No. 12 Gym'Backs travel to. No. 14 Auburn Friday

FAYETTEVILLE — The 12th-ranked University of Arkansas gymnastics team faces a Southeastern Conference test traveling to No. 14 Auburn for the final league meet of the 2007 season Friday. Arkansas is coming off a big win at Kentucky last week and is hoping that momentum carries over to Auburn. "We’re really looking forward to our trip to Auburn," said co-head coach Rene Cook. "We were very solid last week and we’re hoping for more of the same this week. We know it’s going to be a fierce competition and that it will likely come down to the last routine." Arkansas and Auburn have been pretty evenly matched in recent competitions. The series record is tied at 4-4 with Auburn winning three of the first four meetings. The Gym’Backs picked up some regular-season wins but Auburn nipped Arkansas, 194.975-194.650 at last year’s SEC Championship. This year the teams are again evenly matched. Both squads have one conference win (over Kentucky) and both have been hovering around the No. 15 spot in the poll for much of the year. "It’s always close with Auburn," said co-head coach Mark Cook. "We’ve been able to squeak by in these last couple of meetings and we’d like to go in and have a strong showing this weekend. We’d like to get a good road score and continue to build on some momentum as we head down the stretch." Arkansas finds itself at the end of the SEC regular season schedule but at the mid-point of the 2007 regular season. The Gym’Backs travel to Auburn, host a pair of quads and go to Arizona State before traveling to North Little Rock, Ark., for the 2007 SEC Championship meet in ALLTEL Arena. "We haven’t rocked a meet yet," said Mark Cook, "but we’re on the right track. We still had a few little things at Kentucky but we showed much more focus and maturity. We’d like to keep that going." Arkansas returns home to Barnhill Arena for the first of two quad meets March 9, hosting New Hampshire, Pittsburgh and West Virginia. For more information and tickets, please call the Lady Razorback Ticket Office at 57-LBACK or log on to LADYBACKS.COM.