Something To Crow About

South Carolina finished in the Top 40 of all Division I athletics programs in the Learfield Cup standings for the 20th time in the 28-year history of the poll. The Gamecocks finished 34th overall with 627.5 points, finishing 8 spots better than last year’s 42nd place finish. Carolina has been the highest finisher of any South Carolina program for 22 of the 28 years and 20 of the last 23 years, including this year. The Gamecocks’ points are derived from the following sports: Women’s Basketball (100), Women’s Soccer (73), Men’s Tennis (64), Women’s Golf (61.5), Women’s Indoor Track and Field (53.5), Women’s Outdoor Track and Field (50.5), Women’s Tennis (50), Football (45), Women’s Swimming and Diving (43), Men’s Golf (39.5), Volleyball (25) and Men’s Indoor Track and Field (22.5).
South Carolina had eight of its teams ranked in the final Top 25 of their respective sports. This includes women’s basketball (1st – all rankings), women’s golf (3rd – Golfweek), men’s tennis (10th – ITA), women’s soccer (10th – United Soccer Coaches), women’s indoor track & field (T18th – NCAA championships), beach volleyball (19th – AVCA), women’s outdoor track & field (T23rd – NCAA championships) and women’s swimming and diving (25th – CSCAA).
On April 3, the Gamecock women’s basketball team defeated the Connecticut Huskies, 64-49, to win the 2022 NCAA Championship. It was the 8th national championship in USC school history and the second women’s basketball national title. Previous national championships won by Gamecock teams include 2002 women’s outdoor track & field, 2005, 2007 and 2015 equestrian, 2010 and 2011 baseball and 2017 women’s basketball.
Gamecock student-athletes concluded the Spring 2022 semester with a departmental grade point average of 3.240 with 15 of 18 teams earning a GPA of 3.0 or better. It marked the 31st straight semester that Gamecock student-athletes earned a departmental GPA of 3.0 or better. Women’s golf (3.781) and women’s soccer (3.750) earned the highest team GPAs in the spring semester.
The 2022 Southeastern Conference Winter Academic Honor Roll was announced on April 29, 2022 and South Carolina’s 90 student-athletes tied for 2nd of all SEC schools. The 2022 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll includes the sports of basketball, equestrian, gymnastics, and swimming & diving. It is based on grades from the 2021 Spring, Summer and Fall terms
South Carolina leads all Southeastern Conference schools with 2,645 student-athletes earning SEC Academic Honor Roll status since the 2015-16 academic year. Carolina has led the SEC in six of the last seven years in Academic Honor Roll honorees, finishing second in 2017-18.
South Carolina is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX, a law that states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” As part of the Title IX celebration, Former track and field standout Dawn Ellerbe and women’s basketball great Sheila Foster, will be recognized at the 2022 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament in Nashville as a “SEC Trailblazer” for their contributions to the advancement of women and the growth of women’s athletics.
All the University of South Carolina’s countable intercollegiate sports posted a multi-year score of 950 or better once again, according to the Academic Progress Rate (APR) statistics that were released on June 14, 2022. Of the 18 measured sports, 14 sports recorded multi-year APR scores of 980 or better. Eleven sports scored a perfect single-year score (1000) for the 2020-21 campaign. Volleyball registered a perfect single-year score for the eighth-straight year. Football and Men’s Golf posted their highest multi-year score in over 10 years. Baseball led the pack in single-year improvements with a jump of 40 points from 951 in 2019-20 to 991 for the 2020-21 academic year. The APR is a point system based on scholarship student-athletes’ eligibility and retention for a pre-determined four-year time period. NCAA sports falling below the established point Multi-Year cutoff (930) may be subject to penalties including scholarship reductions. For purposes of APR reporting, beginning with the 2014-2015 cohort, indoor & outdoor track & field teams are combined. The data released on Tuesday includes the scholarship student-athletes on rosters from the 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years.

BASEBALL

Carolina had the nation’s No. 9 strength of schedule, according to D1Baseball’s RPI. The Gamecocks earned series wins over No. 1 Texas (March 12-13) and No. 4 Vanderbilt (March 24-26) and had five wins over teams that advanced to the Men’s College World Series (2 vs. Texas, 2 vs. Ole Miss, 1 vs. Texas A&M).
Fifth-year senior Brandt Belk was named to the All-SEC Second Team after leading the Gamecocks with a .340 batting average to go along with 43 runs scored, 10 doubles, a triple, six home runs and 38 RBI. Belk hit .350 in SEC games and had a 24-game hitting streak from March 8-April 22.
Freshman Michael Braswell was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after hitting .284 with 29 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, two home runs and 27 RBI in 54 games played. Braswell had a 16-game hitting streak to start the season and made seven appearances on the mound, striking out nine and recording three saves.
Redshirt freshman Cade Austin was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Austin made a team-high 27 appearances and was 5-2 with a 3.17 ERA, two saves and 55 strikeouts in 54 innings pitched. Austin lowered his ERA to 2.84 in SEC games and had 32 strikeouts in 31.2 innings in conference contests.
Head Coach Mark Kingston earned his 400th career win in a victory over North Florida on April 12. Kingston now has 411 career wins 13 season as a head coach.
Carolina finished fifth in the country in attendance as 215,212 fans entered Founders Park this season. The Gamecocks also were sixth in average attendance at 6,522 per game.
Braylen Wimmer was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week on March 28 after going 6-for-12 in the series win over Vanderbilt with four extra base hits and five RBI.
Brandt Belk and Matthew Becker were named the SEC Co-Player and Co-Pitcher of the week on March 14. Belk was 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and two runs scored in the series opener against Texas, then had a pair of hits in each of the wins over the Longhorns. Becker allowed just one hit in six innings, striking out 11 to help Carolina clinch the series win over Texas.
Michael Braswell was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on Feb. 21. Playing in his first game as a collegian, Braswell was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and his first home run in a Carolina uniform. Braswell added a pair of RBI in Saturday’s game. Then on Sunday, he earned the win on the mound, striking out the side in the top of the 10th inning. Then in the bottom of the 10th, his RBI fielder’s choice scored Colin Burgess for the walk-off win, which also gave him the win on the mound.
Will Sanders was named to the Preseason All-SEC second team by the league’s 14 head coaches. Sanders who was a Freshman All-SEC honoree last season for the Gamecocks, made 22 appearances with 10 starts for Carolina last season, going 6-3 with a 3.54 ERA, a save and 54 strikeouts in 53.1 innings pitched.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Lamont Paris, who has been a part of nine NCAA Division I Tournaments and 17 twenty-win seasons as a college head and assistant coach, was named USC’s 33rd head coach on March 24. Paris, 47, becomes the first African-American head coach in the history of the Gamecock men’s basketball program. Paris comes to Carolina after five seasons as the head coach at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, coaching the Mocs to an 87-72 overall record (.547), including a 65-29 mark the last three seasons. This season, he led the Mocs to their first Southern Conference title and NCAA berth since 2016. Chattanooga finished the season with a 27-8 mark. He is one of 20 finalists for the Hugh Durham Award, given by CollegeInsider.com to the top Division I mid-major coach in college basketball. The Mocs’ NCAA NET ranking improved in each of his seasons at Chattanooga, finishing with a 63 ranking this season.
Paris completed his coaching staff with the hirings of Tim Buckley, Tanner Bronson, and Eddie Shannon. Buckley comes to Carolina after coaching the last three seasons at UNLV. Bronson and Shannon were on the staff with Paris at Chattanooga before arriving at Carolina.
The Gamecocks finished the 2021-22 season with an 18-13 overall record, 9-9 in the SEC. Carolina finished in a tie for 5th in the SEC and was seeded 7th in the SEC Tournament.
Carolina had three Quad 1 wins, defeating LSU, 77-75, at Colonial Life Arena and knocking off Texas A&M, 74-63, and Vanderbilt, 72-70, on the road.
Devin Carter was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, averaging 9.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. The Miami, Fla. native scored a season high 22 points against Army and also had 21 points against Georgia and 20 against Arkansas.
Freshman point guard Jacobi Wright was named to the SEC Community Service Team for men’s basketball. Since arriving on campus in the summer, Wright has been actively involved in different service outreach projects from the get-go. The Fort Mill, S.C., native leads the team in community service hours. He participated in a six-week pen pal program over the summer with a local camp. He has also participated in packing school supplies into backpacks that were delivered to that same camp. Wright also spent time reading for a local school district’s upcoming March Madness reading campaign. Off the court, Wright serves as one of the men’s basketball team representatives on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). He is also a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee on SAAC.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

South Carolina was ranked No. 1 in both polls every week of the season, sealing the streak by winning the 2022 NCAA Championship with a 64-49 win over UConn. It was the second national championship for the Gamecocks with both coming in the last five NCAA Tournaments.
Carolina won the SEC regular season championship with a 15-1 conference mark, two games better than second-place LSU. It was the sixth regular season title for the Gamecocks in the last eight seasons.
The Gamecocks led the nation with a school-record 14 wins over ranked opponents this season, including six over top-10 foes.
South Carolina’s 35 wins were a new school record as were the team’s 1,771 rebounds, 635 offensive rebounds, 1,135 defensive rebounds, 47.9 rebounds per game and +17.7 rebounding margin. The defensive effort set a school record by allowing opponents just 50.7 points per game.
Junior Aliyah Boston was the unanimous National Player of the Year, the second Gamecock in the last five seasons to earn that title. She became the first player to win both the Naismith Trophy for player of the year and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. She also picked up the Lisa Leslie Award for the third time in as many seasons.
Head coach Dawn Staley captured Naismith, WBCA and USBWA National Coach of the Year honors.
Boston was named Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Final Four and the NCAA Greensboro Regional. At the Final Four, Destanni Henderson and Zia Cooke joined her on the All-Tournament Team. Henderson made the Regional All-Tournament Team as well.
In addition to Boston unanimously earning First-Team All-America status, Destanni Henderson was a third-team selection by USBWA and Zia Cooke picked up honorable mention recognition from the Associated Press.
Boston was the SEC Player of the Year for the first time in her career and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in as many seasons. Henderson joined her on the All-SEC First Team. Cooke picked up second-team honors. Staley was named SEC Coach of the Year.
Laeticia Amihere was part of the Canadian team that finished first in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying tournament in Osaka, Japan, in February, helping her home country qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
Kamilla Cardoso played for her home country Brazil in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia, in February, where she made the All-Tournament Team.
Laeticia Amihere was named Chair of the SEC Women’s Basketball Leadership Council for the 2021-22 academic year.
Head coach Dawn Staley led the U.S. to a gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as the head coach of that team for the first time in her career. She has been on the court or the bench for six of the U.S.’s seven straight gold medals in women’s basketball.
South Carolina was well represented at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with alumae A’ja Wilson and Allisha Gray winning gold medals for the U.S. in 5×5 and 3×3 women’s basketball, respectively. Current junior Laeticia Amihere became the first active Gamecock to participate in Olympic women’s basketball, playing for her native Canada. Gray was named USA Basketball 3×3 Female Athlete of the Year.
Four current Gamecocks represented their countries at the FIBA AmeriCup in June – Destanni Henderson and Aliyah Boston (U.S., gold medal), Laeticia Amihere (Canada) and Kamilla Cardoso (Brazil). Freshman Sania Feagin also helped the U.S. to a gold medal in the FIBA U19 World Cup in July.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

The Gamecocks finished the 2022 season with a 20-12 overall record and finished 5th in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association.
Carolina finished the season ranked #19 in the final AVCA Collegiate Rankings. The squad reached as high as 14th in the middle of March and never fell out of the Top 20.
Carolina has been ranked in 62 consecutive AVCA polls, dating back to March of 2017.
Marque Carolina victories this season came against #11 Florida Atlantic, #15 Pepperdine, #20 Florida Gulf Coast and #20 Tulane.
The duo of junior Skylar Allen and senior Whitney Ballard had the most game at the No. 1 position, and posted a 12-11 record in that spot.
Carolina was led by freshman Lauren Wilcock, sophomore Hannah Mackenhausen, junior Kaeli Crews and senior Jordan Smith. All four posted 20+ wins during the season and had winning records against ranked opponents.
Head coach Moritz Moritz and assistant coach RJ Abella have been together since the program’s first season back in 2014. Across all of collegiate beach volleyball, the duo is currently tied only with UCLA (Stein Metzger and Jenny Johnson Jordan) in terms of longest tenure together as a staff.

CROSS COUNTRY

Carolina wrapped up its season on Oct. 29 at the SEC Championships. The squad was led by Hope Dominique. Kira Jenkins, Katerina Hendrix, Lily Weeks and Claudia Satzke rounded out the Gamecocks’ top five.
South Carolina won its first two meets of the season, placing first out of 13 teams at the Eye Opener meet on Sept. 3 in Spartanburg, and first out of 12 teams at the Winthrop Invitational on Sept. 18 in Rock Hill.
The Gamecocks finished 10th out of 39 teams at the Paul Short Run Brown race on Oct. 1.
Hannah Twine has led the way in each cross country meet this year for the Gamecocks, winning individual honors at the Winthrop Invitational and placing second at the Eye Opener.
Lily Weeks has been a standout freshman, running second for the Gamecocks at the Eye Opener and the Paul Short Run.

EQUESTRIAN

Eight Gamecocks received the following SEC Honors: Trinity Hammerschmidt and Maya Clarkson were named to the All-SEC team on the Flat; sophomore Emma Lane earned All-SEC distinction in Reining; Sophie Mitchell made the All-Freshman team on the Flat and in Fences; Kendalynne Herlocker and Tierney Horton took spots on the All-Freshman Horsemanship team; Chloe VanStone made the All-Freshman Reining team; Senior Michaela Schrim was named to the Community Service Team.
South Carolina upset then-No. 4 Georgia in the final SEC regular season meet in a 10-9 decision. The Gamecocks came away with the win on Senior Day
Maya Clarkson was named the February SEC Rider of the Month on the flat after going 4-0-0.
Senior Sloane Vogt was named the February NCEA Standout Student Athlete of the Month.
Steve Irwin was named the February NCEA Horse of the Month.
Alice Kass was named the March SEC Rider of the Month on the flat with a 2-0-0 performance and a program season best score of 89.5 that helped her earn MOP honors.
In the SEC Championships, junior Jordan Allen earned MOP honors in fences in both meets she competed in. In the meet against Georgia, she scored a 275 which tied the Championship record score in the event.
Jordan Allen was named to the SEC All-Championship team in fences and sophomore Emma Lane was named to the SEC All-Championship team in reining.
Sloane Vogt received the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for her accomplishments in the classroom.
Trinity Hammerschmidt made the Second Team All-America list for her standout performance on the flat this season. She was the lone Gamecock to earn All-America honors.
23 Gamecocks earned NCEA Academic honors for their tenacity in the classroom.

FOOTBALL

South Carolina defeated North Carolina, 38-21, to win the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30 in Charlotte. Dakereon Joyner was named the game’s MVP after completing all 9 of his passes for 160 yards and a touchdown, and rushing for 64 yards on 10 carries.
The Gamecocks finished the season with a 7-6 overall record. Shane Beamer was named the co-winner of the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award by the Football Writers Association of America.
Three players – Kingsley Enagbare, Kevin Harris and ZaQuandre White – were invited to the NFL Combine, March 1-7, in Indianapolis, Ind.
Senior defensive back Jaylan Foster was named second-team Walter Camp All-American and the AP, SEC Coaches and USA Today All-SEC first team. He led the team in tackles with 90, had five interceptions, four tackles for loss, a pair of sacks, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a quarterback hurry.
Sophomore defensive back Cam Smith was named second-team All-SEC by the Associated Press. He had 41 total tackles along with 11 pass breakups and three interceptions.
Juju McDowell, Tyshawn Wannamaker and Alex Huntley were named to the SEC All-Freshman team by the league’s 14 coaches.
Parker White has become the Gamecocks’ all-time leader in games played with 59.
Five members of the squad were recognized on the Pro Football Focus All-SEC squad. Kingsley “JJ” Enagbare was named to the first team as a defensive end, tight end Jaheim Bell and cornerback Cam Smith earned second-team honors, placekicker Parker White was named to the third team and wide receiver Josh Vann earned honorable mention status.
Senior linebacker Spencer Eason-Riddle was named to the SEC Football Community Service Team. It is the fifth time he has earned this honor. Eason-Riddle has been a regular at the Dorn VA Medical Center and the oncology center of the Prisma Health Children’s Hospital among other community service endeavors. He founded and developed the “Sandstorm Buddies Program” which matches student-athletes with cancer patients and their families, where they can serve in a mentor capacity.
Gamecock team awards as selected by players and coaches for 2021 include:COACHES’ CHOICE AWARDS
Dr. Harris Pastides Outstanding Student-Athlete Award – Parker White
Community Service Award – Jaylin Dickerson and Spencer Eason-Riddle
Strength & Conditioning Award – Jaylan Foster, Jovaughn Gwyn and Damani Staley
Overcoming Adversity Award – Carlins Platel, R.J. Roderick, Aaron Sterling and ZaQuandre White
Offensive Scout Team Award – Colin Henrich and Patrick Reedy
Defensive Scout Team Award – Sean McGonigal
Special Teams Scout Team Award – King-Demenian Ford
Nutrition Award – Kingsley Enagbare, Jordan Strachan and Dylan Wonnum

PLAYERS’ CHOICE AWARDS
Most Outstanding Senior Award – Jaylan Foster and Nick Muse
Most Inspirational Walk-On – Jaylan Foster
Above All Else Award – Spencer Eason-Riddle and Zeb Noland
Steve Spurrier Award (MVP Offense) – Josh Vann
Joe Morrison Award (MVP Defense) – Kingsley Enagbare and Jaylan Foster
Jim Carlen Award (MVP Special Teams) – Parker White
Steve Wadiak Team MVP Award – Kingsley Enagbare and Jaylan Foster
Rex Enright Captains’ Award – Jabari Ellis, Kingsley Enagbare, Jaylan Foster, Jovaughn Gwyn, Parker White

MEN’S GOLF

Carolina finished the season with a 6th place finish in the NCAA Norman (Oklahoma) Regional. The Gamecocks missed out on an NCAA Championship bid by six strokes in the regional. Redshirt senior Evans Lewis earned an NCAA Championship individual bid with a fifth place finish in Norman.
Carolina finished the season ranked 26th in the final Golfstat Team Rankings. Junior Ryan Hall was the Gamecocks highest ranked player, coming in at 44th. Jack Wall came in at 72nd, rounding out the Gamecock golfers in the Top 100.
Carolina has won three tournaments this season, including two in the spring. The team won the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate, March 7-8, in Aiken, S.C., and then claimed a share of the team title (with East Tennessee) at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate, March 27-29, in Awendaw, S.C.
Ryan Hall and Jack Wall finished 1-2 on the individual leaderboard at the Cleveland Golf Intercollegiate. Hall shot a three-round 10-under-par score while Wall was at five-under.
Hall finished tied for third at the Hootie at Bulls Bay with a three round score of nine-under-par.
In its first tournament of the 2021-22 season, the Gamecocks took the title in the J.T. Poston Invitational, held in Sapphire, N.C., Sept. 27-28. Carolina finished two shots ahead of second-place Middle Tennessee. Ryan Hall and Jack Wall shot three round scores of 208, leading the squad and placing tied for 12th overall. The Gamecocks had five golfers finish in the Top 25.
Ryan Hall finished 11th in the PGA Tour University Velocity Global Ranking (as of May 30), earning PGA Tour University Second Team honors. Entering its second season, PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global rewards elite college players with access to Tours operated under the PGA TOUR umbrella, while upholding the principles and virtues of collegiate athletics. At the end of each college golf season, the top 15 players in the final Velocity Global Ranking earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour or a PGA TOUR international tour. The Class of 2022 Ranking will be finalized May 30 following the conclusion of stroke play at the NCAA D-I Men’s National Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

WOMEN’S GOLF

Carolina finished 14th in the NCAA Championships, held in Scottsdale, Arizona, May 20-25. The Gamecocks finished nine strokes out of the 8-team match play portion of the championship. Carolina shot a 288 in the fourth round, which was the best fourth round among the field, and tied for fifth among the best round of the tournament for all teams.
Carolina’s top finisher in the individual scores for the NCAA Championships was Mathilde Claisse, who tied for 40th with a 297 score.
The Gamecocks finished the season ranked 4th in the final Golfstat Rankings, the highest ranking of any SEC team. Carolina had four golfers ranked in the Top 100 of the final Golfstat Rankings – freshman Hannah Darling (10th), freshman Louise Rydvist (46th), sophomore Mathilde Claisse (53rd) and senior Worapitcha Anudit (77th).
The Gamecocks have won a program-record five tournaments this season. The latest was the Wolfpack Match Play, April 3-4 in Raleigh. Carolina defeated Notre Dame and Louisville before besting North Carolina in the championship match.
Carolina also won the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, March 25-27, in Athens, Ga., placing eight shots better than second-place Texas A&M. Louise Rydqvist and Hanna Darling tied for fifth at the Gamecocks highest finishers.
On March 12-13, Carolina shared the Valspar Invitational title in Augusta, Ga. with Ole Miss. Hannah Darling was USC’s top finisher, tying for second place.
Carolina went wire-to-wire to win the 2021 ANNIKA Intercollegiate by seven shots over second-place Duke. The field consisted of 11 teams that made last year’s NCAA Championships field. Hannah Darling was the Gamecocks’ top finisher, placing second overall.
The Gamecocks also won the 2021 Landfall Tradition, held Oct. 29-31 in Wilmington, NC. In winning the tournament, Carolina defeated 12 Top 40 teams. The squad finished 12 strokes ahead of second-place Michigan. Freshman Justine Fournand took individual medalist honors.
USC also owns a second-place finish this season at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, Feb. 28-March 2, at Hilton Head, S.C.

MEN’S SOCCER

Head coach Tony Annan announced the home slate for the Gamecock men’s soccer team and the slate includes nine regular season matches and two exhibitions at Stone Stadium.
The Gamecocks will host the defending national champions and rival, the Clemson Tigers, on Sept. 2 for the first regular season home match of the year.
The move to the Sun Belt brings some new programs to Stone Stadium in 2022. Four conference matches are set to take place in Columbia with conference foes Georgia Southern, Marshall, James Madison and Kentucky all slated for trips to the Palmetto State. Carolina makes the move after being a member of Conference USA since 2005.
Coach Tony Annan’s 2022 recruiting class has signed eight players and are anticipating more signings as they continue to recruit.
Benjamin Alexander, Bryce Griffith, Laurits Lillemose, Rocky Perez, Damola Salami, Kosi Udeh, Joseph Belenardo, Micah Colodny are the first eight signees of the Gamecock 2022 signing class.
Peter Clement was named to the All-Conference USA Second Team. The co-captain was tied for the Gamecocks’ lead in goals (4), assists (3) and points (11).
Logan Frost was named to the All-Conference USA Third Team. Frost tied Cement for the team lead in goals (4), assists (3) and points (11). Frost led the team in shots (28) and shots on goal (11).
Harrison Myring was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team. He put up 18 shots and eight shots on goal in eight appearances.
Josh Corning, Jared Gulden, Parker League, Brian Banahan, Logan Frost and Andrew Halloran were all chosen to the CoSIDA District 4 All-Academic team.
South Carolina led Conference USA in average home attendance, drawing 1,622 fans per game in 11 contests.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Emma Bucci was named to the Ireland U-19 Team for April’s UEFA Women’s U-19 Championship.
The Gamecock women’s soccer program hosted the 14th annual Fan Appreciation Free Clinic on Wednesday, April 6.
Carolina finished the season with a 14-7-1 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Championship Elite 8 for the fifth time in the last eight seasons. This season marked the ninth consecutive 12-win season for the Gamecocks and the ninth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. It was the 17th winning campaign in 21 years under Shelley Smith.
The Gamecocks defeated North Carolina, 1-0, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. It was the Tar Heels first loss in the opening round in the 40-year history of the NCAA Tournament. Carolina went on to defeat Hofstra, 3-0, and Penn State, 2-0, in the following rounds before falling at BYU, 4-1.
Ryan Gareis was taken with the sixth pick in the fourth round of the National Women’s Soccer League College Draft by the Houston Dash. Gareis was the 44th overall pick in the draft and the only selection Houston made on the night. Gareis became the third Gamecock ever to be taken in the NWSL draft.
Lauren Chang and Sarah Eskew were named to the Academic All-America® Women’s Soccer Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Chang was named to the second team, while Eskew earned third team honors. It’s only the third time in program history the Gamecocks have earned multiple Academic All-America® honors (2014 and 2016). South Carolina was one of only three Division I programs to have multiple players selected.
For the third consecutive season, the South Carolina women’s soccer program had multiple players selected to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-South Region team. Jyllissa Harris was also named a Scholar All-American. Harris was named to the All-Region First Team and the All-America Second Team, while forward Ryan Gareis and goalkeeper Heather Hinz were named to the All-Region Second Team.
Senior Jyllissa Harris was named to the All-SEC first team by the league’s coaches.
For the seventh consecutive season, the Gamecock women’s soccer program had three players selected to the United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region team. Defender Jyllissa Harris was named to the first team, while forward Ryan Gareis and goalkeeper Heather Hinz were named to the third team.
Forward Ryan Gareis was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 4 for her efforts against Auburn, scoring the game-winning goal and earning an assist.
Central defender Jyllissa Harris was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 27 for her efforts in wins against Vanderbilt and Kentucky. The senior earned her third career SEC Player of the Week honor and her second Defensive honor.
Lauren Chang became the program’s all-time leader in matches played (106), hitting the mark against Tennessee on Oct. 10.

SOFTBALL

The Gamecocks have earned three wins over nationally ranked teams. Defeated #24 UCF on Mar 4, 5-2. Beat #15 Georgia 7-3 on Mar 13, beat #19 Auburn 10-7 in 11 innings on Mar 19.
The 10 home runs by Katie Prebble through her first 24 games were the most by any Gamecock in recorded history (since 1982).
The 115 walks by Carolina hitters are the most to start as season under coach Bev Smith. Hannah Kumiyama’s 20 and Jordan Fabian’s 19 are second and third, respectively.
The 13 stolen bases by Jordan Fabian through 31 games are the most since Samie Garcia (15) and Alaynie Page (13) in 2013.
Freshman Emma Sellers’ 27 hits through 31 games are the most by a freshman since Mackenzie Boesel had 30 hits in 2017.
The 46 stolen bases by Carolina are the most to start a season since stealing 56 in 2013. It’s the third time under Smith they’ve stolen at least 45 (2011, 13).
Senior Kelsey Oh was named to the SEC Community Service Team for softball. She recently volunteered on Election Day, handing out snacks, water, and masks to those waiting in lines in low-income areas. Oh continually collects toiletries donations from the team to donate to Transitions, which is a homeless shelter for men and women in Columbia. During her time with South Carolina, she has often visited with children at Epworth’s Children’s Home and has participated in Toys for Tots. Oh has spent time during the summer and fall working with a local charter school, reading books to classes and participating in activities with the students both in the classroom and on the playground. She assisted with the Fall Festival presented by Milestones. Milestones is an organization that works to provide memories and experiences to those living in foster care. Oh also taught a self-defense class and volunteered with the Salvation Army.
Joyce Compton, who coached the Gamecocks for 24 years, will have her jersey retired at a ceremony on April 23 at Beckham Field. The Gamecocks also host Ole Miss on that day. Compton took the Gamecocks to the Women’s College World Series twice and to the NCAA Tournament 13 times.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

Graduate diver Brooke Schultz was named Co-SEC Diver of the Year. She is the first person in women’s program history to be awarded an Athlete of the Year by the SEC.
Schultz was named SEC Diver of the Meet for her sweep of the springboard titles at SEC Championships. She set both a new school record and a new pool record in the 3-meter dive with a score of 407.30, breaking the previous record that had been in place since 2015.
Three Gamecocks made appearances on the All-SEC teams – First Team: Brooke Schultz, Second Team: Manny Vazquez Bas, Freshman Team: Michael Laitarovsky
Junior Emma Alexander and Graduate AJ Ross were both named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team
Volunteer Assistant Coach Andy Eaton was promoted to Assistant Coach and Former All-American Kelly Fertel was hired as an Assistant Coach
Junior Manny Vazquez Bas earned a bronze medal in the platform dive at SECs, setting a new school record in the event. His score of 403.95 broke the previous record of 386.05 that had been in place since 2017.
Freshman Michael Laitarovsky lowered his own school record in the 100 back during a preliminary heat at the SEC Championships, shaving over half a second off his previous time for a new record of 46.17
Sophomore Bella Pantano also broke her own school record in the 100 back at SEC Championships. She swam a 53.32 leadoff spilt in the women’s 400 medley relay for the new mark.
Junior Patrick Groters set a new school record in the 200 IM during the SEC Championships. He swam a 1:43.77 in the finals to break the previous record that had been in place since 2018.
Senior Mari Kraus qualified for the NCAA Championships with her fourth-place finish in the 200 back at SEC Championships. She swam a 1:53.11 in the A-final to earn the automatic qualification.
Schultz qualified for the NCAA Championships in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives. She placed third in the 1-meter at Zone B Championships and won the 3-meter event. Her 12-dive score of 752.70 in the 3-meter set a new school record by 30 points. The previous record had been in place since 2015. Schultz earned All-American Honorable Mention honors at the NCAA Championships for her 9th place finish in the 1-meter dive.
Vazquez Bas qualified for the NCAA Championships on both the 3-meter springboard and platform dive events. At Zone B Championships, Vazquez placed fourth in the platform, setting a new 12-dive record of 776.70. He added 85 points to the previous record that had been in place since 2015.
Schultz and freshman Sophie Verzyl were both named to USA Diving’s High Performance Squad. The group consists of divers who “most exhibit the potential, skill, and determination to become future U. S. Olympic Team members.”

MEN’S TENNIS

South Carolina was the No. 10 seed in the NCAA Championships and hosted the first and second rounds of the tournament for the second consecutive year. Carolina advanced to the Round of 16 in the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive year.
Junior Daniel Rodrigues was the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Singles Championships. He advanced to the Round of 16 and was named an All-American for his efforts.
Rodrigues and sophomore Connor Thomson received an at-large bid to the NCAA Doubles championship. They advanced to the semifinal round of competition, the furthest a Gamecock doubles pair has ever advanced.
The Gamecocks entered the SEC Tournament as the No. 2 seed, the highest tournament seed in program history. Their 10-2 conference record during the regular season is the best finish in program history.
The Gamecocks defeated Texas A&M 6-1 at home for their final home game of the season, marking the first time the Gamecocks have ever defeated the Aggies in Columbia
South Carolina finished the season with a perfect 17-0 record at home, the first perfect home season since 1986
The Gamecocks finished the season ranked No. 10 in the nation, the highest team ranking since 1989. They spent the final 12 rankings in the top-10 and all 17 of the rankings in the top-15. The Gamecocks have finished in the top-25 every season since 2017, the longest such streak in program history.
South Carolina took down No. 1 Tennessee on the road 4-3. Sophomore Connor Thomson came back from being down 0-6, 0-3 to clinch the match against the top-ranked team.
Junior Daniel Rodrigues was named SEC Player of the Week for weeks 3, 9, 10, and 11 of the season. He was named the ITA Senior Player of the Year for the Carolina Region and earned a 27-5 singles record on the season with 20 wins over ranked opponents.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Women’s tennis made its 27th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and defeated then-No. 32 Iowa State 4-0 to advance to the Round of 32. The win was a rematch of the 2021 NCAA Round of 64 match.
Both Hamner and Akli were selected to the NCAA Singles Championship. Hamner was seeded No. 6 and Akli was an at-large selection.
Freshman Hamner advanced to Round of 32 in the NCAA Singles Championship after defeating her opponent from UCSB in straight sets.
Hamner was one of four women’s tennis players in the nation selected as finalist for the 2022 Honda Sport Award for Tennis.
Hamner was named the ITA Carolina Region Rookie of the Year. She is the fourth player in program history to receive this honor.
Adding to her accolades, Hamner was named an ITA All-American in singles.
The No. 28 Gamecocks had final ITA National individual rankings in No. 4 Hamner, No. 59 Akli, No. 45 Hamner/Misa Malkin, No. 49 Hamner/Megan Davies and No. 79 Davies/Gracie Mulville.
Final Carolina Regional rankings were earned by No. 1 Hamner and No. 13 Akli. The Gamecocks finished as No. 5 in the region.
In its final weekend at home, South Carolina Women’s Tennis notched a 4-2 upset of then-No. 13 Auburn for its first top-15 win of the season.
Junior Kendall Couch was named to the SEC Community Service Team for her dedication to the city of Columbia.
The Gamecocks advanced to the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament with a 4-1 win over Kentucky in the Round of 16.
Sarah Hamner was named the SEC Freshman of the Year and made the All-SEC First Team and the SEC All-Freshman Team. Junior Ayana Akli was also named to the All-SEC First Team.
Akli, an engineering major, was one of four Gamecocks named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for her work in the classroom.
Junior Elise Mills received two ITA Carolina Region honors in the Cissie Leary Sportsmanship award and the Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award. They are awarded to an upperclassmen who excels on and off the courts as a leader and is a dedicated teammate.
Gamecock Women’s Tennis alum Laura Bernstein Kassirer was elected to the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame.

TRACK & FIELD

The Gamecock track and field teams had three First Team All-American performances at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at the beginning of June.
Rachel Glenn took third overall in the high jump, marking her fourth top-three finish at an NCAA Championship meet in the high jump. The sophomore cleared 1.86m/6-1.25 to take home a bronze medal. The First Team All-America honor from this year’s outdoor high jump is her sixth through two years of competition.
Destinee Rocker finished eighth overall in the 100-meter hurdles’ final. The First Team All-America honor marks the first in her career. Rocker ran her first ever NCAA final and finished with a time of 13.07 for eighth place.
The women’s 4X400-meter relay team of Stephanie Davis, Makenzie Dunmore, Angel Frank and Jahnile Registre finished fifth overall with a time of 3:25.78. It’s the second time the season the Gamecock 4X400-meter relay team has finished fifth at an NCAA Championship meet.
The Carolina women scored 11 team points in total at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and finished in a tie for 23rd in the team race.
On the men’s side, Evan miller ran a personal best time of 20.35 in the NCAA semifinals and took 10th place. Earning Second Team All-America honors, Miller’s performance marked his second top-10 finish at an NCAA meet this year. He took sixth at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.
Jackson Marseille also earned Second Team All-America honors, finishing in a tie for 15th in the men’s high jump. The sophomore qualified for his first NCAA meet and cleared 2.10m/6-10.75 for the Second Team All-America accolades.
Will Spencer Jr. also added Second Team All-America honors to his resume. He finished his season with a 12th-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles in the NCAA semifinals.
At the SEC Outdoor Championships in May, the Gamecocks had nine Gamecocks garner All-SEC attention.
Rachel Glenn finished as the runner-up in the high jump, earning All-SEC honors. She cleared 1.86m/6-1.25 to take second at the SEC Championships. It was her third career All-SEC honor.
Jackson Marseille took third in the men’s high jump for his first career All-SEC honor. He cleared his personal best of 2.18m/7-1.75 to take home a bronze medal.
The men’s 4X100-meter relay team took third at the SEC Outdoor Championships as well. Christian Lewis, Anthony Greenhow, Jr., Evan Miller and Dominic Dutton all earned Second Team All-SEC honors for their third-place performance in the men’s 4X100-meter relay. The quartet ran a time of 39.50, which was the second-fastest 4X100-meter relay time of the year.
With a young core, the Gamecock also had three athletes earn All-Freshman Team honors, which are awarded to the top placing freshman in each event.
Dylan Targgart earned the honors for his seventh-place finish in the shot put. Carson Lenser earned the award for his fourth-place finish in the pole vault. Jayla Jamison took home two All-Freshman honors, finishing as the top freshman in the 100 and 200 meters.
Assistant coach Kevin Brown was named the USATF men’s head coach of the team competing at the NACAC Senior Championships in August. The event will host some of the best track and field athletes in the world and features countries from the North American, Central American and Caribbean regions.
David Olds was named the winner of the SEC Brad Davis Community Service Award. Olds was named the Brad Davis award winner for South Carolina and won the conference’s award as well.
David Olds and Briana Reckling were named to the SEC Community Service Award Team for their outstanding work in the community.
Davis Olds and Sean Petersen were honored as CoSIDA Academic All-District honorees for the work in the classroom as well as on the track.
Two Gamecock Track and Field alums were named to the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame 2022 class. LaShinda Demus and Otukille Lekote were named to the incoming Hall of Fame Class. Demus was a four-time NCAA champions and 11-time All-American and Lekote was a three-time individual NCAA champion in the Garnet and Black.
The Gamecocks wrapped up the indoor season with three First Team All-America performances.
Rachel Glenn finished third in the women’s high jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March. She has finished in the top three of every championship meet she has competed in.
The Gamecocks’ women’s 4X400-meter relay team finished fifth in the country at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.
Evan Miller took sixth in the country in the men’s 200 meters. It was Miller’s first career First Team All-America honor.
Destinee Rocker earned Second Team All-America honors for her 13th-place finish at Nationals.
The women’s team finished in a tie for 18th in the country at the NCAA Indoor Championships and the men finished in a tie for 47th despite having one male athlete who qualified.
The Gamecocks have moved into the outdoor season and are seeing success already.
Anass Essayi ran a school record at the Florida Relays in the 1,500 meters. He ran away with the race in a time of 3:40.14. Essayi took down Jim Schaper’s previous record which was set in 1974.
All-in-all, the Gamecocks have 19 top-50 NCAA times and marks.
The highest-ranked Gamecock is Anass Essayi who owns the second-fastest time in the NCAA this season in the 1,500 meters.
Rachel Glenn is at No. 3 in the nation in the women’s high jump. The defending outdoor high jump champion has cleared 1.90m/2.75 and won both of her high jump contests this season.
Glenn also owns the No. 8 time in the 400-meter hurdles this season. She ran a personal best of 56.43 seconds in the event at the Florida Relays.
As of Wednesday, April 6, Carolina has 28 qualifying marks and times to the East Regional, which is the first round of NCAA postseason competition.
In Week 2 of the USTFCCCA TFRI, the Gamecocks’ women’s team came in ranked 14th in the nation.
Carson Lenser and Tierra Frasier have both claimed SEC Freshman of the Week awards so far in the outdoor season.
The Gamecocks track and field teams have two more home meets: the Gamecock Invitational on April 16 and the UofSC Open on April 23 before heading to Penn Relays (April 28-30).
The postseason for the track and field squads is as follows: SEC Outdoor Championships (May 12-14), NCAA East Regionals (May 26-29) and the NCAA Outdoor Championships (June 8-11).

VOLLEYBALL

Fresh off a weekend where it recorded the nation’s only two wins over top-25 opponents by an unranked team, South Carolina volleyball joined the national polls on Aug. 30. The Gamecocks came in at No. 24 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) ranks, the first time the team made the top-25 since 2002. South Carolina last came in ranked in the national top-25 on Dec. 2, 2002, earning the No. 24 spot in a season where it finished with a 23-7 record and made the second round of the NCAA tournament. The team did earn a spot in the AVCA’s top-15 poll in November of last season, but the poll accounted for only the four conferences competing that fall.
Along with the two big wins for the team, senior Mikayla Robinson also collected two major career milestones over the course of the opening weekend. Against Washington State, she broke the program record for career blocks in the rally-scoring era (now with 436), surpassing Darian Dozier (2012-15). Against Rice, she also recorded her 1,000th career kill, making her the 16th member of the program to reach the milestone. She is one of just four Gamecocks in the program’s 49-season history to have both 1,000 kills and 400 blocks in a career, the last coming in 1997 by future South Carolina Hall of Famer Heather Larkin.
Head coach Tom Mendoza won his 100th career match as a head coach after an upset of No. 18 Washington State on Aug. 27. He has a 66-47 mark with the Gamecocks and previously went 47-18 in two seasons at High Point.
Kyla Manning was named as one of just seven women on the CoSIDA Academic All-District 4 team on Nov. 18. The graduate student is pursuing her masters degree in Biomedical Sciences and currently carries a postgraduate GPA of 3.77. She is the fourth Gamecock in program history to make the all-district team two or more times; the last to do it was Sarah Cline (2007, 2008 and 2009 honoree).
The SEC coaches recognized three members of the program in the conference’s postseason teams. Kyla Manning and Mikayla Robinson made the 18-woman All-SEC team and Lauren McCutcheon is part of the seven-woman All-Freshman team. This is the first time since 2002 that the Gamecocks received three or more postseason honors from the conference’s coaches. It is Robinson’s fourth appearance on the postseason team, the fifth member of the program to be a four-time honoree since South Carolina joined the SEC in 1991. McCutcheon is the eighth freshman in program history to make the conference’s All-Freshman team, joining Robinson and Riley Whitesides as former honorees on the 2021 roster.
South Carolina made its third trip to the NCAA tournament in the last four years, making the Atlanta regional and facing No. 17 Western Kentucky in the first round. It was the team’s third trip in head coach Tom Mendoza’s four seasons as head coach, with the lone miss coming in 2020-21’s modified 48-team tournament field. Overall, it was the tenth NCAA tournament trip in the program’s 49-year history.
The Gamecocks faced one of the nation’s toughest schedules, battling nine teams in the current NCAA tournament – including five games total against schools earning a top-16 seed – and nine matches against AVCA top-25-ranked teams during the regular season. Including the NCAA tournament first round opponent Western Kentucky, the Gamecocks ended with 10 games against ranked opponents, the most in program history. The previous high was eight, done in 1995, 2003 and 2010.
Former volleyball head coach Kim Williams joined the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame class in October; Williams coached from 1993-2004 and helped put the program back on the map, taking her teams to the NCAA Tournament on six occasions while winning a school-record 236 matches. She posted a .630 winning percentage and recorded eight 20-win seasons. Highlighting her win total is a program-record 104 wins against SEC opponents; for comparison, the program overall has 218 wins in SEC play since joining the conference back in 1991. She was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 1997 and mentored 16 All-SEC team members, many of them collecting multiple honors. The volleyball program already has four former players enshrined in the hall of fame (Ashley Edlund, Heather Larkin, Cally Plummer and Shonda Cole), all four played for Williams during their time in Columbia.