Circle of Honor to Add Five Members at Friday Gala

UGA Sports Information

Fourteen-time NCAA champion swimmer Mary DeScenza, track standout Hyleas Fountain — who won four NCAA individual titles in just two years — football greats George Poschner and Hines Ward, and national championship-winning baseball coach Steve Webber will be inducted formally during the Circle of Honor Gala this Friday at the West End Zone facility Sanford Stadium.

Additional honorees at the Friday gala include Bill Hartman Award recipient John Mangan, Circle of Distinction inductee Bill Griffith, as well as national champions and other special honorees from the 2018 calendar year.

The Circle of Honor is designed to pay tribute to extraordinary student-athletes and coaches who by their performance and conduct have brought honor to the university and themselves, and who by their actions have contributed to the tradition of the Dawgs. The criteria for selection also stipulate that each recipient has earned his or her academic degree.

Mary Descenza

In the storied tradition of Georgia women's swimming and diving, DeScenza ranks among the very best. A four-year letterwinner from 2003-06, she won the maximum possible number of All-America honors (28) and was the nation's top collegiate butterfly racer during her time. She won the Honda Award — given annually to the nation's top female collegian in 12 different sports — for the 2005-06 school year.

The Aurora, Illinois, native won the NCAA title in the 200-yard butterfly in each of her four seasons at UGA. She won the NCAA 100-yard fly championships in her final two years. Additionally, she swam legs on eight relay teams that captured national championships. On the conference level, DeScenza won 15 SEC titles, nine individually and six others as a relay team member.

DeScenza has held American records in Short Course Yards, Short Course Meters, Long Course Meters in the 200 butterfly, as well as a share of the record in the Short Course Yards 400 freestyle relay.

DeScenza earned her degree in Biology from UGA in 2007.

Hyleas Fountain

Fountain made quite an impression during her two seasons on the UGA track & field team (2003-04). The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, native captured four NCAA individual championships, both as a multi-event star and a long jumper.

Fountain transferred to UGA after winning five junior college national titles for Barton Community College in Kansas. She continued her success at Georgia, winning the NCAA heptathlon championship in the 2003 outdoor meet. The next year, Fountain won the 2004 NCAA indoor long jump title and later that spring took first place in both the long jump and pentathlon at the NCAA outdoor meet.

A five-time USA Outdoor multi-event champion, Fountain remained competitive after her collegiate career. She won the heptathlon competition at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials and ultimately won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing.

George Poschner

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, and a high school teammate of UGA great Frank Sinkwich, Poschner earned letters as an end on three Georgia teams from 1940-42. He earned first-team All-America honors, as well as All-SEC first team, after the national championship season of 1942.

A key victory for Georgia during the 1942 season was a 21-10 come-from-behind win over Alabama. Poschner caught two fourth-quarter touchdown passes from his friend Sinkwich to lead the Dawgs to victory. Georgia closed out the season by defeating UCLA 9-0 in the Rose Bowl and claiming the national championship, the first in program history.

Poschner earned even greater distinction after his graduation from UGA in 1943. Enlisting in the Army, he earned a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in combat during the Battle of the Bulge in January of 1945. Shot in the head by a German sniper, Poschner lay in a snow drift for three days before being discovered by a U.S. graves registration unit. By the time he was evacuated, however, he had become so badly frostbitten that doctors amputated both of his legs, as well as the fingers in his right hand.

A member of the Georgia Sports (1982) and Orange Bowl (1985) Halls of Fame, Poschner passed away in 2004 at the age of 85.

Hines Ward

In an age of specialization, Hines Ward excelled as a versatile offensive weapon during his four years as a Dawg (1994-97).

Ward touched the ball 515 times during 42 career games at Georgia: 203 times rushing, 144 receiving, 71 passing and another 48 times as a kick returner. He averaged 9.3 yards over each of those touches and accounted for 20 touchdowns.

A native of Rex, Georgia, and a product of Forest Park High School, Ward earned All-SEC first-team honors after his senior season of 1997, when the Dawgs went 10-2 and defeated Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. He saw action primarily as a receiver and caught 55 passes for 715 yards and six touchdowns. He also set the school record for receptions in a bowl game when he pulled in 12 passes for 122 yards against the Badgers.

Ward was selected in the third round of the 1997 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He went on to be selected to four Pro Bowls, was a member of two Super Bowl champion teams, and earned MVP honors in Super Bowl 40 in 2006. Ward remains the Steelers' all-time leading receiver with 1,000 catches for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns.

Steve Webber

Steve Webber is the winningest baseball coach in Georgia history with 500 victories between 1981 and 1996. His teams averaged 32 victories per season over 16 years.

A native Iowan and graduate of Southern Illinois University, Webber led the Dawg baseball team to its greatest moment to date — the 1990 NCAA championship, defeating Oklahoma State, 2-1, in the College World Series finals. At the time, Georgia became the first SEC program to win the national title in baseball. Ten teams have won the crown subsequently. The 1990 trip to Omaha was Georgia's second under Webber's guidance. His 1987 team won the SEC regular-season title and also earned a spot in the College World Series.

Webber is one of only six head coaches that have played in a College World Series and later coached a College World Series National Championship team. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1987 and consensus National Coach of the Year in 1990.

Webber's induction into the Circle of Honor will place him into a small group of unique distinction. He will become just the fifth among all 79 inductees that are not UGA alumni. This group includes Dick Copas, men's golf coach (inducted in 2006); Vince Dooley, head football coach and athletic director (inducted in 2004); Liz Murphey, women's golf coach and senior women's administrator (inducted in 2001); and Suzanne Yoculan, women's gymnastics coach (inducted in 2014).

Legendary player, coach Billy Henderson Dies

UGA Sports Communications

Former University of Georgia multi-sport athlete and legendary high school coach Billy Henderson died Wednesday at the age of 89.

Henderson, a two-sport standout for the Dawgs in the late 1940s, earned a total of eight letters. He played on the 1946 and 1948 SEC Championship football teams and was a three-time MVP in baseball. Following graduation, he was drafted and signed by the Chicago Cubs. He spent two years in their organization before deciding on a teaching and coaching career.

His illustrious coaching career included stints at Jefferson High School (1951-53), Athens High (1953-55), Furman University (1956), University of South Carolina (1956-57), Willingham High (1958-70) and Mount DeSales High (1970-73) in Macon before returning to Athens and Clarke Central High School in 1973. He became an icon for the Gladiators, compiling a record of 222-65 and three state championships over 23 seasons. His overall head coaching record was 285-107-16.

Over the years, the success of his teams were not limited to football, owning three state championships in baseball, one in swimming and numerous region titles in all three sports. Also, well over 125 of his players earned college scholarships.

He was named the recipient of the 1995 Bill Hartman Award —the highest honor a former UGA student-athlete can attain. Named for Georgia’s long-time kicking coach and chairman of the Georgia Student Educational Fund, the award recognizes former Dawg student-athletes who have distinguished themselves as alumni. At the time, Henderson was the sixth recipient, joining former NFL quarterback and Atlanta businessman Fran Tarkenton, Atlanta Olympic Committee CEO Billy Payne, former Gov. Carl Sanders, Atlanta developer Tom Cousins and the Dawgs' legendary assistant athletic director Dan Magill.

For his lifetime of contributions to young people, Henderson was honored in March of 1993 by more than 800 people who came together at Clarke Central in “A Tribute to Billy” and in celebration of Billy Henderson Day in Athens. Then Gov. Zell Miller, Sen. Paul Broun and Rep. Louise McBee were among those who sent congratulatory letters and resolutions honoring him.

He also founded the Athens Hall of Fame and conducted youth football camps at the YMCA.

Thirty-three UGA Student-Athletes to Graduate Friday

UGA Sports Communications

Thirty-three University of Georgia student-athletes will receive their undergraduate or graduate degrees Friday, December 15 at the annual fall commencement exercises. The undergraduate ceremonies will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Stegeman Coliseum followed by graduate ceremonies at 2:30pm.

Among the 33 UGA student-athlete graduates are one baseball player, three members of the equestrian team, 12 current and former members of the football team, two members of the women’s golf team, one member of the gymnastics team, two soccer players, one softball player, three men’s swim and dive athletes, two members of the women’s tennis team, two men’s track and field athletes, and four women’s track and field athletes.

Baseball: Jarrett Brown, Sociology.

Equestrian: Madison Beasley, Journalism; Allision Haupt, Landscape Architecture; Jane Sutcliff, Psychology.

Football: Davin Bellamy, Communication Studies; Jeb Blazevich, Risk Management and Insurance; Aulden Bynum, Agribusiness, Agriculture and Applied Economics; Trenton Frix, Risk Management and Insurance; Carson Hall, Sport Management; Amarlo Herrera, Sociology; Matthew Herzwurm, Accounting and Finance; Tim Hill, Sociology; De’Andre Johnson, Consumer Economics; Cameron Nizalek, Master of Sport Management; Thomas Swilley, Sport Management; Kenneth Towns, Master of Sport Management.

Women’s Golf: Manuela Carbajo Re, Master of Sport Management; Harang Lee, Consumer Economics.

Gymnastics: Brandie Jay Dorminey, Master of Sport Management

Soccer: Madison Burdick, Risk Management and Insurance; Kelsey Nix, Psychology.

Softball: Sydni Emanuel, Psychology.

Men’s Swimming & Diving: Walker Wheeler, Management; Taylor Dale, Management; Christopher Powell, Real Estate.

Women’s Tennis: Caroline Brinson, Marketing; Chelsey Gullickson, Comunication Studies.

Men’s Track & Field: Jamario Calhoun, Housing Management and Policy; Reginald Glover, Human Development and Family Science.

Women’s Track & Field: Natalie Bordes, Communication Studies; Sarah Gardner, Marketing; Laurel Sumner, Statistics and Mathematics; Kendell Williams, Advertising.

Kirkland Signs With Dawgs

SWIMMING

Elizabeth Ann Kirkland of Moultrie has signed a national letter of intent with the Georgia diving team, Lady Dawgs coach Dan Laak announced on Tuesday.

Kirkland attends Colquitt County High School and competes for Moss Farms under Coach Ed Goodman. Kirkland will be the latest diver to come through the Moss Farms program, including current Lady Dawgs Ann-Perry Blank and Haley Goodman.

"She will be a big asset to our program, and she will make an already great team that much better," Laak said of Kirkland. "I am looking forward to watching her dive the next few months and then getting her up here in Athens to start her next chapter. Moss Farms has been very good for Georgia diving. They not only have provided us with great divers but also with great kids."

Kirkland is the reigning Georgia High School Association state champion in the highest classification after scoring 486.80 points to win last year’s meet. She was second as a sophomore and was third as a freshman. Kirkland will try for her second straight state title in February in Atlanta.

Kirkland qualified for USA Diving’s Age Group National Championships in August in Greensboro, North Carolina and placed fifth on the 1-meter springboard and was 18th on 3-meter. She had a strong summer Region meet, placing third on 1-meter and fourth on 3-meter.

Swim Dawgs Sign Three

SWIMMING

Three of the country's top swimming prospects have signed national letters of intent with Georgia, according to an announcement on Thursday by Coach Jack Bauerle.

Olivia Smoliga of Illinois, Pace Clark of Tennessee and Chris Powell of Georgia will enroll at UGA for the 2013-14 season.

Smoliga swims for coaches Steve Iida and Kelly Timson for Glenview (Ill.) High and Glenview Titan Aquatic Club, respectively. She is the nation's top-ranked prospect in the 50-meter freestyle, the No. 2 recruit in the 100-meter backstroke, and the No. 4 prospect in the 100-meter freestyle. A High School All-American, Smoliga ranked third in the 50-meter freestyle and ninth in the 100-meter backstroke in the world among 17-year-olds last year.

"She's sort of a newcomer on the scene, but she's definitely a key player as far as the relays, the sprint free and the back, and that's tremendously important for scoring at the NCAAs," Bauerle said. "Olivia brings a lot to the table. She has great starts and turns, she has great enthusiasm and spirit, and she's extremely competitive."

Clark attends Memphis (Tenn.) University School, competes for Memphis Tiger Swimming and is coached by Louis Demetriades. Clark is the No. 2-ranked prospect in Tennessee and the No. 7-ranked recruit nationally in the 100-meter butterfly. A High School All-American and Olympic Trials qualifier, he also is ranked 15th nationally in the 200-meter butterfly.

"He's very, very similar in body shape and stroke technique to Gil Stovall (another Memphis native who won the NCAA title in the 200-yard butterfly in 2008)," Bauerle said. "Pace has great technique and a great feel for the water. He's got a lot of growing to do, but he's going to be a key player the next four years in the butterfly and in the 500 freestyle."

Powell, a native of Hoschton, attends Mill Creek High School and is coached by Rick Creed. Powell also swims for Athens Dawg Swim Club under Coach Harvey Humphries. Powell is the state's top-rated sprinter and is nationally ranked in the 50-yard and 100-meter freestyle. He is a two-time High School All-American.

"Chris is a late bloomer as he's only been swimming year-round for three or four years," Bauerle said. "But he's already risen to being the top sprint free recruit in the state. He's an enthusiastic young man and he's the kind of person who makes a great teammate. He's going to be a great addition to our sprint group, and he's just what we need to bring us up to another level."=

48 UGA Student-Athletes Named to SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll

Forty-eight student-athletes from the University of Georgia have been named to the 2011-2012 Southeastern Conference First-Year Academic Honor Roll, according to an announcement this week by the SEC office.

In order to qualify for the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll, each student-athlete must: have a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher at the nominating institution; be on scholarship or a letter winner; have completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial credit at the nominating institution; and have been a member of the varsity team for the sport’s entire NCAA Championship segment.

The following UGA students received first-year honors:

Baseball:
Justin Bryan, Lavonia, Ga., Business; Hunter Cole, Moore, S.C., Biology; Pete Nagel, Metter, Ga., Sport Management; DJ Smith, Woodstock, Ga., Criminal Justice; John Taylor, Carnesville, Ga., Business.

Equestrian:
Kylee Arbuckle, Torrance, Calif., Business; Samantha Belcher, Carbondale, Colo., Animal Science; Madi Berger, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Animal Science; Madi Clark, Brighton, Mich., Animal Health; Morgan Justiss, Alpharetta, Ga., Business; Megan Southam, Langley, B.C., Biology; Paige Stawicki, Argyle, Texas, Genetics; Lauren Tieche, Jamestown, N.Y., Business.

Football:
David Andrews, Johns Creek, Ga., Agribusiness; Chris Conley, Dallas, Ga., Journalism; Watts Dantzler, Dalton, Ga., Health & Physical Education.

Men’s Golf:
Nicholas Reach, Moscow, Pa., Business.

Soccer:
Kathleen Eastman, Jackson Hole, Wyo., English; Jenna Owens, Highlands Ranch, Colo., Exercise & Sport Science.

Softball:
Gracie Goulder, Scottsdale, Ariz., Special Education; Niaja Griffin, Orlando, Fla., Recreation & Leisure Studies.

Men’s Swimming & Diving:
Nic Fink, Morristown, N.J., Agriculture Engineering; Derek Onken, Marietta, Ga., Mathematics; Luke Upchurch, Duluth, Ga., Exercise & Sport Science.

Women’s Swimming & Diving:
Olivia Boggs, Smyrna, Ga., Business; Sommers Creed, Braselton, Ga., Unspecified; Lauren Harrington, Memphis, Tenn., Journalism; Maddie Locus, Sugarland, Texas, Mathematics; Jordan Mattern, Aurora, Colo., Biology; Amber McDermott, Mill Creek, Wash., Journalism; Anna Neumeister, Marietta, Ga., Business; Darcie O’Brien, Lawrenceville, Ga., Journalism; Shannon O’Malley, Marietta, Ga., Unspecified.

Women’s Tennis:
Lauren Herring, Greenville, N.C., International Affairs.

Men’s Track & Field:
Brendan Hoban, Duluth, Ga., Turfgrass Management; Cameron Meyer, Lake Charles, La., Sport Management; Zach Sims, McDonough, Ga., Mathematics; Austin Ulich, Alpharetta, Ga., Business.

Women’s Track & Field:
Anna Bowles, Evans, Ga., Exercise & Sport Science; Quintunya Chapman, Hinesville, Ga., Exercise & Sport Science; Rachel Gibson, Marietta, Ga., Sport Management; Carly Hamilton, Springboro, Ohio, Business; Taylor Hollingsworth, Columbus, Ga., Nutrition Science; Brooke Koblitz, Alpharetta, Ga., Mathematics Education; Morgann Leleux, New Iberia, La., Journalism; Sarah Perry, Lawrenceville, Ga., Biology; Allison Updike, Nesquehoning, Pa., Sport Management.

Volleyball:
Gaby Smiley, Alpharetta, Ga., Exercise & Sport Science.

Swimmers Set Record

SWIMMING

The women’s 800 freestyle relay set the American record to highlight Georgia’s efforts at the Southeastern Conference Championships on Wednesday at the O’Connell Center.

The Lady Dawgs’ quartet of Morgan Scroggy, Chelsea Nauta, Melanie Margalis and Allison Schmitt stopped the clock in 6:53.58. That eclipsed the American record, as well as the conference meet record, of 6:54.02 set by Auburn in 2009. The time also qualified the Lady Dawgs for next month’s NCAA Championships. Scroggy’s 200 freestyle leadoff split of 1:42.60 topped the SEC meet record of 1:43.17 set by Auburn’s Caitlin Geary in 2009.

“Love those American records,” Georgia head coach Jack Bauerle said. “That’s four special ladies. American records are not a dime a dozen, so we hold those close to our hearts. The big thing is they all swam well and they swam together, so that gives our team some juice. That is our best relay. We knew that coming in – and we knew they could go pretty fast.”

After one day of swimming and including the diving points accumulated last week, the Lady Dawgs stand fourth with 106 points. Auburn is first with 166, followed by Florida with 153 and South Carolina with 108. On the men’s side, the Dawgs are seventh with 73 points. Auburn (201), Tennessee (199.5) and Florida (129) hold the top three spots.

The Lady Dawgs came in fifth in the 200 medley relay as Kristen Shickora, Michelle McKeehan, Lauren English and Megan Romano had a time of 1:37.67. After the race, Georgia was disqualified for an early takeoff and losing those 28 points would have severely handicapped the Lady Dawgs’ chances at repeating. But the officials determined the disqualification was due to a faulty pad, and the Lady Dawgs were reinstated.

“That meant a heck of a lot,” Bauerle said. “Thank goodness they saw it and rectified it. A DQ in a meet like this is hard to make up.”

The Dawgs’ group of Jameson Hill, Matt Bartlett, Mark Dylla and Bill Cregar went 6:22.13 to take fourth in the 800 freestyle relay. That time qualified the Dawgs for the NCAAs. Hill had a leadoff split of 1:35.18 for Georgia’s fastest 200 freestyle time of the year.

In the 200 medley relay, the team of Bartlett, Martin Kata, Doug Reynolds and Michael Arnold placed fifth in 1:27.60.

The SECs will continue on Thursday with competition in the 500 freestyle, the 200 individual medley, the 50 freestyle and the 200 freestyle relay.