Logan “Reid” Patterson-2012

Logan “Reid” Patterson from Pineville, KY was the first the University of Georgia’s first national champion and Olympian in swimming. Patterson was an eight-time SEC champion and six-time SEC record holder. He swam for the University of Georgia from 1951 to 1954. In 1953, Patterson won the NCAA national title in the 100y freestyle, setting an American Record. When Patterson represented the United States in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, he became the first swimmer from the South to represent the USA. During the Olympics, he finished fourth in the 100m freestyle final after setting the Olympic Record during prelims. In the 1950s, Patterson was dubbed “America’s Fastest Man In The Water”. Patterson has been inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (1984) and the Circle of Honor at the University of Georgia (1997).

After his swimming career, Patterson worked as a geologist, then as a financial advisor for more than 30 years. Reid Patterson passed away in 2014.

Career Highlights

• 1956 USA Olympic Team
• 8x SEC Champion
• 6x SEC Record-holder
• American Record holder in the 400m freestyle and 400m medley relay
• World Record holder in the 50m freestyle and 200m freestyle relay

Mary Ellen (Blanchard) Warta-2012

Mary Ellen (Blanchard) Warta was an American and U.S. Open Record holder who swam for Norcross High School, Dynamo Swim Club, and Stanford. As a sophomore in high school, Blanchard broke the American and U.S. Open Record in the 200y breaststroke. Between 1989 and 1991, she went on to win 10 National titles. Blanchard’s national record in the 200y breaststroke stood for 10 years. While swimming at Stanford, the team won four straight NCAA swimming championships. Blanchard was awarded the ConocoPhillips Performance Award by USA Swimming in 1989. She was also a member of the 1989 Pan Pacific team, 1990 Goodwill Games team, and 1991 World Championship team. In 2011, Blanchard was inducted into the Gwinnett Sports Hall of Fame.

Career Highlights

• American Record holder in the 200y breaststroke
• U.S. Open Record holder in the 200y breaststroke
• 9x All-American

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Jack Bauerle-2012

Jack Bauerle is the head coach of the University of Georgia Men’s and Women’s Swimming Team. Bauerle’s connection with UGA first began as a student-athlete in 1971. After assistant coaching for a few years, he became the head coach of UGA’s women’s team in 1979 before taking on the men’s team as well in 1983. In his nearly 40 years of coaching at UGA, Bauerle has successfully coached individual SEC champions, All-Americans, Academic All-Americans, National and World Champions, and Olympians representing multiple countries. Bauerle has been named to the coaching staff of numerous Duel in the Pool, Pan-Pacific, World Championship, World University Games, and Olympic teams. He is the most winning women’s head coach in NCAA history. He has been inducted into the Montgomery County (Pennsylvania) Coaches Hall of Fame (2011) and Georgia Sports of Fame (2012), as well as receiving the Bill Hartman Award (2011), one of the highest honors given to a former UGA student-athlete based on 20 years of excellence in his profession. During the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the United States women’s swimming team under the direction of Bauerle earned 14 medals including two golds, seven silvers, and five bronze, the most of any nation. Bauerle continues to coach at UGA. In 2016, the USA Olympic Swimming Team included eight members with ties to the University of Georgia earning a total of nine medals at the Games.

Career Highlights

• 2000 USA Olympic Women’s Swimming Team Assistant Coach
• 2008 USA Olympic Women’s Swimming Team Head Coach
• 2016 USA Olympic Men’s Swimming Team Assistant Coach
• 3x USA World Championship Team Head Coach
• 7x NCAA National Championships
• 12x SEC Women’s Championships
• 18x SEC Coach of the Year
• 7x National Women’s Coach of the Year

Herb McAuley-2012

James Herbert “Herb” McAuley coached the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets for 40 years, first as an assistant coach to Fred Lanoue, then as head coach. McAuley first swam for Georgia Tech as a student-athlete in 1942 while taking a short leave to serve in the Army during World War II. McAuley was a member of the 1942 SEC Championship team, earning championship titles in the 220y and 440y freestyle. He returned to complete his degree and captain the swimming team from 1946-47. McAuley graduated with a degree in electrical engineering in 1947 and immediately began coaching under Lanoue for the next 17 years before taking over as head coach for the remaining 23 years of his coaching career. As head coach, McAuley’s record was 169-144-1. He was inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame in 1982. After his retirement in 1987, McAuley continued to stay active in swimming as a U.S. Masters Swimming member. McAuley accumulated more than 100 top 10 rankings in U.S. Masters Swimming since 1972. In addition, he earned the distinction of nine All-American titles in U.S. Masters Swimming. In 2016, the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center was renamed to the McAuley Aquatic Center to honor McAuley.

Herb McAuley passed away in 2014.