AU ROUNDUP: Host of Tigers honored by SEC

By WRBL Staff

Published: February 25, 2008

Auburn head swimming coach Richard Quick and head diving coach Jeff Shaffer, along with swimmers Cesar Cielo and Kara Denby, earned four of the SEC’s postseason honors, the league announced Monday.

Quick, Auburn’s first-year head coach, was named SEC Men’s Coach of the Year, while Shaffer was named SEC Men’s Diving Coach of the Year. Cielo earned SEC Male Swimmer of the Year honors, with Denby being named the SEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row.

The Tigers are coming off their 12th consecutive SEC Championship last weekend, their 14th overall championship. Auburn scored 806 points to pull out a 94-point victory over Florida, its nearest competitor.

Softball travels to Alabama A&M
The Auburn softball team will play a doubleheader against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs this afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium in Huntsville. Game 2 is slated to begin at 3 p.m.

“We’re excited about the chance to play in front of our fans in Huntsville,” Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. “We have a couple of players from Huntsville, Megan Mitchell and Anna Thompson, and I’m sure they are looking forward to going home and playing these games.”

A Grissom High School graduate, Anna Thompson leads the Auburn pitching staff with a 5-1 record and a 0.90 ERA in her sophomore season. Thompson has struck out 55 batters in 39.0 innings of work and has walked only five. Freshman Megan Mitchell, who graduated from Madison Academy, has appeared in nine games this season and scored a pair of runs.

The Tigers are 10-1 and are coming off a 4-1 showing at the University of Central Florida Tournament in Orlando this past weekend. Auburn defeated Central Florida, George Mason, Drake and Birmingham Southern at the tournament and suffered its only defeat to 12th-ranked Michigan.

Women’s golf in 6th after first round
TUCSON, Ariz. — The ninth-ranked Auburn women’s golf team opened play at the Wildcat Invitational on Monday, firing a 9-over 292. The Tigers are currently sixth with two rounds remaining at the par 71, 6,166-yard Arizona National Golf Course.

Three Tigers are currently in the top 20 with freshman Cydney Clanton leading the way in 14th. Clanton was even through 16 holes before double bogeying on 17. A birdie on 18 put her at 1-over 72.

Mariana Macias and Abigale Schepperle are tied for 19th after going 2-over 73. Candace Schepperle fired a 3-over 74 and is tied for 30th. Margaret Shirley had four bogeys on the day and one double bogey and is tied for 45th at 5-over 76.

No. 4 Arizona State leads the team race after shooting 3-over 287. No. 8 Arizona, No. 15 Oklahoma State, No. 1 Duke and No. 2 UCLA are all tied for second after turning in an opening round of 4-over 288. Duke’s Amanda Blumenherst leads the individual race after firing 3-under 68. Stanford’s Mari Chunis in second at 2-under 69.

Second round action begins today at 9:20 a.m.