A Look Back at the 2013-14 Women's Golf Season

June 11, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. –

Top Ten Program
South Carolina finished the season No. 6 in the Golfstat rankings and No. 8 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. The Gamecocks were ranked as high as No. 4 (Golfstat) during the 2013-14 season.

A Year of Firsts
This season marks the first time the South Carolina women’s golf team had two golfers earn All-America honors in the same year. Senior Samantha Swinehart was named to the WGCA All-American second team and junior Justine Dreher earned honorable mention.

All-SEC times Three
For the fist time since 1996 the Gamecocks had three different golfers earn All-SEC honors. Dreher earned first team honors while Swinehart and freshman Katelyn Dambaugh were both named to the second team. Dambaugh also earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team.

Four Years of Freshmen
This marked the fourth-straight season a Gamecock was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.
2014 – Katelyn Dambaugh
2013 – Sarah Schmelzel
2012 – Justine Dreher
2011 – Suzie Lee, Samantha Swinehart and Amanda Strang

Breaking Records
The 2013-14 Gamecocks have their names scattered across the record book. The team set new records for season average (292.30), 36-hole score (571 at Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate) 54-hole score (853 at PING ASU Invitational) and 72-hole score (1,164 at NCAA Championship). The team also tied the record of nine top-five finishes in a season and set a new record by logging those nine top-five finishes consecutively.

The Gamecocks did not place below sixth at a regular-season tournament, which is the first time a team has compiled such a record since 1986-87.

The Gamecocks’ 18-hole score of 279 in the opening round of the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate tied the school record for low 18-hole score and was the best score recorded in a first round. South Carolina turned in a 280 in the second round of the PING ASU Invitational, which tied for third lowest 18-hole score and marked the best score recorded in a second round.

Gamecocks On Top
The team finished with a 151-32-2 head-to-head record. The Gamecocks faced 70 different opponents and finished with winning records against 66 of those teams. Against SEC opponents South Carolina finished with an overall head-to-head record of 41-14-1 and a winning record against 13 of 14 teams.

Dambaugh’s Debut
Dambaugh had a standout freshman season for the Gamecocks. The Goose Creek, S.C. native, tallied six top-20 finishes, including a season-best tie for fourth at the Landfall Tradition. Dambaugh finished the season with a 73.70 scoring average, which ranked third on the team and is the lowest average for a freshman in program history.

Dreher Leads the Way
Dreher was the Gamecocks’ low finisher at six tournaments including the SEC Championship and the NCAA East Regional. Dreher finished the season with a 73.36 scoring average, which ranked second on the team and third all-time for a single season at South Carolina. Dreher tied for the team lead with eight top-20, five top-ten and two top-five finishes.

Solid Play From Schmelzel
Sophomore Sarah Schmelzel recorded new career lows for 18-hole score (68) and 54-hole score (212). After turning in rounds of 70-72-70=212 (-4), the sophomore finished in second place at the Florida State Match-Up, which marked a new career best finish. Schmelzel concluded the season with a scoring average of 74.00 and tallied four top-20 finishes.

Senior Season
Seniors Suzie Lee and Samantha Swinehart wrapped up their careers with their best seasons at South Carolina. Both Lee and Swinehart lowered their career average to 75.50, which ties for sixth lowest in program history. Lee competed in 10 of 11 tournaments and finished the season with a 75.13 scoring average. Swinehart’s tema-leading season scoring average of 73.12 ranks second all-time at South Carolina and she closed out the year tied for the team lead with eight top-20, five top-ten and two top-five finishes.

Lucky No. 7
Sophomore Mary Fran Hillow recorded a career-best seventh-place finish at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship with rounds of 71-70=141 (-1). Hillow competed in seven tournaments and finished the season with a 75.65 scoring average.

First Time Out
Freshman Jia Xin Yang tied for 12^th in her first collegiate tournament. The Beijing, China native turned in rounds of 72-78-72=222 (+6) at the Florida State Match-Up.

Fab Five
At five tournaments during the 2013-14 season, Head Coach Kalen Harris used the same lineup of Damabugh, Dreher, Lee, Schmelzel and Swinehart. That combination of golfers brought home two titles (Florida State Match-Up and PING ASU Invitational), two second-place finishes in the postseason (SEC Championship and NCAA East Regional) and led the Gamecocks to their fifth-straight NCAA Championship and a 13^th place finish.

Seven Seasons of Success
Under the guidance of Head Coach Kalen Harris, the South Carolina women’s golf team has…

• The Gamecocks have competed in five-straight NCAA Championships and six of the last seven. South Carolina is one of only seven schools to appear in the last five NCAA Championships
• Seven-straight NCAA Regionals, including the program’s first-ever regional title in 2010 and a second title in 2012
• In 2012 the Gamecocks placed fifth at the NCAA Championship, which is the best finish in program history
• Since Harris’ first season in 2008, South Carolina has finished in the top-five at the SEC Championship four times, including three of the last four seasons. The Gamecocks’ second-place finish this season was the best finish since the 2002 squad brought home the title
• Four of South Carolina’s six All-Americans have been coached by Harris
• Nine different golfers have earned All-SEC or SEC All-Freshman team honors under Harris