Aug. 15, 2017
COLUMBIA, S.C. — University of South Carolina head coach Curtis Frye is proud to announce that Gamecock alumna Penny Boswell has been hired as the director of operations for Carolina’s cross country and track & field programs. In her role, Boswell will coordinate the daily operations for the Gamecocks, including team travel and management, while serving as the program’s liaison to the athletics department.
“Our program is built on the concept of family, and with that in mind we are thrilled to welcome Penny back to Carolina,” Frye said. “We had almost 100 applicants for this position, but hiring Penny was an easy choice. Her background both as a runner and a team administrator set her apart, as did the fact that she bleeds Garnet and Black.”
“I could not be more excited to return to Columbia,” Boswell said. “I am very much looking forward to rejoining the South Carolina track & field family.”
Boswell joins the Gamecocks after spending the 2016-17 season as an assistant coach with the track & field and cross country programs at UNC Greensboro. During her season with the Spartans, Boswell designed the team’s recruiting strategy and helped manage the academic progress for a squad that earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors. She also acted as UNCG’s operations director, managing traveling, budgeting and equipment distribution for the program.
Hiring Penny was an easy choice. Her background both as a runner and a team administrator set her apart, as did the fact that she bleeds Garnet and Black.
Head Coach Curtis Frye
Prior to her time at UNCG, Boswell spent two years working with the Gamecock track & field and cross country teams, first as an operations intern and later as a graduate manager. During her prior stint on the Carolina staff, Boswell assisted with team operations, including recruit contacts and visits. She helped organize Carolina’s home cross country meets and annual team banquet, and she was part of the early planning stages for the 2017 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Boswell is a two-time University of South Carolina alumna, graduating with a bachelor’s in exercise science in 2014 and a master’s in sports and entertainment management in 2016. She was a four-year member of Carolina’s cross country and track programs, including a two-year term as team captain from 2012-14. She twice earned the Team Leadership Award and represented the cross country program on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for three seasons.
As a runner, Boswell led the Gamecocks cross country team to three appearances at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championship, and on the track she represented Carolina at both the indoor and outdoor SEC Championship meets. She won the 5000m at the 2014 USC Outdoor Open and still holds the seventh-best outdoor 10000m time in school history.
