ATLANTA — Former LSU stars Xavier Carter and Seimone Augustus, the recipients of the 2005-06 Roy F. Kramer Southeastern Conference Male and Female Athletes of the Year, will be honored on Friday at the 2006 SEC Legends Dinner.
The Athlete of the Year honors were announced in June, but the pair will be officially honored by the league at the dinner in the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta on the eve of the SEC Championship football game.
Carter, a sprint sensation on the track, was LSU’s third male athlete to win the award, joining basketball’s Shaquille O’Neal (1991 and 1992) and track’s Walter Davis (2002). Augustus’ honor marked the first time an LSU female had been named the recipient of the award. Augustus capped her career as the most decorated women’s basketball player in school history.
The sweep by LSU’s Carter and Augustus marked just the third time that the league’s male and female athletes of the year have come from the same school in the same year. Tennessee’s Peyton Manning and Chamique Holdsclaw won the awards in 1998, while Alabama’s Cornelius Bennett and Lillie Leatherwood-King did it in 1987.
Carter capped an amazing outdoor season at LSU by becoming the first man since Jesse Owens in 1936 to win four titles at one NCAA Championship. He earned victories in the 100 (10.09), 400 (44.53) 4×100 relay (38.44) and 4×400 relay (3:01.58). He also became the first man in NCAA history to win both the 100 and 400 meters at the national meet.
The 10-time All-American posted the fastest times in the NCAA in the 200 (20.13) and the 400 (44.53). In addition, Carter won the 100 and 400 meters at the NCAA Mideast Regional and the 200 and 400 meters at the SEC Outdoor Championships.
During the 2005-06 indoor season, the Palm Bay, Fla. native earned the NCAA title in the 400 meters (45.28) and 4×400 relay (3:04.01) and was runner-up in the 200 meters (20.30). His time in the 400 was the fastest in the world in 2006, while all three times marked new school records.
Also a member of the LSU’s football team that posted an 11-2 mark during the 2005 season, Carter won a school record-tying seven NCAA titles on the track.
The No. 1 pick in the 2006 WNBA draft, Augustus graduated from LSU in three years with a degree in general studies. She entered in the WNBA in April needing less than 10 hours to receive a second degree (business) from LSU.
A three-time Kodak All-American, Augustus finished her career ranked second on LSU’s career scoring list and fifth in SEC history with 2,702 points. She led the nation in scoring as a senior (2005-06), averaging 22.7 points per game. She also set the NCAA record for most career double figure scoring games with 132.
The two-time SEC Player of the Year helped the Lady Tigers reach three straight NCAA Final Fours and ended her career as a two-time NCAA National Player of the year, winning the Wade Trophy, the Naismith Award, the John R. Wooden Award and the Associated Press National Player of the Year honors as a junior and a senior in 2005 and 2006.
Past recipients of the SEC Athlete of the Year Award included: 2005 – Ryan Lochte, Florida (swimming) and Kirsty Coventry, Auburn (swimming); 2004 – Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track) and Jeana Rice, Alabama (gymnastics); 2003 – Alistair Cragg, Arkansas (cross country/track) and LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State (basketball); 2002 – Walter Davis, LSU (track & field) and Andree’ Pickens, Alabama (gymnastics); 2001 – Matias Boeker, Georgia (tennis) and Amy Yoder Begley, Arkansas (cross country/track); 2000 – Kip Bouknight , South Carolina (baseball) and Kristy Kowal, Georgia (swimming); 1999 – Tim Couch, Kentucky (football) and Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball); 1998 – Peyton Manning, Tennessee (football) and Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee (basketball); 1997 – Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football) and Trinity Johnson, South Carolina (softball); 1996 – Danny Wuerffel, Florida (football) and Saudia Roundtree, Georgia (basketball); 1995 – Todd Helton, Tennessee (baseball) and Jenny Hansen, Kentucky (gymnastics); 1994 – Corliss Williamson, Arkansas (basketball) and Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming); 1993 – Jamal Mashburn, Kentucky (basketball) and Nicole Haislett, Florida (swimming); 1992 – Shaquille O’Neal, LSU (basketball) and Vicki Goetze, Georgia (golf); 1991 – Shaquille O’Neal, LSU (basketball) and Daedra Charles, Tennessee (basketball); 1990 – Alec Kessler, Georgia (basketball) and Dee Foster, Alabama (gymnastics); 1989 – Derrick Thomas, Alabama (football) and Bridgette Gordon, Tennessee (basketball); 1988 – Will Perdue, Vanderbilt (basketball) and Dara Torres, Florida (swimming); 1987 – Cornelius Bennett, Alabama (football) and Lillie Leatherwood-King, Alabama (track and field); 1986 – Bo Jackson, Auburn (football) and Jennifer Gillom, Ole Miss (basketball); 1985 – Will Clark, Mississippi State (baseball) and Penney Hauschild, Alabama (gymnastics); 1984 – Terry Hoage, Georgia (football) and Tracy Caulkins, Florida (swimming); 1983 – Herschel Walker, Georgia (football/track and field); 1982 – Buck Belue, Georgia (football/baseball); 1981 – Rowdy Gaines, Auburn (swimming); 1980 – Kyle Macy, Kentucky (basketball); 1979 – Reggie King, Alabama (basketball); 1978 – Jack Givens, Kentucky (basketball); 1977 – Larry Seivers, Tennessee (football); and 1976 – Harvey Glance, Auburn (track and field).