AU ROUNDUP: Gymnastics takes on Spartans

Special to the News

Published: March 13, 2008

The No. 12 Auburn gymnastics team (6-7, 0-6 SEC) will bid farewell to its seniors at its last home meet of this season.

The Tigers will host the Michigan State Spartans tonight at 7 p.m., in Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

Auburn will honor seniors Julie Dwyer, Kayla Gies, Aimee Goheen and Karmen Pinckney.

“I feel like the dad sending his kids off to first grad, I never thought this day would come,” said Auburn head coach Jeff Thompson. “It’s been a great run. Tons of awards and team records for this class. They have rewritten the record book while they have been here. We want them to go out with a bang.”

The Tigers are 7-2 when facing off with the Spartans. The last time the two teams met was in 2005 at a quad meet hosted by West Virginia.

Track & field travels to NCAA Indoors
The Auburn men’s and women’s track and field teams will have six athletes competing at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships today and Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark.

Representing the men’s team will be seniors Ty Akins (60m hurdles), Jacob Dunkleberger (weight throw), Reuben McCoy (400m) and sophomore Eric Werskey (shot put). The women’s squad will be represented by freshman Joanna Atkins (400m) and junior Raevan Harris (high jump).

“Our goal for this weekend is to come home with six All-Americans,” said head coach Ralph Spry. “We don’t have a large number of athletes competing, but several of those that are here are ranked pretty high. If our kids do what they can do, our men could crack the top 10 and the women could finish in the top 25. That would be a good way to finish the indoor season and give us some momentum heading in to the outdoor season.”

Men’s tennis tops Brown in Blue/Gray Invitational
MONTGOMERY — The No. 28 Men’s Tennis team (7-5) advanced to the second round of the Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic after it defeated the Brown Bears (6-7), 4-2 Thursday in Montgomery.

“Brown put up a tough fight,” head coach Eric Shore said. “We caught a couple of breaks, and were able to win out the match, so, overall I am happy with the way we played.”

Men’s golf travels to E-Z-Go Invitational
No. 11 Auburn will compete in the 2008 E-Z-Go Schenkel Invitational at the par-72, 6,962-yard Forest Heights Country Club in Statesboro, Ga., today-Sunday.

Senior Jay Moseley will lead the Tigers in the No. 1 position after his second consecutive top-5 finish. Junior Glenn Northcutt will be at No. 2 and seniors Jamie Bowen, Steven Groover and Patton Kizzire at Nos. 3, 4 and 5, respectively.

“We’ve got some good team from all over the place at the E-Z-Go,” said head coach Mike Griffin. “We’re going to have to get right after it on the first day.”