Maroons swim past Black Knights

AUBURN - It would have been a sad sight, to attend an Auburn boys swim meet at the Auburn YMCA-WEIU without Rich Hamberger on the sidelines with the team he's coached to excellence for 11 years.

Though he wasn't at the edge of the pool, coaching the Maroons when they met at home for the first time this season on Wednesday, he was there. Watching and still coaching in his own way, Hamberger spent the meet away from the team in the balcony of the pool area as the Maroons easily defeated Rome Free Academy 98-64.

Now coached by the Maroons' girls coach Tom Clary Jr. while Hamberger awaits a liver transplant, Auburn didn't miss a beat against one of its oldest and biggest rivals, winning every event but one.