Six Gamecocks Earn All-SEC Honors, Schaefer Wins Freshman Award

Birmingham, Ala. – The South Carolina equestrian team added a slew of SEC honors on Thursday as the conference announced its All-SEC and Rider of the Year awards.
 
Freshman Madeline Schaefer’s outstanding debut season led her to the SEC Freshman Over Fences Rider of the Year award, along with spots on the All-SEC and All-Freshman over fences teams. Schaefer finished her season with a 7-2-0 record, NCEA First Team All-America honors, and four Most Outstanding Player honors.
 
Joining Schaefer on the All-SEC and All-Freshman fences squads is fellow freshman Jordan Allen. Allen racked up a 7-2-0 record and a pair of M.O.P. wins. She also notched the highest over fences score of the season for the Gamecocks with her 91 in a win over Georgia in February.
 
Senior Caroline Gute continues her busy week of collection honors, adding All-SEC Reining distinction for her final season. Gute was named the NCEA Reining Rider of the Year on Tuesday after finishing her career with a 10-1-1 record this season. Gute also earned All-SEC Reining honors as a freshman in 2017.
 
Junior McKenzie Duncan joins Gute on the All-SEC Reining team. Duncan also earned NCEA All-America First Team honors in her breakout season, posting an 8-3-1 record with three M.O.P. wins.
 
Senior Madison Sellman finishes her career with All-SEC Flat honors to go along with her second SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year award, also announced on Thursday. Sellman earned NCEA All-America Second Team distinction this year with an 8-2-1 record.
 
Freshman Natalie Vargo earned a unique honor as she’s the only rider to earn a spot on both the All-Freshman Horsemanship and All-Freshman Reining teams this season. Vargo went 5-2-0 in horsemanship and 4-2-0 in reining this year.
 
Lastly, senior Madelynne Herlocker was named to the SEC Community Service Team. Herlocker spent time volunteering at WG Sanders Middle School, Curing Kids Cancer, the University of South Carolina Week of Giving and mentoring students throughout the year. The senior also coordinated programs for the Families Helping Families organization, represented the SEC at the Women Leaders in College Sports National Convention back in October and served as representative on the Student Athlete Advisory Council.
 
“I’m super excited for Madison to be awarded Scholar Athlete of the Year in the SEC for a second year in a row,” head coach Boo Major said. “To add All-SEC Flat honors to her accolades just shows how much of a student-athlete she is in every of the word. Caroline continues to add to her accolades in reining with yet another honor. So well deserved. McKenzie really came into her own this year in reining. She is a talented rider that we look forward to having back. Maddie Schaefer, what an accomplishment for a freshman student athlete to make the All-SEC fences team, the All-Freshman fences team as well as being named Freshman of the Year over fences.  She has had a stellar first year. Jordan continues to impress, and I am so proud of her making the All-SEC fences team as well as the All-Freshman team.  She adjusted well to competing in college after having an extremely successful final junior year last year. Big congratulations to Natalie. As a freshman doing both reining and horsemanship, we worked extremely hard to make sure Natalie was successful in both arenas. Natalie worked very hard as well and is deserving of her accolades. I’m sure Natalie’s Dad, Mike Vargo – a former USC football player, is proud of her accomplishments since she is a Carolina legacy. Herlocker is the conscience of our team. She’s the definition of someone you want on your team and her dedication will be hard to replicate.”