Jan. 29, 2007

Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s golf team compiled the highest overall grade point average of any team in the South Carolina athletic department for the seventh consecutive semester, finishing the 2006 fall semester with a 3.667 overall GPA.

“This is an outstanding accomplishment for our team,” Head Coach Kristi Coggins said. “It is a reflection of the overall work ethic and dedication of the team, not only to the sport but to their education as well. I fell fortunate to be the leader of this group because they are outstanding young ladies.”

Five student-athletes were named to the President’s List, the award given for a perfect 4.0 GPA. Senior Jenna Pearson, juniors Laura Raffo, Whitney Simons and Blythe Worley each earned the recognition along with freshman Taylor Barrett.

Raffo (Rio Cuarto, Argentina) is an accounting major and previously was named to the 2005 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll. Simons (Aiken, S.C./Aiken HS), the 2006 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year, is double-majoring in international business and finance and has been named to the President’s List for five consecutive semesters. Worley (Greenville, N.C./J.H. Rose HS) is a business administration major and previously was named to the 2005 SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll. Barrett (York, S.C./York Comprehensive)

Freshman Bénédicte Toumpsin earned a spot on the school’s Dean’s List (minimum GPA of 3.25). Toumpsin (Sombreffe, Belgium) is enrolled in Carolina’s International Business program which has been ranked as the No. 1 or No. 2 program in the nation for 17 consecutive years.

The Gamecocks have also excelled on the national scene, having been recognized as the National Golf Coaches Association’s All-Scholar Team GPA Award winner for two consecutive years. The award recognizes the women’s collegiate golf program with the highest combined team grade point average among all of the team’s student-athletes for an academic year.

“We’ve created a sense of pride in holding that position. There’s an expectation in the girls. I found that in recruiting, the better students are better able to handle time management and balancing athletics and academics. I’m very proud for them and the Gamecock nation. They’ve upheld that tradition of excellence not only on campus but on the national level as well.”