AU ROUNDUP: Groover to be given Walter Gilbert Award

Former Auburn basketball player Dr. Ray Groover will be presented the 2009 Walter Gilbert Award at halftime of the Tigers’ game against Furman at Jordan-Hare Stadium today.

The Walter Gilbert Award is given annually to former Auburn athletes who have distinguished themselves through achievements after graduation from Auburn. The award is given in memory of the Tigers’ three-time All-America center Walter Gilbert, who later became vice president of Texaco’s European Oil Operations.

“It totally floored me, and I didn’t have any idea,” said Groover, who also played three years of golf at Auburn. “I was kind of overwhelmed when I heard about it. I had a wonderful experience at Auburn. I can remember playing games and the band would start playing War Eagle, and you literally thought you could jump over the goal and the hair would rise up on your arms. It was a wonderful place to be. We had a very successful football program at the time, we were winning at basketball and track was very good. I played golf, too, and we had a very good golf team.”

Groover’s college roommate and teammate, Jimmy Fibbe, was the 2002 Walter Gilbert Award recipient.

“Living in Graves Center was a unique format, and I had a great roommate, Jimmy Fibbe, who also won the award,” said Groover. “I don’t know how many sets of roommates won the award, and that is pretty unique.”

Groover hit the game-winning basket just before the buzzer as 13th-ranked Auburn defeated Alabama, 63-61, in overtime in Montgomery to clinch the 1960 SEC Championship, the Tigers’ first in basketball.

“I don’t know how to describe something like that happening to you,” said Groover. “Henry Hart was supposed to get the shot and they weren’t switching all night. We ran a give and go and they switched, and I couldn’t get the ball to Henry and big 6-foot-8 guy was on me. I remember shooting a jumping fade away hook shot, and it went in and I got hit and was fouled. I remember laying on the floor on my back and seeing the ball go through the net. When I went back to shoot the free throw, everybody started jumping around and grabbing me, and I didn’t even shoot it.”

A Quitman, Ga., native, Groover was a three-year letterwinner from 1959-61 and still shares the Auburn single game records for free throws made (17) and free throws attempted (21) vs. Florida State on Dec. 10, 1960. He averaged 14.1 points as a senior in 1960-61 and 11.6 points for Auburn’s 1960 SEC Championship team while shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 79.3 percent from the foul line.

Upon completion of his Auburn career, Groover enrolled at the Medical College of Georgia where he earned his medical degree. He was then drafted into the Air Force, where he interned under a radiologist, eventually enrolling in the USAF Flight-Medicine program, where he specialized in Radiology.

Groover, a Vietnam veteran, and his wife lived in Hawaii from 1966-1969, where he worked as an Air Force doctor. The Groovers then moved to San Antonio, where he finished his radiological degree at Wilford Hall U.S. Air Force Hospital. In 1972, the couple moved to Homestead Air Force base in Miami for one year before he ended his career in the service.

After the Air Force, the Groovers moved home to Americus, Ga., where he practiced Radiology for four-and-a-half years, before moving to his current home, Birmingham, in 1979. While practicing, Groover performed operations on both President Jimmy Carter and President Richard Nixon.

Groover is now semi-retired, but does continue to practice a few days a month around the Birmingham area.

“Dr. Ray Groover is a complete Auburn man,” said Auburn Athletics Director Jay Jacobs. “He is an outstanding individual, made the game-winning shot in bringing Auburn its first SEC Championship in basketball, served our country and has benefited many, many people with his medical expertise. Dr. Groover is a wonderful addition to an impressive group of Walter Gilbert Award recipients. He has definitely made Auburn proud.”

Groover and his college sweetheart, Betty, have two daughters, Wendy and Kim, who are both graduates of Auburn University, and three grandchildren. Kim, the youngest of his daughters, was Miss Homecoming in 1989, and this year his niece, Grace Ann Sooter, is on the Homecoming Court at Auburn.

Groover is the 29th recipient of the Walter Gilbert Award.

Chifchieva falls in ITA consolation round
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Auburn women’s tennis player Fani Chifchieva lost her first round consolation matchup at the ITA Indoor National Tournament, falling to Yale’s Stephanie Kent, 7-6 (5), 6-4, on Friday.

The three-time All-American fell behind early in the first set against Kent trailing 4-1 through the first five games of set two. However, Chifchieva came storming back, winning four straight games to tie the set at 5-5 and forced a tie-break that she dropped 5-0 to lose the set 7-6 (5).

The second set saw Chifchieva, fall behind 4-1 rallying to cut Kent’s lead to 5-4, but ultimately she lost the second and deciding set, 6-4.
Chifchieva’s loss wraps up Auburn’s 2009 fall schedule. The Tigers will begin their spring season beginning Jan. 30-31 at the ITA National Team Qualifier in Los Angeles.

Equestrian travels for 2 meets on weekend
The top-ranked Auburn equestrian team plays against Sacred Heart today at 3 p.m. in Bethany, Conn., and Delaware State on Sunday at 9 a.m. in Dover, Del.

“We are really excited to be traveling up to the northeast to compete,” said Auburn head coach Greg Williams. “This will be a first to go head to head with both of these schools at their place. While anytime you travel, it is a big challenge to the riders, but I feel like this group is ready to win as a team. They care more about the team as a whole than themselves as individuals.”

Auburn is 4-1 on the season with their last win against defending Western national champion Texas A&M on Oct. 16. The Tigers have wins over eighth-ranked Texas Christian, Southern Methodist, Tennessee-Martin and third-ranked Texas A&M.

Riding for the Tigers against Sacred Heart in Hunt Seat Equitation on the Flat are Chelsea Anheuser, Anna Becker, Katie Breedlove and Lindsay Portela with Rachel Cooper as the alternate. Riding in Hunt Seat Equitation over Fences are Dottie Grubb, Maggie McAlary, Anna Schierholz and Grace Socha with Elise Fraza as the alternate.

Riding in Western Horsemanship are Mary Casey, Casey Fowler, Bailey Dymond and Kylie Miller with Paige Monfore as the alternate. Riding in Western Reining are Kristin Hansen, Lydia Hinshaw, Jessica Jones and Indy Roper with Monfore as the alternate.

Riding for the Tigers against Delaware State in Hunt Seat Equitation on the Flat are Cooper, Fraza, McAlary, Schierholz and Socha with Grubb as the alternate.

Riding in Hunt Seat Equitation over Fences are Anheuser, Becker, Breedlove, Grubb and Portela with Schierholz as the alternate.

Riding in Western Horsemanship are Beck, Hansen, Jones, Miller and Roper with Dymond as the alternate.

Riding in Western Reining are Fuller, George, Hinton, Monfore and Pope with Hinshaw as the alternate.

Volleyball swept at South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Auburn volleyball squad dropped a 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-21) match at South Carolina on Friday evening.

The Tigers fell to 14-11 overall and 6-8 in conference play, while the Gamecocks improved to 13-11 and 5-10 in the SEC.

“It is a disappointing loss for us and it’s hard to win when only a couple of people are playing up to par,” head coach Wade Benson said. “Not having everyone in the game really hurt us and this loss is going to hurt for awhile.”

Junior Jonelle Wallace had a season-best nine kills on the night, while classmate Morgan Johns finished with eight kills. Libero Liz Crouch had a match-high 19 digs and freshman Sarah Bullock tallied 12 digs for Auburn.

Megan Laughlin and Brandi Byers led South Carolina with 10 kills each.

Libero Sarah Cline had 16 digs and Ivana Kujundzic added 10 digs.

The two squads battled through Set 1 and with the set tied at 5, the Gamecocks used a 2-point run to take the 7-5 advantage. Down 2 at 11-9, Auburn pushed a 4-0 rally to take its first lead at 13-11.

The Tigers grabbed their largest lead at 19-14, but the Gamecocks fought back, going on an 11-3 run to win the set 25-22.

South Carolina jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead and held the slim advantage through the early portion of the second set. A 6-2 Auburn run tied the set at 12 apiece and the squads exchanged points up to the 16-16 mark. The Gamecocks put together a 3-point run to go up 19-16, but the Tigers fought back with a run of their own to take the 20-19 lead. The teams battled until the end, seeing South Carolina come out on top with a 25-23 win.

Set 3 saw the Gamecocks grab an early 8-4 advantage and push to take the 11-6 lead. A pair of Wallace kills cut the lead to two at 12-10 and a kill from Katherine Culwell brought Auburn within one at 15-14. South Carolina rallied to take another big lead at 20-16 and went on to win match 25-21.

The Tigers continue their SEC road swing, traveling to Gainesville, Fla., to take of the No. 9/11 Gators. The match is set for 1:30 p.m. and will be televised by SportsSouth.