Auburn gymnastics loses to Alabama despite another record performance
In its final conference game before the SEC Championship, Auburn gymnastics fell to Alabama 197.200-197.025 in Birmingham Sunday afternoon, March 8.
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In its final conference game before the SEC Championship, Auburn gymnastics fell to Alabama 197.200-197.025 in Birmingham Sunday afternoon, March 8.
After a record win vs. No. 10 Georgia, Auburn gymnastics’ Caitlin Atkinson and MJ Rott earned SEC Gymnast and SEC Specialist of the Week honors, respectively.
After a win against Georgia Friday, Feb. 27, Auburn gymnastics fell two spots in the NCAA Regional Qualifying Score rankings to No. 9.
No. 7 Auburn gymnastics defeated No. 9 Georgia 197.750-196.775, on Friday night, Feb. 27, in front of Auburn Arena’s first ever gymnastics sellout.
For the third year in a row, No. 8 Auburn men’s golf team won the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate at Magnolia Grove Crossings in Mobile, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, with a 3-under 861. Sophomore Matt Gilchrest tied for first place, shooting 5-under 211 for the tournament. The Tigers shot a 10-under 278 in the final round, the lowest score in tournament history for a single round. As for Gilchrest, it was his second win of his career, with the previous coming at the 2014 UK Bluegrass Invitational. Gilchrest has five Top-5 finishes this season in six events and is currently ranked 10th in the Golfweek Individual Rankings. Along with Gilchrest’s 5-under, junior Michael Johnson shot even par for eighth place, senior Dan Stringfellow shot 2-over for 13th, freshman Matthew Perrine shot 7-over for 23rd and sophomore Will Long shot 10-over for 36th. Auburn’s next event is March 8-10 at the Tiger Invitational presented by Jason Dufner at the Grand National Lakes Course in Opelika.
For the sixth consecutive week, Auburn gymnastics ascended in the national rankings, moving up one spot to No. 7 following a win at Missouri where the it scored the highest away point total in program history.
Auburn gymnastics sophomore MJ Rott earned SEC Specialist of the Week honors after posting season-high scores on vault and floor in the Friday, Feb. 13 meet against No. 3 LSU. Rott earned the vault event title for the second time this season and led the Tigers to a score of 197.300, the highest team score in program history. Rott's 9.950 on vault helped Auburn tie the program vault record of 49.500, and her 9.900 on floor was second highest at the meet. Auburn returns to action 8 p.m. Friday at Missouri, and the meet will be broadcast live on the SEC Network.
Auburn gymnastics jumped one spot to No. 8 in the national rankings after scoring an all-time program record 197.300 in a loss to No. 2 LSU last Friday. This week's ranking is the highest for Auburn gymnastics since 2009 and marks the fifth consecutive week the Tigers have increased their ranking. In the meet against LSU, Auburn tied its all-time program record for vault with a 49.500 and also had top-10 all-time scores on bars, beam and floor. Auburn ranks eighth nationally in team score, eighth on beam, ninth on bars, 11th on floor and 17th on vault. Auburn is now the fourth-highest ranked SEC team, behind only No. 2 Florida, No. 3 LSU and No. 5 Alabama. The Tigers' next meet is Friday at Missouri at 8 p.m. CT. The meet will be televised live on the SEC Network.
For the second consecutive year, former Auburn golfer and current PGA professional Jason Dufner is teaming up with Blessings in a Backpack to feed less fortunate children in Lee County. Jason Dufner's Charitable Foundation is hosting its second annual Celebrity Golf Classic March 23 at Moore's Mill Club, and its inaugural Dufner Dash and Bash starting at the ALFA Pavillion at Auburn University on March 20. The Dash and Bash will consist of a 5K and one-mile fun run starting at 6:30 p.m., followed by a free community block party at 7:30 p.m. The block party will have live entertainment, concessions and games. The Celebrity Golf Classic will have teams of four, including one celebrity who participants will bid for before the event, with all proceeds going to the Blessings in a Backpack program. Dufner and his wife Amanda started their charity in 2009. Amanda discovered Blessings in a Backpack, which feeds underprivileged children who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program on weekends. "Amanda first found out about Blessings in a Backpack through the PGA Tour Wives' Association," Dufner said. "She participated in some events they hosted around the country and was impressed with the impact it had on families and communities. There wasn't anything like that here in our area, and once we learned about the need and the number of kids who needed help here, it was an easy decision." Last year, the Celebrity Golf Classic raised $160,000 to feed Lee County children. Bonnie Upright, senior vice president of Olympus Foundation Management, praised the community's contribution to the event and the foundation. "The inaugural golf classic was amazing," Upright said. "With a first year event, you never know quite what to expect, but the Auburn community and Opelika community have been amazing in their support. We're not surprised that everyone jumped on board, because the Auburn community is so terrific and such a generous community." Though it was the first year, Dufner said he knew the people of Auburn would team up to help his foundation's cause. "The money we raised showed how generous and giving this community is," Dufner said. "As an Auburn grad, I've always known how special it is and the results of the tournament were a great example of that." Dufner said he hopes with the added exposure and success of last year's event, his foundation can feed more children this year. "We definitely hope this year's tournament can help us add even more kids to our program," Dufner said. "Right now, we provide food to about 1,000 kids every weekend, but there are another 1,500 more here in Lee County who need our help. So we've got a little ways to go, but we're confident that once people learn more about the issue of child hunger, and see the impact it has on the kids here in the Auburn area, that people will want to join us and help."
No. 9 Auburn fell at home to No. 2 LSU Friday night, Feb. 13, 197.350-197.300 despite scoring the highest point total in program history. Head coach Jeff Graba attributed the performance to both his gymnasts and the energy from the home crowd. "We talked in the locker room before we came out about embracing the energy, and we feel like we're clicking right now," Graba said. "I just wanted them to make sure that they sold themselves, and I thought that we did that in a really good way today." Auburn began on vault, tying the program's all-time record of 49.500. Lexus Demers and MJ Rott led the Tigers, both posting a season-high 9.950. "Me and the coaches have been working non-stop in practice to see my vault landing," Rott said. "I'm just really glad it showed up today. It's a big meet, going against No. 2, and it showed up when it needed to." Next up for Auburn was bars, where the Tigers scored a 49.200, led by Caitlin Atkinson's 9.875. Auburn then went to beam and scored a 49.275, led by Megan Walker's 9.925, tying her career-high. Auburn finished on floor, scoring a 49.325. Rott led the Tigers with a 9.900. "Floor finally showed up," Graba said. "We finally all decided to get on the same page and go big. It's still not our final floor lineup, we're still not there yet, but I thought the girls that were there did a phenomenal job. This is a floor team that we believe eight people can do our floor lineup for us at a high level." Auburn falls to 3-3 and 1-3 in the SEC. The Tigers return to action Feb. 20 at Missouri at 8 p.m. CT.
Auburn All-SEC sophomore Matt Gilchrest was named SEC Golfer of the Week after shooting 12-under at the Amer Ari Invitational in Waikoloa, Hawaii, from February 5-8, good for fifth place.
Auburn gymnastics jumped two spots to No. 9 in this week's national rankings following a road loss to Alabama last Friday, Feb. 6. Despite recording the second-highest away score in program history, the Tigers fell to the Crimson Tide 197.325-196.825, but Auburn raised its team scoring average to 196.065. The No. 9 ranking is the highest for the Auburn program since 2010, and the highest under head coach Jeff Graba. Auburn is the fifth-highest ranked team in the SEC, behind No. 2 LSU, No. 4 Florida, No. 6 Alabama and No. 8 Georgia. The Tigers return to Auburn Arena on Friday, Feb. 13 against No. 2 LSU at 7 p.m. and will be broadcasted on the SEC Network. The meet will be the first matchup of Top-10 teams in any sport in Auburn Arena.
No. 8 Auburn men's golf finished tied for eighth in Waikoloa, Hawaii, at the Amer Ari Invitational Saturday, Feb. 7, shooting 28-under over three days, including a final round 6-under. Sophomore Matt Gilchrest shot a team-leading 12-under, tied for fifth individually. Junior Michael Johnson and freshman Ben Schlottman both tied for 26th individually, shooting 6-under. Arizona State won the tournament title shooting a 38-under. Auburn's next event is Feb. 23-24 at the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate at Crossings' Course in Mobile.
No. 11 Auburn gymnastics lost at No. 6 Alabama 197.325-196.825, bringing its losing streak to the Tide to 111 meets in a row Friday, Feb. 6. The Tigers began on bars, scoring a 49.075. Caitlin Atkinson led Auburn with a 9.875. Next for Auburn was vault, where the Tigers scored a 49.325, their highest vault score for the season. Lexus Demers led Auburn with a 9.925. On floor, the Tigers scored a 49.025, led by MJ Rott's 9.825. Auburn ended on the beam, where the Tigers scored a season-high 49.400. Demers, Atkinson and Megan Walker all scored a 9.900. Auburn falls to 3-2 on the season and 1-2 in the SEC. The next meet is Friday, Feb. 13 against LSU in Auburn Arena.
While February 4 is mainly known as National Signing Day for football recruits, it is also National Signing Day for soccer recruits.
When Byron Cowart committed to Auburn over Florida on National Signing Day, it seemed that his recruitment had come to a long awaited end. But his day did not stop there, as his Letter of Intent was not received by Auburn until late in the afternoon. The delay concerned many Auburn fans, thinking Cowart may have been having second thoughts, but head coach Gus Malzahn was never worried. "He just didn't get it faxed in until just recently, but we felt very good about it all along," Malzahn said. "We were in contact all day." With the fax now in hand, Malzahn thinks the Tigers have a special player on their side. "He's the No. 1 player in the entire country," Malzahn said. "We feel very good about him being able to come in immediately and help us rushing the passer. Our defensive staff did an excellent job recruiting that young man." With his ability, Malzahn said he feels that Cowart could follow in the steps of Carl Lawson and earn playing time as a freshman. "You're talking about the best player in the country, so he'll have a chance to compete and have a chance to be on the field immediately with his skillset," Malzahn said. With Cowart and the other defensive prospects signed, Malzahn said he believes he and defensive coordinator Will Muschamp have the personnel to improve a defense that was lacking last season. "We didn't have Carl Lawson this year, and we had a couple other injuries too," Malzahn said. "So it was one of our priorities to get some guys so we can rush the passer with just four guys and not have to blitz. So that was our focus, and we're very excited about these guys."
The No. 8 Auburn men's golf team is hungry to begin the spring season after not competing since October. The Tigers look to improve on a successful fall, which included two second-place finishes, a third-place finish and a sixth-place finish. Head coach Nick Clinard said he was pleased overall with his team's performance in 2014. "We played pretty well," Clinard said. "We played the 11th best tournament schedule in the country. We're currently ranked eighth in the nation, so I thought we did a good job. We didn't get the win that we wanted, but overall we did a very good job." Despite his team's Top-10 ranking, Clinard said he would still like to see a few tournament wins. He said he is confident in his top two golfers, sophomore Matt Gilchrest and redshirt junior Michael Johnson, but the rest of the team needs to continue improving. "Matt Gilchrest was a second-team All-SEC guy last year as a freshman, and now he's the tenth best player in the country, ranking-wise," Clinard said. "He played great for us in the fall. Michael Johnson showed glimpses of how talented he is and what he can do. But we definitely need more than just those two guys, so we definitely need the other guys to step up their games." Gilchrest saw some of that improvement in the fall, and said the team is determined to make the next step and come away with a tournament victory. "I would say we had a really good fall season, we had some real bright moments," Gilchrest said. "We've been real close to winning, but in the spring we've got to be on the other side of that one or two shot difference between first and second." Auburn's spring season begins Feb. 5-7 at the Amer Ari Invitational in Waikoloa, Hawaii. Though the team has not competed together in months, Gilchrest said he believes they will be ready. "I think we're ready to play," Gilchrest said. "Even though we've been off as a team, a lot of guys still play tournaments on their own. We're competitive guys, we just love competing, so I think we'll be ready to go. I think we should have all the rust knocked off by next week." After playing in the Amer Ari Invitational the previous two springs, Clinard said he thinks the experience could help the Tigers. "It'll be a good event," Clinard said. "We played there the last two years, so there's a familiarity as far as where we practice and where we stay. We're looking forward to it. It's one of the best, if not the best tournament field we play in all year, so it should be a good challenge." Gilchrest said he is excited to begin the new season, especially in an exotic locale. "It's a blast and a privilege," Gilchrest said. "It's certainly not something everyone gets to do, so we love it. We get some time just enjoying the sights and sounds. There's moments where it gets hard to play golf because it's so beautiful there, but we'll enjoy the trip and play some good golf."
No. 11 Auburn gymnastics moved up one spot in the national rankings Monday after defeating Air Force 196.625-190.900 Friday Jan. 30. The Tigers are the sixth-highest ranked SEC team this week, behind No. 2 Florida, No. 3 LSU, No. 6 Alabama, No. 8 Arkansas and No. 9 Georgia. Auburn is averaging a score of 195.875 per meet. The Tigers are eighth nationally on bars, averaging 49.081, and are ninth nationally on floor, averaging 49.044. Auburn's next meet is Friday, Feb. 6 at No. 6 Alabama at 7:30 p.m.
Auburn gymnastics jumped seven spots to No. 12 after beating after defeating then No. 12 Arkansas 197.075-196.250 last Friday, Jan. 23, in Auburn Arena. Its current ranking is the highest this season for the Tigers since they were ranked No. 12 in the preseason. Auburn's 197.075 last Friday was its highest score this season and the third highest in program history. Also in that meet, Auburn broke the all-time program bar record, scoring a 49.525. Caitlin Atkinson and Kait Kluz led the Tigers with scores of 9.925. Next meet, the Tigers will face Air Force on Friday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. in Auburn Arena.\0x200B
In No. 19 Auburn gymnastics' home opener, the Tigers defeated No. 12 Arkansas 197.075-196.250 in front of 6,229 fans for their first conference win. Auburn's 197.075 was the third-highest score in program history. Head coach Jeff Graba said the crowd was definitely something the team leaned on throughout the meet. "It was fantastic to see this crowd out here," Graba said. "It was absolutely exciting for us, and I think our girls really appreciated it. I think they leaned on the crowd pretty heavy." Senior Brittany Webster said she also thought the crowd was a big contributor to the team's performance. "I think all of us just went out there and had the best possible time that we could," Webster said. "Having the crowd there and feeding off of everybody was just amazing." Auburn junior Caitlin Atkinson won the all-around title for the second consecutive meet with a 39.450. Graba said he has come to expect these kinds of performances from the All-American. "I hate to say it, but I sort of expect that from Caitlin," Graba said. "She's sort of our rock. This team needs that right now, and she's doing a great job for us." Auburn started with a 49.125 on vault, led by sophomore M.J. Rott's 9.900. Led by Kait Kluz's and Caitlin Atkinson's 9.925 scores, Auburn scored an all-time program record 49.525 on the bars. Graba said he was pleased to see the team finally put everything together on the bars. "I was hoping that they would start putting it together on bars," Graba said. "It was really nice to see. They rose to the occasion there. We're telling them they're a good bar team, it's nice that they can prove it to themselves." On the beam, Auburn scored a 49.150. Senior Megan Walker scored a 9.900 to lead the Tigers in the event. Even though the Tigers struggled in the event, Graba said he liked the response he saw from his team. "We had four girls just put that behind them and rally and do a great job, so I'm taking that as a positive because that's a step forward from what we did at Florida," Graba said. Auburn finished the meet on the floor, scoring a 49.225. Webster led the Tigers with a 9.9 and said she enjoying her performance in front of the home crowd. "Floor is my favorite event, so I just went out there and had the best time possible," Webster said. "Feeding off the crowd helped a whole lot because after, I listened and I heard everybody cheering." The win moves the Tigers to 2-1 on the year and 1-1 in the conference. Auburn's next meet is Friday, Jan. 30 in Auburn Arena vs. Air Force.