April 5, 2018
Hugo Gonzalez, who set three school records and recorded three top-three finishes at the 2018 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships, has been named the SEC Swimming and Diving Male Freshman of the Year, the conference office has announced.
Gonzalez, from Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Spain, established school records in the 200 back (1:39.05), 200 IM (1:40.67) and 400 IM (3:35.76) during a freshman season that included 16 individual event wins, an SEC Championship in the 400 IM, a runner-up finish in the 200 IM and a third-place finish in the 200 back. The versatile freshman also recorded top-10 times in the 200 free (1:34.79/t-10th), 100 back (46.24/9th) and 200 breast (1:53.98/4th), holding NCAA qualifying times across seven events.
Gonzalez was named the SEC Freshman and CollegeSwimming.com SEC Swimmer of the week twice and was the SEC Swimmer of the Week once.
The SEC has named a Freshman of the Year every year since 2000 and Gonzalez is the first Auburn male swimmer to win the Award. The program has had three SEC Male Freshman Diver of the Year in Caesar Garcia (2001), Dan Mazzaferro (2007) and Thad Ellis (2010).
Across both the men's and women's teams, Auburn also had six All-SEC First Team selections, nine All-SEC Second Team selections and four SEC All-Freshman Team selections.
For the All-SEC Teams, the First Team consists of the top finisher in each event at the SEC Championships and the Second Team consists of the second- and third-place finishers in each event. The All-Freshman Teams consist of any redshirt or true freshman who finished either in the top eight or was the highest scoring freshman of each event at the SEC Championships, excluding relay events.
Grant Schenk and Erin Falconer were also recognized for their work in the community, being named to the SEC Community Service Teams during the conference championships.
Schenk, a senior from San Diego, Calif., is the 2017-18 Student Athlete Advisory Committee President. He has volunteered at the Bravehearts Center for Place and Purpose and served as the lead coordinator SAAC Campus Food Pantry Initiative, which set goals, created awareness and determined key items needed for donation. He is also the lead coordinator of SAAC Annual Clothing Drive, which aided those affected by various national disasters in the U.S. and the lead coordinator of SAAC "It's the Little Things" Outreach in which he delegated and organized information to team representatives to collect hotel toiletries from travel to benefit women's shelters in the Opelika community and Salvation Army emergency relief packs. He is the lead coordinator of SAAC Monthly Service Project, which included creating an event for elementary school children to come and experience what a student-athlete's life would be like. Schenk coordinated with the Auburn Dept. of Sports Physiology to create a presentation on healthy living and exercise. He also presented to students about the character traits, Auburn Creed, and moral values needed to be successful in the classroom and on the field of play. Schenk served as lead coordinator for SAAC Valentine's Day Veteran Affairs Outreach in Tuskegee and the co-lead coordinator for SAAC Angel Tree. He volunteered at the city of Auburn Downtown Trick or Treat and at the Lee County Humane Society. Schenk is a member of the 2017 Mortar Board National Honor Society, Sphinx Chapter and was a part of the 2016 NCAA Leadership Forum. He was a USA Swimming Olympic Trials Qualifier in 2012 and 2016.
Falconer, a junior from Mundelein, Ill., participated in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee community service trip this past summer, volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity House and then at the Birmingham Zoo. She has also volunteered at the Lee County Humane Society and the Lee County Blessings in a Backpack program through the Jason Dufner Foundation. Falconer was a group leader for Connect in the Auburn Athletics Dept., mentoring freshman and transfer athletes at Auburn as they acclimate to their new lifestyle on campus. She also volunteered at the city of Auburn Downtown Trick or Treat. A 2017-18 team captain, Falconer is a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. She served as a swim instructor for Swim Across America in Lincolnshire, Ill., (2015). Falconer was a 2016 USA Swimming Olympic Trials Qualifier.
2018 SEC Swimming & Diving Awards
SEC Male Freshman of the Year: Hugo Gonzalez
All-SEC First Team: Zach Apple, Hugo Gonzalez, Ashton Ellzey, Erin Falconer, Julie Meynen, Aly Tetzloff
All-SEC Second Team: Tommy Brewer, Santiago Grassi, Peter Holoda, Scott Lazeroff, Liam McCloskey, Haley Black, Robyn Clevenger, Carly Cummings, Breanna Roman
All-Freshman Team: Josh Dannhauser, Hugo Gonzalez, Erin Norton, Sonnele Oeztuerk
SEC Community Service Team: Grant Schenk, Erin Falconer