Coaches vote Magnuson best

Swimming in uncharted water is becoming custom for Christine Magnuson of Tennessee.

The senior sprint freestyler/butterflyer is the first Lady Vol to be named SEC women's swimmer of the year in a poll of coaches by the News Sentinel. Ten women's coaches voted and Magnuson received 10 votes. She was the only unanimous choice in the balloting for the league's top performers.

It's no wonder after the dual-meet season and SEC Championships she dominated. Magnuson won the 50 and 100 freestyles and set SEC records in the 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle. She also swam a leg on the winning 200 freestyle relay.

Magnuson won the NCAA 100-yard butterfly Friday at Ohio State University.

This is the 38th year that coaches have made the selections for the News Sentinel.

Meanwhile, Auburn super sprinter Cesar Cielo was unseated as men's swimmer of the year by Georgia distance swimmer Sebastien Rouault.

They had a super SEC meet, each winning two events in record time. Rouault got votes from five of the eight men's coaches. Rouault won the 500 and 1,650 freestyles each for a fourth consecutive year - knocking 5.34 seconds off the 1,650 record. Cielo (41.78) became the first to break 42 seconds in the 100 freestyle after shattering the 50 freestyle mark in 18.91 seconds.

Coaches couldn't agree on divers of the year. Last year's men's top diver, Chris Colwill, won balloting over Aaron Fleshner of Alabama and Kelly Marx of Auburn. LSU's Rachel Ware was the choice over teammate Paige Brown and UT's Lauren LeRoy.

Matt Kredich, in his third season with the Lady Vols, and veteran Gregg Troy of Florida tied for SEC women's coach of the year, edging Auburn's Dorsey Tierney-Walker by a half vote.

Richard Quick, who returned to Auburn as a successor to David Marsh, got the coaches' nod over the Gators' Troy for men's swim coach of the year.

And in an unusual twist, Jeff Shaffer of Auburn was voted men's diving coach of the year and Doug Shaffer of LSU was voted the best women's diving coach. Alabama's Pat Greenwell and Kentucky's Mike Lyden also received votes.

Kredich was more upbeat about Magnuson's honor than his.

"The SEC meet was almost a legendary series of performances by Christine," he said. "Beginning with the first night when she led off the 800 relay with the second-fastest 200 freestyle swim all-time by a a woman. She swam a second and a half faster than she'd ever been, and from then on everything she did I found my self spectating rather than coaching her. It was easy to get caught up in her swims."

On sharing women's swim coach of the year with Florida's Troy, Kredich said, "It was just the reflection of what a great year this has been for us - from the first meet to the last. Our team rose to the occasion, exceeded all of our expectations. People notice ... and it's an honor to be recognized by your peers."

He also complimented Quick on being selected men's swim coach of the year, saying, "Richard did a great job, and should be recognized. Auburn doesn't have the same team it had a year ago, and the way his team rebounded, especially after the defeat it suffered to the Tennessee men. There were absolutelyl outstanding at the SEC meet."

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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