SWIM/DIVE: UGA Opens Post-Bauerle New Era This Weekend
A new era of Georgia swimming and diving begins this weekend as the men’s and women’s teams open their seasons with a pair of competitions at Gabrielsen Natatorium.
The 2022-23 season begins Friday, Sept. 30 with a dual meet against Arizona State at 4 p.m., followed by a tri-meet against ASU and Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. Both meets will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and results will be available on GeorgiaDogs.com and to paid subscribers on the MeetMobile app. Diving results will be available on DiveMeets.com.
This is the first-ever meeting between Georgia and Arizona State in dual competition. Under the direction of coaching legend Bob Bowman, the Sun Devils placed sixth overall at last season’s NCAA Championships with Leon Marchand winning two individual titles. For Missouri, this is the first dual meeting since 2016, with both the Georgia men and women prevailing in Columbia.
This weekend marks the head coaching debuts for Stefanie Williams Moreno (women) and Neil Versfeld (men) following the retirement of Jack Bauerle in June after 43 years as head coach. Williams Moreno and Versfeld have coached a combined 25 years in collegiate swimming and accumulated six NCAA championships and 35 All-America citations in their individual careers. In their time on the Bulldogs’ staff, both head coaches have produced numerous NCAA and SEC champions, as well as an American Record holder.
Georgia’s women’s team returns seven All-Americans from last year’s squad, including senior Zoie Hartman, who has tallied 21 citations in her career, including a fourth-place finish in the 200 IM at last season’s NCAA Championships. Sophomore Abby McCulloh returns after a fifth-place finish in the 1,650 freestyle, leading a strong second-year group that features All-Americans Duné Coetzee, Angharad Evans, and Eboni McCarty. The Bulldogs are welcoming 11 incoming freshmen, as well as graduate transfer Marie Schobel, who twice reached NCAAs at Penn State.
On the men’s side, Georgia returns six All-Americans, highlighted by juniors Luca Urlando and Jake Magahey. Urlando finished in the top three in four events at NCAAs and set an American Record in the 100 backstroke during the meet. Magahey, a previous national champion in the 500 freestyle, placed second in last year’s 500 race and finished fourth in the mile. The Bulldogs also set a school and SEC record with their second-place 800 freestyle relay time of 6:05.59 at NCAAs. The team adds 10 freshmen this season in the country’s 15th -best recruiting class according to SwimSwam. The diving group was also bolstered in the offseason with the addition of Alabama grad transfer Kevin Li, a two-time All-American with the Crimson Tide.
Georgia looks to carry the momentum from a strong summer, which began with Urlando’s fifth-place finish in the 200-meter butterfly at June’s FINA World Championships in Budapest. In July, Magahey won the U.S. national championship in the 400-meter freestyle and finished top-four in two other events. Senior Ian Grum earned the silver medal in the 200-meter backstroke as did Hartman in the 200-meter IM. Fellow seniors Dillon Downing, Zach Hils, and Callie Dickinson all reached finals, while Bradley Dunham finished first in the 200m back consolation final.
SOFTBALL: 2023 Schedule Announced
Georgia head softball coach Tony Baldwin has announced his team’s schedule for the upcoming 2023 softball season.
Georgia’s 2023 schedule features a strong slate of opponents. Eight teams concluded the 2022 season in the NCFA Top 25. A total of 12 programs appeared in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, six of which advanced to the Super Regional round (Stanford, Clemson, Arkansas, Mississippi State, UCF, Florida).
The 54-game schedule will begin in Orlando, Florida, the weekend of Feb. 9-12 as part of a five-game tournament at UCF. Georgia will take on the Golden Knights, Boise State, Ohio State, and UMass on Opening Weekend.
Georgia’s home schedule opens Wednesday, Feb. 15, against Western Kentucky. The Bulldogs will host Stanford, Charlotte, and St. Johns that weekend (Feb. 17-19) in the 16th Annual Red & Black Showcase.
Other home tournaments include the 20th Annual Georgia Classic Feb. 24-26, featuring Cal Baptist, Hofstra, and Lipscomb, and the 14th Annual Bulldog Classic March 3-5, including Ball State, Samford, and Stetson.
Early season midweek matchups include games at Clemson (Feb. 21), Georgia Tech (Feb. 28), and a home game against Georgia State (March 8).
Georgia’s SEC schedule begins at home March 10-12 against Auburn at Jack Turner Stadium. The Bulldogs’ other home SEC series include Mississippi State (March 24-26), Kentucky (March 31-April 2), and South Carolina (April 21-23).
The Bulldogs will hit the road for Conference series at Texas A&M (March 17-19), Arkansas (April 6-8), Florida (April 14-16), and LSU (May 5-7).
Additional midweek games at Jack Turner Stadium include Furman (March 15), Kennesaw State (March 22), Alabama State (March 29), Georgia Southern (April 12), USC Upstate (April 19), and Mercer (April 26).
The SEC Tournament is scheduled for May 9-13 at Bogle Park in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The schedule is subject to change, including the move of conference series to conclude on Mondays. SEC game times and television assignments will be announced at a later date.
Georgia concluded Baldwin’s first season as head coach 43-18 overall and 12-12 in SEC play. Then-junior Sara Mosley and senior Lacey Fincher were tabbed All-Americans by the Coaches’ Association, becoming Georgia’s 21st and 22nd All-Americans.
Jump To Comments