Auburn honored eight seniors in the Tigers' final home dual meet of the regular season Saturday, Jan. 24, at James E. Martin Aquatics Center.
It was emotional for the seniors after the meet, but not because the women dropped, 152-148, or the men fell short, 158-142, in a tough loss to conference rivals Florida.
Hanging with one of the nation's best swimming and diving programs gave the Tigers confidence they can compete against any other program, said head coach Brett Hawke.
The emotions sparked from four years of hard work and building close relationships, a journey that will come to an end for eight seniors.
Four from the men's side: Allen Browning, Alex Hancock, Fraser McKean and Tommy McKee; and four from the women's side: Cinzia Calabretta, Megan Fonteno, Sarah Peterson and Shanna Schuelein; were recognized before the start of the competition.
Fonteno, who swam in the final relay where Auburn was just short of touching before the Gators, said her teammates will have everlasting impressions on her.
"When you come to college, you don't realize the impact these people are going to have on you, and these girls will never know the impact they have had on me and my life," Fonteno said. "I can't thank them enough. They haven't just helped me become a better swimmer, but a person too."
McKean, who closed out his last home meet with a pair of wins in diving and set a season-best in the men's 1-meter springboard, said he is going to miss the team atmosphere.
"We've been together, especially the senior group, four years now," McKean said. "We're always there for each other, yelling for each other, cheering for each other. It's just a lot of fun."
The senior said his last regular-season dual meet had to be up there with one of his best memories inside James E. Martin Aquatics Center because his father was able to make the trip to Auburn all the way from Victoria, British Columbia.
"He doesn't really come down that often," McKean said. "It's a long way from home. It's really special to have him here with me tonight."
For Fonteno, the end of the meet was sad, but more exciting.
"I couldn't have asked for a better way to finish," Fonteno said. "Winning would have been nice, but you could really tell that everyone gave 110 percent today. There is no one I would rather share it with than these girls."
Hawke said he was proud of his seniors and their years of dedication to the team.
"They really give their heart and souls, so it's always nice when you can finish off the season really strong," Hawke said.
McKean said it was a day of "good energy" and "good events" where everything came together.
The regular-season dual meets are finished, but Auburn's seniors look to race alongside their teammates one more time at home when the Tigers host the SEC Championships starting Feb. 14.
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