July 9, 2007

Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina women’s golf team placed five of its members on the National Golf Coaches Association’s All-American Scholar Team, the NGCA announced today. Junior Blythe Worley, senior Jenna Pearson, junior Laura Raffo, freshman Taylor Barrett and junior Whitney Simons were all honored by the organization. With five All-American Scholars, South Carolina matched Appalachian State, Ball State, Indiana State, Santa Clara, South Alabama and Tennessee for the highest figure in Division I women’s golf.

The criteria for selection to the All-American Scholar Team are some of the most stringent of all college athletics. The minimum cumulative GPA is 3.50 and student-athletes must have competed in at least 50 percent of the college’s regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the year.

Pearson earned a spot on the All-America Scholar Team for the fourth consecutive year, with Worley and Simons both securing the third such honor of their respective careers. Simons, the 2006 SEC Women’s Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year, joins two-time NGCA All-America Scholar Laura Raffo as international business majors to make the All-America Scholar team. South Carolina has the top-ranked international business school in the nation. A native of York, S.C., Barrett earned All-America Scholar recognition in her first year at the collegiate level.

Under Head Coach Kristi Coggins, South Carolina has led the nation by placing 23 student-athletes on the NGCA All-America Scholar Team in the last four years (5.8 All-America Scholars per year). The Gamecocks were recognized as the NGCA All-Scholar Team of the Year in both 2005 and 2006. The success has also translated onto the golf course, as the Gamecocks have advanced to the post-season in each of the last four years and finished fourth at the 2007 SEC Championship.

South Carolina’s 2007 NGCA All-American Scholars
Jenna Pearson (Business/Economics)****
Whitney Simons (International Business)***
Blythe Worley (Business/Management)***
Laura Raffo (International Business)**
Taylor Barrett (Business)*

* Denotes career NGCA All-America Scholar honors.