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8A I Thursday, December 7, 2006 | The Red & Black Finals Edition
YEAR IN REVIEW
Upcoming season
a ‘rebuilding’ year
Gym Dogs looking to defend title
By ALEX BYINGTON
abyington@randb.com
As Jason Jacobs looked
back on his final games as a
Bulldog, the former Georgia
baseball player could not help
but laugh when he thought of
the College World Series
(CWS).
“Not too many good mem
ories from Omaha,” Jacobs
said with a chuckle. “Cause,
hell, I didn’t get a hit.”
The Bulldogs were elimi
nated from the tournament
when they lost their first two
games of the CWS.
But Jacobs still has fond
memories of last season.
“The whole experience was
great. We didn’t play as well
as we had hoped, but just get
ting there is a feat in itself,”
Jacobs said.
Georgia wrapped up the
season with 23 wins in their
last 30 games, completing one
of the most remarkable runs
of any Georgia team in recent
history. The team finished the
season ranked No. 7 in the
country.
The season included
record-setting years by jun
iors Joey Side and Josh
Morris.
Both used their success to
propel themselves into the
professional ranks with
Arizona and Atlanta, respec
tively.
Side set the single-season
hit record (111) and became
Georgia’s all-time base leader
(188), while Morris became
the career home run leader
(51) with his 23rd and final
home run of the season, also
tying the school record for
FILE | The Red & Black
A The Bulldogs celebrate a
3-2 victory over Florida
State to put them into the
College World Series.
most in a year.
But as 2006 comes to a
close, the 2007 Diamond Dogs
prepare for their own memo
rable season.
After losing eight upper
classmen starters from last
season’s squad, this year
looks to be a rebuilding one
since at least five freshmen
will be expected to play.
Head coach David Perno
does not expect a drop-off.
“The ‘06 team set the bar,
and I think it’s up to these
guys here to keep the torch
burning,” Perno said.
By MEGAN HARRISON
mharrison@randb.com
It was quite a year for the
Gym Dogs as they started
and ended the season
ranked No. 1 on their way to
their second straight
National Championship last
April.
The team showed
mastery in the SEC and
NCAA finals, where they
received 18 All-American
Awards.
As a freshman, Courtney
Kupets won the NCAA All-
Around title, while the SEC
All-Around title went to
Kelsey Ericksen, who is now
a senior.
The success in 2006 was a
continuation from the Gym
Dogs’ previous season.
“I have a difficult time
with 2006 without tying it in
with 2005,” head coach
Suzanne Yoculan said.
“The two go hand-in-
hand, and it’s hard to sepa
rate the two.”
In 2005, the Gym Dogs
won their sixth NCAA
Championship after a season
with four losses and went
into the championships
ranked 12 th.
The team followed up the
campaign by going a perfect
36-0 last season.
“They were very different
years,” Yoculan said. “But in
terms of chemistry, they
were similar years.”
Yoculan added that dur
ing both years, the team had
the “heart of a champion”
and a team attitude.
One of Yoculan’s favorite
moments in 2006 was when
Brittany Smith decided to
“pass the baton on” to
underclassman Megan
Dowlen in the NCAA finals
for vault.
Smith decided not to
compete and finished her
collegiate career by giving
the place to Dowlen.
“It was a great example of
‘big team, little me’ and
wanting the team to do
well,” Yoculan said.
The national champi
onship still impacts the
team.
Junior Nikki Childs said
that the thought of it still
gives her chills.
Childs, a two-time nation
al champion, said winning
never gets old.
The Gym Dogs are now
looking forward to once
again defend the national
championship.
They have revamped
the roster, adding six fresh
men including former
Olympian Courtney McCool
and U.S. Elite gymnast
Grace Taylor.
But the new year is not
changing much for the Gym
Dogs.
Yoculan and the gym
nasts said that they do not
train any differently whenev
er if they are ranked 12th or
first in the nation.
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