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Dr. Fred Reifsteck, III, MD, Head Team Physician for the University of Georgia Selected Jack Hughston Physician of the Year
Dr. Fred Reifsteck, III, MD, Head Team Physician for the University of Georgia, has been selected as the Jack Hughston Physician of the Year by the Georgia Athletic Trainers’ Association (GATA) in recognition of his exceptional contributions to sports medicine and athlete care.
“Dr. Reifsteck has been someone we have trusted and relied on during my years as head coach and many before that,” UGA head football coach Kirby Smart said. “The health of our program plays a pivotal role in our success on and off the field and it’s reassuring to have someone like him in our corner. Congrats to a much deserved honor!”
Dr. Reifsteck (pronounced reef-steck) has served the University of Georgia Athletic Association since 2004 and the University Health Center since 2003, providing more than two decades of comprehensive, evidence-based care to thousands of student-athletes. Board-certified in Family Medicine with a Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine, he is widely respected for his clinical expertise, collaborative approach, and leadership within UGA’s interdisciplinary sports medicine team.
Beyond his clinical work, Dr. Reifsteck is a dedicated educator and mentor within UGA’s MSAT and medical training programs, and recently earned the Medical College of Georgia Exemplary Teaching Award (2024-25). He is also a published scholar in sports medicine research, contributing to injury epidemiology and athlete health literature.
In 2022, Dr. Reifsteck was named SEC Team Physician of the Year, reflecting his outstanding reputation across the conference. Prior to arriving in Athens, he also served on the sports medicine staffs at Georgia State from 1995-01 and Clayton State from 1998-01.
WTEN: Anastasiia Lopata Named to the 2025-26 Academic All-America Second Team
Georgia senior Anastasiia Lopata was named to the 2025-26 Academic All-America Second Team, the College Sports Communicators announced Tuesday. The honor marks her second consecutive Academic All-America selection after earning third-team recognition in 2024-25.
A native of Kyiv, Ukraine, Lopata earned her degree in finance, concluded her collegiate career with a 3.59 GPA, and has earned recognition on the SEC Academic Honor Roll in each of the last three seasons. Lopata becomes the sixth student-athlete in program history to earn Academic All-America honors, marking the eighth Academic All-America selection in Georgia women’s tennis history.
On the court, she garnered ITA Division I All-America honors in singles and doubles, earned NCAA All-Tournament Team recognition in doubles and was named All-SEC First Team. She also collected SEC Player of the Week honors on March 23 and was selected to the SEC Community Service Team. Playing primarily at the No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles positions, Lopata helped lead Georgia to a 22-6 record, a No. 3 final national ranking, an appearance in the NCAA Championship semifinals and the program’s ninth national title with the 2026 ITA National Team Indoor Championship.
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