SEC Talk

STELLAR YEAR FOR THE SEC

Following LSU’s dramatic title win in the College World Series, the Southeastern Conference is closing one of its most successful seasons. The SEC posted five national champions and five runner’s up during the 2008-2009 academic year.

National Championships came in football (Florida), men’s swimming and diving (Auburn), women’s indoor track & field (Tennessee), gymnastics (Georgia) and LSU (baseball). Runner’s up came from men’s golf (Arkansas), gymnastics (Alabama), softball (Florida), women’s swimming and diving (Georgia) and men’s indoor track & field (Florida).

The SEC has 179 team national championships in its 76 years of existence, including 63 since 2000. The only sports that haven’t won titles this decade are women’s cross country, volleyball, soccer and softball.

Not too shabby, huh?

NBA DRAFT

No SEC player was selected in the first round of Thursday’s NBA draft… no surprise there. A trio of guards went in the second round, led by Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks (41st pick, Milwaukee Bucks), LSU’s Marcus Thornton (43rd pick, Miami Heat - traded to New Orleans Hornets), and Florida’s Nick Calathes (45th pick, Minnesota Timberwolves).

HITTING THE BOOKS

The SEC didn’t only score wins on the field this year, but led all conferences in student-athletes recognized as ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans. Fifteen earned 1st team honors, 14 were named 2nd team, while 12 earned 3rd team recognition.

SEC Student-Athletes Earning CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Recognition
[NOTE: Listed in alphabetical order by last name
* - Sport does not have its own team, listed as At-Large Team by CoSIDA]

Listed in alphabetical order by last name
* indicates sport at-large selection, as sport does not have its own team

1st Team (15)
Mallory Blackwelder, Kentucky, *Women’s Golf, Versailles, Ky.
Sarah Bowman, Tennessee, Women’s Track & Field, Warrenton, Va.
Lisa Caprioglio, Georgia, *Women’s Swimming & Diving, Highlands Ranch, Col.
Kevin Greer, Alabama, *Men’s Swimming & Diving, Sylacauga, Ala.
Lillian Hammond, Tennessee, Softball, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Kristina Hilberth, Florida, Softball, Dunedin, Fla.
Tim Masthay, Kentucky, Football, Murray, Ky.
Courtney Kupets, Georgia, *Gymnastics, Athens, Ga.
Blakely Mattern, South Carolina, Women’s Soccer, Simpsonville, S.C.
Charlotte Morgan, Alabama, Softball, Moreno Valley, Calif.
Stacey Nelson, Florida, Softball, Los Alamitos, Calif.
Kassi Price, Alabama, *Gymnastics, Plantation, Fla.
Katie Stripling, Arkansas, Women’s Track & Field, Jonesboro, Ark.
Tim Tebow, Florida, Football, Jacksonville, Fla.
Phoebe Wright, Tennessee , Women’s Track & Field, Signal Mountain, Tenn.

2nd Team (14)
Amanda Alexander, Tennessee, Women’s Track & Field, Nashville, Tenn.
Sam Arthur, South Carolina, Men’s Soccer, Roswell, Ga.
Kelsey Bowers, Florida, Volleyball, Gainesville, Fla.
Chelsea Bramlett, Mississippi State , Softball, Cordova, Tenn.
Tara Diebold, Arkansas, Women’s Track & Field, Branson, Mo.
Chad Hagerty, Kentucky, Men’s Soccer, Louisville, Ky.
Tiffany Huff, Tennessee, Softball, Saugus, Calif.
Jenn Johnson, Auburn, Women’s Soccer, Loganville, Ga.
Ben Jones, Auburn, Baseball, Decatur, Ala.
Dan Mazzaferro, Auburn, * Men’s Swimming & Diving, Cheshire, Conn.
Blake Strode, Arkansas, *Men’s Tennis, St. Louis, Mo.
Grace Taylor, Georgia, *Gymnastics, Aiken, S.C.
Bram Ten Berge, Ole Miss, *Men’s Tennis, Maarssen, Netherlands
Dorian Ulrey, Arkansas, Men’s Track & Field, Port Byron, Ill.

3rd Team (12)
Sammie Jo Bailey, Mississippi State, Softball, Lithonia, Ga.
Denise Bargiachi, Arkansas, Women’s Track & Field, Memphis, Tenn.
Stephanie Brombacher, Florida, Softball, Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Clark Burckle, Florida, *Men’s Swimming & Diving, Louisville, Ky.
Rabun Fox, LSU, Track & Field, Houma, La.
Ali Gardiner, Florida, Softball, Waccabuc, N.Y.
Elliott Haynie, South Carolina, Men’s Track & Field, Atlanta, Ga.
Jen Lapicki, Tennessee, Softball, Oldwick, N.J.
Curt McGill, South Carolina, Men’s Track & Field, Spartanburg, S.C.
Lee Ellis Moore, Ole Miss, Men’s Track & Field, Cordova, Tenn.
Ashton Payne, South Carolina, Softball, Richmond, Va.
Christina Wirth, Vanderbilt, Women’s Basketball, Mesa, Ariz.