April 10, 2014
AUBURN, Ala. - Senior TJ Leon was named the SEC's Men's Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while diving coach Jeff Shaffer was honored as the league's Men's Co-Diving Coach of the Year for the seventh time, the Southeastern Conference announced on Thursday.
Leon, a native of Mobile, Ala., swam on the Tigers' 200 freestyle relay team that won the NCAA title in 2013 and finished third in the same event at the national meet this season. The senior finished his career as a five-time All-American and won the SEC title three times during his career in the 200 freestyle relay.
Academically, the senior is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies. Leon has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll as a Biomedical Sciences/Pre-Medicine major. During his three years in the College of Science and Mathematics, Leon has been named the Outstanding Student three times. Leon shares the honor with Florida's Brad deBorde.
Leon holds a 4.0 cumulative GPA and is the recipient of the Stanley Louis Sugar Memorial Scholarship Award for the highest GPA of any student-athlete on Auburn's swimming and diving team. After graduating from Auburn, Leon plans on attending medical school.
Shaffer earned his seventh career SEC Men's Co-Diving Coach of the Year after the Tigers placed two divers into the NCAA Championships this season. Under Shaffer's guidance, John Santeiu IV won the SEC title on the 1-meter springboard at the 2014 conference meet en route to picking up three-All-America selections at NCAAs, while junior Fraser McKean earned a pair of All-America honors at the NCAA Championships this season and a runner-up finish on the platform at the SEC Championships and NCAA Zone B Diving Championships.
During his 15 seasons at Auburn, Shaffer has coached 22 SEC Champions and 96 All-Americans. He shares the honor this season with Missouri's Jamie Sweeney.
Additionally, the SEC released its 2014 All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Teams. First-team All-SEC honors went to those student-athletes who finished first in each event at the SEC Championships in February, including relays. Second-team All-SEC honors went to the second and third-place finishers in each event at the SEC Championships, including relays. The top freshman finisher in each event was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Nine Auburn swimmers earned first or second team All-SEC honors, while five freshman earned selections to the All-SEC Freshman Team.
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2014 SEC Swimming and Diving Awards
Men's Swimmer of the Year: Marcin Cieslak, Florida
Women's Swimmer of the Year: Brittany MacLean, Georgia
Men's Diver of the Year: Mauricio Robles, Tennessee
Women's Diver of the Year: Laura Ryan, Georgia
Men's Freshman Swimmer of the Year: Mitch D'Arrigo, Florida
Women's Freshman Swimmer of the Year: Olivia Smoliga, Georgia
Men's Freshman Diver of the Year: Jordan Gotro, South Carolina
Men's Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: T.J. Leon, Auburn
Men's Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Brad deBorde, Florida
Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Shannon Vreeland, Georgia
Men's Swimming Coach of the Year: Gregg Troy, Florida
Women's Swimming Coach of the Year: Steve Bultman, Texas A&M
Co-Men's Diving Coach of the Year: Jeff Shaffer, Auburn
Co-Men's Diving Coach of the Year: Jamie Sweeney, Missouri
Women's Diving Coach of the Year: Dan Laak, Georgia
Men's All-SEC First Team
Marcelo Chierighini, Auburn
Kyle Darmody, Auburn
James Disney-May, Auburn
Michael Duderstadt, Auburn
T.J. Leon, Auburn
Arthur Mendes, Auburn
John Santeiu IV, Auburn
Men's All-SEC Second Team
Zane Grothe, Auburn
Fraser McKean, Auburn
Men's SEC All-Freshman Team
Kyle Darmody, Auburn
Michael Duderstadt, Auburn
Cameron Jones, Auburn
Joe Patching, Auburn
Women's SEC All-Freshman Team
Allyx Purcell, Auburn