Articles written by Jessica Chesnut

Bass team takes top spot on Weiss Lake

wpolley — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

Clay Messer and Jackson Bonner: hold their catches Saturday at the Southeastern Bass Series on Weiss Lake. They placed first in the head-to-head competition with 12.44 pounds. Faulkner University followed in second place, and UAB came in third. Jessica Chesnut / PHOTO STAFF

The Auburn Bass Team took first place last Saturday at the Southeastern Collegiate Bass Series on Weiss Lake in both the head-to-head competition and the invitational.

The team is made up of members of the Auburn Bass Sports Club, a provisional club that will become an official Auburn sports club in fall 2008.

Six individuals — Jake DeBin, a junior in liberal arts; Jackson Bonner, a senior in history; Clay Messer, a senior in biosystems engineering; Dennis Parker, a junior in building science; Richard Peek, a junior in poultry science and criminology; and Sam Rochell, a junior in poultry science — out of 30 club members qualified to compete in the Southeastern Collegiate Bass Series.

The series was sponsored by American Rodsmiths and hosted by Auburn University.

Nine teams competed alongside Auburn in the five fish limit tournament, including Mississippi State, Tennessee, Georgia Southern, Virginia Tech, UAB, Montevallo, Ole Miss, Troy University and Faulkner.

Auburn placed first in the head-to-head competition with 23.35 pounds.

Faulkner was second with 17.39 pounds, third was UAB with 16.90 pounds, fourth was Mississippi State with 15.58 pounds and fifth was Virginia Tech with 8.76 pounds.

Gymnastics gears up for Northeast Regionals this weekend at Penn State

wpolley — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

Tigers are the No. 2 seed following a 5th-place finish at the SEC Championships

Senior Julie Dwyer: has been a bright spot on the Auburn gymnastics team all season. The team heads to Penn State this weekend to take on the likes of No. 1 seed Georgia, No. 3 Denver, No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Brigham Young and No. 6 Iowa State. Kyle Cooper / ASSISTANT PHOTO

The Auburn gymnastics team advances as the No. 2 seed in the Northeast Regionals at Penn State University Saturday.

After finishing their regular season with a 7-8, 0-6 SEC record, the Tigers took fifth at the SEC championship meet March 29 with a score of 196.100.

This score, Auburn’s highest in the Championship since 1986, secured them a national rank of No. 12 and consequently the No. 2 seed.

“What makes it worth it to me is definitely a performance like SEC,” said junior Lindsey Puckett. “When you can hold your own with four of the top 10 teams in the nation, it is pretty incredible.”

At the SECs, the Tigers scored 49.025 on vault, 49.050 on bars, 49.000 on beam and 49.025 on floor.

“We hit 24 for 24 of our routines (at SEC),” said junior A.J. Mills. “That’s been our goal, and that’s our second meet that we did 24 for 24 (the first being against Alabama March 21). So going into regionals, that’s what we want to do again.”

Auburn lost to Alabama in its last regular season competition 197.100 to 195.900.

The Tigers scored 49.200 on beam, 48.875 on bars, 48.950 on beam and 48.875 on floor.

Gymnastics finishes 5th in SEC Championship meet

wpolley — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

The Auburn gymnastics team is the No. 2 seed in the Northeast Regional after finishing fifth at the SEC Championship last Saturday in Duluth, Ga., with a score of 196.100

The Tigers’ score was its highest since 1986.

Junior gymnast Lindsay Puckett was named co-SEC Gymnast of the Year while Jeff Thompson was named co-Coach of the Year for the second time, the first in 2003.

Women swim and dive places 2nd in NCAAs

wpolley — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 04:39:37 -0400

Ava Ohlgren: set an Auburn record in the 200-yard Butterfly at the 2008 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday, March 22, in Columbus, Ohio. Todd Van Emst/AUBURN MEDIA RELATIONS

The Women’s Swimming and Diving team took second place at the 2008 NCAA Championship in Columbus, Ohio this past weekend, losing to the University of Arizona.

Arizona secured 484 team points while Auburn totaled 348, besting Stanford who finished third with a 343 total.

For the past seven years, Auburn has finished either first or second at the NCAA Championships.

The Tigers won 43 All-American honors from 14 different athletes during the three-day event.

Sophomore Ava Ohlgren and seniors Kara Denby and Emily Kukors each earned seven All-American honors, joining just 13 other Auburn swimmers who have reached this all-time mark.

Auburn started the NCAA Championship by breaking a six-year-old school record, finishing fourth in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:28.79.

Ohlgren, Denby, Kukors and junior Emile Ewing broke the record formerly held by Becky Short, Maggie Bowen, Cassidy Maxwell and Eileen Coparropa with a 1:28.92 mark.

Ohlgren won the Tigers first individual title in the 200 IM with a time of 1:53.94, which set a new pool record at Ohio State’s McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion. She missed the NCAA and Auburn record time of 1:53.91, held by Bowen.

“It felt great, really smooth, and it was just awesome,” Ohlgren said. “I’m so excited. I missed the record by .03, but, oh well, I’ll get it next year.”

Auburn stores stock up on bags for men, women

wpolley — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:00:00 -0400

Laura Barrett: a freshman in nutrition and food science, attempts to carry her keys, iPod, cell phone, books and backpack, while getting through the door. JD Schein / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

For many individuals, a handbag, tote or backpack is a crucial part of their daily wardrobe, yet for others, it is just an object to haul around the things necessary for the day.

Nevertheless, Auburn students are sporting a variety of bags and styles.

“We sell probably 1,200 KAVU Keepers a month,” said Crysten Martin, marketing director for Kinnucan’s. “It’s like the epitomy of Auburn’s student base. They are just $20. You can’t beat them.”

The KAVU Keeper has five pockets and comes in a variety of colors.

You can find this bag at Kinnucan’s as well as Southern Trails.

Southern Trails also offers a variety of backpacks for students.

“We sell a lot of North Face’s Jester (daypacks),” said Daniel Munger, a junior in geography and a sales associate at Southern Trails. “For some reason, everyone gets the North Face stuff.”

These daypacks (North Face’s Jester, Hotshot and BigShot) are usually under $100.

“Most of the time, people are very willing to spend $50 on a pack,” Munger said.

Weekend and weeklong packs are also available at Southern Trails.

Study links salty foods and soft drinks

wpolley — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

What do foods like potato chips and soft drinks have in common besides being located next to each other in grocery stores and vending machines?

Together they could be one of the causes of obesity, especially childhood obesity.

According to msnbc.com, a British study is being conducted to look at the effects salty foods and soft drinks have on obesity.

The study evaluates how eating salty foods leads individuals to drink increasing numbers of soft drinks to relieve the resulting thirst, which in turn, causes the person to consume more calories, many of which have no nutritional value.

Influenza virus attacks the Plains

wpolley — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Flu season is at its peak in February. Many individuals across the nation are ill because of this year’s virus strain.

Local subdivision residents petition Auburn City Council

ingradc — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:19:03 -0500

The proposed connection between Indian Hills subdivision in Auburn and a new development being built in Opelika by Scott Land Company were discussed at the Auburn City Council meeting Feb. 5.

Residents attended the meeting to oppose the connection between Indian Hills Road and Interstate Drive, which would direct commercial traffic through the subdivision, located near the new Sam’s Club.

“It was a major part of the business,” said Councilman Tom Worden. “The discussion took a long time.”