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Gamecocks+
Final 2023-24 (posted June 20, 2024)

Something to Crow About

  • For the 2023-24 season, South Carolina finished 30th in the final LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup standings with 679 points.  The finish is Carolina’s best since placing 22nd during the 2018-19 season and the total points is the seventh highest in school history.  Carolina has been the highest ranked Palmetto State program in the LEARFIELD Cup in 24 of the last 30 years and 14 of the last 15 years.
  • The Gamecock women’s basketball team defeated Iowa, 87-75, in Cleveland, Ohio on April 7 to win its third national championship, all within the last seven NCAA Tournaments.  The national championship was the 9th ever for the South Carolina Athletics Department, all within the last 22 years.  Eight of the nine titles have come since 2010.  South Carolina won its first-ever national championship with the 2002 women’s outdoor track and field title.  Carolina has also won national championships in equestrian in 2005, 2007 and 2015, in baseball in 2010 and 2011, and in women’s basketball in 2017, 2022 and 2024.
  • During the 2023-24 season, South Carolina’s teams won 58 head-to-head athletics contests against teams ranked in the top 25 in their respective sports. The list encompasses 11 different sports.  Wins against the top teams in the nation include men’s soccer over #1 Central Florida, 2-1, on Nov. 5, 2023; men’s tennis over Virginia, 4-3, on Jan. 21, 2024; and women’s golf over Wake Forest, 4-1, on Feb. 4, 2024.  Baseball had 12 wins against Top 25 and women’s basketball had 11, leading the pack.
  • South Carolina finished 7th in the Women’s Capital One Cup final standings (comprising all Division I programs) with 60 points and second among SEC programs (Florida, 102 points).
  • The men and women’s combined basketball 2023-24 season record of 64-8 (.8889) was the highest winning percentage among NCAA Division I schools. Connecticut was second at .8861 (70-9).  The Gamecocks’ .8889 mark was the second highest winning percentage in SEC history, just behind Tennessee’s .9054 mark in 2007-08.  South Carolina’s combined men’s and women’s basketball home record of 31-3 (.9118) was tied for the seventh highest in NCAA Division I.
  • The following Gamecocks are competing in the U.S. Olympic Trials this summer:
    • Diving: Women – Sophie Verzyl (3M-Springboard)
    • Swimming: Women – Jordan Agliano (100 fly, 200 fly, 200 back); Greta Pelzek (100 fly, 200 fly), Bella Pantano (100 back, 200 back); Delaney Franklin (200 breast); Meaghan Harnish (400 IM), Amy Riordan (200 free).  Men – Ryan Hufford (100 back); Wylie Kruse (200 back); Lian Kerns (100 breast); Raymond Prosinski (400 IM).
    • Track & Field: Women –  JaMeesia Ford (200m, 400m); Jayla Jamison (200m).  Men – Josh Awotunde (Shot put); Evan Miller (400m); Quincy Hall (400m); Malik Paul (Discus); Chris Royster (100m); Dylan Taggart (Shot put).
  • South Carolina had seven televised athletics contests that drew more than two million viewers in 2023-24. The 18.867 million viewers for the women’s basketball NCAA National Championship Game against Iowa is the most watched college women’s basketball game in history.  Other 2.0m viewed games include women’s basketball national semi-finals vs. N.C. State (7.1 million), football vs. Georgia (5.42 million) and North Carolina (3.4 million), women’s basketball NCAA Tournament games vs. Oregon State (3.231 million) and Indiana (2.105 million) and men’s basketball NCAA Tournament game vs. Oregon (2.021 million).
  • On October 12, 2023, eight former Gamecocks were inducted into the USC Lettermen’s Hall of Fame. The 2023 class included Allison Brennan (swimming and diving), Ernest Dye (football), Eric Ecker (men’s golf), Shaun Gortman (women’s basketball), Wallie Jones (baseball), Chris Mayotte (men’s tennis), Kim Pietro (softball) and Demetria Washington (women’s track and field).
  • During the 2023 Fall sports season, four former Gamecocks had their jersey retired. Men’s soccer star Charles Arndt had his jersey retired on Sept. 22, football’s Alshon Jeffery’s jersey was retired on Sept. 23, women’s basketball star Tiffany Mitchell had her jersey retired on Nov. 12, 2023, and equestrian standout Katherine Schmidt Butler was honored after the Oklahoma State meet on Nov. 17, 2023.
  • Student-athletes at USC ended the Spring 2024 semester with a departmental grade point average (GPA) of 3.37. It is the 35th-consecutive semester with a departmental GPA above 3.0.  The cumulative GPA for all student-athletes in each sport since they arrived at Carolina is 3.41, which is third highest cumulative grade point average ever for Gamecock student-athletes.
  • Following the release of the Fall and Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll, South Carolina is second in 2023-24 with 189 (Florida, 201). Since Fall 2015, South Carolina leads in SEC Academic Honor Roll honorees with 3,507.  Carolina has led the SEC in seven of the last eight completed academic years (since 2015-16).
  • All eight of South Carolina’s sports which the NCAA keeps attendance rankings finished the season in the Top 50 in average attendance. South Carolina is the only Division I school in the nation to have all eight of these sports rank in the top 50 in average attendance.  Attendance averages and national rankings for each of the eight sports are:
    • 1st – Women’s Basketball (16,067), Men’s Soccer (4,306) and Women’s Soccer (4,150).
    • 6th – Baseball (7,045)
    • 14th – Softball (1,736)
    • 16th – Football (77,833)
    • 21st – Men’s Basketball (13,397)
    • 43rd – Volleyball (1,651)
  • Gamecock Athletics held its annual Gamecock Gala on April 22. The event honored the University’s top student-athletes for their accomplishments during the 2023-24 academic year.  This year’s recipients include:
    • Boyd McWhorter Scholarship – Female: Ayana Akli (Tennis)
    • Boyd McWhorter Scholarship – Male: Kai Kroeger (Football)
    • Brad E. Davis Outstanding Community Service – Female: Emilia Reutimann (Equestrian)
    • Brad E. Davis Outstanding Community Service – Male: Daniel West (Swim & Dive)
    • Dodie Academic MVP Award: Junior Saint Juste (Men’s Soccer)
    • New Student-Athlete of the Year: Te-Hina Paopao (Women’s Basketball))
    • co-Female Freshman of the Year: JaMeesia Ford (Track & Field), MiLaysia Fulwiley (Basketball)
    • Male Freshman of the Year: Collin Murray-Boyles (Basketball)
    • Female Scholar Athlete of the Year: Skylar Allen (Beach Volleyball)
    • co-Male Scholar Athlete of the Year: Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk (Basketball), Anass Essayi (Track & Field)
    • Team Impact Award: Women’s Soccer
    • Gamecock Leadership Award: Oby Anadi (Volleyball)
    • Gamecock Inspiration Award: Hannah Mackenhausen (Beach Volleyball)
    • Female Athlete of the Year: Kamilla Cardoso (Basketball)
    • Male Athlete of the Year: Xavier Legette (Football)
    • President’s Award: Ayana Akli (Women’s Tennis)
  • Two South Carolina athletics videos won 2024 Southeast Emmy Awards, recently announced in Atlanta, Ga. Ethan Styll and the Gamecock Football Creative Team won Sports Story – Short Form Content for Gamecock Football: The Foundation.  Also, the Gamecocks+ video team, led by Dakota Watson and Brent Kirkland, won Sports – One Time Special for their story of “Small Town, Big Dreams:  The Darius Rush Story.”
  • South Carolina Creative Video Team also won two awards at the annual College Sports Media Awards, held May 29 in Atlanta. The winners were Outstanding In-Venue Video (Power):  Gamecock Football Season Trailer, and Outstanding In-Venue Video (Student-Power):  Gamecock Baseball Sunday Intro.
  • Gamecocks+ was also recently recognized at the Telly Awards this summer, earning honors in the categories of “General: Documentary Short Form” and “General: Sports” for their documentaries “Small Town, Big Dreams” and “The Drive to Win: Gamecock Women’s Golf.”
  • Gamecocks+ is the official content network of South Carolina Athletics, featuring original storytelling content – above and beyond the already high-level video that fans have come to expect and enjoy – including new, never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes access, exclusive interviews, archival footage and so much more. Access to Gamecocks+ is included at no extra cost for all Gamecock Club members, Roost level and above.  Fans who are not already members and want to watch Gamecocks+ content can do so by joining the Gamecock Club.

BASEBALL

  • The Gamecocks swept No. 3 Vanderbilt at Founders Park on March 23-24, outscoring the Commodores 26-9. Tyler Pitzer struck out nine and allowed just three hits in 6.1 innings to earn SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Eli Jones also retired the first 18 batters in his start in Game 1 of the doubleheader on Saturday.
  • Carolina won for the fourth time in the last five contests against North Carolina, defeating the Tar Heels in Charlotte, 2-1, on April 9. Dylan Brewer was 3-for-4 with an RBI double in the eighth and Connor McCreery earned the win on the mound, striking out five in 2.1 innings.
  • The Gamecocks took 2-of-3 games from No. 3 Kentucky in late April. This included an exciting 6-5, 10-inning win on a walk-off two-run home run from Blake Jackson. The Gamecocks ended the series with a 10-0, 7-inning win behind a great pitching performance from Dylan Eskew.
  • Carolina won three games in the SEC Tournament, defeating Alabama (10-5), Arkansas (6-5) and Kentucky (6-5). Cole Messina set the SEC Tournament record with 16 RBI in five games and was named to the All-Tournament team at the conclusion of the event.
  • The Gamecocks advanced to their 35th NCAA Regional in 2024. Carolina played in the Raleigh Regional, which included an 8-7, 10-inning win. Cole Messina tied the game at seven with a two-out home run and Will Tippett gave Carolina the win with a walk-off sacrifice fly.
  • Cole Messina earned All-SEC Second Team honors and has been named to three All-America teams as of June 14. Messina hit .326 with 64 runs scored, 19 doubles, 21 home runs, 71 RBI and 50 walks in 59 games played.
  • Ethan Petry ended the season with 44 career home runs for the Gamecocks, which puts him in a tie for fifth place with Landon Powell (2001-04) on Carolina’s all-time home runs list. Petry will enter the 2025 season 18 home runs away from tying Justin Smoak’s record of 62 round-trippers.
  • Carolina baseball hired legendary head coach Paul Mainieri on June 11. Mainieri has 1,505 career wins between St. Thomas, Air Force, Notre Dame and LSU, leading the Tigers to a 2009 national championship, four SEC championships and six SEC Tournament championships. Mainieri has made six trips to Omaha and is a four-time National Coach of the Year.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

  • South Carolina finished the season with a 26-8 record and ranked No. 24 in the final Associated Press poll and No. 23 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll. It marks the first time the Gamecocks have been ranked in the final AP Top 25 poll since March 15, 2004, when the team was ranked No. 23.  It also marks the first time the Gamecocks have been ranked in the final Coaches Top 25 poll since ending the season No. 6 on April 4, 2017 after the team’s Final Four run.
  • The Gamecocks went 13-5 in Southeastern Conference play en route to a T-2nd place finish.
  • Lamont Paris was named the 2024 SEC Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year. Paris, in his second season at Carolina, and his staff helped engineer the greatest single season turnaround in program history, improving the team’s win total by 15 games from his first season in 2022-23.
  • Carolina reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017, marking the 10th all-time March Madness appearance for the program.
  • The team’s 25 regular season wins is a new program record and the 26 overall wins tied the 2016-17 Final Four squad for the most single-season wins in program history. The Gamecocks 13 SEC wins were the second most in program history. Seven of Carolina’s league wins came on the road tying the 1996-97 SEC Champion squad for the most SEC road wins. The team also won a game in the SEC Tournament for the first time since 2018 with an 80-66 victory over Arkansas in round two.
  • The Gamecocks had a 12-5 record away from home, including an 11-3 mark in the regular season which was tied for the second-best record in the nation amongst the Power Six with Purdue and Houston. Carolina was one of five teams in the nation with a top-five, true road win and was one of 18 teams in the country with multiple top-10 wins during the season.
  • The team won seven-straight SEC games in a stretch from Jan. 20 to Feb. 10, the team’s longest win streak in SEC play since starting the conference slate 11-0 during the 1996-97 season. The win streak was highlighted by a pair of top-10 victories, a 79-62 win over No. 6/6 Kentucky at home on Jan. 23 and a 63-59 win at No. 5/5 Tennessee in Knoxville on Jan. 30. Per Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time the Gamecocks had defeated a pair of top-10 teams in a three-game stretch since 1968. Carolina’s win over the Vols was the team’s first AP Top-Five road victory since defeating No. 3 Kentucky, 72-66, on March 2, 1997.
  • Ta’Lon Cooper and Meechie Johnson were named second-team All-SEC and Collin Murray-Boyles was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Cooper averaged 9.88 points per game, shooting 48 percent from the floor, 45.9 percent from 3-point range and led the team with 144 assists.  Johnson led the team with 14.09 points per game with 95 assists and a team-high 30 steals.  Murray-Boyles averaged 10.43 points per game and a team-best 5.68 rebounds per game.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

  • South Carolina completed the 10th undefeated National Championship season in the history of the NCAA, becoming just the fifth program to achieve that feat (UConn, Baylor, Tennessee, Texas).
  • Dawn Staley became the fifth head coach to win at least three women’s basketball national titles – Geno Auriemma, Pat Summitt, Kim Mulkey, Tara VanDerveer.
  • The 2024 National Championship was the Gamecocks’ third in the last seven tournaments.
  • South Carolina’s 11 wins over ranked opponents led the nation, and nine of those games were played on the road or at neutral sites.
  • The Gamecocks’ season set program records for wins (38), points scored, scoring average, scoring margin, fewest points allowed, field goals made, field goal attempts, 3-pointers made and assists.
  • South Carolina led the nation in blocks per game, field goal percentage defense and scoring margin. They were top-five in bench points per game, field goal percentage, rebounding margin, rebounds per game, scoring average and 3-point field goal percentage.
  • The Gamecocks swept the SEC Regular-Season and Tournament titles for the sixth time in the last 10 seasons. It was the program’s eighth regular-season title and eight tournament title overall – all coming since the first regular-season championship in 2013-14.
  • South Carolina completed back-to-back undefeated regular seasons, and the Gamecocks are the only program with multiple 16-0 SEC undefeated seasons, logging their fourth this season.
  • Gamecock fans led the nation in average attendance for the ninth-straight season, finishing with an average of 16,067, which is the second-highest average in the history of the NCAA.
  • Senior Kamilla Cardoso was the Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Final Four and Albany 1 Regional. She was named WNBA National Defensive Player of the Year, was a unanimous All-American, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and All-SEC First-Team selection. She finished her Gamecock career with 198 blocks, which ranks her fifth in program history. Cardoso was selected third overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky, becoming the program’s fifth top-five pick in the last eight drafts.
  • Senior Te-Hina Paopao led the nation in 3-point field goal percentage, earning All-America and All-SEC honors.
  • Freshman Tessa Johnson became the fourth freshman in the past 25 seasons to lead her team in scoring in a national title game. She also joined former Gamecock Destanni Henderson (2022) as the only players to set their scoring career high in a national championship game in the last 25 seasons. Her effort earned her a spot on the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team.
  • Sophomore Raven Johnson was on the NCAA Albany 1 Regional All-Tournament Team and a Second-Team All-SEC selection.
  • Dawn Staley was the unanimous National Coach of the Year and the first person to be named Naismith Coach of the Year in three consecutive seasons.
  • Sophomore Ashlyn Watkins was a Second-Team All-SEC selection, and her 91 blocks this season were the third-most in program history.
  • MiLaysia Fulwiley was an SEC All-Freshman Team selection and the first Gamecock freshman to earn SEC Tournament MVP honors..

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

  • The Gamecocks finished the spring 20-16 overall, including an 12-4 mark at Wheeler Beach. The program has 20 or more wins in seven of the last eight completed seasons, and the 12 home wins are the second-most in a season in program history.
  • The team recorded three wins over ranked opponents in the spring, extending a streak of eight seasons in a row with at least three ranked wins.
  • South Carolina made the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association’s conference tournament championship for the first time in the nine seasons as members. The Gamecocks defeated No. 17 Grand Canyon and No. 10 LSU on the way to the title match. The victory over LSU was the ninth win over a top-10-ranked team in program history. Seniors Skylar Allen, Riley Whitesides, Sophie Bengoechea and sophomore VB Trost made the conference’s all-tournament team for their efforts over the four duals.
  • South Carolina took home a number of individual honors as well as multiple members on the all-conference teams, as voted on by the conference’s coaches and sports information directors. Headlining the honors were Skylar Allen and freshman Julia Waugh. A graduate student in her first year of a doctoral program in coaching education, Allen earned the honor of CCSA Scholar-Athlete of the Year. First-year standout Waugh was the unanimous choice for CCSA Freshman of the Year; both her and Allen are the first Gamecocks to win either award since the team joined the conference in 2016.
  • The Gamecocks also added eight more honorees to the conference’s three teams – all-conference, all-freshman and all-academic. Allen and Allison Coens were one of five pairs selected to the All-Conference list, Waugh made the all-freshman team as a unanimous selection, and four Gamecocks – Allen, Allison Coens, Jolie Cranford and Hannah Mackenhausen – made the all-academic team. Waugh marks the third year in a row a Gamecock made the five-woman all-freshman team, and it is also the third year in a row with South Carolina leading the conference with four all-academic honorees. Allen is a three-time all-academic team member, Coens and Mackenhausen also made the 2023 team, and for Cranford it is her first time making the list.
  • Skylar Allen Leaves the program ranked fourth in career wins (86), fourth in ranked wins (24), eighth in conference wins (19) and third in matches played (140). 72 of her 86 wins came on court one, 27 more than any other Gamecock in program history. Fellow graduate Hannah Mackenhausen leaves the program ranked fifth in career wins (84), fifth in ranked wins (21) and sixth in matches played (131). Also in the record book, she ranks third in career wins on court two (26), fourth in career wins on court three (32) and eighth in career wins on court four (17).
  • Sophomore Jolie Cranford followed up her all-freshman campaign in 2023 to be a mainstay in the lineup as a sophomore, leading the team in wins with a 23-12 overall record. Also led the team in wins over ranked opponents, with six, highlighted by a three-set win on court three over #17 GCU in the conference tournament (4/26). She will enter her junior season as the team’s winningest player on the active roster, holding a career mark of 41-21 through two seasons. Her .661-win percentage through two seasons currently ranks seventh in program history for Gamecocks with at least 50 career starts.

CROSS COUNTRY

  • Freshman phenom Judy Kosgei made history at the NCAA Southeast Regional when she clocked a then-new program record in the 6K with a time of 19:48.9 to finish fourth overall and become the first Gamecock in program history to reach the NCAA Cross Country Championship.
  • The Gamecocks finished 11th overall at the Southeast Regional, the best team finish since 2012.
  • Both Judy Kosgei and Silan Ayyildiz were named All-Region, the first Gamecock duo to be selected to the All-Region team since 2012.
  • Kosgei broke the 6K program record for the third time after running 19:41.5 at the NCAA Championship to finish 19th overall to become the first Gamecock to ever earn NCAA Cross Country All-American Honors.
  • The Gamecocks finished 8th at the 2023 Cross Country SEC Championship hosted by South Carolina, the first Top-10 finish since 2012 and the best team finish since 2001.
  • Silan Ayyildiz led South Carolina at the SEC Championship, finishing 7th overall in her Carolina Cross Country debut after clocking the second fastest 6K in program history at 19:56.2.
  • Ayyildiz’s 7th-place finish helped her land a spot on the First Team All-SEC as well as the SEC All-Freshman Team as she was just the fourth Top-10 individual runner in Gamecock history and the second-highest individual finish in program history.
  • Freshman phenom Judy Kosgei finished 11th at the SEC Championship, earning a spot alongside Ayyildiz on the SEC All-Freshman Team as well as landing on the Second Team All-SEC.
  • Kosgei broke both the 5K and 6K program records this season as she now holds both marks, running the 5K in 15:52.9 and the 6K in 19:54.9.
  • Kosgei has won three SEC weekly honors (2x SEC Women’s Runner of the Week & once named SEC Women’s Freshman Runner of the Week), the first Gamecock to do so in both a single season and during a collegiate career – she was also the first Gamecock to ever receive Women’s Cross Country National Runner of the Week on Sept. 19.

EQUESTRIAN

  • Carol Gwin was named the Gamecocks head coach on May 29, replacing Boo Major, who retired after 26 years as the leader of the program.  Gwin returns to South Carolina after serving as SMU’s head coach for the past 10 seasons. In her most recent year, Gwin led the Mustangs to the program’s second consecutive national title in 2024 to mark just the third time in NCEA history a team has gone back-to-back at Nationals.
  • Over the course of Boo Major’s 26 years at the helm of the Gamecock equestrian program, she coached over 300 letter winners, 30 riders named National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) All-Americans a combined 53 times, 30 SEC All-Team selections, five SEC Rider of the Years, and an NCEA Rider of the Year in 2020 (Caroline Gute).  Her teams won three NCEA Overall Championships (2005, 2007, 2015), three consecutive NCEA Hunter Seat National Championships (2005, 2006, 2007), one Southern Equestrian Championship (2012), and two SEC Championships (2013,2014). She is a two-time SEC Coach of the Year winner and was named National Coach of the Year by the NCEA in 2014 and 2015.
  • Finished the regular season 7-6 for the first winning season since the 2019-20 year.
  • Took down No. 4 Auburn (Feb. 3) for the first time since 2015. The win over the Tigers was the highest-ranked win since defeating No. 3 Georgia at home in the fall of 2022. The loss for Auburn marked a three-meet losing streak – the Tigers’ longest since the 2011-2012 season.
  • The Gamecocks were ranked in the top-10 NCEA poll the entire season, reaching as high as No. 4 in the nation.
  • Bella Primavera named SEC Rider of the Month for Fences (Feb.), Tierney Horton named SEC Rider of the Month for Horsemanship (March)
  • At the SEC Championships, Chloe Stephenson (Reining), Natalie Jayne (Fences) and Tierney Horton (Horsemanship) were all named MOPs
  • Three Gamecocks were named NCEA Ariat All-Americans: Mary Hunter Millet (First Team – Flat), Sophie Mitchell (Second Team – Flat) and Emilia Reutimann (Honorable Mention – Reining)
  • 24 Gamecocks were named to NCEA All-Academic teams, with seven being on the First Team list.

FOOTBALL

  • Spencer Rattler (twice), Tree Babalade, T.J. Sanders, Alex Huntley and Jordan Strachan all earned SEC Player of the Week recognition during the season.
  • Offensive lineman Trovon Baugh and defensive back Jalon Kilgore were named to the 2023 SEC Coaches All-Freshman Team, selected by the league’s coaches.
  • The league coaches also selected Hunter Rogers as first-team All-SEC long snapper, and wide receiver Xavier Legette and tight end Trey Knox to the All-SEC second team.
  • Xavier Legette and Debo Williams were on the Associated Press All-SEC second-team.
  • Four players were selected in the NFL Draft. Wide receiver Xavier Legette was a first-round pick by the Carolina Panthers. Quarterback Spencer Rattler was a fifth-round pick by the New Orleans Saints. Marcellas Dial was a sixth-round selection by the New England Patriots. Offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo was a seventh-round pick by the Denver Broncos.
  • South Carolina has produced 16 first-round draft picks all time, with 10 coming since 2000. A Gamecock has been selected in 22 of the past 23 NFL Drafts.
  • Xavier Leggette was the winner of the Blanchard-Rogers Trophy, given each year to the state of South Carolina’s most outstanding college football player by the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame.
  • Defensive back Jalon Kilgore was named to the True Freshman All-America Team by 247Sports, and was one of 14 players selected as a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award.
  • Six Gamecocks were named to Phil Steele post-season squads. Wide receiver Xavier Legette was a first-team All-SEC choice and third-team All-American, linebacker Debo Williams was an All-SEC first-team and honorable mention All-America selection.  Long snapper Hunter Rogers was on the All-SEC second-team, tight end Trey Knox on the SEC third-team while defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and cornerback Marcellus Dial were fourth-team All-SEC picks.
  • Five Gamecocks were named to the 2023 Academic All-District football team, selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC) for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Those Gamecocks to earn Academic All-District honors in 2023 include Stone Blanton, Mitch Jeter, Tyreek Johnson, Trey Knox, and Keenan Nelson Jr.
  • Team awards following the 2023 season include:
    • Rex Enright Captains’ Award: Nick Gargiulo, Alex Huntley, Dakereon Joyner, Xavier Legette, Spencer Rattler, Debo Williams
    • Steve Spurrier Award (MVP Offense): Xavier Legette
    • Joe Morrison Award (MVP Defense): Debo Williams
    • Jim Carlen Award (MVP Special Teams): Mitch Jeter
    • Steve Wadiak Team MVP Award: Spencer Rattler & Xavier Legette
    • Blanchard-Rogers Trophy Finalists: Xavier Legette & Spencer Rattler

MEN’S GOLF

  • Rob Bradley, who led Purdue University’s men’s golf program to nine NCAA Regionals and four NCAA Championship appearances in 11 seasons from 2013-24, was named the Gamecocks head men’s golf coach on June 11.
  • Bradley replaces Bill McDonald, who served as the program’s head coach for the past 18 seasons after being hired in the summer of 2007. Under his direction, he helped lead the team to a program-record 29 tournament wins with 34 individual tournament winners. He guided Carolina to 15 NCAA Regional appearances, including this season, and seven NCAA Championship appearances, the last in 2019, over the course of 18 seasons. He led the Gamecocks to the program’s only regional title at the 2007 NCAA West Regional in Tempe, Ariz.
  • Bradley comes to South Carolina on the heels of leading the Boilermakers this season to a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championship and a second-place finish in the NCAA West Lafayette Regional that punched the program’s ticket to the NCAA Championship for the 30th time in school history. The Boilermakers won two tournaments and finished in the top three in eight of 12 events during the 2023-24 season.
  • Top finishes for the Gamecocks this season include a first place finish at the Wofford Intercollegiate (April 15-16 at Hickory, N.C.), 4th place at the Daniel Island Intercollegiate (Oct. 29-31 at Charleston), 4th at the Folds of Honor Collegiate (Sept. 4-6 at Grand Haven, Mich.) and 5th place finishes at the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate (March 24-26 at Awendaw, S.C.) and the Schenkel Invitational (March 15-17 at Statesboro, Ga.).
  • Junior Nathan Franks was named honorable mention All-America by Golfweek and PING All-Southeast Region by the Golf Coaches Association of America. He was also SEC Golfer of the Week twice this season, after winning the Thomas Sharkey Individual Collegiate (Feb. 3-4) and the Schenkel Invitational (March 15-17).
  • Redshirt sophomore transfer Frankie Harris earned SEC Golfer of the Week honors after coming off his first career victory at the Daniel Island Intercollegiate (Oct. 29-31).

WOMEN’S GOLF

  • Carolina finished the season ranked 6th in the Clippd Team Rankings (June 10) and placed 23rd in the NCAA Championships in Carlsbad, Cal. The team tied for fourth in the NCAA Auburn Regional and captured first place in the SEC Championship – Stroke Play, before falling to LSU in match play.
  • Carolina has made 21 appearances at the NCAA Championships, 12 in the last 14 seasons.
  • The Gamecocks won four tournaments this season – The Old Barnwell Match Play (March 25-27), San Diego State Classic (Feb. 12-13), Therese Hession Regional Challenge (Feb. 3-5) and the ANNIKA Intercollegiate (Sept. 11-13).
  • Head coach Kalen Anderson was named the 2024 SEC Coach of the Year, the fourth time that she has won that honor (2015, 2021, 2022, 2024). Four Gamecocks earned All-SEC honors, which ties a program record set in 2022. Junior All-Americans Hannah Darling and Louise Rydqvist were named First Team All-SEC as Carolina was the only program in the league to have multiple players on the first team. Sophomore Mia Sandtorv Lussand and freshman Vairana Heck were named Second Team All-SEC with Heck also earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman squad.
  • Juniors Louise Ryqdvist and Hannah Darling were recently named WGCA and Golfweek All-Americans. Rydqvist was tabbed first-team by the WGCA and a Golfweek Second Team All-American and Darling was a Golfweek Third Team All-American and WGCA honorable mention All-America. Rydqvist has now earned a total of five All-American honors in her three seasons while Darling racks in her seventh All-American accolade while competing in Garnet and Black.
  • Rydqvist and Darling will compete for Team International in the upcoming Arnold Palmer Cup in July in Ireland.
  • Hannah Darling and Louise Rydqvist completed in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, April 3-6, one of the top amateur events in women’s golf. Darling placed 7th overall and Rydqvist placed tied for 24th.
  • By virtue of her medalist finish at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate, Rydqvist received an invitation to play in the ANNIKA Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican LPGA event, Nov. 9-12, 2023.
  • Rydqvist was named SEC Golfer of the Week on Feb. 14 after placing 4th in the San Diego State Classic and also took league honors in the fall after winning the ANNIKA Intercollegiate. Maylis Lamoure was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after the ANNIKA and Hannah Darling was SEC Golfer of the Week after going 3-0 in match play in the Therese Hession Regional Challenge.

MEN’S SOCCER

  • The Gamecocks advanced to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and finished the season with a 6-9-3 record.
  • The Gamecocks earned an upset win over then-#24 Kentucky on the road September 15, their first ranked win since 2019.
  • Ben Alexander was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week after helping the Gamecocks defeat the Wildcats in Lexington for the first time since 2012.
  • Ethan Dekel Daks earned the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week after scoring the game-winning goal with five seconds left in the match against Old Dominion on Oct. 7.
  • Jordan Illian was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week for scoring two goals and an assist against Coastal Carolina on Oct. 27.
  • Illian became the first Carolina freshman since 2007 to score a brace and his five-point night was the first since 2013.
  • The Gamecocks earned the No. 7 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and defeated second-seeded and No. 1 ranked UCF 2-1 in the opening round Nov. 5.
  • It’s the first time in program history they have defeated the No. 1 ranked team in the country. It marks the first time since 2000 that Carolina has defeated two ranked opponents on the road in a season and the first time since 2016 defeating two ranked teams in a season.
  • Paul Jennison was named an assistant coach on June 13, 2024.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

  • Goalkeeper Heather Hinz was selected to the Houston Dash in the 2024 NWSL Draft on Jan. 12. It was the third-consecutive NWSL selection for the Gamecocks and the fifth overall. South Carolina has now seen an NWSL draftee or camp invitee for eight straight years.
  • Catherine Barry was named a United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-American
  • Heather Hinz and Catherine Barry were named United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Americans (First Team)
  • Catherine Barry, Heather Hinz and Gracie Falla were selected to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team
  • The Gamecocks made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, doing so for the 13th time in program history.
  • The Gamecocks finished 2nd overall in the SEC Standings and were ranked #21 in the final United Soccer Coaches poll.
  • Carolina was ranked nationally in the top-25 all season, reaching as high as 7th.
  • Reached the SEC Tournament for the 17th straight season.
  • Undefeated in the SEC regular season for the 4thtime in program history.
  • The following Gamecocks were selected for SEC post-season honors by the league’s coaches:
    • All-SEC First Team Forward, Senior Captain: Cat Barry
    • All-SEC First Team Defender and SEC Defender of the Year: Sophomore Gracie Falla
    • All-SEC First Team Goalkeeper and SEC Goalkeeper of the Year: 5th-year senior Heather Hinz
    • All-SEC Freshman team: Reagan Schubach

SOFTBALL

  • Carolina alumnus and Gamecock letterwinner Ashley Chastain was named the new head softball coach on June 11.
  • The Gamecocks finished the season receiving votes in both the NFCA and USA Softball polls.
  • Carolina advanced to the NCAA Regional Final for the second year in-a-row.
  • The Gamecocks earned nine victories over ranked opponents on the season.
  • The team finished the season fourth in the country with 33 doubles plays, a new program record.
  • Carolina was seventh in the nation in total attendance for the season and 14th in average attendance.
  • The announced attendance of 2,206 against Tennessee on March 23 was the most attended game in Carolina Softball Stadium history.
  • Four players were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team: Aniyah Black, Riley Blampied, Brooke Blankenship, and Jen Cummings.
  • Alana Vawter was named NFCA Third Team All-American.
    • Vawter was also named to the NFCA All-Region Third Team.
    • She earned All-SEC Second Team Honors.
    • She was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week on April 2.
  • Riley Blampied became the 12th player in program history to record 100 career RBIs and 100 career runs.
  • Sage Mardjetko was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on April 30.
  • Carolina defeated then-No. 11 Clemson 6-4 on the road in 12 innings.
  • Carolina turned a triple play in the third inning against Charleston Southern on March 27, the first in the recorded history of Carolina softball (since at least 2000).
  • Jori Heard threw a perfect game in the 4-0 win over Bethune-Cookman on March 2.
    • It was the first 7-inning perfect game in Division I this season.
    • It was the first perfect game for South Carolina since Melissa Hendon against Pittsburgh on March 4, 2007.
  • The Gamecocks swept Ole Miss March 29-31, their first SEC road sweep since 2013.
  • Aniyah Black and Sage Mardjetko were named to the Puerta Vallarta College Challenge All-Tournament Team.
  • The Gamecocks scored a season-high 18 runs in their win over UC San Diego while in Mexico.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

  • The women’s swimming and diving team finished the regular season ranked No. 23 in the CSCAA Dual Meet Rankings and placed 31st in the NCAA Championships
  • In the 200 backstroke, sophomore Amy Riordan became the first Gamecock woman to earn All-America honors in the backstroke since 1993.
  • Junior Greta Pelzek became an All-America in the 200 butterfly, placing 10th in the NCAA meet.
  • Ten Gamecocks are set to compete in the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in Indianapolis in June.
  • Sophie Verzyl will compete in the U.S. Olympic Dive Trials on the 3-meter springboard.
  • The men’s swim team completed the season with one new program record and more than 30 new entries in the program’s all0time top 10 list.
  • Eight of South Carolina’s swimmers were named to the 2024 Academic All-District Swim & Dive Team as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC). The award recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in the pool and in the classroom. The women’s team is represented by seniors Bella Pantano and Nicholle Toh, junior Greta Pelzek, and sophomore Amy Riordan. The men’s team representatives are seniors Jackson Davis and Daniel West, and juniors Wylie Kruse and Linus Kahl.
  • This also marks the conclusion of the third season under head coach Jeff Poppell. Across his three seasons at the helm, Poppell has now brought a total of nine SEC medals to South Carolina and had 21 NCAA individual event qualifiers.

MEN’S TENNIS

  • The Gamecocks went 19-15 this season and concluded the season ranked No. 15 in the ITA Team Rankings
  • In 2024, South Carolina tallied seven wins over top-25 ranked teams including a win over then-No. 1 Virginia on the road
  • Following the win over then top-ranked Virginia, Carolina vaulted to No. 2 in the national rankings
  • Senior Toby Samuel lead the Gamecocks this season with a 21-6 singles record. He was named an ITA All-American and was the ITA Carolina Region Senior Player of the Year. He ranked No. 9 in the final national singles rankings
  • Junior Casey Hoole ended the season ranked No. 94 in the nation. He tallied 19 singles wins with four of them over ranked opponents
  • Senior James Story also ended the season ranked at No. 101. He won 12 singles matches this season including a straight set upset of a top-35 player
  • The doubles team of Hoole-Samuel ended the season ranked No. 25 with a 9-6 record and 8-5 mark from the top of the lineup
  • The Gamecocks made a deep run in the postseason, advancing to the SEC Tournament title match for the first time in program history and advancing to the NCAA Round of 16 after upsetting regional host NC State in the second round

 WOMEN’S TENNIS 

  • The Gamecocks went 17-8 this season and ended the year ranked No. 20 in the ITA national team rankings
  • South Carolina recorded nationally-ranked wins over #23 Georgia Tech, #16 Tennessee, #17 Alabama and #13 Auburn this season
  • Graduate student Ayana Akli ranked No. 12 in the final singles rankings with a 28-11 record that included 15 ranked wins. She was named an ITA All-American for entering the NCAA Singles Tournament as a top-16 seed
  • Junior Sarah Hamner ranked No. 23 in the final singles rankings with a team-leading 32-9 record. She went 10-1 against SEC opponents this season, the best single-season SEC record in program history
  • Hamer was also named to the CSC Academic All-District Team and was named a First Team Academic All-American
  • Akli and Hamner combine for the 23rd ranked doubles team in the nation. They went 11-10 this season with six ranked wins including four in the top-25
  • South Carolina made it’s 29th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament this season.

TRACK & FIELD

  • JaMeesia Ford earned USTFCCCA Southeast Region Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year, while Head Coach Tim Hall won Southeast Region Women’s Coach of the Year
  • JaMeesia Ford won SEC Women’s Outdoor Freshman Runner of the Year.
  • Dylan Targgart swept SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year, winning both Indoor and Outdoor Scholar Athlete awards
  • The men finished T-40th at the NCAA Outdoor Championship, while the women finished 15th overall at the championship meet
  • The two teams combined for 17 All-American honors at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
  • Dylan Targgart led the men with a third-place finish in the shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Championship.
  • JaMeesia Ford finished second in the 200m championship, while Jayla Jamison secured fourth overall in the 200m at the NCAA Outdoors.
  • The quartet of Jamison, Cynteria James, Zaya Akins and Ford finished 3rd overall in the 4x100m at the NCAA Outdoor Championship.
  • Both teams finished 10th overall at the SEC Outdoor Championship in Gainesville, Fla.
  • In Tim Hall’s first year, the Gamecocks recorded 46 new Top-10 program marks, including 11 new program records
  • South Carolina won two gold medals at the NCAA Indoor Championship – JaMeesia Ford won the 200m championship after running a program record time of 22.34 for the first individual 200m champion since 2006.
  • The women’s 4x400m relay team of Zaya Akins, Jahnile Registre, Jayla Jamison and JaMeesia Ford claimed the program’s sixth 4x400m relay championship in program history, running 3:26.20
  • In all at the NCAA Indoor Championship, South Carolina finished 12th in the women’s standings and 24th in the men – the highest finish for both squads since 2019.
  • The Gamecocks earned seven First Team All-American honors at the NCAA Indoor Championship, while also recording two Second Team All-American nods
  • Dylan Targgart earned bronze in the shot put at the NCAA Championship, becoming the first medalist for Carolina since Josh Awotunde in 2018
  • At the 2024 SEC Indoor Championship, the men won the program’s first ever Distance Medley Relay as Jaoaud Khchina, Bryson Miller, Joshua Kosgei and Anass Essayi took home gold with the fastest relay time in program history – 9:34.50
  • The Gamecocks secured six medals in the final day of the SEC Indoor Championship – JaMeesia Ford won gold in the 200m, while the 4x400m relay team of Akins, Registre, Jamison and Ford also took home gold. Dylan Targgart (shot put) and Anass Essayi (mile) took home silver in their respective events, while Channing Ferguson (high jump) and Judy Kosgei (800m) secured bronze medalist honors.
  • The men finished 4th at the SEC Indoor Championship for their best finish since 2010, while the women finished 11th overall.
  • Ford also earned SEC Women’s Indoor Freshman Runner of the Year as well as USTFCCCA Southeast Region Track Athlete of the Year
  • Dylan Targgart earned SEC Indoor Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year – becoming the sixth Gamecock to ever win the award and the third male to do so.

VOLLEYBALL

  • The Gamecocks defeated No. 8 Tennessee in the final game of the 2023 season, marking the sixth season in a row where South Carolina defeated a ranked opponent. That extends the longest streak since joining the SEC in 1991. Tennessee is the third top-10-ranked team beaten during the streak, joining No. 5 Kentucky in 2021 and No. 4 Florida in 2020.
  • Middle blocker Oby Anadi finished her junior season with a team-high 129 total blocks, the fourth-most in a season for the rally-scoring era. Her 15 total blocks against Cincinnati on Sept. 8 broke Mikayla Robinson’s single-game record of 14 for most in a match during the rally-scoring era (since 2001). Only three other women in the program’s 50 seasons have finished a match with more total blocks. Thanks to her efforts, the team finished the Cincinnati match with 21 total blocks, the most in a game of any length since Oct. 8, 2004.
  • The Gamecocks ended the 2023 season with a total attendance of 23,114 over 14 home games, a single-season program record. A crowd of 3,293 fans weathered a tropical storm on Aug. 30 against Clemson, the total is the second-highest for a home game in program history, just behind the record of 3,458 (also against Clemson, 8/25/2018). That came after an opening-weekend total of 5,340 fans for the two-game series against Towson. The team saw three of the top five most well-attended matches in program history happen in the span of six days.
  • The team had more games with 2,000 or more fans in 2023 (5) than in the previous 49 seasons of volleyball at South Carolina combined (3) and six of the top-10 most-attended matches in program history came in the team’s first eight home games of 2023.
  • Senior middle blocker Ellie Ruprich earned the nod as SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 4, the team’s first honor of the season and the fourth weekly award of Ruprich’s career (2x Freshman of the Week, 2x Defensive). Ruprich finished with 25 total blocks in wins over Clemson, Miami and Troy, almost matching the combined total of the three opposing teams over the course of the week.
  • With a team-high 15 kills against No. 13 Kentucky on Nov. 3, senior Riley Whitesides surpassed 1,000 career kills. She is just the seventh woman since 2001 to reach 1,000, and only 16 other Gamecocks in the 50-season history of the program have reached the milestone.
  • Senior Ellie Ruprich became just the eighth woman in program history to reach 400 career blocks thanks to a five-block night against No. 10 Arkansas on Oct. 27. She is just the third woman in the modern scoring era (since 2001) to reach 400 career blocks, joining Darian Dozier (2012-15) and Mikayla Robinson (2017-21). All five of Ruprich’s blocks were solo stuffs, the most by a Gamecock in a four-set match since Stephanie Pflughaupt against Rice 37 years ago (10/18/1986). The Beverly Hills, Michigan native is still in the hunt of some rarely contested records. In the rally scoring record book, Ruprich surpassed Mikayla Robinson’s solo block record (now with 96) in the match against LSU on Nov. 12. In the all-time record book, she passed current South Carolina hall of famer Heather Larkin for sixth in program history for total blocks on Nov. 17, now with 424, and is three away from moving past Darian Dozier (2012-15) for fifth place.
  • Senior Kiune Fletcher’s 26 total kills at Mississippi State on Wednesday, Nov. 8 were the second-most in a three-set match in program history, behind only Shonda Cole’s record of 27 set against Georgia on Nov. 15, 2006. The last Gamecock to have 25 or more kills in a match of any length was – ironically – Fletcher’s cousin Mikayla Shields, who had 29 in a five-set win over Missouri six years ago (Nov. 8, 2017). The 26 kills for Fletcher were the most in the NCAA for a three-set match in 2023. After adding 25 more kills in the next match, against LSU on Nov. 12, Fletcher became the first Gamecock since Juliette Thevenin in 2013 to post 25 or more kills in back-to-back matches. Thevenin did it Sept. 6-7 of 2013; the last Gamecock with back-to-back 25-kill games in SEC play was Shonda Cole in 2006 (Sept. 15-17).