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Sept. 24, 2015

MEET INFORMATION
WHO: South Carolina at South Dakota State
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 25 • 11 a.m. ET
LOCATION: Brookings, S.D. • DeHaan Equestrian Center
ADMISSION: Free
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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Defending national champion South Carolina begins the 2015-16 season on Friday, when the second-ranked Gamecocks travel to face South Dakota State. Friday’s meet is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET at the DeHaan Equestrian Center in Brookings, S.D.

“We’re really excited to open the season, and I know the girls are looking forward to getting back out there and competing,” South Carolina head coach Boo Major said. “We had a very competitive preseason camp and that made it tough for us to decide on our opening day starters, but it’s a group we feel very confident in and I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do. South Dakota State is going to be a tough opponent for us, and it was just two years ago that they won their conference championship. I think they’ll be fired up to compete against us, so we’ll need to be ready to go and ride well on Friday.”

ABOUT THE GAMECOCKS
• This season marks the 20th year of Gamecock equestrian.
• The Gamecocks have won three national championships (2015, 2007, 2005).
• South Carolina has two runner-up finishes (2014, 2006).
• Under the old championship format, the Gamecocks won three straight hunt seat championships between 2005 and 2007.
• Carolina has won two Southeastern Conference championships (2014, 2013).
• The Gamecocks won the 2012 Southern Equestrian Championship, the precursor to the SEC Championship, which was added for the 2012-13 season.

MEET THE COACHES
• The Gamecocks are led by head coach Boo Major, who begins her 19th season at the helm of the South Carolina program. She was named National Coach of the Year by the National Collegiate Equestrian Association in each of the last two seasons. She was also named SEC Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2014.
• Associate head coach and former Gamecock equestrian Ruth Sorrel returns for her 11th season leading the Gamecocks’ western team.
• Hunt seat coach Hillary Dobbs returns for her second season with Carolina.

SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
• The Gamecocks return 3-of-8 hunt seat lineup spots from last year’s national championship team.
• Carolina returns 5-of-8 western lineup spots from last year’s national championship team.
• South Carolina returns all three of its riders that were named to the SEC All-Freshman Team a season ago – Megan Overberg (horsemanship), Bailey Walters (reining), Paisley Roberts (reining).
• The Gamecocks went 12-5 last season, including a 4-2 mark in SEC play.
• South Carolina has gone 17-8 the last two seasons.

SCOUTING THE JACKRABBITS
• Ellie Wilkins is in her first season as the head coach at South Dakota State. She served as the Jackrabbits’ hunt seat coach last season. She was a four-year letter winner at Texas A&M (2010-2014).
• Friday’s meet will be the first of three straight home meets for South Dakota State, who also host Kansas State (Oct. 3) and Minnesota-Crookston (Oct. 16).
• The Jackrabbits won the 2014 United Equestrian Championship, defeating Fresno State in a tiebreaker (2,056-2,042) and Tennessee-Martin, 10-6.

MEET THE GAMECOCKS – NUMBERS BY CLASS
• Freshmen – 11
• Sophomores – 12
• Juniors – 9
• Seniors – 8

MEET THE GAMECOCKS – BY STATE (AND COUNTRY)
• South Carolina – 6
• Ohio – 6
• Connecticut – 4
• California – 3
• Virginia – 2
• Florida – 2
• Pennsylvania – 2
• Maryland – 2
• New York – 2
• Nebraska – 1
• Massachusetts – 1
• Georgia – 1
• Colorado – 1
• Texas – 1
• New Jersey – 1
• Vermont – 1
• Rhode Island – 1
• Michigan – 1
• Indiana – 1
• Calgary, Alberta (Canada) – 1

SEASON OPENERS (SINCE 2003)
• 2014-2015 : at Kansas State (9/19/14) – Lost 8-10
• 2013-2014 : vs. Kansas State (9/20/13) – Won 15-5
• 2012-2013 : vs. Oklahoma State (9/29/12) – Won 13-7
• 2011-2012 : vs. Fresno State (9/23/11) – Won 16-3
• 2010-2011 : vs. SMU (9/24/10) – Won 8-4 (Hunt seat-only meet)
• 2009-2010 : vs. TCU (9/20/09) – Lost 9-10
• 2008-2009 : vs. Kansas State (9/19/08) – Won 13-4
• 2007-2008 : vs. TCU (9/22/07) – Won 11-8
• 2006-2007 : vs. Baylor (9/22/06) – Won 11-9
• 2005-2006 : vs. Kentucky (9/23/05) – Won 1,224.5-1,148.5
• 2004-2005 : at Georgia (9/25/2004) – Lost 1,166-1,097
• 2003-2004 : at Georgia (10/03.2003) – Lost 1,053.25-1,072

LATEST NCEA RANKINGS
1. Georgia (0-0)
2. South Carolina (0-0)
3. Baylor (0-0)
4. Auburn (1-0)
5. Fresno State (0-0)
6. Oklahoma State (0-0)
7. Texas A&M (0-0)
8. TCU (0-0)
9. SMU (0-0)
10. New Mexico State (0-0)

WELCOME BACK
The Gamecocks open the 2015-16 as the defending NCEA national champion. South Carolina is currently ranked No. 2 in the NCEA rankings, the same ranking the Gamecocks held at the beginning of last season.

LAST MEETING
The Gamecocks and Jackrabbits last met on Nov. 24, 2013, when Carolina defeated South Dakota State, 14-5. The Gamecocks won their sixth meet of the fall, which set a program record. In a meet that lasted 8.5 hours and featured five re-rides, then-sophomores Samantha Kraus and Abigail Pait won their first career MVPs. Kraus earned the nod after posting an 82-74 win in equitation over fences, the only rider to score higher than 75 in the jumping. Pait also posted an event-high score (74.5) in horsemanship to win her MVP, defeating her opponent by three points.

LEADING THE WAY
• Redshirt senior Samantha Smith returns after a 16-12 season last year for the Gamecocks. She went 10-5 in equitation over fences with one MVP. She currently leads the Gamecocks with 53 victories.
• Senior Sarah Bouchard leads all Gamecock western riders with 19 victories.

BACK TO BLYTHEWOOD
The Gamecocks return to Blythewood to host two meets in a span of eight days. Carolina will host TCU in its home opener on Oct. 2, and then a week later, the Gamecocks will host Auburn in their SEC opener on Oct. 9.