AU softball improves to 4-0

The Auburn softball team continued its strong play in the Tiger Invitational, winning twice Saturday to improve to 4-0 on the season.

Due to predicted rain today, all game times have been moved up.

Auburn will play Furman at 1 p.m. Evansville will play Marshall in the first game at 8 a.m. and Gardner-Webb will play McNeese State at 10:30 a.m.

Auburn defeated Gardner-Webb, 2-1, in the 10 a.m. game Saturday. The Tigers followed that with a 7-2 victory over Marshall in the 3 p.m. game.

Coventry and Cielo set records at Grand Prix
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Records were falling Saturday as current and former members of the Auburn swim team made a splash at the Missouri Grand Prix.

Former Tiger and Olympian from Zimbabwe Kirsty Coventry headlined the opening-day finals as she set a new long course World record in the 200m back with a time of 2:06.39. The record was the second-oldest record in the book as Coventry passed by Krisztina Egerszegi’s time of 2:06.62, set in Athens, Greece on Aug. 25, 1991.

Also setting records was current Auburn swimmer and 2007 NCAA Swimmer of the Year Cesar Cielo with his win in the 100m free. This week’s CollegeSwimming.com National Swimmer of the Week clocked a 48.49 in the 100m free to beat Matt Grevers (49.61) by more than a second.

Not only is Cielo’s time his personal-best and an Auburn record, but it is also a new South American Record and a Missouri Grand Prix record.

Equestrian takes 10-7 win over Baylor
The Auburn equestrian team (7-2) defeated Baylor (4-8), 10-7, at the Auburn Equestrian Center on Saturday.

The Tigers defeated the Bears 6-2 in Hunt Seat, but lost 4-5 in Western.

“We made some improvements in several areas,” said Auburn head coach Greg Williams. “Our young riders are getting collegiate experience that will benefit them later in the season.

“Overall, it was a good win for us. This win helps us get ready for a tough Oklahoma State team.”

Track and field kicks off three-meet tour
The Auburn Track and Field Teams embarked on their first day of a three-meet tour at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., and Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa, on Friday.

Jacob Dunkleberger was the Tigers first-place finisher on the opening day of competition.

Women’s tennis drops match at Florida State
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The No. 30 Auburn women’s team (5-2, 0-0 SEC) lost, 5-2, to the No. 22 Florida State Seminoles (7-0, 0-0 ACC) on Friday.

The Seminoles snapped a five-match shut-out streak that the Tigers had been on since Jan. 23.

“This was a very good match against a very solid team,” said Auburn head coach Tim Gray. “We had plenty of opportunities and just didn’t convert when the opportunities presented themselves. We did compete extremely hard and these are the types of matches that will help us get better. I’m proud of how the team fought today.”