The University of Georgia added another trophy to its crowded national championship case.
The Lady Bulldogs won the women’s swimming and diving title Saturday in Indianapolis. That was the fifth national championship won by that program under coach Jack Bauerle, and the 39th overall for UGA.
Georgia got this one by outscoring California 477 to 393 at the IUPUI Natatorium. The Bulldogs had finished second to the Bears the last two seasons.
“I am just so proud of this group of young ladies,” said Bauerle, who was named coach of the year Saturday. “They were determined to reach this goal from the first day of workouts and they never deviated from the plan. A team that works that hard and has that kind of discipline deserves success. This team is made up of a bunch of fighters, and they never flinched and they never backed down.”
Georgia closed out its victory by winning the 400-yard freestyle relay and breaking the NCAA and U.S. Open records in the process. The team of Allison Schmitt, Shannon Vreeland, Chantal Van Landeghem and Megan Romano stopped the clock in 3:09.40, eclipsing the 3:09.88 set by Cal in 2009.
“It’s almost impossible to describe how incredible this feels,” said Schmitt, who won an Olympic gold medal in 2012. “We all love being a part of a team, and winning a team title means so much more than any individual title ever could. I am blessed to be a member of this team. This is a night that I will never, ever forget.”
Gymnastics has won the most national championships for Georgia with 10, followed by men’s tennis with eight, and swimming and diving, women’s tennis and equestrian with five each.
But it was the first under third-year athletic director Greg McGarity, who jumped into the pool to celebrate with the team after victory was clinched.
“This is why we do what he do,” McGarity said.
Georgia also won women’s swimming championships in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2005.
Bauerle was chosen as the National Coach of the Year for the sixth time. He earned previous honors in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005 and 2006. Bauerle was selected SEC coach of the year for the 14th time earlier this month.
But while this was old hat for Bauerle, it was the moment of a lifetime for his swimmers, many of whom will be moving on after this season.
“I want our ladies to enjoy every moment of this,” Bauerle said. “This is something that few student-athletes get to enjoy. This is as special as it gets. As long as I coach, I’ll always want this for my squads because I know how good it feels and how it impacts the rest of their lives. This is something that can never be taken away. It’s a pretty neat legacy.”
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