Infielder Anissa Young (Credit: Steve Franz, LSU Sports Information)

GRAND SLAM!

Girouard, Lady Tiger trio earn SEC honors

LSU softball coach Yvette Girouard earned SEC co-Coach of the Year honors in her final season at the helm of the program, and three Lady Tigers earned All-SEC honors for their 2011 performances, the league announced last week.

Pitcher Brittany Mack earned All-SEC First-Team honors, while infielder Anissa Young and outfielder Simone Heyward secured All-SEC Second-Team and All-SEC Freshman selections, respectively.

Girouard’s was the fourth SEC Coach of the Year honor of her career, the most by any coach in conference history. The Hall of Fame coach won the award outright in 2001, in addition to co-honors in 2002 and 2006

“We’re very excited for all of our SEC award winners,” Girouard said. “Brittany, Anissa and Simone have had outstanding seasons and been key components to why our team has been able to finish the season on a strong note.”??

“Brittany and Anissa have taken their games to the next level during their junior seasons,” Girouard continued. “They have provided some clutch moments in key situations when our team has needed them the most. Simone is a special talent that continues to get better each day and has a bright future ahead of her.”

A three-time SEC Pitcher of the Week recipient, Mack caught fire in league action, posting 13 wins with a 1.53 ERA and 123 strikeouts to rank among the SEC’s Top 3 in all categories. The junior right-hander recorded 10 or more strikeouts on five occasions, including 14 Ks against No. 1 Alabama, where she threw 14 innings on 234 pitches.  ??

Young provided the highlight of the season when she produced back-to-back walk-off homeruns during the Lady Tigers’ sweep of Alabama. Those performances helped her earn both SEC Player of the Week and USA Softball National Player of the Week honors.

Heyward, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, tallied hits in eight of her last 11 outings to end SEC play on a strong note. She also ranked among the conference’s Top 10 with 17 walks and 10 stolen bases in SEC games. ??

Bringing Down the Hammer

Henning earns third straight hammer title at SEC Outdoors

LSU senior thrower Walter Henning won his third consecutive Southeastern Conference hammer throw championship while setting a 2011 seasonal best last Thursday at Georgia’s Spec Towns Track.

Henning entered this year’s SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships with a modest seasonal best of 216 feet, 9 inches, but took a leading mark of 224-6 on his third throw of the competition, before improving with a seasonal-best mark of 225-4 on his sixth and final attempt to take the title.

In addition to his outdoor triple, Henning completed a third-straight season of SEC season sweeps, after taking home SEC Indoor championships in the 35-pound weight throw in each of the last three years.

It was not a dominant victory for Henning, however. Georgia freshman Justin Welch pushed the title-winner to the end, chasing Henning to within four inches of the lead before the senior’s final conference throw of his career sealed a more convincing win.

“Justin had me worried because I’ve never lost a conference meet,” Henning said in a press release. “He’s done well during his freshman season and has many great years ahead of him. You can tell he’s a tremendous competitor at this meet who wants to throw far. Fortunately, I was able to throw a little bit farther today.”

 Henning’s championship-winning throw moves him into the No. 4 position in the NCAA rankings this season in his quest to defend the national championship he won a season ago in Eugene, Ore.

 “It was a great competition with guys fighting for every point they could get,” he said. “I haven’t had too good of a season outdoors to this point, but I kind of resurrected it a little bit today.”

  Henning is only the third athlete in the history of the SEC Championships to win three league titles for the hammer throw, joining Georgia’s Andras Haklits (2000-02) and Auburn’s Cory Martin (2005, 2007-08).

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Men’s Golf vs. NCAA Regionals
• Thursday, May 19 – Saturday, May 21
• Blacksburg, Va. (Pete Dyer River Course)

Baseball @ Mississippi State
• Thursday, May 19 – 6:30 p.m.
• Friday, May 20 – 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday, May 21 – 2:00 p.m.
• Starkville, Miss. (Dudy Noble Field)

Softball v. NCAA College Station Regional
NCAA College Station Regional
Friday, May 20
Game 1: Syracuse vs. LSU – 4 p.m.
Game 2: Sacred Heart vs. No. 16 Texas A&M - 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 21
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner - TBA
Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser - TBA
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner - TBA

Sunday, May 22
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner - TBA
Game 7: Rematch if necessary – TBA