University of Tennessee Athletics
2001-02 SEC Year in Review
July 10, 2002 | Men's Track
July 10, 2002
Birmingham -- The Southeastern Conference, with its storied 70-year history of athletic achievements and academic excellence, has built perhaps the greatest tradition of intercollegiate competition of any league in the country since its inception in 1933.
The 2001-02 academic year was another season to remember for the SEC as conference teams captured six national titles and seven national runner-up finishes. Between the years of 1990 and 2002, the SEC won 87 national team championships for an average of more than seven per year.
Tennessee and LSU won the conference's first NCAA titles of the year, respectively, in men's and women's indoor track. Auburn won the women's swimming & diving title, while Alabama won women's gymnastics. LSU and South Carolina also won the men's and women's outdoor track & field championships, respectively. Florida finished third in the Sears Trophy final standings without winning a national title.
Overall, the SEC finished in the top two in 10 of its 20 sponsored sports and in the top five in 15 of the 20 sports. Eight SEC teams participated in football postseason bowls with Florida finishing the highest in the polls. Six men's and eight women's basketball teams were invited to the NCAA Tournament with Tennessee advancing to the Women's Final Four. Seven teams advanced to postseason play in baseball with South Carolina finishing second in the College World Series. With 156 teams, almost eight per sport, advancing to NCAA postseason competition, the SEC continued to solidify its place as the nation's premier conference.
In addition to the six team championships, 65 SEC student-athletes garnered individual national championships, while 334 individuals were awarded with first-team All-America honors. Student-athletes around the league continued to excel in the classroom as well with 1,353 earning recognition on the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
On the national all-sport level, the SEC placed six teams in the top 25 of the Sears/NACDA Director's Cup rankings. Florida led the league with a third-place finish. Georgia placed 8th, while LSU was 10th, South Carolina finished 11th, Tennessee 12th and Auburn 19th to round out the league's top 25 finishes. Nine of the SEC's 12 schools finished in the top 50 of the Sears Cup Standings. Alabama (32), Arkansas (35) and Kentucky (36) also made the top 50.
A brief sport-by-sport summary of the 2001-02 year follows:
Baseball: South Carolina finished second in the College World Series, losing to Texas in the Championship game. The SEC earned seven selections (Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, LSU and South Carolina). Three teams advanced to the Super Regionals with South Carolina advancing to the CWS. An SEC squad has now appeared in the College World Series 17 of the last 18 years. Alabama, as the second seed, won the SEC tournament title, 6-2, over South Carolina. South Carolina captured its second SEC regular-season title in three years with a 21-8 conference record. South Carolina's Yaron Peters was named SEC Player of the Year by the league's coaches, while Ole Miss' Seth Smith was named Freshman of the Year. Alabama skipper Jim Wells was named SEC Coach of the Year.
Men's Basketball: The SEC sent six teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2002, matching 1987, 1999, 2000 and 2001 as the only years the league sent six squads to the "Big Dance." Three other teams from the SEC also went to postseason play, participating in the NIT. The 2002 NCAA Tournament marked the 13th straight year the SEC had at least one team advance to the Sweet 16 (Kentucky). The SEC ended the 2002 regular season with Alabama winning its first SEC Championship since 1987 and Mississippi State capturing its second SEC Tournament title. Alabama swept the All-SEC Coaches Awards as Mark Gottfried was named SEC Coach of the Year, Erwin Dudley was honored with Player of the Year and Maurice Williams won Freshman of the Year honors. LSU, South Carolina and Vanderbilt joined the NIT field with the Gamecocks advancing to the NIT Championship game. The SEC has sent at least half of its members to postseason play for the last 24 consecutive seasons.
Women's Basketball: The SEC continued its tradition of excellence in women's basketball in 2001-02. The SEC landed an NCAA record-tying eight teams in the NCAA Tournament. The SEC first achieved this feat in 1999. It marked the 20th time in the 21-year history of the women's tournament that the SEC has paced the pack. Tennessee led the SEC, advancing to the Final Four, marking the ninth time in 10 seasons the SEC was represented at the Women's Final Four. Vanderbilt advanced to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season. Mississippi State's LaToya Thomas, Tennessee's Kara Lawson and Vanderbilt's Chantelle Anderson were all named first-team All-Americans. Anderson was named SEC Player of the Year by the Coaches and Thomas earned AP SEC Player of the Year honors. South Carolina's Susan Walvius garnered SEC Coach of the Year honors, while Georgia's Kara Braxton (Coaches) and Mississippi State's Tan White (AP) split the SEC Freshman of the Year awards. Tennessee claimed the league title with 13-1 SEC record, while Vanderbilt won its first SEC Tournament title since 1995. Alabama went to the WNIT, giving the league nine postseason teams.
Men's Cross Country: Arkansas finished third at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in its quest for a fourth straight national championship. Alabama finished 29th and Tennessee finished 30th in the race. Arkansas' men captured their 11th straight SEC crown and their amazing 28th consecutive conference title, dating back to 17 straight Southwest Conference titles prior to joining the SEC in 1991. Arkansas' John McDonnell and Alabama's Joe Walker were named SEC Male Cross Country Co-Coaches of the Year. The award marked McDonnell's seventh consecutive honor. David Kimani of Alabama garnered Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year honors for the second straight year and Arkansas' Jason Sandfort earned the SEC Freshman of the Year award.
Women's Cross Country: Arkansas came in 17th to lead the SEC at the NCAA Championships. The Lady Razorbacks also won their ninth SEC title. Arkansas' Andriena Byrd won her first SEC Female Athlete of the Year award, winning individual titles at the SEC Championship and the NCAA South Central Regional Championship. The Lady Razorbacks swept the awards as head coach Lance Harter earned his ninth SEC Female Cross Country Coach of the Year honor and Penny Splichal garnered SEC Freshman of the Year honors.
Football: The SEC sent eight of its teams to postseason bowl games in 2001-2002. For the 21st straight season, the SEC has recorded the largest total attendance figure of any conference in the nation, with over 5.5 million fans attending games in the conference in 2001. For the 2001-2002 bowl season, the SEC was 5-3, marking the sixth straight year that the league has won at least four postseason bowl games. Five SEC teams are ranked in the final Top 25 of the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN polls. Florida (3rd-AP/3rd-USA Today/ESPN) lead the SEC, while Tennessee (4th-AP/4th-USA Today/ESPN), LSU (7th-AP/8th-USA Today/ESPN), South Carolina (13th-AP/13th-USA Today/ESPN) and Georgia (22nd-AP/25th-USA Today/ESPN) are ranked in both polls. Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt was named consensus SEC Coach of the Year, while Florida's Rex Grossman garnered SEC Player of the Year honors and was a Heisman Trophy Award finalist. The Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's best wide receiver was awarded to LSU's Josh Reed.
Men's Golf: Seven SEC Men's Golf teams advanced to postseason play with three making the NCAA Championships. Florida finished 11th, Georgia tied for 21st, while Auburn tied for 28th. Alabama, LSU, South Carolina and Tennessee all competed in NCAA Regionals. Two SEC men's golfers were named first-team All-American.
Women's Golf: Nine SEC Women's Golf teams advanced to the postseason with five making the NCAA Championships. Auburn rebounded from a 17-stroke deficit after day two, finishing tied for second at the NCAA Championship. Georgia finished 5th, Florida was tied for 6th, Vanderbilt finished 18th and South Carolina finished 23rd. The SEC had seven individuals finish in the top 25. Alabama, LSU, Mississippi State and Tennessee all participated in NCAA Regionals, as well. In addition, five SEC athletes were named first team All-American.
Gymnastics: The University of Alabama (197.575) topped the University of Georgia (197.25) to finish first and second, respectively at the NCAA Championships in Tuscaloosa, Ala. LSU finished eighth and Florida finished 10th at the Gymnastics Championships. Alabama's Andree' Pickens won the uneven bars title and LSU's Nicki Arnstad won a share of the floor exercise title. Twelve SEC gymnasts were named first-team All-American. Georgia won its 12th SEC Championship scoring a 197.025. Alabama's Andree' Pickens took home the all-around, vault, uneven bars and balance beam titles. Georgia's Marline Stephens took the floor exercise title and shared the vault title with Pickens. Georgia head coach Suzanne Yoculan was named Coach of the Year and Alabama's Andree Pickens was named Athlete of the Year for the third consecutive season.
Soccer: Five teams, including Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee appeared in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, marking the 23rd appearance by SEC teams in the NCAA Tournament. Florida lost in the national semifinals and Georgia advanced to the second round. The Gators won their sixth straight conference title with a 2-1 victory over Auburn in the SEC Tournament. Florida's Abby Wambach topped the league in individual honors as SEC Player of the Year and MVP of the SEC Tournament. Nationally, Wambach was named NSCAA and Soccer Buzz first team All-America. Head coach Neil McGuire of Mississippi State was named SEC Coach of the Year.
Softball: In just its sixth season of competition in softball, the SEC sent a record seven teams to the NCAA Tournament. Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State and South Carolina represented the league in the NCAA Tournament with LSU and South Carolina advancing to the regional finals. LSU was the SEC Regular Season Champion and the SEC Tournament Champion. LSU's duo of Britni Sneed and Trena Peel earned SEC Pitcher of the Year and SEC Athlete of the Year honors, respectively. Auburn's Sara Dean and Florida's Mandy Schuerman were named SEC Co-Freshman of the Year and Auburn's Tina Deese, LSU's Yvette Girouard and South Carolina's Joyce Compton were named SEC Co-Coaches of the Year. The SEC boasts three first-team All-Americans.
Men's Swimming & Diving: The Auburn men's swim team finished third at the NCAA Championships. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee finished in the top 25. Individually, the SEC had two individual national champions and 38 first-team All-Americans. Auburn won its sixth straight SEC Championship and eighth in nine years. Adam Sioui of Florida was named SEC Male Swimmer of the Year and Kentucky's Clayton Moss was named SEC Male Diver of the Year. Florida's Greg Troy was named SEC Men's Swimming Coach of the Year and Kentucky's Mike Lyden earned SEC Men's Diving Coach of the Year honors.
Women's Swimming & Diving: Auburn earned their first-ever women's NCAA Championship in 2002, defeating three-time defending champion Georgia by 88 points. Martha Bowen of Auburn was named Swimmer of the Year and Barb Gorst of LSU took home the Diver of the Year award. Auburn's Margaret Hoelzer and Tennessee's Lauren McCalley were named SEC Freshman Swimmer and Diver of the year, respectively. David Marsh of Auburn and Scott Reich of LSU were named Women's Swimming and Diving Coaches of the Year, respectively. In addition, Florida won the SEC Championship, ending Georgia's five-year run.
Men's Tennis: All 12 SEC teams advanced to NCAA postseason action with six moving onto the round of 16 at the NCAA Men's Tennis Championships and Georgia finishing as national runner-up. Georgia loss to Southern Cal in the national championship match. The national semifinal appearances by Georgia and Tennessee marked the sixth straight year the SEC comprised at least half of the final four teams and the 10th consecutive year the conference had a team in the semifinals. Georgia won the SEC regular season and Tennessee won the SEC Tournament title. Georgia's Matias Boeker was named National Player of the Year and Auburn's duo of Andrew Colombo and Marc Kovacs were named Doubles Team of the Year. Ten individuals from the SEC were named first team All-American.
Women's Tennis: Florida fell to top-ranked and top-seeded Stanford in the National Championship match. SEC teams made up three of the four semifinal teams, including Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. Georgia won the SEC Championship with an 11-0 record while Florida took the SEC Tournament title. Auburn head coach Troy Porco was named SEC Coach of the Year. Jessica Lehnhoff of Florida was named SEC Player of the Year and was the Tournament MVP. Florida's Zerene Reyes was tabbed Freshman of the Year. The SEC boasts nine first-team All-Americans in women's tennis.
Men's Indoor Track & Field: Tennessee won its first NCAA Indoor Track & Field title with three other SEC teams close behind. Alabama finished second, LSU third, Arkansas fourth, South Carolina sixth, Mississippi State ninth, Auburn and Kentucky tied for 23rd, Florida 34th, Ole Miss tied for 35th and Georgia 41st at the NCAAs to once again prove the SEC's dominance in Track & Field. The SEC also had nine individuals earn national titles and 53 named All-American. Arkansas claimed it's 10th SEC Championship.
Women's Indoor Track & Field: LSU defeated two-time defending champion UCLA to win the NCAA Women's Indoor National title. The SEC placed three teams in the top five at the NCAA Championships. It was the 12th straight year the SEC has at least one team in the top two of the final results. Five other SEC schools scored at the national meet including Florida (3rd), South Carolina (4th), Arkansas (10th), Auburn (t-11th) and Tennessee (t-42nd). Nine individuals earned national titles and 47 earned All-American honors. Florida captured its fourth SEC Indoor Title with a school record 147 points.
Men's Outdoor Track & Field: LSU won their fourth NCAA Outdoor National title and first since 1990, surpassing Tennessee in the final event. Tennessee (2nd), Florida (t-4th), South Carolina (6th), Arkansas (7th), Alabama (t-11th), Auburn (t-11th), Georgia (t-11th), Mississippi State (15th) and Ole Miss (t-35th) also scored at the national meet. Tennessee won its second consecutive SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championship. Sixty-six individuals from the SEC earned All-American status and 20 won national titles.
Women's Outdoor Track & Field: South Carolina won its first-ever NCAA title in any event, winning the 4x400m relay with an NCAA meet and collegiate record. Three SEC schools finished in the top 10 of the NCAA Championships with LSU coming in fourth and Florida sixth. Other SEC point scorers were, Auburn (14th), Kentucky (t-37th), Tennessee (t-39th), Arkansas (t-45th) and Georgia (t-45th). The SEC had 34 individuals claim All-America honors and 10 more win individual national titles. South Carolina won the SEC Championship, scoring 148 points.
Volleyball: The SEC made it 12 straight years of sending at least two teams to NCAA postseason play. This season, Arkansas, Florida and South Carolina and Tennessee all participated in the NCAA Tournament. The Gators advanced to the Regional Final before falling to Nebraska to finish at 28-2. Florida finished the season seventh in the final USA Today/AVCA Poll and were undefeated in conference play for the seventh consecutive season earning them the SEC regular season and East Division Championship titles. Florida was also the SEC Tournament Champion, defeating Arkansas in the title game 3-2. The Gators have won nine of the last 10 SEC Tournament titles and 11 consecutive regular season titles. Florida head coach Mary Wise was named SEC Coach of the Year, Aury Cruz of Florida was awarded Player of the Year and Arkansas' Jennifer Haaser garnered Freshman of the Year honors.
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