Auburn's Kirsty Coventry and Florida's Ryan Lochte have been named the 2004-2005 Roy F. Kramer Male and Female SEC Athletes of the Year by a vote of the league's athletics directors.

"Ryan and Kirsty are excellent representatives for their universities and this conference," SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said. "They have competed at the highest level and through their hard work, dedication and commitment have shown the true meaning of being a student-athlete. The SEC is very proud to honor these two student-athletes for their accomplishments. We congratulate them on their efforts and wish them the best in their future endeavors."

"I am very excited to be named the SEC Athlete of the Year," Coventry said. "I am honored and happy. I couldn't have done it without my teammates, coaches and family and all the love and support they have given me through the years."

The 2005 Honda Award Winner for Swimming, Kirsty Coventry finished her collegiate career by capturing three individual titles at the 2005 NCAA Championships. She won the 200 Backstroke for the second consecutive season while also sweeping the individual medley events. She claimed the most points of any individual at the meet, making it the first time an Auburn swimmer has been the NCAA High Point Scorer. Her 200 Backstroke and 400 IM national titles came in the second-fastest times in NCAA history. She also established the school-record in the 200 Freestyle and the 200 Backstroke at NCAAs. For her efforts, she was named the CSCAA Swimmer of the Meet.

She won the same three events in winning the SEC's Commissioner's Trophy, setting conference records in the 200 IM and 200 Backstroke in the process and was named the SEC Women's Swimmer of the Year.

At the 2004 Olympics, Coventry won gold in the 200-meter backstroke, silver in the 100-meter backstroke and bronze in the 200-meter individual medley. The medals were the first Olympic swimming medals for her native Zimbabwe.

Coventry becomes just the fourth Auburn athlete, male or female, to be honored by the SEC, joining football star Bo Jackson (1986), swimmer Rowdy Gaines (1981) and track and field standout Harvey Glance (1976). She is also the fourth female swimmer to ever win the award, joining Georgia's Kristy Kowal (2000) and Florida's Nicole Haislett (1993 & 1994), Dara Torres (1988) and Tracy Caulkins (1984).

Junior Ryan Lochte captured a 2004 Olympic gold medal as a member of the U.S.'s 800-meter free relay team that set an American record of 7:07.33. He also won an Olympic silver medal in the 200-meter Individual Medley. His time of 1:58.78 is a University of Florida record time and ranks third fastest all-time in the history of the event.

During the 2004-05 collegiate season, the Daytona Beach, Fla. native earned the NCAA Swimmer of the Meet, SEC Swimmer of the Year, the SEC Commissioner's Trophy (awarded to the athlete that earned the most points at the SEC meet), the U.S. Open High Point Award and the Ben Hill Griffin Award (presented annually to the top UF athlete).

In the pool, Lochte eclipsed two American, three U.S. Open, three NCAA, nine SEC and 10 Florida records. He won two individual NCAA crowns (200 IM and 200 Backstroke) and was part of the NCAA champion 800 free relay title. He also claimed three SEC individual titles (200 Backstroke, 200 IM, 400 IM) and was a member of four relay teams (400 FR, 800 FR, 200 MR, 400 MR) that claimed SEC crowns.

Past recipients of the SEC Athlete of the Year Award included: 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 Lewis, 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).