Feb. 8, 2013
AUBURN - No. 15 Auburn gymnastics team won three event titles and posted its highest home score of the season defeating No. 19 Arkansas 196.325-195.650 on Friday in Auburn Arena.
"We are developing depth and still maintaining a 23-for-24 night," Auburn head coach Jeff Graba said. "That's big for this team. We had to rotate some people because of some dings. Everyone is doing their job and it is going to payoff in the end. It was nice to go 23-for-24 and get a big score."
Earning event titles for the Tigers were Caitlin Atkinson on vault with a career-best 9.925, Megan Walker won the balance beam title by equaling her career-high score of 9.875 and Bri Guy brought down the house with a 9.9 on floor.
Auburn opened the meet with its highest event score of the season, posting a 49.300 on vault. Atkinson anchored on vault and posted her second-consecutive career high of the season with a 9.925. Toi Garcia and Guy added season-high scores of 9.875, while Brittany Webster earned a career high 9.825. Kait Kluz and Petrina Yokay each posted scores of 9.800, a career high mark for Kluz.
Arkansas trailed the Tigers by almost three-tenths through the first rotation with a 49.050 on bars.
Arkansas made up some ground on vault with a 49.200 behind a 9.925 from Katherine Grable and a 9.900 from Heather Elswick. Auburn scored 48.850 on uneven bars behind a 9.825 from Walker and twin scores of 9.800 from Abbey Habicht and Guy. Through two rotations, Arkansas led by one tenth.
Auburn evened the overall score in the third rotation with a 49.075 on balance beam. Leading the way with career highs were Walker (9.875) and Caryn Kadous (9.850). Arkansas earned a 48.975 on floor, despite a fall from Grable who was leading the SEC in floor average. Going into the final event, the score was tied at 147.225.
In the final rotation the Tigers posted their second-highest score of the season on floor with a 49.100 to earn the victory after Arkansas was forced to count a fall on beam. Guy anchored floor for Auburn with a 9.900, tying her season high, while Atkinson tied her career high with a 9.875.
Despite a fall on beam, Guy was able to pull out her first all-around win of the season with a 38.875, while Atkinson finished in second with a 38.850.
The score was the third-straight total higher than 196.000 for Auburn. It marked the first time the Tigers have posted three-straight scores of 196.000 or higher since recording four in a row from February 13-March 6, 2009.
Auburn returns to action next Friday as it travels to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 5 Alabama at 7:30 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum.
TOTALS
Vault: Kait Kluz - 9.800, Brittany Webster - 9.825, Petrina Yokay - 9.800, Toi Garcia - 9.875, Bri Guy - 9.875, Caitlin Atkinson - 9.925, TOTAL - 49.300
Bars: Kait Kluz - 9.700, Bri Guy - 9.800, Abbey Habicht - 9.800, Megan Walker - 9.825, Caitlin Atkinson - 9.250, Petrina Yokay - 9.725, TOTAL - 48.850
Beam: Petrina Yokay - 9.750, Caryn Kadous - 9.850, Abbey Habicht - 9.800, Bri Guy - 9.300, Megan Walker - 9.875, Caitlin Atkinson - 9.800, TOTAL - 49.075
Floor: Caryn Kadous - 9.600, Kait Kluz - 9.725, Toi Garcia - 9.800, Brittany Webster - 9.800, Caitlin Atkinson - 9.875, Bri Guy - 9.900, TOTAL - 49.100
All-Around: Caitlin Atkinson - 38.850, Bri Guy - 38.875