June 2002: Vol. 81, No. 3

SPRING SPORTS ROUNDUP Academics Two more swimmers—men's captains Brian Scannel of Charlotte, N.C., and Marc Lindsay of Wilmington, Del.—were named NCAA Post-Graduate Scholars. The swim team's total of 18 post-grad scholars is more than most universities have. Scannel will attend medical school at UNC-Chapel Hill; Lindsay will study law at either Georgetown or Columbia. Baseball Georgia's 2002 at-large bid marked the first time in school history that the Bulldogs have made consecutive appearances in post-season play. The team's 32 wins under David Perno (BSEd '93) was the most by a first-year Georgia coach. Softball Georgia finished No. 22 in the final USA Today/NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) poll. The Lady Dogs' 59-17 record made them the second-winningest program in the country behind No. 25 Florida Atlantic's 62-13 mark. Men's Tennis In a near repeat of last year, Matias Boeker won the NCAA singles title and defending champion Georgia made it to the men's team finals before losing to Southern California, whose Dick Leach was coaching his last college match. Boeker is the first player to win back-to-back NCAA singles titles since Bulldog star Mikael Pernfors did it in 1984-85. Women's Tennis At one point in the season, Georgia's men's and women's tennis teams were both ranked No. 1. The Lady Dogs made it to the semis of the NCAAs before losing to eventual champ Stanford on The Cardinal's home courts. Georgia finished 26-2, the team's third-best record in history. Women's Golf Senior Angela Jerman, who finished sixth at the NCAAs (the team ended up fifth), was named to the Curtis Cup team. She is one of eight amateur players selected to represent the U.S. in the match play event against a team from England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The 2002 Curtis Cup will be played Aug. 3-4 at Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Freestyler rockets to victory at NCAAs, then makes cover of Swimming World
Go, Maritza, go!

Maritza Correia made the cover of Swimming World this month. And it's no wonder, given her heroics at the 2002 NCAAs in Austin, Texas, where Correia became the first African-American woman to set an American record, breaking the 50- and 100-yard freestyle marks.

"I had no idea what the American record was, so I just went out there and did my best," says Correia. "It was amazing."

Correia, a rising senior from Valrico, Fla., has now won three individual NCAA titles, five NCAA relay titles, and ranks second to former world champ Kristy Kowal in overall national titles among UGA swimmers.

"Some people may not realize how difficult it is to set an American record," says UGA swim coach Jack Bauerle. "There are Olympic gold medalists who have never set one—and Maritza sets two at the same meet in individual events and is part of two more American records in the 200- and 400-yard free relays."

Though they failed in their efforts to win a fourth straight NCAA team title, the Lady Swim Dogs distinguished themselves by finishing second at nationals, just as they had at this spring's SECs. Correia's times in the 50 free (22.21) and 100 free (47.56) set NCAA, American, U.S. Open (competing against an international field) and school records.

"Obviously, she's going to be one of the most decorated swimmers we've ever had—which means an awful lot in our program," says Bauerle. His swim team alumni include Olympic gold medalist Courtney Shealey, whose 26 All-American honors are tops in the program. With another season to go, Correia ranks sixth with 20. To be an All-American, a swimmer must finish in the top eight at the NCAAs.

"She has won every freestyle event at the SEC Championships—the 50, 100, 200, 400, and the mile—which is unheard of," says Bauerle. "We saw her talent in the sprints. But unlike most talented sprinters, she is also very willing to do a lot of work."

Participating in seven events at the NCAAs, the maximum allowed for one individual, Correia swam 14 races over three days. She swam the anchor legs on the record-breaking 200- and 400-yard free relay teams—and hidden amongst the results sheets are two remarkable stats.

"Her splits in the 200- and 400-free relays were the fastest 50- and 100-yard splits in history," says Bauerle.

When the Lady Swim Dogs three-peated at the 2001 NCAAs, their margin of victory was 1.5 points, the narrowest in history. And Correia was the swimmer who had to pass two great competitors from Stanford and Arizona in the last event to seal the team title. Says Bauerle, "There is not a better anchor leg swimmer in U.S. swimming."

Correia started swimming at age 6 when her doctor said it would help her scoliosis. She has been competing since she was 8, and she admits that there's not much time in her life for anything else but school work.

"It's tough definitely. I just come home every afternoon and try to get my work done so I can get to bed early," says Correia. "There is no social life."

An exercise and sports science major, Correia will graduate before the U.S. Olympic Trials in spring 2004. If she makes the Olympic team, she can train with UGA's swim team.

"The biggest thing is she's improving," says Bauerle. "She seems very unassuming when you speak with her—but she loves to race."

—Rachel Smith

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