JENNIFER IANNONE
FOR THE OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS

ATHENS, Ga. — A letter Jeff Thompson received from Suzanne Yoculan was on his mind Saturday at Stegeman Coliseum.

About seven years ago, Yoculan sent Thompson a note about Auburn’s improvement and anticipated the day she could congratulate him for defeating her team.

But Thompson’s final chance to beat Yoculan slipped away Saturday as third-ranked Georgia defeated fifth-ranked Auburn, 197.250-195.925, in front of a sellout crowd.

Yoculan will retire at the season’s end after 26 years at the helm of Georgia’s program.

“I guess I let her down,” Thompson said. “They’re an awesome, awesome team.”

Georgia (6-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) posted its highest score of the season and the highest score in the nation this year as of Saturday afternoon.

Auburn, coming off its season-high score last week in a win over LSU, started off with a shaky uneven bars performance of 48.825. Only two gymnasts — Krissy Voss and A.J. Mills — scored a 9.800 or above. Mills led the Tigers with a 9.875.

“From there on, we were just kind of flat,” Thompson said. “We didn’t stick any vaults. There were a few things that we normally nail. We didn’t fall, but we missed connections and we had some shaky routines.”

Lindsey Puckett highlighted Auburn’s 49.025 team vault score with a 9.875 in the anchor position. Mills hit a 9.825.

Midway through the competition, Georgia led the Tigers 98.400-97.850, but the Gym Dogs pulled away to nearly a point ahead after a solid beam set.

Georgia’s Courtney Kupets, a former Olympian and two-time NCAA all-around champion, won the beam event title with a 9.975. The senior is No. 1 in the nation on all-around, beam and uneven bars.

Meanwhile, Auburn (3-3, 1-2) posted a 49.075 — its highest event total of the meet — on floor. Rachel Inniss (9.875) and Puckett (9.850) had the Tigers’ highest scores.

Puckett again led her team on the balance beam with a 9.875. She placed second in the all-around with a 39.325 behind Kupets, who scored a 39.625. Mills came in third with a 39.125.

Yoculan, who has led the Gym Dogs to four straight national titles and nine overall, knew that with her team’s inconsistency this season, it was a possibility for the Tigers to defeat her team.

“They’re consistently a mid-196 range,” she said. “Their consistency can beat us. We’re vulnerable. We’re up and down in meets and practice ... If Auburn hit us on an off night, they would have won. They had a great team (Saturday). They’re more fit than I’ve ever seen them. They didn’t have a really weak routine. They were more even throughout their lineup.”

Thompson is hopeful that his team will benefit from the competition against Georgia.

“It’s the first time we’ve been in front a crowd this big this year,” Thompson said. “We didn’t fall, but also know that we have some work to do. We can be a 197 team.”