Music blares through the speaker system as the Auburn Gymnastics team practices for an upcoming meet.
This may be a familiar sight, but where the girls train is not all that familiar.
The McWhorter Center for Women's Athletics has only been open since 2001, making it one of the younger athletics facilities at Auburn.
It is home to the gymnastics team and the women's softball team. Head coach Jeff Thompson said over half the $4.6 million needed to build the facility was donated by Earlon and Betty McWhorter.
"Their girls weren't gymnasts, but were Tigerettes at Auburn," Thompson said. "They wanted to help and asked where the biggest need was and the athletic director told them gymnastics."
It was actually out of a tragedy that the gymnastics team was able to build such a big facility.
In 1996, Louisiana State University came to town for a football game.
Back then, the gymnastics team trained in an old wooden building next to the baseball field, approximately where the parking deck is today.
Thompson said it was raining and the fans pushed their grills under the awning of the building and the coals were picked up by the wind and into the wooden siding.
The fire only lasted 20 minutes.
"They were a top 10 program back in the '90s and had to move into something the size of a basketball court," Thompson said. "It was hard for them to recruit, they didn't practice well, and they didn't compete well."
Today, the McWhorter Center boasts 44,000 square feet including offices, an athletic training room, locker rooms and a team room. Almost 15,000 square feet are for the gymnasts' training area.
The girls have various foam pits and resi-pits (similar to a pole-vaulter's landing area) to safely learn new tricks.
Junior Lauren Brzostowski said the safety features are important in training.
"When I was recruiting around and looking at other gyms, this was by far the nicest gym of the rest of them," Brzostowski said. "I'm pretty sure we have one of the nicer facilities on campus."
She also said the coaches use videotaping to help the girls see where they need to improve.
Freshman Toi Garcia said she was shocked when she saw the gym for the first time.
"It's a really nice gym, I think, and the equipment is really nice," Garcia said. Both Garcia and Brzostowski agree the only improvement they would make would be to make the athletic training room a bit bigger. Thompson said the gym hosts a weekly gymnastics academy for young girls and is home to several clubs in the area.
The coach attributes the success of his team to the newer equipment and building.
"We're only able to train 20 hours a week; the NCAA won't allow any more than that," Thompson said. "By having as much equipment as we have, they never have to stand in line and get a lot more done."
The second floor of the McWhorter Center holds the offices for both the gymnastics and softball coaches.
Outside stands a statue, Wings of Triumph, also donated by the McWhorters and dedicated in 2008.
It was based on the Winged Victory of Samothrace, which is prominently displayed at the Louvre.
Thompson said the artist, Branko Medenica, came to campus and took pictures of several different gymnasts and softball players. Allegedly, there is something from each girl represented on the statue.
"I love taking recruits out there," Thompson said. "I don't think many other places have their own statue."
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