University of Georgia 2011 Spring Online Magazine

CONTENTS
3
5
6
7
8
10
11
13
14
15
16
Gym Dogs Season Review
Video Feature: Cassidy McComb
Video Feature: G Day Highlights
Spring Football Review
SEC Track Preview
Softball Update
Men's and Women's Tennis Update
Johnathan Taylor Fund
Swimming Season Review
Video Feature: Swimming Highlights
Georgia Bulldog Club Update
GYMNASTICS SEASON REVIEW
G
eorgia junior Kat Ding capped
the 2011 gymnastics season by
winning the national title on the
uneven bars at the NCAA Championships in
Cleveland, Ohio. Ding became the 38th national
champion in Georgia gymnastics history and
the 10th on bars. UGA’s 38 national titles is
more than any other team in the country, and
the Gym Dogs have now won 12 individual
crowns in the last five years.
Georgia had four of the SEC’s top performers
on the uneven bars in 2011. NCAA champion
Ding had the league’s top score on the event,
while Gina Nuccio, Shayla Worley and Cheek
were tied for third. McComb turned in the
SEC’s highest score on vault.
The Gym Dogs advanced to the NCAA
Championships for the 27th time and finished
in a tie for fourth in the semifinals. Georgia
gymnasts earned a total of eight All-American honors at the national championships:
Cassidy McComb earned first team honors on
floor and in the all-around after she tied for
third and second team honors on beam, Noel
Couch claimed second team honors in the allaround and on vault and floor, while Ding and
Lindsey Cheek claimed first team honors on
bars and vault, respectively.
The Gym Dogs continued to draw large crowds
in 2011. A total of 55,571 fans watched
Georgia’s six regular season home meets for
an average of 9.262 fans per meet.
McComb was also named co-Southeast Region Gymnast of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches.
The senior from Las Vegas, Nev., competed in
the all-around in all 16 meets for the Gym
Dogs and won 17 individual titles including
the SEC all-around.
Georgia finished with an 18-11-1 record with
wins over eighth-ranked and national runnerup UCLA, No. 12 Arkansas and No. 16 Denver
The Gym Dogs return 12 gymnasts from
this year’s squad for the 2012 season including freshman Kaylan Earls, former two-time
Junior Olympic national champion who missed
the season with an Achilles injury. A pair of
former junior international elite level qualifiers, Chelsea Davis and Sarah Persinger, signed
with UGA and will compete next year for the
Gym Dogs.
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CASSIDY MCCOMB
“BRAINSTORM”
G DAY HIGHLIGHTS
“EFFORT” THE KEY TO SPRING PRACTICE
C
oach Mark Richt entered Georgia’s
spring football practices seeking
“effort in the team and everyone
around here.”
Following the spring drills, including the
weight room work supervised by new strength
and conditioning coach Joe Tereshinski and
the G-Day Game at Sanford Stadium, Richt
felt the Bulldogs had indeed demonstrated
that effort.
“I think the spring went great,” Richt said.
“I liked the way we competed on a daily basis.
Everything we did this spring had a winner
and a loser, and I think the guys responded
well to that. As I said before, we need to do
what we do well and do it full speed. I saw
that in the spring.”
Quarterback Aaron Murray helped the Black
team notch an 18-11 win in front of a
Georgia-record 43,117 fans and a regional
television audience at G-Day. Murray went
12-of-17 for 122 yards and a touchdown and
he fired a critical two-point conversion pass.
Cornerback Branden Smith shifted to
offense to catch Murray’s touchdown pass, a
28-yarder. Red tailback Carlton Thomas led
all rushers with 48 yards and a touchdown on
13 carries. Tailback Ken Malcome paced the
Black squad with 39 yards and a touchdown
on seven attempts.
Defensively, linebackers Chase Vasser and
Alec Ogletree made seven tackles each to
lead the Black and Red teams, respectively.
Linebacker Reuben Faloughi added three
sacks for the Black team and end Derrick
Lott had two for the Red, including stopping
Murray in the end zone for a safety.
In other news from the spring:
• Murray and tight end Orson Charles
were chosen as Co-Offensive MVPs and
nose Kwame Geathers was picked as the
Defensive MVP for spring practice. Other
players honored included offensive tackle
Kolton Houston and linebacker Christian
Robinson (Coffee County Hustle Award);
center Ben Jones, cornerback Brandon Boykin
and safety Shawn Williams (True Grit Award);
fullback Alexander Ogletree, quarterback
Huston Mason, cornerback Jordan Love and
Smith (Most Improved); and tailback Brandon
Harton, receiver Taylor Bradberry and cornerback Connor Norman (Outstanding Walk-On
Award).
• Georgia’s offensive line took a hit when
senior tackle Trinton Sturdivant went down
with a right anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Sturdivant, who will miss the 2011 season,
previously had two ACL injuries on his left
knee. New offensive line coach Will Friend
now will look to the likes of Cordy Glenn,
Justin Anderson and A.J. Harmon to man the
tackle slots.
• Georgia also unveiled a new inside linebackers coach in Kirk Olivadotti, the longtime
Washington Redskins assistant. Olivadotti
brings a wealth of knowledge about the 3-4
defense, which the Bulldogs will be using for
the second straight season in 2011.
The Bulldogs will open the 2011 season Sept.
3 against Boise State in the Chick-fil-A
Kickoff Game in Atlanta. Georgia’s home and
SEC opener will take place Sept. 10 against
South Carolina.
NATION'S PREMIER CONFERENCE
TRACK MEET RETURNS TO ATHENS
E
leven consecutive years of traveling to different
sites throughout the region for the Southeastern
Conference Track & Field Championships and
other postseason meets will be coming to an end in
May of 2011.
volunteers and spectators – and we are counting on
a lot of red and black in the crowd to cheer us on.”
After making the journey to College Station, Texas,
for the NCAA Indoor Championships to end the indoor
season in March, the Bulldogs will be hosting the next
postseason action at the historic Spec Towns Track as
the SEC Outdoor Championships return to Athens on
May 12-15.
the chance to defend her SEC crown in the hammer.
The two-time All-American redshirted the indoor
season as she recovered from an offseason knee injury
and is back near the top of the national performance
list in the hammer yet again this spring.
This will be Georgia’s first conference track meet at
home since hosting the 1999 SEC outdoor meet and
the school's sixth time hosting a league meet all-time.
UGA also hosted the 1966, 1976, 1982 and 1990 SEC
meets, renaming the facility the Spec Towns Track in
honor of the late great Georgia track and field legend
Forrest “Spec” Towns during a ceremony at the 1990
SEC Championships.
Georgia head coach Wayne Norton is eagerly awaiting
the day when the league’s teams converge at Georgia
to crown the next SEC champions.
“The Georgia track coaches and student-athletes are
looking forward to the 2011 SEC Outdoor Championships being held right here on our campus,” said
Norton. “Of all the meets on our schedule, this one
is without a doubt the most important one to our
program. The Championships are always a great event
because the fierce competition makes it both exciting
and entertaining for the athletes, coaches, officials,
There should be plenty to cheer about for those
supporting the Bulldogs. Junior Nikola Lomnicka, who
won the 2010 NCAA hammer throw title, will have
After lapping nearly every other racer in the field at
last year’s meet, senior Bridget Lyons will be back to
try to make it two straight in the 10,000 meters after
delaying dental school in 2011 for a chance to suit up
in red and black once more.
On the men’s side, junior Brian Moore exploded for
a career-long throw of 239 feet, 4 inches to win the
javelin at last year’s SEC Championships. Moore, who
now has one ACC title (North Carolina) and one SEC
title for Georgia, started the 2011 campaign with a
victory before reaching a career-best 240-6 to win
the Spec Towns Invitational in early April.
Boding even better for the Bulldogs is the fact that
three runner-up finishers at the SECs are also still
in the lineup. Juniors Aaron Evans (800m) and John
Smith (pole vault) for the men and sophomore Maria
Augutis (triple jump) from the Lady Bulldogs all took
second in the 2010 are will be gunning for victories
on their home track in May.
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SOFTBALL WINNING WAYS CONTINUE
T
he University of Georgia softball program has
established itself as a perennial national power
in recent years, and in 2011, the Bulldogs may
arguably be putting together their best season yet.
The only team to reach the Women's College
World Series final four in both 2009 and 2010,
Georgia garnered top five preseason rankings in both
national top 25 polls. Just three weeks into the
season, the Bulldogs ascended to the top of the
National Fastpitch Coaches Association/USA
Today Top 25 Poll, and it marked the first time the
softball program had ever been ranked No. 1. The
Bulldogs spent four weeks on top opening the year
23-1 before Southeastern Conference foe Alabama
overtook the ranking, but Georgia has remained in
the top five all season.
With a 39-6 overall record and a 14-5 mark in SEC
action, Georgia is primed to make another run at the
WCWS in 2011. As a team, the Bulldogs are batting
.335 with 69 home runs and 319 runs scored. Each
of the 10 players to hit a home run this season has
gone deep at least twice as senior Alisa Goler leads
the team with 15.
Goler also headlines a group of players to already earn honors and accolades in 2011. Goler,
a Top 25 Finalist for the 2011 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award, and fellow seniors Taylor Schlopy and Megan Wiggins were all
selected to preseason All-SEC and ESPN All-America
teams. That trio of players, dubbed "The Triangle,"
was also selected in the National Pro Fastpitch
Senior Draft. Schlopy went No. 2 overall to the Akron
Racers while Wiggins and Goler were selected by the
Chicago Bandits with the No. 8 and No. 12 picks,
respectively. Goler and Schlopy are also Top 10
Finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
The honors this season extend well into the
depth of a 22-player squad that features eight
seniors and five juniors. Senior Brianna Hesson has
garnered USA Softball National Collegiate Play-
er of the Week and SEC Player of the Week at the
end of March, and two weeks later, junior Kristyn
Sandberg was named the NFCA Division I National
Player of the Week. Wiggins also earned the SEC
Player of the Week honor once this season, and
Morgan Montemayor has twice been named SEC
Freshman of the Week.
From the circle, Montemayor and sophomore
Alison Owen headline a pitching staff that has
posted a 2.14 ERA, struck out 311 batters and
limited opponents to a .203 batting average.
One of the more unique staffs in all of college
softball, Georgia has five pitchers who could all be
considered a No. 1 pitcher at one point or another
during the season. Montemayor has a team-best 18
wins, Owen leads the team with 123 strikeouts and
senior Katie Murphy holds the best ERA at 0.72 while
fellow senior Sarah McCloud and junior Erin Arevalo,
the two workhorse veterans of the group, continue
to come up big when needed.
By the end of the year, the Georgia record
books may be completely rewritten. Members of the
current team already holding over 180 spots
in the season and career records and that
number will climb well over 200 by the
conclusion of the 2011 season. Most notable so far this
season, Goler has established new UGA career
records for home runs (57) and walks (170), and it's a
high probably that she'll soon set new records for
career RBI and extra-base hits. Additionally, Goler
stands poised to become Georgia's all-time leader
for slugging percentage, walk-to-strikeout ratio and
toughest to strikeout while Schlopy and Goler should
close their careers with the top two on-base
percentages.
In speaking of records, Georgia head coach Lu Harris-Champer coached her 1,000th career game on
April 15 versus Ole Miss, and on April 17, she earned
her 750th collegiate victory as the Bulldogs defeated the Rebels, 3-2. Now in her 15th season, HarrisChamper holds a 750-251-1 record, and she is in her
11th season at UGA, where she is 541-187.
Only 11 regular season games remain for the softball team as they will play midweek games with instate opponents, Georgia Southern and Kennesaw
State, with SEC three-game series remaining at
Arkansas and at Auburn before concluding with a
set of contests at home versus Mississippi State.
Following the regular season, the SEC Tournament
will be held in Oxford, Miss., May 12-14, and the
NCAA Division I Softball Championships get underway with the Regional round of play May 20-22.
NCAA Super Regionals will then be held May 2829 before the WCWS in Oklahoma City takes place
June 2-8.
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TENNIS UPDATES
W
inners of 14 straight matches heading
into this past Saturday’s tough 4-3 loss to
Tennessee, the Bulldogs used a 10-1 SEC
record to split the championship with the Volunteers
to give Georgia its 33rd all-time title. The 14-match
streak tied Georgia’s longest since a stretch that
spanned the end of the 2008 national championship
run and the beginning of the 2009 season.
The Bulldogs head to the postseason 19-4 overall,
only dropping the one SEC match and one home
match all season.
Georgia got off to its hot start during the fall
season, in which freshman Hernus Pieters won the
singles title and teamed with senior Javier Garrapiz
for the doubles title at the season-opening Southern
Intercollegiates in Athens in September. Garrapiz
and junior transfer Sadio Doumbia then took their
skills to Tulsa, Okla., in October for the ITA AllAmerica Championships, where Doumbia played
his way into the main draw and Garrapiz reached
the finals of the consolation draw against some of
the nation’s top players. At the USTA/ITA Southeast
Regional, it was junior Wil Spencer’s turn to shine,
as he became the 10th Bulldog to capture the
singles title to earn a bid to the ITA National Indoor
Championships in Flushing, N.Y.
The Bulldogs continued their success this spring
season, beginning with a 7-0 sweep of Clemson
at home on Jan. 24 in the dual match opener. That
sweep is one of nine shutouts for the Bulldogs to
date.
Georgia then won two matches in its “ITA Kickoff Weekend” to earn a place at the ITA National
Indoors in Seattle. There, Georgia fell to
Tennessee in the first round before winning their
next two matches in the consolation draw – including a 4-2 victory over then-No. 7 Stanford.
Since the ITA Indoors, the Bulldogs have strung
together 12 straight, Georgia seniors Garrapiz and
Drake Bernstein have each won their 100th career
singles matches this season.
The Bulldogs have won three SEC weekly honors
thus far – SEC Freshman of the Week for Pieters
and Player of the Week for Spencer and Garrapiz.
Additionally, Georgia’s six players with 20+ wins is
the most of any team in the conference.
Georgia has been ranked as high as No. 5 in the ITA
team rankings in 2011.
Next up are the SEC Championships April 21-24 in
Gainesville, Fla. Georgia will then aim to be selected
as one of the regional sites for the NCAA Championships first and second rounds, before heading West
for the team and individual finals May 19-30 in Palo
Alto, Calif.
W
ith the regular season coming to a close
soon, the Georgia women’s tennis team
continues to fight as they prepare for
the SEC tournament. After rolling on a 12-match
winning streak, the longest steams longest since the
2009-2010 season when Georgia won 16 straight
matches before falling to Clemson in the 2010
NCAA tournament round of 32, the Bulldogs short
to top ranked Florida in Gainesville. Following the
setback at Florida the Bulldogs overcame a hard
road win against South Carolina 4-3, the closest
scoring match since Alabama in early March.
After winning the 2010 NCAA Singles title, No. 35
Chelsey Gullickson has held opponents to 11-5 in
singles and 14-4 in doubles with help from teammate Kate Fuller. Freshman Maho Kowase, ranked
No. 91 nationally, has started her career at Georgia
with a team high 28-10 singles record. In total,
the team has kept at least four players in the ITA
Singles rankings, and two doubles teams in the ITA
Doubles rankings since January 4. Senior Cameron Ellis, ranked No. 67 nationally, will complete
her final season with the Bulldogs at the close of
the 2010-2011 season. Ellis has had an astonishing
career with the Bulldogs, earning 100 doubles
victories following her clinch against Mississippi
State, and ranking second best in Bulldog history.
Georgia will enter the 2011 SEC tournament
looking to claim it’s fifteenth SEC title and seventh
SEC tournament title. The team enters the tournament as the No. 3 seed and will play the winner
of the Arkansas vs. Auburn match. The tournament
began on April 21 and was held at the Goodfriend
Tennis Complex in Knoxville, Tenn.
THE JOHNATHAN TAYLOR FUND:
G
eorgia junior outfielder Johnathan Taylor (J.T.) sustained a neck injury March 6
in a collision with outfielder Zach Cone during a game against #5 Florida State.
On March 7, Taylor had neck surgery at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens to stabilize
his spine. On March 11, he was transferred to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta where he is
currently a patient.
Taylor is a 5-8, 181-pound native of Acworth, Ga. He is the son of Tandra and John Taylor. J.T. has
appeared in 117 games in his Bulldog career including 91 starts. He owns a .312 career batting
average. A Consumer Economics major, he was named to the SEC Freshman Academic Honor
Roll in 2009 and the UGA Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in 2010.
To honor J.T., the Bulldogs are wearing “JT-2” decals on the back of their batting helmets;
“JT-2” is painted on the Foley Field wall in left center; they carry a framed picture of J.T. with
them for their dugout; Several players including Cone, Levi Hyams and Peter Verdin have
worn Taylor’s #2 jersey in games this season.
“J.T. told us to go out and play and win some baseball games, and that’s what we’re going to
try to do,” said Georgia coach David Perno. “That’s the one thing that can bring some joy to
this team and joy to J.T. We’re going to play our hearts out. That’s what J.T. would do.”
This is the second devastating injury that the Bulldogs have had to deal with in the past 17
months. In October of 2009, freshman infielder Chance Veazey was injured in an on-campus
scooter accident. Currently, Veazey is paralyzed from the waist down. He now works with the
team as a student-assistant coach.
Fans can donate to the Johnathan Taylor Fund through the UGAA website, georgiadogs.com,
or at each home game as Diamond Darlings will have a station set up outside the gates and
will be in the stands collecting too. For more information, please click on this link:
http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/031011aaa.html
A website where individuals can send Johnathan messages and check for updates has been
set up by the family. To send an online note to Johnathan and the family, please visit:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/Johnathantaylor
SWIMMING SEASON REVIEW
G
eorgia's swimming and diving teams
completed the season recently with top10 finishes, and all indications are that
both squads will be in the hunt again next season.
The Lady Bulldogs came in second, trailing Cal by
only 29.5 points, at the NCAAs in Austin, Texas. The
runner-up finish was the sixth in Georgia history.
"Our young ladies gave it everything they had,
and that's all you can ever ask for," Georgia head
coach Jack Bauerle said. "We left this meet with
our heads held high. We fought and scratched for
every point we got and took it right down to the
end. I am very proud of this team. Their attitude
and focus were tremendous throughout the meet.
They did everything that we asked of them."
Junior Allison Schmitt won two more individual
titles to lead the Lady Bulldogs. The Honda Award
nominee touched first in the 200 and 500 freestyle
races. Schmitt became just the third woman ever
to win the 500 freestyle three times. During prelims, she set the NCAA record in the 500 freestyle.
Schmitt joined senior Morgan Scroggy, sophomore
Megan Romano and freshman Melanie Margalis in winning the 400 freestyle relay and setting
the American record. Scroggy, Romano, freshman
Shannon Vreeland and Schmitt also claimed the
800 freestyle relay crown. At the SEC Championship, the 800 freestyle relay of Scroggy, senior
Chelsea Nauta, Margalis and Schmitt also set an
American record.
Junior Wendy Trott claimed the 1,650 freestyle for
the third straight season.
On the men's side, the Bulldogs came in 10th for
their fourth straight and 11th overall top-10 finish,
at the NCAAs in Minneapolis, Minn.
Senior Mark Dylla won the NCAA title in the 200
butterfly, while senior Bill Cregar won the 400
individual medley. Sophomore Martin Grodzki
took second in the 1,650 freestyle for the second
straight year.
"I am proud of our men, and I could not be happier
for Mark and Bill," Bauerle said. "Those two led the
way for our program for four years, and for them to
go out this way is just tremendous. Mark and Bill
have worked so hard in and out of the pool, and
they have everything the right way. Our program is
better because of the stamp they put on it."
SWIMMING HIGHLIGHTS
Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall Expansion
January 2011 not only brought a new calendar year to the UGA
Athletic Association, but also the dedication of the $39 million expanded
Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall.
Specifically designed to enhance UGA Football the project covered a
renovation of 22,500 square feet as well as an addition of 54,000 square
feet. Highlights of the first floor include a brand new weight room,
new athletic training space, new position and team meeting rooms, a
player lounge and a new 20-yard multi-purpose space. The second floor
addition gives the UGA Football coaching staff all new office space as
well as an enhanced entry showcasing trophies, graphics and history.
The Georgia Bulldog Club and the Athletic Association would like to
thank donors who have currently committed private gifts to this project
accounting for over $20 million. Fundraising for this particular project
is on-going. If you have an interest in supporting this project please
contact The Georgia Bulldog Club at 877-GA-DAWGS.
Basketball Enhancement Fund
Coach Mark Fox and the Men’s Basketball team
are on the rise! You can support the Men’s Basketball program and receive priority seating through a
contribution to the Basketball Enhancement Fund
(BEF). Here are some important dates to keep in mind
during the summer months:
• Early July: 2011-12 BEF information is available
• Early August: BEF donation deadline
• Early September: Season ticket priority deadline
For more information on the BEF and to request to receive a brochure
when available, call The Georgia Bulldog Club at 1-877-GA Dawgs
(877-423-2947) or e-mail us at [email protected]
Coach Fox and Richt are coming to a city near you!
Mark Fox and Mark Richt will be special guests at a series of public
appearances within Georgia and three out-of-state destinations.
Click here to find a full list of dates and locations. Please contact
The Georgia Bulldog Club at 1-877-GA Dawgs (877-423-2947) or the
UGA Alumni Association at 404-814-8820, with any questions.