April 28, 2012

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina freshman Katherine Schmidt was named the 2011-2012 AgSouth Female Athlete of the Year, it was announced today. Schmidt was recognized prior to Saturday afternoon’s baseball game at Carolina Stadium.

In her first season as a Gamecock, Schmidt led the equestrian team in regular season, postseason, and overall wins. Competing in both Equitation on the Flat and Equitation Over Fences, Schmidt finished the 2011-2012 season with a team-high 25 wins. Her 25 wins in a single season is a Gamecock record and led the entire nation in wins this year.

“This is a tremendous honor for Katherine and I am very proud of her,” South Carolina head coach Boo Major said. “We have a very special group of young female athletes at South Carolina who all are model student-athletes, and that is why it means a lot to us for Katherine receive this honor. I want to thank the people AgSouth for the recognition and for their support of our athletics department.”

Schmidt is the second straight equestrian to be named AgSouth Female Athlete of the Year. Last year, Kimberly McCormack received the honor, posting a team-high 17-wins during her sophomore season.