Spring sports put Georgia on top of SEC standings

ATHENS, Ga. - Two important measuring sticks, Southeastern Conference championships and the league's all-sports standings, show 2006 has been the year of the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC.

For the first time in school history, Georgia has won seven SEC championships in the 2005-06 academic year, most coming this spring.

On Tuesday came affirmation of the Bulldogs' big year: Georgia has broken Florida's 14-year hold on the SEC's all-sports trophy.

"It's a very big deal," said Georgia athletic director Damon Evans.

"One thing we want to do is be recognized as one of the premier programs in the country, but it starts with our league. It has been in the back of our minds, 'How do we become number one in our league?' This league is very competitive in everything and the strength of Florida's program is impressive, so it's quite an achievement to come out on top this year."

Georgia is ranked first in the nation in men's golf and men's tennis this spring. It already won the national championship in gymnastics.

The seven SEC championships came in football, men's golf, men's tennis, gymnastics, women's swimming, women's indoor track and women's outdoor track.

The softball team will play host to an NCAA regional. The Bulldogs' baseball team won 11 straight games to move to No. 11 in Baseball America's poll and into strong position for an NCAA Tournament bid.

"If you want to be a winner, Georgia is the place to be," bragged senior outfielder Bobby Felmy.

Georgia's previous high was six SEC titles in the 2000-01 academic year. It won five SEC titles in 1996-97 and 1982-83.

Georgia won a school-record four national championships in 1999: gymnastics, men's golf, men's tennis and women's swimming.

The men's golf team also won the 2005 national championship, and it has been ranked No. 1 from the start of the 2006 season. The team has won six tournaments this season and is the top seed in the NCAA East Regional, which is Thursday through Saturday in Orlando, Fla.

Golf coach Chris Haack said success is contagious within Georgia athletics.

"When you're around a program or an athletic department where the successes are the norm, you almost have a feeling of entitlement of playing well or doing well," Haack said Tuesday.

"It gives you added confidence. You want to be the team that keeps it going."

The baseball team took its winning streak into Tuesday night's game against Kennesaw State in Rome.

"Georgia is an elite program in any sport," Felmy said. "When you think about Georgia athletics, you think about pride and playing for the red and black. You take a lot of pride in the other sports like tennis and golf."

The men's tennis team is undefeated as it moves to the NCAA round of 16 against Notre Dame at Stanford on Saturday.

The SEC's all-sports trophy was given out annually from 1973-94 as the Bernie Moore Trophy in honor of the former SEC commissioner. When the league discontinued its sponsorship of the trophy, The New York Times Regional Newspaper Group began presenting the award.

Georgia claimed the all-sports award six times from 1981 to 1992 before Florida began its 14-year streak.