AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn athletics honored the best in athletic and academic achievement for athletics teams and individuals during the Spring 2018, Fall 2018 and Winter 2019 seasons for performances from April 2018-March 2019 at its AUSPY awards Monday evening. Fifteen student-athletes were inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the national student-athlete honorary, and 155 Tigers were recognized as members of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll. The individual and team winners:
TEAMS OF THE YEAR
2018 Equestrian: NCEA national champions for the fifth time;
2018-19 Men's Basketball: SEC tournament champs and NCAA Final Four
WAR EAGLE MOMENT
Men's golf wins SEC title: Men's golf won the 2018 SEC Championship in St. Simons Island, Ga., over rival Alabama in dramatic fashion. The championship was decided on the 18th hole of the final match between Auburn freshman Wells Padgett and Alabama's Jonathan Hardee. After a near hole-in-one by Hardee on the 17th hole, the two were all square heading to the 18th. After Hardee missed the green, Padgett sank a 20-foot putt to clinch his point and the conference championship for the Tigers.
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
Female (co-winners):
Caitlin Boyle (equestrian): One of the best seasons in Auburn history with a 32-8-2 overall record in Hunt Seat; helped Auburn win the NCEA National Championship, NCEA Equitation Over Fences title, and the overall NCEA Hunt Seat crown with a 13-1 mark at the national meet; went 7-0 in Fences and 6-1 in Flat in Waco; sealed the team national title victory with a 177-168 Fences win
Aly Tetzloff (swim/dive): Earned 7 All-America honors at this year's NCAA Championships, including 5th place finish in 100 fly and 8th in 100 back; Auburn recordholder in the 100 back (50.92) and 100 fly (50.61); swam on four school recordsetting relays at the SEC Championships and captured a SEC Championship as part of the 400 FR
Male:
Casey Mize (baseball): No.1 pick in the MLB draft; second two-time All-American and consensus All-American in program history; first Auburn pitcher to earn first team all-SEC honors since 2000; finalist for Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy; finished the season with a 10-6 record and 3.30 ERA in 17 starts
ROOKIES OF THE YEAR
Female:
Taylor St. Jacques (equestrian): 2018 NCEA All-Championship Team (Fences & Flat); 2018 NCEA Championship Most Outstanding Player (Flat); 2018 NCEA first team All-America (Flat), second team (Fences); SEC freshman rider of the year
Male:
Edouard Julien (baseball): Freshman All-American by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, D1 Baseball, NCBWA and Perfect Game/Rawlings; his 17 home runs were tied for second among freshmen nationally and the most by an Auburn player since 2010; 69 RBI broke Frank Thomas' freshman program record that had stood since 1987 and were the most in the SEC; SEC all-freshman team
COMEBACK AWARD
Women's Basketball at Vanderbilt: Auburn completed what is believed to be the biggest comeback in program history January 17 when the Tigers overcame a 20-point, third-quarter deficit to pull off a 72-70 win at Vanderbilt. Auburn trailed 49-29 with less than 8 minutes to play in the third quarter and outscored the Commodores 43-21 the rest of the way. Freshman Robyn Benton hit the game-winning shot and free throw with 8.6 seconds to play. It was the biggest comeback by a team in an SEC women's basketball game since 2003.
INSPIRATION AWARD
Gianna Montini (soccer): Gianna's mother Wendy was diagnosed with lung cancer; she knew at the 2017 SEC tournament her mom was not feeling well, but had no idea to what extent or the road she was facing in the coming months. In September, less than a year later, Gianna's mother passed away in California. Gianna played in every game but one; she played against Texas A&M and then got on a plane to California for the second time in a month. The first trip was earlier in the season when the soccer team played Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State; with Wendy watching from her hospital bed a few miles away, and many family and friends in the stands, Gianna hit the game-winner against LBSU, only her second career goal. The second trip was to attend her mom's funeral where she bravely honored her mom with a reading in front of the hundreds of mourners in attendance. Not only did Gianna captain the soccer team to the best start in program history and a fifth consecutive NCAA appearance, she did it with a smile on her face and unmatched strength.
SASS Academic Achievement Award: Horace Spencer, Men's Basketball
Highest Spring 2018 Team GPA: Volleyball 3.59; Men's Tennis 3.33
Highest Fall 2018 Team GPA: Volleyball 3.43; Men's Cross Country 3.23
Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Lauren Dunn, Swimming & Diving
Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Brandon Laubser, Tennis
Spirit of Auburn Award: Kam Martin, Football; Gianna Montini, Soccer
Passion Award: Foster Ballard, Men's Swimming & Diving; Samantha Cerio, Gymnastics