LSU & Centenary Meet Notes

Feb. 15, 2006

AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn women's gymnastics team will travel to Louisiana on Friday for two meets over the course of three days when the Tigers face LSU on Friday and Centenary on Sunday. No. 17 Auburn (5-7, 0-3 SEC) will face No. 13 LSU in Baton Rouge, La., at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Pete Maravich Center, before traveling to Shreveport, La., to face Centenary at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Gold Dome. Auburn's meeting with LSU will the second time this season the two teams have met, after meeting at the season-opening Super Six Challenge on Jan. 6, where Auburn (193.675) finished fifth and LSU placed fourth (193.900). Auburn is coming off a first-place finish at the Hearts Invitational in Raleigh, N.C., where the Tigers picked up three wins with victories over host NC State, William & Mary and Centenary. LSU (8-4, 2-1 SEC) enters Friday's meet after posting a 195.875-194.675 victory over Kentucky. Centenary (5-4) is coming off victories over Air Force and Wisconsin-Stout in Colorado Springs, Colo. Centenary won the meet with a score of 185.750.

Scouting LSU
LSU has won four of its last five meets since finishing fourth at the Super Six Challenge. LSU's lone loss during the span was a 197.150-196.100 loss at No. 1 Georgia on Feb. 4. The Tigers have two SEC victories over Arkansas and Kentucky. LSU returns eight letterwinners from the 2005 season. LSU is a veteran squad with only one freshman competing on a consistent basis. LSU is led by reigning SEC and Central Regional Gymnast of the Year April Burkholder. LSU's season-high score is 196.100 at Georgia.

Scouting Centenary
Centenary is 5-4 on the year and has won two straight meets, picking up four wins. Last weekend, Centenary defeated Air Force and Wisconsin-Stout in separate meets on Friday and Sunday in Colorado Springs, Colo. Centenary posted scores of 187.750 on Friday and a 185.750 on Sunday. Centenary is a Midwest Independent. The Ladies return seven letterwinners from the 2005 squad that finished 12-13. Centenary's high score is 190.1 vs. Air Force and Missouri.

All-Around Rematch
Julie Dwyer has won five consecutive all-around titles dating back to the Super Six Challenge, where Dwyer finished third. During her run, Dwyer posted a new career-high score of 39.375 versus West Virginia and has since matched it twice. Since finishing third in the all-around at the Super Six Challenge with a season-low 39.075, Dwyer has averaged 39.315 in the all-around. Friday's meet with LSU will provide Dwyer the opportunity to defeat LSU's April Burkholder, who is one of two gymnasts to defeat Dwyer this year. Burkholder topped Dwyer's score of 39.075 with a 39.375 to win the all-around over Nebraska's Emily Parsons (39.225).

The Series
Auburn trails the all-time series with LSU, 7-40, and has lost to LSU seven straight times. Auburn's last win over LSU was on Jan. 24, 2003 at home when the Tigers won 194.500-194.225. Auburn's last win at LSU was on March 6, 1992, when Auburn won 190.700-189.950. Auburn is 14-3 all-time against Centenary and has faced the Ladies every season except 1999 since 1992.

Evens Or Odds
Since head coach Jeff Thompson's first season on the Plains in 2000, the Tigers have coupled their regularly scheduled trip to LSU with a trip to Centenary every even year. In 2000, 2002, 2004 and now 2006, the Tigers faced LSU and Centenary during the same weekend, facing LSU on a Friday and Centenary on a Sunday. During the two-meet trip to Louisiana every other year, the Tigers have a record of 3-3. All three of Auburn's wins have come at Centenary and all three losses came at LSU.

Common Foes
LSU and Centenary have already faced each other once this season. In the meeting, LSU won the meet with a 194.050, while Centenary finished fourth with a 188.125. The meeting was held at Texas Women's in Denton, Texas.

Thompson Against LSU & Centenary
Jeff Thompson is 1-13 versus LSU since coming to Auburn prior to the 2000 season. Auburn's victory came at home on Jan. 24, 2003. Thompson is a perfect 8-0 against Centenary.

Last Time Out
Despite scoring its second-lowest score of the season, the Auburn gymnastics team was able to claw out a win by .075 (193.400-193.325) over second-place NC State at the four-team Hearts Invitational. Auburn won individual titles in three of four events, and the all-around as Julie Dwyer continued her dominance with her fifth consecutive title. After opening with a season-best 49.125 on floor, while setting two career highs and tying a season high, Auburn recorded two consecutive season lows on vault (48.150) and bars (47.650), before securing the meet title with a 48.475 on beam. The win by the Tigers was their first victory in a quad since winning the New Hampshire Quad on Feb. 21, 2004, over New Hampshire, Temple and Yale. Individually, the Tigers' three event wins came on vault, bars and beam. On vault, Lindsey Puckett won her second event title with a 9.825. Puckett won her first event title on vault at Kentucky. Aimee Goheen won her first event title of the year on bars with a 9.775. On beam, Dwyer recorded a 9.850 to win her fourth beam title of the year and 13th of the year, including her all-around win tonight.

Second Best
In the midst of posting a season-high 195.725 vs. Florida, Auburn posted its second-best score of the season in all four events. On vault, the Tigers score of 48.950 tied their mark at Kentucky and ranks just behind the 49.100 scored against Alabama. On bars, the Tigers' score of 48.900 vs. Florida is second only to the 49.025 at the Super Six Challenge. On beam, the Tigers scored a 49.000, which ranks second behind the 49.025 against West Virginia. On floor, Auburn posted a 48.875, which is second behind 48.975.

Tough Competition
Seven of the Tigers' 11 opponents so far this season are ranked in the top 18, while five opponents are ranked in the top 10. The only opponents Auburn has faced that isn't ranked is West Virginia, NC State, James Madison and William & Mary. Prior to the Hearts Invitational on Feb. 10, seven of the Tigers' eight opponents were ranked. The Tigers have faced No. 3 Alabama twice, No. 5 Florida, No. 7 Iowa State, No. 8 Nebraska, No. 11 Missouri, No. 13 LSU and No. 18 Kentucky. The Tigers will add to the difficulty of their schedule when they face No. 13 LSU on Friday.

Dominant Duo
The Tigers' duo of Julie Dwyer and Lindsey Puckett has rung up the top scores for Auburn in all four events and the all-around. Both Dwyer and Puckett are ranked one-two in each event, while Dwyer owns the top score on beam, floor and the all-around. On vault and bars, Puckett has the top mark. Dwyer holds the second-highest score on vault and bars, while Puckett's scores on beam, floor and the all-around are second only to Dwyer.

Dwyer Named Gymnast Of The Week
For the first time in her career, Auburn gymnast Julie Dwyer was tapped as the Southeastern Conference Gymnast of the Week on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Dwyer received the honor for her performance against Alabama on Jan. 27, where the Bloomington, Ind., native won the all-around title for the third straight meet by tying her career high with a 39.375. In the meet, Dwyer also tied her career high on floor and bars, finishing second on each event. On floor, Dwyer recorded a 9.900 and on bars, Dwyer scored a 9.825. Dwyer also placed fourth on vault and beam against the Crimson Tide, recording a 9.850 and 9.800, respectively. On the year, Dwyer has won seven event titles in four meets. Nationally, Dwyer is ranked sixth in the all-around with an average of 39.262.

Tube Time
For the second consecutive week, Auburn had its meet televised when the Tigers' matchup with Florida was televised by Fox Sports Net South on a tape-delayed basis. The meet was aired on Saturday, Feb. 11. The Florida meet marked the third of five meets that Auburn will be featured on television. The Tigers opened the year on ESPN2 at the Super Six Challenge in Baton Rouge, La., and they were also televised by CSS against Alabama. The Tigers' meet with Georgia will also be televised on a tape-delayed basis by CSS, and the SEC Championships will be televised by Fox Sports Net South.

Cookin' The Books
Auburn's team score of 49.100 on vault against Alabama not only was a season high for the Tigers. The mark also vaulted the 2006 squad into the record books and into a tie for the eighth-highest vault score in school history. It was the Tigers' highest vault score since receiving a 49.175 on Feb. 29, 2004 at Cententary.

Tigers In The Rankings
All-Around
Julie Dwyer is ranked sixth in the all-around with an average of 39.275.

Vault
As a team, Auburn ranks 16th with an average score of 48.442. On vault, Lindsey Puckett is ranked 26th with an average of 9.837. Dwyer checks in at No. 42 with a 9.808 average.

Bars
The Tigers are ranked 18th on bars with an average of 48.317. A.J. Mills is ranked No. 21 with an average of 9.825. Also checking in on bars is Aimee Goheen tied for 35th with a 9.796 average. Lastly, Julie Dwyer ranks 38th with an average of 9.792.

Beam
The Tigers are ranked 17th on beam with an average of 48.317. On beam, Julie Dwyer is ranked seventh with an average of 9.842. A.J. Mills is also ranked in the top 50 on beam. She is tied for 23rd with a 9.775 average.

Floor
The Tigers average of 48.708 ranks 13th on floor. Julie Dwyer is the only Tiger ranked in the top 50, as she is tied for 16th with an average of 9.833.

Pinked Out
The Tigers wore pink to help raise Breast Cancer Awareness for the Kentucky and Alabama meet, but the tribute by the Tigers did not get them a mark in the victory column. Auburn dropped its match at Kentucky, 194.975-192.800 and its home match with Alabama, 196.175-194.450, leaving the Tigers sick on pink. After two straight meets in pink, the Tigers' pink leotards can be stowed away for another year.

In A Pinch
With all-arounder A.J. Mills out with an injury since the second meet, the Tigers have had to scour the roster to find the perfect replacement. Mills had competed in the all-around in both meets to begin the year, and her injury forced the Tigers to fill her void in all four events. So far, the Tigers have used two different gymnasts on beam and vault. On beam, the Tigers went with Aimee Goheen at Kentucky and Alicia Lenkiewicz against Alabama, Florida and at the Hearts Invitational. On vault, Lenkiewicz was in the lineup at Kentucky and Kayla Gies vaulted vs. Alabama, Florida and at the Hearts Invitational. Karmen Pinckney has filled in for Mills on bars in each meet. On floor, the Tigers only used a five-person lineup against Kentucky and Alabama. Against Florida and at the Hearts Invitational, Nicole Barnett competed.

Puckett Vaults Into Record Book
Freshman Lindsey Puckett's vault score of 9.925 against Kentucky tied for the second-highest mark in school history. Puckett's score tied with Kristi Boyte, Kayce Stein and Erin Gannon for second in school history. The top score in Auburn history is 9.950 by Boyte in 2003. Nationally, Puckett is ranked 19th on vault. On the year, Puckett's top-two scores on vault are the top vault scores for Auburn.

Ushering In A New Era
The Tigers are an extremely young squad, featuring just one senior and three juniors on the roster. This is the first time since 1994 that there has been just one senior on the roster. Of the six freshmen on the 2006 roster, four competed in both the West Virginia meet and Super Six Challenge. Due to Mills' injury only three freshmen have competed in the meets since her injury. Both A.J. Mills and Lindsey Puckett competed in the all-around at the first two meets.

Auburn In The Polls
After scoring their highest score of the year (195.725) against Florida, the Tigers moved up one place in the Feb. 6 poll to 16th. Auburn had been locked in at No. 17 for the past two weeks prior to the move. After Auburn's loss at Kentucky, the Tigers dropped from their No. 9 ranking to No. 17 on Jan. 23. The Tigers' performance against West Virginia helped them climb up the rankings to No. 9. Auburn opened the season ranked 15th in the GymInfo Women's Preseason Coaches Poll released Dec. 1. Following the Tigers' fifth-place showing at the Super Six Challenge, the Tigers vaulted to a No. 11 ranking.

Early Beginnings
The Jan. 6 start to the 2006 season is the earliest Auburn has begun since the 1986 season when the Tigers opened the year on Jan. 4 at Jacksonville State. Last year, the Tigers began the season on Jan. 7.

SEC Impresses
All seven programs in the Southeastern Conference are currently ranked in the top 25, including three of the top-five squads. Leading the way is defending National Champion, Georgia at No. 1. At No. 3 is Alabama with an average of 195.929. Florida is ranked fifth. LSU is No. 13, while Kentucky is No. 18 and Arkansas is ranked No. 21.

Non-Conference Force
With the Tigers' win over West Virginia, they improved their record to 18-1 under head coach Jeff Thompson in non-conference dual meets. Auburn's lone loss came in 2001 when the Tigers fell to Minnesota, 194.850-192.525.

Tigers Make The Grade
The Tigers finished the fall semester with a team GPA of 3.20. Ten gymnasts earned GPA's of 3.0 or higher, led by junior Nicole Barnett's 4.0. Of the 10 gymnasts with GPA's of 3.0 or greater, six earned marks of at least 3.5. The success in the classroom is the latest in a continued trend under head coach Jeff Thompson, whose teams have produced 26 academic All-Americans since 2000. In 2005 the Tigers had seven academic All-Americans.

Tigers In The Community
Auburn has always taken pride in giving back to the community and the gymnasts have continued their longstanding commitment to provide community service this fall. The Tigers began their community service work this fall by assisting with the collection of donations for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort prior to two home football games. The effort continued on Oct. 21 when the gymnasts volunteered their time at the Capital City BBQ Pig Out, benefiting Children's Harbor.

For the fourth straight year, the Tigers also made Christmas boxes to help the less fortunate that are not able to afford gifts during the holidays. The Tigers also made numerous visits to local elementary schools, where the gymnasts read to different classes and encouraged the students to stay in school while emphasizing the importance academics has had on their lives.

Dwyer Makes History
Sophomore Julie Dwyer enjoyed a freshman year that was filled with many achievements. Last year, the Bloomington, Ind., native became the first Auburn gymnast to claim SEC Freshman of the Year honors and only the second gymnast in Jeff Thompson's tenure to receive All-America honors, as she finished sixth on vault. Dwyer became just the seventh All-American in Auburn history, joining the ranks of Shannon Edmondson, Barbie Andrzejewski, Heather Brown, Kerry Ragens, Becky Erwin and Courtney Puckett.