Gamecock Trio Earns NCEA All-America Honors
April 6, 2017
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Three Gamecocks were named to the 2016-17 NCEA All-America Team, which was released Thursday. Freshman Caroline Gute earned First Team All-America accolades in reining, while Chloe Schmidt (equitation on the flat) and Bridgett White (reining) were Honorable Mention selections.
“I’m extremely proud of all three of our All-Americans,” South Carolina head coach Boo Major said. “For Caroline to win SEC Rider of the Year and First Team All-America as a freshman is remarkable, and her future is certainly very bright. Chloe made great strides on the flat this season and has performed as well as anyone in the country during the spring, and Bridgett had many clutch rides for us this season. All three of these women are very deserving.”
The honor continues an impressive week for Gute, who was named SEC Reining Rider of the Year on Tuesday, along with taking the conference’s Freshman Reining Rider of the Year honor and grabbing spots on the All-SEC and All-Freshman teams. Gute is 9-2-2 in her rookie season, with her .818 winning percentage tops on the team in a single category.
In addition to her overall success, Gute posted a perfect 5-0 record in her first SEC regular-season journey. The Dublin, Ohio, native opened her collegiate career by going undefeated over her first eight competitions, and she was the MOP on Sept. 30 against Texas A&M.
Gute is the 11th Gamecock to earn First Team All-America honors since 2011 and the second Carolina rider to win the honor in reining, joining Layla Choate (2015). On Tuesday, she became the first Gamecock to win the SEC’s Reining Rider of the Year title.
Schmidt is 10-4 on the flat this season and the only Gamecock with double-digit victories in a single category. The redshirt junior went 4-2 in SEC regular-season competition and 2-0 at the SEC Championship.
The Ridgefield, Conn., native is a two-time MOP in 2016-17, winning the honor Nov. 4 against Fresno State and again on March 25 against Texas A&M. She currently sports a five-match winning streak on the flat.
White is 3-1-1 this season and came up huge for the Gamecocks at several crucial points in the season. A sophomore from Canal Winchester, Ohio, White was the reining MOP on Nov. 4 against Fresno State, and she added an SEC win Nov. 18 against Auburn. On Feb. 12, against TCU, White scored the clinching point in a 9-8 win over the Horned Frogs.
Counting Gute, Schmidt and White, the Gamecocks have now had 17 different student-athletes combine for 39 All-America accolades since 2011.
UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS
The Gamecocks (6-8) are back in action April 13-15 at the NCEA Championship in Waco, Texas. Carolina is the No. 6 seed and opens the event April 13 with a first-round matchup against 11th-seeded South Dakota State.
