AU ROUNDUP: AU’s Targett qualifies for Olympic bid

Special to the News

Published: March 26, 2008

SYDNEY, Australia — Auburn’s Matt Targett secured his spot on the Australian Olympic Team on Wednesday at the 2008 Telestra Australian Swimming Championships.

The meet is being used as a selection meet for the Australian National Team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Targett is taking the year off from the Auburn swimming and diving team as the Olympic selection meet conflicts with the 2008 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships held this week in Federal Way, Wash.

The Hawthorn, Victoria native swam a 48.36 in the 100m freestyle to earn his place on the team, finishing behind 50m free World record holder Eamon Sullivan, who won the race with a time of 47.52 — just .02 seconds off the World record.

Targett entered the race as the No. 3 seed after he finished third in Tuesday’s semifinals. He was just short of a half-second faster than his semifinal time of 48.79.

Also competing this week at the Telestra Australian Swimming and Diving Championships is Auburn swimmer Rachel Goh, who is also taking the year off because of conflicts with the NCAA Championships. She was not active during Wednesday’s events.

Track’s Atkins named to SEC All-Freshman team
Joanna Atkins was named to the Southeastern Conference’s first-ever Indoor Track and Field All-Freshman team, the league office announced Wednesday. The team honors the top freshman finisher in each individual event from the SEC Indoor Championships.

Atkins was named to the team on the strength of her fifth-place finish in the women’s 400m at the indoor meet. Atkins finished with a time of 53.38 despite behind jarred to the outside of a turn by an elbow from another competitor who was disqualified.

Atkins had a season-best mark of 52.95 in the 400m, which ranks second in school indoor history. She qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships, where she placed 12th.

Women’s tennis takes home win over Marshall
The Auburn women’s tennis team defeated the Thundering Herd of Marshall, 6-1, sweeping all three doubles matches and winning five-of-six singles matches.

“Our team gave a very solid effort today,” said Auburn head coach Tim Gray. “Marshall is a very solid team and better than their ranking indicates. From top to bottom we took care of business today. Everybody was engaged mentally and physically, and that’s what we need on Fridays and Sundays in this league.”

Junior Whitney Chappell won Auburn’s first singles point on court four. She topped Isabell Raich, 6-2, 6-1. Melissa Koning earned Auburn’s second singles point on court three with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Jean Schwartz.