastics on Twitter.
Auburn Scores
Vault - 48.875
Kylie Shields - 9.75
Krissy Voss - 9.8
Toi Garcia - 9.8
Allyson Sandusky - 9.75
Petrina Yokay - 9.7
Justine Foster- 9.775
Uneven Bars - 48.775
Krissy Voss - 9.8
Carmen Nelms - 9.725
Kylie Shields - 9.8
Petrina Yokay -9.675
Kendall Swartz - 9.55
Allyson Sandusky - 9.775
Beam - 48.525
Lauren Brzostowski - 9.075
Katie Hurley - 9.775
Krissy Voss - 9.3
Allyson Sandusky - 9.8
Rachel Inniss - 9.85
Kylie Shields - 9.8
Floor Exercise - 48.750
Lauren Brzostowski - 9.65
Katie Hurley - 9.525
Toi Garcia - 9.425
Kylie Shields - 9.85
Krissy Voss - 9.825
Rachel Inniss - 9.9
All-Around
Kylie Shields - 39.200
Krissy Voss - 38.725