April 13, 2016

Gamecock junior Bailey Mierzejewski was named 2016 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year on Wednesday by the league office.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – University of South Carolina junior Bailey Mierzejewski has been named SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year for the sport of equestrian, the league office announced Wednesday.

“Bailey is an outstanding student-athlete and is very deserving of this honor,” South Carolina head coach Boo Major said. “All of our student-athletes have a lot of things they have to balance between their academic commitments and their team commitments, and Bailey obviously has helped set the gold standard for excellence in the classroom. I want to thank Bridgett Tabor, Maria Hickman, and the entire staff in the Dodie Academic Enrichment Center for their efforts in supporting our student-athletes. I think we have the best academic staff in the country we’re all very grateful to them for what they do.”

Mierzejewski becomes the second Gamecock all-time to earn the recognition, joining Kimberly McCormack who previously earned the honor in 2013.

Mierzejewski is a student in the South Carolina College of Pharmacy, and has maintained a 4.0 GPA each semester in college. She has been named to the President’s Lists every semester, along with the Athletics Directors Honor Roll, and she earned a spot on the NCEA Academic First Team.

The Gamecocks are back in action on Thursday, April 14, when South Carolina faces SMU in the opening round of the 2016 National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) National Championship.