Auer, Lindgren: Brightest Stars Among The Stars

Auer, a senior at Winter Park High School, broke his own state record in the 200-yard freestyle, captured first place in the 100 freestyle and anchored the record-breaking 400 freestyle relay team last weekend at the Class AAAA state meet.

Lindgren, a senior at Orlando Edgewater High School, finished third in the 100 butterfly and seventh in the 200 individual medley at the state meet.

They scored more points than some entire teams.

Based on their performances, Auer and Lindgren have been named the Orange Sentinel high school swimmers of the year.

It was no surprise to their coaches.

Winter Park Coach Don Prokes said he considers Auer the best Class AAAA swimmer in Florida and the finest all-around swimmer in school history. That's quite a compliment coming from a coach whose team has won 17 state championships and produced dozens of high school All-Americans.

''I may be going out on a limb by saying that, but I think it's true,'' Prokes said. ''He could have won five individual events at the state meet if he had the chance.''

Prokes may be right. Last Sunday, one day after the state meet, Auer swam three events -- 200 individual medley, 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke -- in a time trial meet at the Justus Aquatic Center. His times were better than the ones clocked by the state champions in those three events.

''He shouldn't have swum the 100 freestyle in the state meet,'' Prokes contended. ''The only reason he did was because we needed him. He proably could have set a state record in any of those other events, but he sacrificed himself for the team.''

Lindgren is every bit as versatile as Auer. She, too, could have been successful in several events.

''She is the best girls swimmer to come through Edgewater,'' said first- year Coach Patti Neal, a former freestyler at Edgewater in the mid-1970s.

The Eagles wouldn't have scored a point in the state meet without Lindgren, one of only six girls on the team. She was in a class by herself.

''I hate to say it, but she was the team,'' Neal said. ''I don't know where we would have been without her.''

Lindgren and Auer are by no means overnight successes. They are among the most dedicated athletes around.

''Joe never missed a practice,'' said Prokes, who also coaches Auer at the Sharidan Aquatic Club in Longwood. ''He works harder than anyone in the weight room, and he watches his diet better than anyone I've ever had.''

Lindgren went out of her way to practice. Instead of working out with her teammates, she drove to the Justus Aquatic Center to practice daily under her age-group coach, John Woods.

''I've got nothing against Coach Neal,'' Lindgren said. ''It's just that I've been with John for four or five years, and I don't want to change coaches.''

Although the high school season is over, Lindgren and Auer haven't stopped practicing. They are working out with their club teams -- Lindgren with the Justus Dolphins, Auer with Stars of Central Florida -- in preparation for United States Swimming events.

The swimmers' futures should be as bright as their pasts. Both are expected to make big splashes next fall at major colleges.

Lindgren, 17, will have her choice of dozens of Division I schools, including Florida State, Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee and Pittsburgh.

Auer, 17, is being recruited by almost every Division I power, including Florida, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina and Tennessee.