AU ROUNDUP: Puckett honored by SEC as co-gymnast of the year

Special to the News

Published: March 29, 2008

DULUTH, Ga. — Auburn gymnast Lindsey Puckett was named Co-SEC Gymnast of the Year and Jeff Thompson was named Co-Coach of the Year, as the Auburn gymnastics team finished in fifth place scoring 196.100 at the Southeastern Conference Championship on Saturday.

Auburn’s score marks the highest the Tigers have scored at the Championship since 1986. Puckett’s nomination marks the fourth consecutive year Auburn has picked up and SEC award.

“Jeff told me that I had been nominated, but I had no idea that I would get it,” Puckett, a Lilburn, Ga., native, said. “This is even better being in my home in front of my family and friends.”

Thompson, who was named along with Suzanne Yoculan of Georgia and Mark Cook of Arkansas, earns this honor for the second time in his career. His first nod came in 2003.

“I am in tremendous company,” Thompson said. “I am completely flattered, but I am no different than the coach I was last year. It is my team who won this award for Auburn.”

Georgia won the meet scoring 197.350. Alabama and Florida tied for second scoring 197.325. LSU came in fourth scoring 196.500. Arkansas and Kentucky placed sixth and seventh scoring 194.650 and 194.925, respectively

“What can I say? We had a great meet tonight,” Thompson said. “The team did exactly what we asked of them, hitting all 24 routines for the second week in-a-row in a very fun and exciting competition.”

Following tonight’s competition, college gymnastics teams around the nation will await the announcement of regional site placement, which will be made at 4 p.m. Monday. The top 18 teams in the country are seeded based on their ranking.

Softball splits home doubleheader with UT
Senior pitcher Brittany Day threw a two-hit shutout to lead the Auburn softball team to a 1-0 victory over No. 9 Tennessee as the teams split a double-header Saturday afternoon. The Vols won Game 1, 8-4.

Auburn moved to 29-9 overall and 8-5 in the Southeastern Conference. Tennessee dropped to 31-6 overall and 7-5 in the conference. The teams conclude the series today at 1 p.m.

“Brittany Day did a tremendous job today,” Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. “She threw strikes and kept their hitters off balance. I am very proud of her.”

Day threw her sixth complete game of the season to improve 10-2. The Columbus, Ga., native fanned 11 and walked five.

Megan Rhodes took the loss for Tennessee to fall to 14-3. Rhodes allowed just one run, earned, on one hit with 12 strikeouts and three walks.

Women’s golf moves to third
BROWN SUMMIT, N.C. — Auburn improved to third place after firing 15-over 303 on the second day of competition at the Bryan National Collegiate.

Freshman Cydney Clanton jumped 18 places and is tied for fifth after shooting even par 72. Senior Margaret Shirley jumped three spots and is tied for eighth. Sophomore Candace Schepperle improved one position as is tied for 41st. Schepperle shot 5-over 77. Junior Mariana Macias is tied for 47th after shooting 8-over 80. Freshman Sarah Thead is tied for 54th after firing 11-over 83.

No. 1 Duke remained the leader after shooting 16-over 304 (598).

Auburn will conclude the tournament at 8:30 a.m. today and will be playing with Florida and Duke.

Track & Field shines at Georgia Tech
ATLANTA — Despite intermittent showers that shortened the event, the Auburn track and field team still set four regional qualifying marks and won two events Saturday during the Yellow Jacket Invitational hosted by Georgia Tech.

The teams in attendance waited out a pair of weather delays, but a third delay caused officials to cancel the remainder of the meet, as the men’s and women’s 200m, 5000m, 400m hurdles, 4x400m relays and a few of the field events were not contested.

In his collegiate debut, freshman Jean-Pierre Weerts won the men’s 1,500m with a regional qualifying time of 3:45.80. It was an impressive opening race for the newcomer from Bastogne, Belgium, who defeated a field of 53 runners.

Senior Ty Akins had his best-ever opening performance outdoors, winning the 110m hurdles with a regional qualifying time of 13.66, while defeating Tennessee All-American Jangy Addy, who was runner-up in 13.73 seconds. 

The women’s 4x100m relay team of sophomore Shaquela Williams, freshmen Joanna Atkins and Cache Armbrister and junior Amelia Anderson was third overall but first among collegiate teams with a regional qualifying time of 44.79.

Auburn’s fourth first-time regional qualifier came in the men’s javelin, where sophomore Luke Gaines finished in third place with a career-best mark of 61.62m (202-2), besting the regional qualifying standard by two centimeters. His mark ranks him eighth in school history.

Equestrian falls to South Carolina
BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. —- The Auburn equestrian team (11-4) lost to South Carolina (8-4) Friday in the preliminary round of the 2008 Southern Equestrian Championships, 14-5.

The Gamecocks defeated the Tigers 7-3 in Hunt Seat and 7-2 in Western. South Carolina advances to the finals to take on top seeded Georgia.

Auburn’s Ali Loprete earned MVP honors in Hunt Seat Equitation on the Flat defeating Victoria Middleton, 76-75.  Auburn’s Paige Monfore earned MVP honors in Western Reining defeating Kyla Thurlow 74.5-72.

Auburn returns to action April 17-19 in Waco, Texas, for the Varsity Equestrian National Championships.

Men’s tennis closes out home season
The Auburn men’s tennis team wraps up its home schedule today as the Tigers play host to defending national champion Georgia at 1 p.m. at the City of Auburn/Auburn University Yarbrough Tennis Center.

The match is also Senior Day for the Tigers as the team will take time before the match to honor seniors Pawel Dilaj and Terence Nugent.

No. 25 Auburn enters the match with a 9-8 record, 3-4 in the SEC after dropping a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to No. 12 Tennessee on Friday.