Two Tiger teams will battle it out in the LSU Natatorium at 2:30 p.m. today when the LSU swimming and diving team hosts Auburn.Despite sharing a mascot, the two teams have traveled very different paths to get to their meeting today.Auburn has faced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows over the past year. The men’s team experienced the thrill of victory last spring when it won its 15th Southeastern Conference title and eighth national title.But the members of the team faced the agony of defeat this summer when they lost their head coach.Richard Quick passed away June 10 after a six-month battle with inoperable brain cancer, leaving behind a legacy of 13 NCAA titles at Stanford and Auburn, along with the numerous accolades he achieved as a coach during six different Summer Olympics.New coach Brett Hawke said the team is trying to focus on the positive things Quick taught them despite the tough situation.”It was a devastating loss for us losing Richard over the summer,” Hawke said. “It’s very hard to see the negative when there’s so much positive Richard gave us. We’re really trying to focus on those things and embrace his life and the qualities of his life.”After Quick was diagnosed with brain cancer in December 2008, Hawke was promoted to co-head coach, where he shared the responsibilities with Quick. Hawke said transition was smooth, and the loss has only made the team stronger.”It’s made us hungry, and that’s affected us in a positive way,” Hawke said. “That’s the beauty of Richard Quick. He just had the ability to do that even in his death.”As the Auburn team starts a new chapter, returning to LSU brings Hawke full circle. LSU coach Adam Schmitt coached Hawke when he was a swimmer at Auburn.”It’ll be strange,” Hawke said of returning as head coach. “It’s just good that it can come full circle. I’m really excited to get back and spend some time with him.”Schmitt, who coached three members of Auburn’s staff, said it is funny to see his swimmers return as coaches.”It kind of makes you feel old,” Schmitt said. “But it’s kind of cool to see someone you coached be successful.”Schmitt said Auburn is going to be strong competition and a good opportunity for LSU’s young swimmers to learn how to step up in a meet.”Even when I coached there, they were winning national titles,” Schmitt said. “They’ve got some of the best athletes in the world.”Schmitt said his team had some great swims in last week’s meet. Sophomore Mary Beck was named national swimmer of the week, while swimmer Andrei Tuomola and diver Rebecca St. Germain were named SEC Freshmen of the Week. Beck broke the school record in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1 minute, 57.45 seconds. She also had the second-fastest time in school history in the 200 individual medley, along with winning the 200 freestyle.Tuomola raced in the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle, winning both. He also led off the winning 400 freestyle relay.St. Germain swept her diving events and qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving Regional.Sophomore Brian Gemberling said the team is pretty happy with its performance from last week and is hoping to continue its success this weekend.”I feel like we’re bringing it each time,” Gemberling said. “We know what we have to do, and I feel like we’re performing to our best ability every time we go out there.”Gemberling said he is glad to be swimming this meet at home.”It’s our house,” Gemberling said. “We know everything about this place. It’s definitely going to give us an advantage.”Auburn returns strong teams for the new season. The men return 20 letter winners and 12 All-Americans from a team that won the SEC and the national championship.The women, who placed second in the SEC and 6th in the NCAAs, return 15 letter winners and seven All-Americans.- – – -Contact Katherine Terrell at [email protected]