AU ROUNDUP: Soccer’s Whitworth nabs another postseason honor

Auburn senior goalkeeper Allison Whitworth was recently named to the 2008 NSCAA/adidas Women’s Collegiate Scholar All-America Team, the organization has announced.

Whitworth, from Birmingham, was named to the third team. Previously tabbed the Southeastern Conference’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Whitworth has a 4.0 while pursuing her master’s in health promotion after graduating Summa Cum Laude in December of 2007 with a 3.89 GPA as a psychology major.

On the field she finished her senior season with a school-record 132 saves, giving her an Auburn-best 356 stops in her career. She also posted eight shutouts for the second straight season to give her 22 career shutouts and posted a 1.02 GAA as a senior to earn First Team All-SEC accolades after being tabbed a Second Team All-SEC selection as a junior.

Women’s tennis enters season ranked No. 27
The Auburn women’s tennis team, along with three singles players and a doubles team, appear in the initial 2009 national rankings released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association on Tuesday.

The Tigers, ranked 27th nationally, have ranked singles players in No. 6 Fani Chifchieva, No. 41 Melissa Koning and No. 86 Alex Haney.
Chifchieva is a two-time All-American in singles play. Koning and Haney pair up in doubles play and are ranked 22nd. The pair earned All-American accolades in 2008.

“To have three players ranked in the national singles is an awesome achievement for these players and this team,” head women’s tennis coach Tim Gray said. “We want to use this to continue to climb the rankings and to boost our recruiting efforts.”

The women’s tennis team opens the spring campaign Jan. 16-18, hosting the Auburn Winter Invitational at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.