Although two members of the Auburn swimming and diving teams are currently working on internships in Europe, they are still receiving awards on their athletic and scholastic success.
Dan Mazzaferro and Erica Meissner were honored at the June 2 SEC annual awards banquet held in Destin, Fla.
Both swimmers received the McWhorter Award for being the top male and female student athletes in the conference.
They will each receive a $15,000 post-graduate scholarship from AT&T.
"The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award is the highest honor a student-athlete can receive in the Southeastern Conference," said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. "The commitment and dedication that Dan and Erica embody make them excellent selections for the McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award. They are outstanding representatives of Auburn University and the Southeastern Conference."
Mazzaferro earned his degree in chemistry in May 2010 and will finish his masters of business degree in December.
He was named an Auburn Academic Top Tiger four times and was honored three times to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
He served as captain of the swimming and diving team this season and was the 2011 SEC champion in platform diving and the 3-meter event.
He is a nine-time All-American and was a U.S. Olympic diving finalist.
He was also recently named to the Capitol One At-Large All-America First Team after making the second team in 2009.
"Dan is very deserving of this honor and has represented Auburn well throughout his career," said Brett Hawke, head swimming and diving coach. "He has been stellar in the pool during his time and has been a great role model in the classroom. We are very proud of him and excited for what the future has in store for him."
Mazzaferro is one of only nine Auburn swimmers to be named an Academic All-American and one of only six first-teamers.
A two-time SEC Diver of the Year, Mazzaferro was also a member of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America Scholar All-American Team.
Mazzaferro also won the 2011 SEC Commissioner's Cup as the highest scorer at the SEC Championships and was the 2011 SEC Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Meissner is a member of three honors fraternities and will earn a degree in anthropology this summer. She was also a Rhodes Scholarship finalist.
Meissner was named an Academic All-American Second-Team member after being named to the All-District First Team.
This marks the first time since 2006, only the fourth time ever, for Auburn's swimming and diving team to have two recipients in the same year.
"This is a great honor for Erica and really exhibits the hard work she put in during her career, both in the pool and the classroom," Hawke said. "She has been a great role model to her teammates during her time at Auburn and we cannot wait to see where the future takes her."
She earned All-America honors in 2008 and is a two-time College Swimming Coaches Association of America Scholar All-American.
Meissner had Auburn's second- best time this season in the 200 backstroke and the 200 individual medley.
The SEC awards were accepted by the athletes' parents, Thomas and Cyntia Mazzaferro and Walt and Rosemarie Meissner, since both are out of the country.
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