Special to the News

The Auburn softball team resumes conference play this weekend with a three game series against the South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia.

The teams will play a doubleheader beginning at noon today and will play one game Sunday at 1 p.m. Sunday’s game will be televised by FOX Sports South (Channel 26 in Lee County).

The Tigers are 31-9 overall and 9-5 in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina is 17-15 overall and 5-7 in league play. Auburn’s last five wins in the series have come by shutout. The Tigers are 4-9 all-time in Columbia.

Women’s tennis falls to No. 3 Florida
The Auburn University women’s tennis team (13-6, 3-6 SEC) gave the No. 3 Florida Gators a run for their money Friday, winning three singles matches, but the Gators prevailed 4-3 over Auburn.

“We did everything we could, but Florida stepped up,” said Auburn head coach Tim Gray. “I am getting ready to tell the team to look at where our program was, and the matches we have played Florida the last two years, and look at where we are now.

“We were inches away from that win.”

Melissa Koning won Auburn’s first singles point, easily defeating No. 106 Megan Alexander in the three spot. After falling behind 3-1, Alex
Haney improved the Tigers score to two with her three-set victory (6-3, 2-6, 6-1) on Court 2. Fani Chifchieva tied the score up with her 6-1, 8-6 victory over No. 27 Julia Cohen on Court 1.

Jil Hastenrath battled to three sets in the five spot, but Anastasia Revzina clinched the win for the Gators with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, victory.

Auburn dropped the doubles point with tough losses in the two and three spots. Koning and partner Haney prevailed however, with an 8-4 win over Benik and Borsanyi in the one spot.

The Tigers will be back in action Sunday to host the No. 30 Carolina Gamecocks at 1 p.m.

Men’s tennis blanked by 11th-ranked Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The No. 26 Auburn men’s tennis team dropped its first of three-straight road matches, 7-0, at No. 11 Florida on Friday at the Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville.

Auburn (9-10, 3-6 SEC) was swept for the second straight match Friday against Florida (12-5, 7-2 SEC).

Auburn continues to Columbia, S.C. to face No. 57 South Carolina on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Dunkleberger wins hammer throw
Senior Jacob Dunkleberger won the hammer throw with a nation-best mark Friday to start competition at the Tiger Track Classic.

The men’s hammer throw was the only event contested during the opening day, as the women’s hammer was delayed until 10 a.m. today due to weather and the rest of the meet was already scheduled to take place today, as well.

Dunkleberger had a winning throw of 71.42 meters (234-4), easily topping the best mark in the nation this year of 67.82m by Boldizsar Kocsor of UCLA.

Six freshman honored by SEC swimming, diving
Six Auburn swimmers were named to the 2008 SEC Swimming and Diving All-Freshman Team on Friday, following their performances last month at the SEC Championships.

The team honors the top freshman finisher in each event at the SEC Championships. Erica Meissner, Melanie Roberts and Josefin Wede represented Auburn on the women’s team, while Andrew Mitchell, Kohlton Norys and Adam Klein made the men’s team.

Puninski qualifies for Croatian Olympic team
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Auburn senior Alexei Puninski punched his ticket to the Olympics on Friday night as the Croatia native finished third in the 100m butterfly with an Olympic A standard time of 52.61 at the Toyota
Grand Prix at Ohio State University.

Puninski’s time is a personal-best in the event and ranks second all-time at Auburn. He finished third in the event behind former Michael Phelps (51.90) and former Auburn swimmer Fred Bousquet (52.29), who set a new French national record in the 100m fly.

Earning a win Friday night at the Toyota Grand Prix meet was former Auburn swimmer Eric Shanteau as he took the top spot in the 200m IM with a time of 2:01.74.

Also competing at the meet is AU sophomore Alana Dillette. The Bahamas native came a half-second short of making her home country’s
Olympic team as she finished second in the 100m fly consolation final, 10th overall, with a time of 1:01.99.

Also competing at the meet this weekend is Auburn junior Cesar Cielo. The Brazil native will make his first appearance today, swimming in the 50m free.

Auburn sophomore Pascal Wollach was back in action at the Canadian Olympic Trials in Montreal, finishing 14th in the 100m prelims with a time of 51.59.