December 2002: Vol. 82, No. 1December 2002: Vol. 82, No. 1 |
SPORTS ROUNDUP
Football Golf Swimming and Diving Cross Country Volleyball Baseball Soccer —Vivian Canedo |
A $3.5 million gift from members of the Rankin M. Smith Sr. family helped fund the new student-athlete academic center that has risen up on the site of the old Alumni House between Stegeman Coliseum and Foley Field. The new $6.7 million facility is part of the UGA Athletic Association's "Investing in Champions" initiative, and in recognition of the gift it has been named the Rankin M. Smith Sr. Student-Athlete Academic Center in honor of the UGA alumnus (M '48) and former owner of the Atlanta Falcons.
Located across the street from the Coliseum and the football practice fields, the new 31,000-square-foot academic center has computer labs and 20 large- and small-group tutoring rooms.
The center was dedicated on Oct. 12, prior to the Georgia-Tennessee football game.
"The generosity of some of the Smith family members is overwhelming and the gift is genuinely appreciated by all those connected with both the athletic association and the University," says athletic director Vince Dooley. "Many in the Smith family have been dedicated, long-time supporters of our sports program and this will be an enduring legacy to Rankin's loyalty to Georgia and his commitment to excellence in both academics as well as athletics. He was a loyal and dedicated friend to me for many, many years."
The new 31,000-square-foot facility consists of computer labs, a multi-media classroom, 20 large- and small-group tutoring rooms, a writing center, counselor's office, and large assembly area with seating for 250.
"Rankin and I were lifelong friends after being in school together at Georgia and he was one of my very early supporters when I ran for Governor," says former Georgia governor Carl Sanders (JD '48). "I always told Rankin that if he cut himself shaving, he'd bleed red and black, and I think it is most appropriate that this much-needed facility be named in honor of Rankin through the generosity of the Smith family. This academic center is very important to provide a necessary opportunity for student-athletes who must meet the demands of academic expectations as well as the strenuous disciplines of practice and performance in today's sports programs at UGA.
The new academic center is a welcome addition, says one of Georgia's most decorated student-athletes, Jon Stinchcomb.
"As a rising senior majoring in microbiology, it has been exciting to watch the progress on this new facility," says Stinchcomb, who is a recipient of a National Football Foundation Post-Graduate Scholarship. "It's a much-needed addition to our overall program and I know all our student-athletes are looking forward to putting the new complex to good use."
Greene's fourth-down TD pass to Johnson ends 20 years of frustration
How 'bout them division champs!
When Herschel Walker turned pro a year early in 1982, Bulldog fans knew that parting with their Heisman Trophy winner would be a huge loss. But they had no idea that after winning three straight SEC championships with No. 34 in the backfield, it would be 20 years before they had a division or conference title to celebrate.
Thankfully, that streak came to an end in Auburn, Ala., on the night of Nov. 16, when quarterback David Greene lofted a fourth-down-and-15 pass to Michael Johnson in the corner of the end zone. Pressed into service when Georgia's best all-time receiver Terrence Edwards was hurt in the victory over Ole Miss the week before, Johnson had already caught a career-high 12 passes in the game—and No. 13 turned out to be oh-so-lucky, as the 6'3" receiver's leaping catch over an Auburn defender gave Georgia a 24-21 victory, the East Division title, and a berth in the Dec. 7 SEC Championship game in Atlanta.
Singled out for their heroics were Johnson, a junior from Tulsa, who caught more passes against Auburn than his season total coming into the game, and safety Sean Jones, a junior free safety from Atlanta, who torched the Tigers with two interceptions, a fumble recovery, several key punt returns, and a team-high eight tackles.
For their efforts against Auburn, Johnson was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week and Jones SEC Special Teams Player of the Week. Other Bulldogs who earned player of the week honors this year include Edwards, linebacker Boss Bailey, placekicker Billy Bennett (twice) and defensive end David Pollack.
Georgia's top tennis player likely to be ranked No. 1 in the spring
Cioroch wins national indoors
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 Cioroch, who hails from Poland, gave a hint of things to come when she went 26-0 last year—the first time a Georgia women's tennis player had gone through a season undefeated. |
On a Sunday afternoon in Farmers Branch, Texas, Agata Cioroch made Bulldog history. Using her powerful serve to break away from a close 2-1 score in both sets, Cioroch went on to beat Jewel Peterson of Southern Cal 6-4, 6-3 in the finals of the Omni Hotels/Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Indoor Championships.
Cioroch is the first Georgia player to win the tournament. Shannan McCarthy (1991), Angela Lettiere (1994), and Marissa Catlin (1999) all made it to the singles finals, but failed to bring home the title.
Going into the competition, Cioroch, a junior from Warsaw, Poland, was ranked third nationally and seeded third. Her win against fourth-ranked Peterson helped her end the fall season with an 8-1 mark and a 77-7 career record—and will likely push her into the No. 1 ranking at the start of the spring season.
Last season, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association named Cioroch a "National Player to Watch." The honor—which was obviously well founded—is given to players with enough promise to compete for a national singles title during their careers.
"Last year, I lost in the first round of this tournament," says Cioroch. "This year, I was focused on doing better and going further."
The Omni Championship is one of four collegiate "grand slam" tournaments. In October, Cioroch made it to the semi-finals of the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships. In May, she will have a chance to take a second "grand slam" title at the NCAA Championships.