April 6, 2012

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina junior Kimberly McCormack has been named Hunter Seat Most Outstanding Player for the month of March by the National Collegiate Equestrian Association, it was announced today.

McCormack went 4-0 in Hunt Seat action for the Gamecocks last month, with all four wins coming during South Carolina’s run at the Southern Equestrian Equestrian Championships.

“I’m very proud of Kimmy for her superb performance last week at SEC’s, she definitely earned it,” South Carolina head coach Boo Major said. “Kimmy has been a consistent rider for us all season, and has excelled in both the Flat and Over Fences. She is not just a great rider, she is also a phenomenal student and a great teammate.”

In the Gamecocks 12-6 upset win over No. 3 Auburn on March 30, McCormack went 2-0 with one MVP. She started the day with a 181-158 victory in Equitation Over Fences, and followed it up with a 183-178 win in Equitation on the Flat. Both of her scores were event-highs, and she was named MVP in Equitation on the Flat, her fifth of the season.

On March 31 in the championship meet, McCormack went 2-0 again, helping to lead the Gamecocks past No. 1 Georgia for South Carolina’s first ever Southern Equestrian Championship. The win over the Bulldogs also marked Georgia’s second home loss ever since the start of the dual-meet era (2003-2004 season).

Currently, McCormack has 19 wins for the Gamecocks and five MVP’s. Both numbers are tied for the team-high, as freshman Katherine Schmidt also has 19 wins and five MVP’s in Hunt Seat action.

Baylor’s Parris Rice was named Western Most Outstanding Player of the Month.

South Carolina will wrap up its season next weekend, when the Gamecocks travel to Waco, Texas, to compete at the NCEA National Championships, which run April 12-14. South Carolina’s Hunt Seat team earned the No. 2 seed at Nationals, and with that comes a first round bye. The Gamecocks’ Hunt Seat squad will face the winner of the Texas A&M/Fresno State.

The Gamecocks’ Western squad earned the No. 5 seed at Nationals, and will face No. 12 seed Tennessee-Martin in the opening round. The winner of that meet will advance to face No. 4 seed Auburn in the second round.