Nov. 6, 2015
WACO, TEXAS – No. 6 South Carolina dropped a non-conference meet at Baylor on Friday, as the Gamecocks fell 16-3 to the third-ranked Bears at the Willis Family Equestrian Center. The Gamecocks are now 2-3 overall, while Baylor improves to 6-1.
Baylor took control of Friday’s meet early, as the Bears won equitation over fences, 3-1. Redshirt junior Sydney Smith tallied the Gamecocks’ only jumping point, when she posted a 13-point victory over Baylor’s Brittney Mirkov. Senior Samantha Smith held Savannah Jenkins to an 84-84 tie.
The Gamecocks cut Baylor’s lead to 3-2 at the beginning of horsemanship when sophomore Megan Overberg beat Aspen Crew, 73-71. But the Bears won the next four horsemanship points to take a 7-2 lead at the halfway point of Friday’s meet.
The Bears turned in a perfect 5-0 performance in equitation on the flat to extend their lead to 12-2.
In reining, the Gamecocks tallied one point as sophomore Bailey Walters defeated Claire Uhlman, 68.5-62.5, to win her first career Most Outstanding Player award. She joins Kelsey Hart (2011 – equitation over fences), Carolyn Curcio (2011 – equitation on the flat), and Johnna Letchworth (2011 – horsemanship) on the list of Gamecocks who won their first career M.O.P. awards in Waco. Hart, Curcio, and Letchworth all won their M.O.P.s in a neutral site meet against Delaware State in Waco on Jan. 29, 2011.
The Gamecocks close out the weekend on Saturday with a meet against Southern Methodist.
