University of Georgia Athletics
‘Everybody Played A Role’
March 29, 2024 | The Frierson Files, Women's Swimming & Diving
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Twenty-five years ago, in March 1999, when the Georgia women hosted the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships for the first time, just a couple of years after the Ramsey Center was built, the program's trajectory changed forever. After years of being good or great but not quite elite, the Bulldogs — deep, talented and determined — captured the program's first national championship.
"It changed my life," said former Georgia coach Jack Bauerle, who ultimately led the women's team to seven NCAA titles during his legendary career.
'The minute I walked onto that campus, I knew that our endgame was to win a national championship," said Kristy Kowal, one of Georgia's all-time greats, who won the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke titles in 1998 and '99, and the 100- and 200-meter titles in 2000.
"When we hosted here, I didn't really know the full grasp of being the first. I don't think it really hits you until it happens or a couple of years down the road," said Stefanie Williams Moreno, who helped the Bulldogs win three NCAA titles during her great career and took over for Bauerle as the Tom Cousins Swimming and Diving Head Coach in 2022.
The year before, Georgia had finished third at the NCAAs, the program's best finish ever. The Bulldogs had been building and building, winning some individual titles and moving up the rankings, and for Kowal and Moreno, still Williams at the time, part of the appeal of coming to Georgia was to help turn the program into a power.
"I wanted to be a part of something where we built it," Kowal said. "It would have been a true surprise if we'd won in '98, but I think in '99, that championship was a real turning point for us. I think we all were like, it actually could happen next year."
The Bulldogs were definitely knocking on the door in 1998, and Bauerle strongly believed that he needed one more great freestyler to break through. Enter a tough, smart and talented newcomer who was the daughter of a Pennsylvania football coach.
"I did something with Stef that I never did with any other swimmer in my career," he said. "She led off the 200-free relay, the 400-free relay and the 800-free relay at (the SEC Championships) and the NCAAs all four years.
"Everyone thinks it's the anchor leg, but leadoff is the most important swim. She had pressure on her; you can't hide. You can sometimes hide (at) number two or three, but you can't hide leading off."
As for Moreno, she didn't arrive at Georgia thinking in those terms. She just knew she liked Bauerle, liked the program and university, and liked the idea of joining a team still looking to break through.
"I didn't know how important it was until after I had done it a bunch of times," said Moreno, who went on to be one of the most accomplished swimmers in program history — a 28-time All-American, and in 2017, she was inducted into Georgia's Circle of Honor.
Being the leadoff on relays took a mental adjustment for Moreno, who always saw herself as an anchor. But she trusted Bauerle and his vision.
"Whatever Jack told me to do, I did it. Because I knew that he was a great coach, and I knew that he was going to put the best relay together, the best workouts, the best ladies for the team — I just had complete faith and trust in whatever he told us to do," she said.
After its third-place finish at the 1998 NCAAs, Georgia came into 1999 confident that it had the pieces in place to challenge for the national championship. And while the Bulldogs dominated most of their opponents during the regular season, they did stumble at SMU that November, falling 126-117. Georgia didn't lose another competition until October 2001.
During the NCAAs, Georgia swimmers piled up 32 All-America honors. Unlike later years, including 2000 when Bulldogs won a combined nine individual and relay titles, the 1999 team didn't win a lot of individual events, but they made a lot of finals and earned a lot of points thanks to their depth.
Along with Kowal's two break stroke titles, Julie Varozza won the 1,650 freestyle and Keegan Walkley won the 200 backstroke. For Kowal, seeing Varozza win the 1,650 was when she knew the Bulldogs going to win their first national championship.
"I've never cheered as hard in my life as I did during Julie's race," she said.
Varozza's win was a triumph on multiple levels. She'd missed the bulk of the season with mono, and the NCAA meet was her first since her return. Bauerle decided to hold her out of the SEC meet so that she could put all of her energy into training and preparing for the NCAAs. He also thought Georgia could win the SEC title without her, which it did.
"She was so mad at me," Bauerle said with a laugh. "The way I saw it, it was a whole other week of training, and she needed it. And then she goes and wins the mile. Now, every time I see her I say: 'Still mad at me?'"
There was nothing to be mad about at the end, Georgia beat defending champion Stanford by 63.5 points, setting off a spectacular celebration for the swimmers and coaches. Bauerle said he never went to sleep that night.
"You just don't want to go to bed you feel so good," he said.
Bauerle, Moreno, Kowal, Walkley and more got to feel that feeling again the following year after the Bulldogs edged Arizona for the 2000 title. Moreno and Walkley were among a handful of swimmers who got to celebrate three in a row after Georgia won it again in 2001.
It was a special team and a special season, one that still resonates 25 years later.
"I think I could go through every person on the roster and say something that they brought to the table," Moreno said, "whether they made NCAAs or didn't make NCAAs."
Staff Writer
Twenty-five years ago, in March 1999, when the Georgia women hosted the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships for the first time, just a couple of years after the Ramsey Center was built, the program's trajectory changed forever. After years of being good or great but not quite elite, the Bulldogs — deep, talented and determined — captured the program's first national championship.
"It changed my life," said former Georgia coach Jack Bauerle, who ultimately led the women's team to seven NCAA titles during his legendary career.
'The minute I walked onto that campus, I knew that our endgame was to win a national championship," said Kristy Kowal, one of Georgia's all-time greats, who won the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke titles in 1998 and '99, and the 100- and 200-meter titles in 2000.
"When we hosted here, I didn't really know the full grasp of being the first. I don't think it really hits you until it happens or a couple of years down the road," said Stefanie Williams Moreno, who helped the Bulldogs win three NCAA titles during her great career and took over for Bauerle as the Tom Cousins Swimming and Diving Head Coach in 2022.
The year before, Georgia had finished third at the NCAAs, the program's best finish ever. The Bulldogs had been building and building, winning some individual titles and moving up the rankings, and for Kowal and Moreno, still Williams at the time, part of the appeal of coming to Georgia was to help turn the program into a power.
"I wanted to be a part of something where we built it," Kowal said. "It would have been a true surprise if we'd won in '98, but I think in '99, that championship was a real turning point for us. I think we all were like, it actually could happen next year."
The Bulldogs were definitely knocking on the door in 1998, and Bauerle strongly believed that he needed one more great freestyler to break through. Enter a tough, smart and talented newcomer who was the daughter of a Pennsylvania football coach.
"I did something with Stef that I never did with any other swimmer in my career," he said. "She led off the 200-free relay, the 400-free relay and the 800-free relay at (the SEC Championships) and the NCAAs all four years.
"Everyone thinks it's the anchor leg, but leadoff is the most important swim. She had pressure on her; you can't hide. You can sometimes hide (at) number two or three, but you can't hide leading off."
As for Moreno, she didn't arrive at Georgia thinking in those terms. She just knew she liked Bauerle, liked the program and university, and liked the idea of joining a team still looking to break through.
"I didn't know how important it was until after I had done it a bunch of times," said Moreno, who went on to be one of the most accomplished swimmers in program history — a 28-time All-American, and in 2017, she was inducted into Georgia's Circle of Honor.
Being the leadoff on relays took a mental adjustment for Moreno, who always saw herself as an anchor. But she trusted Bauerle and his vision.
"Whatever Jack told me to do, I did it. Because I knew that he was a great coach, and I knew that he was going to put the best relay together, the best workouts, the best ladies for the team — I just had complete faith and trust in whatever he told us to do," she said.
After its third-place finish at the 1998 NCAAs, Georgia came into 1999 confident that it had the pieces in place to challenge for the national championship. And while the Bulldogs dominated most of their opponents during the regular season, they did stumble at SMU that November, falling 126-117. Georgia didn't lose another competition until October 2001.
During the NCAAs, Georgia swimmers piled up 32 All-America honors. Unlike later years, including 2000 when Bulldogs won a combined nine individual and relay titles, the 1999 team didn't win a lot of individual events, but they made a lot of finals and earned a lot of points thanks to their depth.
Along with Kowal's two break stroke titles, Julie Varozza won the 1,650 freestyle and Keegan Walkley won the 200 backstroke. For Kowal, seeing Varozza win the 1,650 was when she knew the Bulldogs going to win their first national championship.
"I've never cheered as hard in my life as I did during Julie's race," she said.
Varozza's win was a triumph on multiple levels. She'd missed the bulk of the season with mono, and the NCAA meet was her first since her return. Bauerle decided to hold her out of the SEC meet so that she could put all of her energy into training and preparing for the NCAAs. He also thought Georgia could win the SEC title without her, which it did.
"She was so mad at me," Bauerle said with a laugh. "The way I saw it, it was a whole other week of training, and she needed it. And then she goes and wins the mile. Now, every time I see her I say: 'Still mad at me?'"
There was nothing to be mad about at the end, Georgia beat defending champion Stanford by 63.5 points, setting off a spectacular celebration for the swimmers and coaches. Bauerle said he never went to sleep that night.
"You just don't want to go to bed you feel so good," he said.
Bauerle, Moreno, Kowal, Walkley and more got to feel that feeling again the following year after the Bulldogs edged Arizona for the 2000 title. Moreno and Walkley were among a handful of swimmers who got to celebrate three in a row after Georgia won it again in 2001.
It was a special team and a special season, one that still resonates 25 years later.
"I think I could go through every person on the roster and say something that they brought to the table," Moreno said, "whether they made NCAAs or didn't make NCAAs."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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