April 26, 2008

Athens, Ga. - Auburn senior Julie Dwyer finished her collegiate gymnastics career on the top of her game as became the NCAA vault champions runner-up.

Dwyer averaged a score of 9.8438 tying Utah's Kristina Baskett and narrowly missing first place behind LSU's Susan Jackson who scored 9.8563.

Dwyer placed the highest of any other gymnast in Auburn history on vault finals.

On Thursday, Dwyer placed fourth on vault to qualify for the championship and became a First Team All-American for the first time in her career.

"It was kind of a whirl-wind 48-hour period because when we learned she made vault finals we considered not competing because she did not have a second vault," said Auburn head coach Jeff Thompson.

Unlike the regular season, each gymnast was required to compete two different vaults for the championship.

"Rachelle (Thompson, associate head coach) came up with the idea and found a way for Julie to possibly compete a variation of her normal vault and survive for the championship instead of scratching," Jeff Thompson said.

Dwyer trained in host Georgia's gym Friday. All participants were granted a one hour training session.

"We worked for about 45 minutes and she got to where she did the piked vault about four times and that was all," Jeff Thompson said. "She did one of the new vault in the warm up period, she did none in the touch warm up and she was in a great position as the last competitor after she stuck her first vault.

Of six judges, four awarded Dwyer a 9.95 for her first vault. Two awarded her a 9.900.

"At that point everyone knew she had a chance, but she had to stick her brand new vault," Jeff Thompson said."It was absolutely amazing. She was the only competitor in vault finals to stick both vaults. Watching everyone go before her and knowing she had to stick vault was a testament to her competitive spirit and her never die attitude."

Dwyer finishes her career as a three-time All-American for the Tigers. She is a two-time Regional Vault Champion, 2007 Central Region Gymnast of the Year and 2006 SEC Gymnast of the Year. Dwyer is also a four-time Academic All-American, four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and 2007 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year.

"She came in to Auburn as a winner and she goes out a winner," said Rachelle Thompson.