AUBURN - Two former Auburn student athletes are among the six finalists for the 2012 Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship, the NCAA's highest academic award. Auburn's finalists are Dan Mazzaferro, diving, who graduated in 2010 from the College of Sciences and Mathematics and in 2011 from the College of Business; and Mary "Katy" Frierson, women's soccer, who graduated in 2011 from the College of Liberal Arts.

Each year, three male and three female finalists are invited to interview for one of two awards. One male and one female former student-athlete will be selected later this month for the renewable award, which provides $24,000 annually.

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AUBURN – Former Auburn diver Dan Mazzaferro has been named a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, marking the third straight year the Auburn swimming and diving program has produced a Rhodes finalist.

The Rhodes Scholarships, founded in 1904, are the oldest international fellowships. Winners of the scholarship have the opportunity to do graduate work at the University of Oxford located in Oxford, United Kingdom.

"An engaging scholar, a world class athlete and a true servant, Dan's  motivation for doing world class research in Dr. Mike Squillacote's organic chemistry lab all the while competing at the top levels of his sport is so extraordinarily strong, his promise so unparalleled, that I am confident in predicting that Dan will accomplish something awesome and huge in his life's work," said Paul Harris, associate director for National Prestigious Scholarships at Auburn University.

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AUBURN - Auburn University's mascot, Aubie, will compete throughout football season with 15 other college mascots as part of the Capital One All-America Mascot Team.

The 16 mascots, representing nine conferences and including several natural gridiron rivalries, will go head-to-head throughout the college football season in a battle royale determined exclusively by fan voting. In the end, one lucky creature will be named the Capital One National Mascot of the Year at the 2012 Capital One Bowl.

This is Aubie's sixth year competing in the National Mascot of the Year challenge.

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AUBURN - Auburn University fans can show their true colors this fall beginning with College Colors Day on Friday, Sept. 2. All Auburn All Orange kicks off the next day, Sept. 3, for the Auburn vs. Utah State football game. A third Auburn colors event, True Blue, is scheduled for Sept. 10 for the Auburn vs. Mississippi State game.

College Colors Day, a national movement tied to the beginning of college football season, promotes higher education and celebrates the achievements, spirit and traditions of colleges and universities. Gov. Robert Bentley has proclaimed Sept. 2 as College Colors Day in Alabama. Auburn fans are encouraged to support the Tigers by wearing orange and blue.

All Auburn All Orange was established in 2004 to celebrate the unity and spirit of the Auburn family. Earlier in the year, fans voted on the design of the official All Auburn All Orange T-shirt. They can now buy and wear the winning design to designated events.

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AUBURN - The Southeastern Raptor Center will again host its annual birds-in-flight raptor programs on Fridays before Auburn University home football games. "Football, Fans and Feathers" kicks off Sept. 2 at 4 p.m. in the 350-seat Edgar B. Carter Educational Amphitheater on Raptor Road off Shug Jordan Parkway.

During "Football, Fans and Feathers," visitors learn about the residents of the Southeastern Raptor Center. Hawks, falcons and eagles will be free-flown from flight towers allowing guests to see these raptors flying close.

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AUBURN - The official presentation of Liberty Mutual's Coach of the Year award will take place April 16 at Auburn University's A-Day game during a pre-game ceremony. Auburn alumni cast more than 80,000 votes for coach Gene Chizik in the first round, a new record for the competition. Howard Nelson, board member of the Auburn Alumni Association and chair of the scholarship committee, will accept the $30,000 check on behalf of the alumni association from Liberty Mutual.

Liberty Mutual made a $50,000 donation to the charities of Chizik's choice, which were aTeam Ministries and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County. Representatives from these organizations will attend the presentation to accept their checks.

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AUBURN - The Auburn University Men's Wheelchair Basketball team will play the University of Alabama Men's Wheelchair Basketball team in the first "Iron Roll," Saturday, April 2, in the Catherine Dixon Roland Arena at Huntingdon College in Montgomery.

The game is part of the Montgomery Center for Independent Living Wheelchair Basketball event hosted by the Huntingdon College Sport Science Department, which will also feature a local celebrities game with radio, television and sports personalities from the Montgomery area including Judd Davis and Josh Johnson of WSFA; JT of Mix 103.3; Doug Amos and Josh Moon of AM 740; and Greg Rauch and Joe Davis of the Montgomery Biscuits. Huntingdon teams will play in brief exhibition games as well.

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AUBURN - Auburn University fans can celebrate the winning football season, complete with national title, by obtaining an Auburn national championship credit card.

Two new card designs are available to alumni and friends of the university, each featuring the Auburn national championship logo. Applicants can choose their own design, either a MasterCard credit card with Jordan-Hare Stadium or a Visa card with Auburn football team players.

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AUBURN – When Auburn's Marching Band members return from the holidays this week, they will immediately hit the practice field in preparation for their performance at the BCS National Championship game. The Auburn Tigers take on the Oregon Ducks Jan. 10 in Glendale, Ariz.

The band will have a rehearsal Friday afternoon in Auburn before heading to Arizona early Saturday morning. All 380 band members along with 30 faculty and staff will fly nonstop on two chartered jets from Montgomery to Phoenix. A few students were already on campus earlier this week to help load large instruments and equipment into a tractor-trailer for shipping to the game.

"All the band members are really excited," band member Katie Morgan said. "It's something we've been looking forward to all season. Early on we thought maybe it was a possibility and now it's a great way to end our year."

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AUBURN - Two members of Auburn University's Honors College have been named finalists for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, one of the nation's top academic awards. Seniors Erica Meissner of Ashburnham, Mass., and Krissy Voss of Paradise Valley, Ariz., will interview with selection committees in Birmingham, Ala., and Los Angeles, respectively, Nov. 19-20.

Scholarship winners will be announced following the interviews.

"Mentoring students with exceptional potential has been a key component of Auburn's strategic plan, and Krissy and Erica are the best of the best," said Auburn President Jay Gogue. "We're proud to have them represent the Auburn family."

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