June 2004: Vol. 83, No. 3

Law school is next for pole vaulter and academic star Corrie Drakulich
A new kind of bar

Drakulich missed qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials, but her cumulative GPA was 4.0 and she received a renewable $21,500 Byers Postgraduate Scholarship.

In early May, when the bus carrying the UGA women’s track and field team rolled out of Athens headed for Oxford, Miss., and the SEC championships, pole vaulter and two-time team captain Corrie Drakulich wasn’t onboard. After enduring her third knee surgery since coming to Georgia—and her fifth in eight years—Drakulich (pronounced “DRAK-you-litch”) decided to forego her final season with a team for which she has been a mainstay. “I decided it was more important to walk without pain for the rest of my life,” says Drakulich, who ends her competitive career having fallen six inches short of her goal of making the Olympic trials.

That said, Drakulich’s future could scarcely look brighter. The senior from Portland, Ore., recently graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA while double-majoring in microbiology and religion. Having traveled the world as a Foundation Fellow—UGA’s top scholarship honor—Drakulich will continue her stellar academic career at the University of California-Berkeley, where she will enter law school this August.

“She’s a class act,” says vaults coach Aaron James. “She’s everything you want in a student-athlete. Always running, always listening, always staying in shape. She could have sacrificed some grades, but the trade-off wouldn’t have been worth it.”

Drakulich recently received the Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship, which provides recipients with a $21,500 scholarship from the NCAA.

“That was definitely a high point,” says Drakulich, who plans to concentrate on scientific litigation. She can renew the scholarship in year two of her studies if she is in excellent academic standing.

During her collegiate career, Drakulich was almost as impressive on the field as in the classroom. She was an NCAA regional qualifier in the pole vault and tied for first at the Georgia Invitational in 2003.

“Ability-wise,” says James, “she’s one of the top four vaulters we’ve ever had at Georgia. She actually was better than her performances sometimes. We’re going to miss her.”

Juggling practice times and competition with the heavy academic demands is something Drakulich excelled at.

“It actually helped,” she says. “I don’t have a lot of free time, so it keeps me on track.”

Drakulich was in middle school in Portland when she took up the sport that would eventually lead her to Athens. “I did community track when I was young. They got a lot of kids hurdling and running. When I was about 12, they said ‘Hey, there are no girls in the pole vault. Why don’t you try that?’ ”

Drakulich took to the pole vault immediately, adopting Olympic champion Stacy Dragila as her role model—not only because of their shared passion for the sport, but for their similarly uncommon surnames.

Her college search came down to three of the finest private schools in the country (Harvard, Stanford, Princeton) and to one of the nation’s top publics (Georgia). To the joy of the track and field coaching staff, the Bulldogs won out.

“It’s been more [than I’d hoped for],” she says. “I’ve had more people supporting me here than I would have anywhere else.”

Starting in pre-med, Drakulich began rethinking her future after an internship in a UGA lab exposed her to the complex set of issues that surround genetic technology. “What I wanted to do was get into the legislation covering stem-cell research and cloning,” says Drakulich, who sees law school as the obvious path.

Drakulich says the maturity she’s gained at UGA will help her through the rigors of law school.

“When I was a freshman,” she says, “I was nervous and anxious all the time.” She later learned to take life’s challenges as they come. “I guess it’s just maturity. I did a lot of calling home and crying my freshman year . . . hopefully, I’m over that!”

Trying out for Hairy Dawg, Spike, and Mic Man is harder than you think
Mascot mania

Matthew Perkins, a sophomore from Athens who has been Hairy Dawg for the past two years, struts his stuff for a panel of judges.

The 14 young men had only a week to prove themselves. One week to sprint as fast as their legs could carry them, pump iron until their muscles ached, display extraordinary coordination skills, and dazzle coaches in an interview. These young men weren’t trying out to be the next David Pollack or David Greene, they were competing to be the next Hairy Dawg, Spike, or Mic Man.

The task was daunting. All of last year’s mascots were fighting to hold onto their coveted spots.

“I’m nervous,” said Matt Nicholson, a junior from Marietta who has been Spike for the last two years. “Last year, no one else tried out that I felt was competition, but this year there’s lots of competition.”

“I knew I needed to step it up a notch,” said Tony Cuviello, a sophomore from Roswell who had been training for a full year. In the days before the tryouts, he had taken to sprinting in one-mile increments under the blazing afternoon sun.

Trey Dunn, a freshman from Conyers, prepared in a different way—he shed his shoulder-length locks. “My hair was too long for the athletic association, so I cut it,” said Dunn. “I have my hair in a plastic bag in my room. It was a little emotional to get rid of.”

To “earn their paws,” the candidates also had to be able to boogie in a hot and heavy mascot uniform. During one afternoon of the competition, they took turns donning the Hairy Dawg and Spike costumes and performing “freestyle” dances before a panel of judges that included cheerleading coach Marilou Braswell and former mascots.

Christopher Happel, a sophomore from Lawrenceville, could barely squeeze through the Coliseum conference room door in the nine-foot Spike costume. He hopped, twisted, and shook his bootie for the judges before waddling away.

“That was fun!” Happel gasped, sweat pouring down his face. “I was a little nervous because it’s kind of hard to move.”

On the final day of the competition, the candidates had to perform an original skit in costume that would showcase their personalities. One Spike wannabe break-danced and another played drums, while a daring Hairy Dawg hopeful began his skit by speeding to the stage in a red Porsche.

At the end of an ultra-strenuous week, the young men waited anxiously for the results of the competition. As in past years, two students would be selected to share the position of Hairy Dawg, two would split the duties of Spike, and one would be named Mic Man. When the list of winners was posted at one of the Coliseum ticket booths, all five defending champs had retained their titles.

Matthew Perkins, a sophomore from Athens who has been Hairy Dawg for the past two years, breathed a sigh of relief. “This feels great,” he said. “I’m glad I get to finish what I’ve started.”

Dunn, who didn’t make the cut, said he was disappointed, but he thought the tryouts were “a great experience. I’m definitely trying out again next year.” Nathan Bridges, a sophomore from Watkinsville who is Mic Man again, grinned happily. “I’m ecstatic,” said Bridges. “Next year, we have a huge chance of competing in the national championship in football. I can’t wait to ride that wave.”

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