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The State Press

Auburn gymnastics finishes regular season No. 8

Auburn gymnastics held its No. 8 ranking as the regular season comes to a close, its highest final regular season ranking in program history. The Tigers also managed to raise its Regional Qualifying Score to 197.045, another program record. Auburn ranks eighth nationally on vault (49.345), 12th on bars (49.265), eighth on beam (49.315) and 10th on floor (49.315). Individual rankings of note include Caitlin Atkinson at seventh nationally in all-around and Megan Walker at 11th on beam. Up next for the Tigers is the NCAA Regional on April 4 at 6 p.m.


The Auburn Plainsman

No. 4 Auburn men’s golf wins third consecutive tournament

The No. 4 Auburn men’s golf team won the Schenkel Invitational over second place No. 6  Vanderbilt by one stroke at the Forest Heights Country Club on Saturday, March 21. The Tigers’ 41-under 823 total score is the second-lowest 54-hole score in program history, and its 269 second round total tied the program record for a single round. Senior Dan Stringfellow also earned his first collegiate victory, shooting a 12-under 204, which is the third-lowest 54-hole individual score in program history. Freshman Ben Schlottman and sophomore Will Long tied for second, each shooting 11-under 205. All-SEC sophomore Matt Gilchrest shot a 5-under 211 to tie for 17th, freshman Matthew Perrine shot a 3-under 213 for 31st and junior Michael Johnson shot a 1-under 215 for 37th. Auburn’s next event is March 29-30 at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate at the Bulls Bay Gold Course in Awendaw, South Carolina.

The Auburn Plainsman

​Softball gets win No. 30

The bombs keep dropping. With her 11th homer of the season, Kasey Cooper put Auburn's softball team out in front of No.12 Kentucky 2-0 in the first inning Friday, March 20, and the Tigers never looked back. Jade Rhodes 13th dinger of the year came in the fifth, and Auburn added two more runs the sixth inning. But it wasn't just the hitting that pushed the Tigers to 30-2 (4-0 SEC). Lexi Davis was in control of the game all night, allowing just five Kentucky hits while improving to 13-0 on the season. Saturday, March 21, the Tigers and Wildcats will meet twice, first at 3 p.m, and again at 6 p.m.

Emily Flickinger

Auburn women’s tennis falls to Texas A&M

The Auburn women’s tennis team lost to Texas A&M 4-0 on Friday in the Tigers’ sixth SEC match of the season. Due to bad weather in the College Station, the women only played singles. The 30th ranked Aggies won four out of six of the singles matches including wins on courts one, two, four and six. Auburn junior Pleun Burgmans lost 6-3 6-4 on court one while freshman Andie Dikosavljevic lost 6-2 7-5 on the second court. Seniors Emily Flickenger and Jen Pfeifler lost on courts four and six to finish the day. The Tigers have lost their last three SEC matches, and will need a win in Baton Rouge Sunday, Mar.

Coach Jeff Graba talks to his team after the beam routines, Jan. 10, 2014. (FILE PHOTO)

Musically-inclined Graba builds gymnastics power

Since coach Jeff Graba’s arrival on the Plains in 2010, the Auburn gymnastics program has slowly improved year by year. Now, he’s a two-time SEC Coach of the Year, and the program has been firmly entrenched in the national top 10 all season. Senior Bri Guy, who was part of Graba’s first recruiting class, said she has enjoyed the process. “It’s crazy really,” Guy said.

The Auburn Plainsman

Auburn defensive lineman set for first full season

Last year’s Auburn team struggled to get to the quarterback. The leader in sacks among defensive linemen, DeVonte Lambert, is gone along with Gabe Wright and Angelo Blackson. Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Dontavius Russell will look to make those players’ departures the opportunity he’s waited a year to get a shot at. “Last year was difficult because I felt like I had the ability to play,” Russell said.

Tony Stevens

​Malzahn ready for Stevens to take next step

Auburn has a talented squad of receivers ready to catch passes this fall. Guys such as Ricardo Louis and Duke Williams, seniors with on-field experience, will no doubt be the leaders among the group, but there are a few players who are looking to have breakout years come August. One of those players is receiver Tony Stevens, a rising junior out of Florida, who so far in his Auburn career has six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. Coach Gus Malzahn said the coaching staff expects Stevens to have more of an impact in 2015. “He’s one of the guys (where) we’re ready to take that next step,” Malzahn said.

The football team runs drills at fall camp. (Jordan Hays | Copy Editor)

Smith talks position change

Sophomore offensive lineman Braden Smith recently shifted in on the line, moving from tackle to guard. Smith, who stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs in at 299 pounds, said he’s noticed some mechanical differences since the switch. “It’s a different experience,” Smith said.