June 22, 2023
• South Carolina captured its fifth-straight Palmetto Series trophy in 2022-23. The Gamecocks won this year’s head-to-head points competition against Clemson with a final score of 8-5. The Gamecocks swept the Tigers in the four major sports in 2022-23, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball. The trophy will be presented to Carolina during the football game against Furman on September 9. Carolina has won all five years of the Palmetto Series.
• During the 2022-23 academic year, South Carolina teams registered 47 wins in head-to-head competition against teams ranked in the top 20. Twenty of those wins were in home games and 27 were either away or neutral sites. Carolina has had at least one win against a team ranked in each number 1-18, with the top-ranked win coming in baseball’s 13-5 win against LSU on April 6. Women’s basketball claimed two wins against #2-ranked teams – vs. Stanford and LSU and softball, equestrian, women’s soccer, and baseball each defeated teams ranked #3 in the nation at the time of the competition.
• The Gamecocks finished the 2022-23 season ranked 33rd with 671.05 points in the final LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup Division I Standings. The LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in the NCAA Championships. The finish is among Carolina’s top 11 finishes in the 29 years of the Cup program and is one spot ahead of last year’s 34th place finish. Carolina has been the highest ranked Palmetto State program in the LEARFIELD Cup in 21 of the last 24 years, including 2022-23.
• Nine Gamecock teams finished their seasons ranked in the Top 25 this season. The list includes women’s basketball (1st-NCAA NET, AP), women’s golf (4th-Golfstat), baseball (6th-NCAA RPI), equestrian (7th-NCEA), men’s tennis (8th-ITA), women’s soccer (9th-United Soccer Coaches), beach volleyball (17th-AVCA), softball (20th-Softball America) and football (23rd-AP, AFCA).
• South Carolina teams won three SEC regular-season or tournament championships this season – women’s basketball regular season and tournament and women’s soccer tournament. The three are tied for the most by the Gamecocks in a season since joining the SEC. The most conference regular season and tournament titles by South Carolina in a season is five in 1989-90 in the Metro Conference and four in 1985-86, 1988-89 and 1990-91, all in the Metro.
• The student-athletes at the University of South Carolina ended the Spring 2023 semester with a departmental grade point average (GPA) of 3.39. Except for the COVID-19 Spring 2020 semester, this marks the department’s highest GPA on record and the 33rd-consecutive semester departmental GPA above 3.0. Women’s golf (3.84) earned the highest team GPA, followed closely by beach volleyball (3.74) and men’s soccer (3.72). Overall, 17 of 18 teams earned a GPA of 3.0 or better during the spring semester. The department named 92 student-athletes to the President’s List for earning a 4.0 GPA, 160 student-athletes to the Dean’s List (3.5) and 429 to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (3.0).
• During the 2022-23 season, 26 Gamecocks earned All-America honors in their respective sports (including first-team, second-team, third-team, honorable mention and Freshman All-America). The list includes: Ethan Perry (baseball, freshman), Aliyah Boston, Zia Cooke, Brea Beal and Kamilla Cardoso (women’s basketball), Trinity Hammerschmidt and Jordan Allen (equestrian), Toby Samuel and Connor Thomson (men’s tennis), Ayana Akli and Sarah Hamner (women’s tennis), Hannah Darling, Mathilde Claisse and Louise Rydqvist (women’s golf), Kai Kroger, Antwane Wells, Jr., Nick Emmanwori (freshman) and DQ Smith (freshman) (football), Jyllissa Harris (women’s soccer), Brooke Schultz (women’s diving), Manny Vazquez Bas (men’s diving), Skylar Allen and Simone Priebe (beach volleyball), Anass Essayi (men’s track), Silan Ayyildiz and Jayla Jamison (women’s track).
• Carolina earned 40 All-SEC recognitions (voted on by league coaches) in 2022-23, including 20 on first-teams, 9 on second teams and 11 on freshman teams. These included: 1st Team: Baseball – Cole Messina, Ethan Petry; Women’s Basketball – Zia Cooke, Aliyah Boston (Player of the Year/Defensive Player of the Year); Equestrian – Trinity Hammerschmidt, Emma Lane; Football – Antwane Wells, Kai Kroeger; Women’s Golf – Hannah Darling; Women’s Soccer – Catherine Barry, Jylissa Harris; Softball – Donnie Gobourne; Women’s Swimming – Brooke Schultz (Diver of the Year); Men’s Tennis – Connor Thomson, Toby Samuel; Women’s Tennis – Ayana Akli, Sarah Hamner; Men’s Track – Anass Essayi; Women’s Track – Silan Ayyildiz; Volleyball – Jenna Hampton (Libero of the Year).
2nd Team: Women’s Basketball – Kamilla Cardoso (6th Woman of the Year); Football – Jovaughn Gwyn, Hunter Rogers; Men’s Swimming – Michael Laitarovsky, Manny Vazquez Bas; Women’s Swimming – Sophie Verzyl; Men’s Tennis – James Story; Men’s Track – Rogerio Amaral; Women’s Track – Sylvia Chelangat. All-SEC Freshman: Baseball – Ethan Petry; Men’s Basketball – G.G. Jackson; Women’s Basketball – Raven Johnson; Equestrian – Natalie Jayne, Alyssa Jipping, Carly Jenkins, Mary Millet; Football – Nick Emmanwori; Women’s Golf – Mia Lussand; Women’s Soccer – Shae O’Rourke; Men’s Swimming – Charley Bayer. Dawn Staley was voted as SEC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year.
• Fan support for Gamecock athletics continues to be at high levels. The sport-by-sport breakdown for South Carolina sports and how each program ranks in the NCAA: Women’s Basketball (1st – 12,942 per game), Men’s Soccer (1st – 2,839), Women’s Soccer (2nd – 2,717), Baseball (5th – 7,113), Softball (11th – 1,688), Football (16th – 75,785), Men’s Basketball (36th – 10,470) and Volleyball (52nd – 1,134).
• Six schools – South Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Texas – finished in the Top 40 in average attendance per game in each of these five sports – football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, and softball.
• Gamecock Athletics celebrated four student-athletes who earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors in 2022-23. The list includes Aliyah Boston (1st-team, women’s basketball), Connor Thomson (2nd-team, men’s tennis), Jylissa Harris (3rd-team, women’s soccer) and Sarah Hamner (3rd-team, women’s tennis). Carolina had 57 student-athletes earn College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors in 2022-23. In the last five seasons (since 2019), the University has had 23 Academic All-America recognitions, including 11 first-team mentions.
• As of June 8, South Carolina is second in the SEC with 175 student-athletes earning SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition (Florida 1st with 185). In this current academic year, the fall and winter sports have been announced and the spring and first-year categories are still to be released. Carolina has led in the SEC Academic Honor Roll for the last four complete seasons (2018-22) and has totaled a league-best 3,077 mentions during the last eight seasons (since 2015).
• The Southeastern Conference honors student-athletes from each one of its sports for their community service activities. During the 2022-23 academic year, the following Gamecock student-athletes were honored as SEC Community Service Team members for their respective sports: Baseball – Wesley Sweatt, Men’s Basketball – Hayden Brown, Women’s Basketball – Sania Feagin, Equestrian – Emilia Reuitimann, Football – Marshawn Lloyd, Men’s Golf – Rafe Reynolds, Women’s Golf – Sophia Burnett, Women’s Soccer – Riane Coman, Softball – Rachel Vaughan, Women’s Swimming & Diving – Haley Mason, Men’s Swimming & Diving – Daniel West, Men’s Tennis – Carter Morgan, Women’s Tennis – Ayana Akli, Track & Field – Kieley Gayle, and Volleyball – Oby Anadi.
• The Carolina Dance Team won the NDA National Championship in the Division IA Team Performance competition for the third straight year. The championships were held in Daytona Beach, Fla., April 5-9. The team finished third in the Division IA Hip-Hop competition as well.
• Gamecock Athletics is nearing the completion of its most aggressive two-year campaign to raise $35 million. The impacts of the “Carolina Committed” campaign are felt at Williams-Brice Stadium, with ribbon boards, premium area updates, as well as updates to baseball, golf, track, soccer, and swimming facilities. Funding also supported NIL and D&I education and women’s sports.
• Colonial Life Arena closes out a successful fiscal year. From July 2022 to June 2023, the Arena has attracted more than 165,000 patrons and $13.2 million in ticket sales for non-athletic events. During this time, several events surpassed their all-time sales record from previous plays at the Arena – these events include the Eagles, WWE, Monster Jam and New Edition. The 2022-23 season has proved to be the third highest grossing fiscal year in history at Colonial Life Arena.
• For the second-straight year, the University of South Carolina has been recognized by the Football Writers Association of America as a “Super 11” Award winner, which is presented annually to the best performing College Sports Communicators departments in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The South Carolina football communications staff is led by Associate Athletics Director Steve Fink. Fink is assisted by Associate Director of Communications Kent Reichert and Assistant Director of Communications David Fox.
• Chanell Thomas, Director of Marketing and Sales for Colonial Life Arena, was honored with this year’s Impact Award, for her positive influence and commitment to mentorship by the Event & Arena Marketing Conference (EAMC).
• 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 advanced to its 14th Super Regional in program history in 2023 after going 3-0 in the Columbia Regoinal. Carolina defeated Central Connecticut State, N.C. State and Campbell, outscoring its opponents 41-11. Gavin Casas was named the Columbia Regional Most Valuable Player, while James Hicks, Braylen Wimmer, Will McGillis, Talmadge LeCroy and Ethan Petry were named to the All-Regional team.
• Ethan Petry ended his rookie campaign with a .376 batting average with 10 doubles, 23 home runs and 75 RBI. The Land O’Lakes, Fla., native scored 55 runs and had a .733 slugging percentage. In the Columbia Regional, Petry was 4-for-12 with five runs scored, a home run and three RBI on his way to being named to the All-Columbia Regional team.
• Petry was named the Perfect Game National Freshman of the Year and was named to the NCBWA All-America First-Team, ABCA All-America second team, Collegiate Baseball All-America third team, was an ABCA All-Atlantic Region first team member and was a Freshman All-American by both Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA.
• Cole Messina also was named to the NCBWA and Perfect Game All-America second team, Collegiate Baseball All-America third team as well as an ABCA All-Atlantic Region second team member. Messina hit Messina hit .307 with 18 doubles, 17 home runs and 65 RBI in 62 games played this season. He slugged .615 and had a .428 on-base percentage while stealing eight bases. Messina threw out eight runners trying to steal this season and had 40 walks and 11 hit-by-pitches.
• Petry and Messina both were named to the All-SEC first team.
• Carolina finished fifth in the country in average attendance, drawing 256,075 fans for an average of 7,113. The Gamecocks had 11 sellouts at Founders Park, the most since 2012.
• Heading into the College World Series, Carolina was 10th nationally in home runs with 117. Ethan Petry broke the freshman home run at Carolina, belted 23 round trippers. Carolina had five players with double digit home runs (Gavin Casas, 19; Cole Messina, 17; Braylen Wimmer, 14; Will McGillis, 14).
• Carolina also was fourth in the nation, drawing 380 walks on the season. Carson Hornung led the team with 43 walks, while Gavin Casas (41) and Cole Messina (40) also had 40 or more free passes in 2023.
• The Gamecocks broke a school record, being hit by 107 pitches on the year. Talmadge LeCroy leads Carolina with 16 hit by pitches. The 380 walks and 107 hit by pitches led to a .408 on-base percentage.
• Carolina was 5-5 against teams that made the College World Series in 2023. The Gamecocks were 3-2 against Florida, 1-1 against LSU and 1-2 against Tennessee.
• The Gamecocks were ranked as high as No. 3 in the weekly polls after sweeping Florida on April 20-22.
• The Gamecocks had the third toughest strength of schedule in the nation by Warren Nolan, leading to an RPI of No. 8.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
• The Gamecocks earned their first win at Rupp Arena since 2009 on Jan. 10, 2023, with a 71-68 win over Kentucky. The win was also first-year head coach Lamont Paris’ first SEC victory at South Carolina.
• Carolina also had a win against in-state rival Clemson, 60-58, on Nov. 11, 2022.
• GG Jackson II announced that he will forgo his remaining college eligibility and declare for the 2023 NBA Draft. Jackson was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team after averaging 15.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He was named CBS Sports/USBWA National Freshman of the Week twice this season. The first recognition was after a 22-point performance in a road win at Georgetown on Dec. 3. His latest acknowledgement was after a 24-point, 9-rebound effort in a win against Eastern Michigan on Dec. 30. Jackson was also named the SEC Freshman of the Week on Nov. 14, with 18 points and 10 rebounds in a win over South Carolina State and 12 points and eight rebounds in a win against Clemson.
• Sophomore Meechie Johnson averaged 12.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and a team-leading 3.5 assists per game in his first season with the Gamecocks.
• On April 5, coach Lamont Paris’ announced the addition of two graduate transfers for the 2023-24 season. Forward Stephen Clark (The Citadel) and Ta’Lon Cooper (Minnesota) are joining the Gamecocks.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
• South Carolina became just the third program in the history of the AP Poll to hold the No. 1 spot from start to finish in back-to-back seasons. The Gamecocks’ 38-week streak at No. 1 is the second-longest in the history of the poll as well.
• The Gamecocks went to their third-straight NCAA Final Four, setting a program record with 36 wins on the season. South Carolina is just the seventh program to make at least three consecutive Final Four appearances in the history of the NCAA Tournament.
• South Carolina repeated as SEC Regular-Season Champion (seventh title in the last 10 seasons) and claimed its seventh SEC Tournament title in the last nine seasons.
• Dawn Staley was the back-to-back National Coach of the Year, claiming honors from the Naismith awards, the USBWA and the WBCA.
• Seniors Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke were named the best at their positions, picking up Lisa Leslie Center of the Year and Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year honors, respectively. Boston became the first male or female to win her positional award all four years of her career.
• Boston earned All-America First Team recognition from every outlet that bestows the award. She was named an AP All-American every year of her career, becoming just the fifth player in the history of that award to do so. Zia Cooke claimed third-team All-America recognition from AP and USBWA, while Brea Beal was an AP Honorable Mention All-American.
• Boston claimed Naismith Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second-straight season. She was a finalist for every National Player of the Year award as well.
• In SEC honors, Boston repeated as both the SEC Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Zia Cooke grabbed a spot on the All-SEC First Team, and Kamilla Cardoso was named to the All-SEC Second Team. Staley was the SEC Coach of the Year. Raven Johnson was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, and Beal earned a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team.
• Boston was named a First-Team Academic All-American for the third-straight year. Bree Hall picked up Academic All-District honors for the first time in her career.
• South Carolina became just the third program to have at least five selections in a single WNBA Draft. Boston became the program’s second No. 1 overall pick, going to the Indiana Fever. Laeticia Amihere (8th, Atlanta Dream) and Zia Cooke (10th, LA Sparks) gave the Gamecocks three top-10 picks for the second time in program history. Brea Beal (24th, Minnesota Lynx) and Victaria Saxton (25th, Indiana Fever) completed the Gamecocks’ draft board.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
• Skylar Allen and Simone Priebe were one of 16 total pairs to earn All-America honors by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. It is Allen’s second time making the team, for Priebe it is her first. It is just the second time in program history that South Carolina collected a postseason all-American certificate from the sport’s governing body.
• Allen and Priebe also earned CCSA all-conference honors. They finished the season with a 20-10 overall record, playing exclusively in the number one position in the lineup. The pair are the first in program history to reach 20 wins on court one in a single season.
• Carolina finished its 10th season as a varsity sport with a 19-12 overall record. Carolina has won at least 60 percent of its matches in 7 of its 10 seasons. The Gamecocks finished the season 17th in the final AVCA Beach Top 25 poll.
• Moritz Moritz has coached the Gamecocks in all 10 seasons and has a 173-106 record (62 percent) guiding the squad.
• With a sweep of Southeastern Louisiana on March 5, junior Hannah Mackenhausen moved her to 50 career wins, making her the 11th member of the program to reach the career milestone. On the way to her 50 wins, Mackenhausen carried a .685 win percentage. Skylar Allen joined the 50-win club thanks to a sweep of Stephen F. Austin on March 10, recording a career win percentage of .595 on the way to 50. Allen made it to 50 wins the hard way – she was making her 71st start in the No. 1 position when she recorded her 50th career win.
• Kaeli Crews and Hannah Mackenhausen hit a milestone win on March 25 against Houston Christian. The duo are just the fifth Gamecock pair in program history to reach 25 career wins together, and their current total of 28 wins currently ranks fourth.
• South Carolina handed the LMU Lions their first loss of the season and recorded the program’s fourth win ever over a team ranked in the top five nationally after winning their March 18th matchup.
• The preseason CCSA all-conference team was announced on Wednesday, Feb. 22, with a pair of Gamecocks making the squad. Simone Priebe and Kaeli Crews represented the 10-member team, with freshman Jolie Cranford also on the conference’s Watch List.
• In September, freshman VB Trost made the AVCA’s High School Beach All-American team, representing her home state of Virginia. She is the 11th Gamecock to make the team, more impressively she also made the AVCA’s Indoor All-American Team that was announced during the 2021-22 school year.
CROSS COUNTRY
• The Gamecocks began the season with back-to-back wins at the Carolina Challenge and the Winthrop Invitational. Carolina closed out the season finishing 16th of 32 teams in the NCAA Southeast Regionals, Nov. 11 in Louisville, Ky.
• Newcomer Gabriella Gait-Smith picked up her first collegiate win at the Winthrop Invitational, finishing first in the 5K with a time of 18:37.2 as South Carolina earned the perfect score of 15.
• South Carolina finished fourth at the Crimson Classic, two weeks before competing in the 2022 SEC Cross Country Championship
• Hope Dominique led the Gamecocks in the SEC Championship, setting a new 6K personal-best with a time of 21:12.17, finishing 52nd overall.
• During the SEC Championship, 11 of South Carolina’s 12 runners finished with personal-best marks.
• Four different runners jumped into the program’s 6K record book: Hope Dominique (8th-fastest time of 21:12.17), Svenja Sommer (10th-fastest at 21:14.19), Gabriella Gait-Smith (16th-fastest time of 21:38.67) and Anna Boyd (17th-fastest time of 21:39.20).
• Svenja Sommer and Hope Dominique jumped into the record books this fall as Sommer turned in the fourth-fastest 5K (17:33.6) and Dominique clocked the 12th-fastest 5K in program history with a time of 17:59.00.
• On Oct. 11, Gait-Smith earned SEC Freshman Runner of the Week, the first Gamecock since Heather Stone (2018) to win a weekly award and first Carolina freshman since Monica York (2014) to claim freshman runner of the week.
EQUESTRIAN
• The Gamecocks finished the regular season ranked 7th in the latest National Collegiate Equestrian Association weekly rankings. Carolina finished 5-9 this season after competing in the NCEA Nationals for the first time since 2019.
• South Carolina defeated #3 Georgia, 10-9, on Nov. 12 at One Wood Farm in Blythewood, #7 Baylor, 11-8, on Sept. 29 in Blythewood and beat #10 UT-Martin, 10-9, on Oct. 28, at Martin, Tenn.
• Two Gamecocks earned 2022-23 Ariat All-America Team honors – Trinity Hammerschmidt (second-team in Flat) and Jordan Allen (honorable mention in Fences).
• Seven Gamecocks were recognized with All-SEC honors this season – Natalie Jayne (Freshman Fences Rider of the Year / All-Freshman Team), Trinity Hammerschmidt (Flat), Emma Lane (Reining), Mary Hunter Millet (All-Freshman Team – Flat), Alyssa Jipping (All-Freshman Team – Horsemanship), Carly Jenkins (All-Freshman Team – Horsemanship), Emilia Reutimann (Community Service Team).
• Five Gamecocks earned first-team APHA NCEA All-Academic Team – Mary Margaret Coats, Trinity Hammerschmidt, Emilia Reutimann, Madeline Schaefer and Alexa Thorpe. Four made the second team – Kiersten Beckner, Tierney Horton, Emma Lane and Chloe Stephenson – and three made honorable mention – Marina Columbia, Kendalyn Herlocker and Chloe VanStone.
• Carolina hosted the SEC Championships at One Wood Farm. Team Most Outstanding Performances during the SECs were Madeline Schaefer (Fences) and Haley Turner (Reining) vs. Auburn and Schaefer (Fences) against Georgia. Schaefer and Turner earned SEC All-Championship Team.
• The Gamecocks are the #7-seed at the NCEA National Championships, April 13-15, at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla.
• Team Most Outstanding Performances for the regular season this season include: Emma Lane (Reining) vs. Georgia (A); Natalie Jayne (Flat) and Haley Turner (Reining) vs. Texas A&M (H); Madeline Schaefer (Fences) and Chloe VanStone (Reining) vs. Georgia (H); Madeline Schaefer (Flat) and Emma Lane (Reining) vs. Auburn (H); Emma Lane (Reining) vs. SMU (H); Natalie Jayne (Flat) and Kendalyn Herlocker (Horsemanship) vs. UT-Martin (A); Alexa Thorpe (Horsemanship) and Natalie Jayne (Fences and Flat) vs. Baylor (H); Natalie Jayne (Fences), Trinity Hammerschidt (Flat), Alexa Thorpe (Horsemanship) and Emma Lane (Reining) vs. Minnesota-Crookston (N); Maya Clarkson (Flat), Tierney Horton (Horsemanship) and Emma Lane (Reining) vs. Delaware State (A).
FOOTBALL
• The Gamecocks were ranked 23rd in the country in the final Associated Press and USA Today Coaches’ polls. It marked the first time since the 2013 season that the Gamecocks finished the season ranked in the top-25 and the 10th time Carolina has finished the season ranked in the final AP poll in 129 seasons of intercollegiate football.
• Shane Beamer won 15 games in his first two seasons, matching Joe Morrison, Steve Spurrier, and Will Muschamp for the most wins by a head football coach in his first two seasons at Carolina.
• The Gamecocks defeated No. 5 Tennessee and No. 7 Clemson in the final two games of the regular season, the first time Carolina has posted back-to-back wins over top-10 teams in school history and just the seventh time in history that a school has defeated AP Top-10 opponents in consecutive weeks as an unranked team.
• The Gamecocks won eight football games in a season for just the 15th time in school history.
• Senior punter Kai Kroeger has been named to the 2023 Walter Camp Preseason FBS First-Team All-America Team. In 2022, he was named first-team All-America by ESPN.com and by The Athletic, and was second-team All-American according to Walter Camp and AFCA.
• Jovaughn Gwyn, Tyreek Johnson and Tyshawn Wannamaker were named by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame (NFF) as members of the 2023 NFF Hampshire Society, which is comprised of college football players from all divisions of NCAA, NAIA and sprint football, who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers.
• South Carolina was selected as the Cheez-It Bowl National Team of the Week as selected by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) after its win over Tennessee. It marked the fifth time since 2002 that the Gamecocks have been honored as the National Team of the Week. Shane Beamer was recognized as the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Week for the second time this season for the win over the Vols.
• When the Gamecocks won at Clemson, it snapped the Tigers’ 40-game home winning streak and brought the Palmetto Trophy home to Columbia for the first time since 2013.
• The TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, featuring South Carolina and Notre Dame, earned a TV rating of 3.1 with 5.766 million viewers. It was the highest rated non-New Year’s Six bowl game of the 2022-23 season. Along with the Tennessee game (2.45 rating/4.867 million viewers), the two games were the 5th and 6th highest rated Gamecock football games of the last 10 seasons.
• The Gamecocks had the nation’s top-ranked special teams unit, led by All-America punter Kai Kroeger. Pete Lembo was named the Phil Steele Special Teams Coach of the Year.
• Wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. and punter Kai Kroeger earned first-team All-SEC honors.
• Safety Nick Emmanwori was a true freshman All-American and earned a spot on the SEC’s All-Freshman team.
• Pete Lembo was a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach, and was a finalist for the FootballScoop Special Teams Coach of the Year award.
MEN’S GOLF
• South Carolina won the Palmetto Intercollegiate title for the second straight year, March 6-7, at the Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, S.C. Sophomore Nathan Franks shot a 4-under-par 206 and placed tied for second in the 54-hole tournament.
• Franks was named the SEC Golfer of the Week for his efforts at the Palmetto as well as a fourth-place tied finish at the General Hackler Championship in Myrtle Beach, March 13-14.
• Sophomore Gene Zeigler was named SEC Golfer of the Week on Nov. 2. It’s the first career player of the week honor for the Florence, S.C. native. He shares the award this week with Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent and Georgia’s Maxwell Ford. Zeigler is fresh off his first collegiate win at the Daniel Island Intercollegiate. He led the tournament wire-to-wire. Zeigler was the only player under par in the 104-man field, posting a 54-hole score of 214 (-2).
• Sophomore Nathan Franks was named to the CSC Academic All-District team.
WOMEN’S GOLF
• Coach Kalen Anderson’s finished the season ranked 4th in the nation in the Golfstat Rankings. In the same rankings, sophomore Hannah Darling was 8th in the nation, senior Mathilde Claisse 39th, sophomore Louise Rydqvist 67th, senior Justine Fournand 78th and freshman Mia Lussand 113th.
• The Gamecocks finished second in the NCAA Athens Regional and went on to place fourth in the NCAA Championships at Scottsdale, Ariz. Carolina fell to Southern Cal in the first round of match play.
• Carolina finished in the top 5 in every tournament they played this season (12 tournaments), placing second five times.
• Sophomore Hannah Darling was named a Golfweek First Team All-American and senior Mathilde Claisse was named a Golfweek Honorable Mention All-American.
• Hannah Darling was a first-team All-America selection by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association while Louise Rydqvist and Mathilde Claisse were honorable mention selections.
• Hannah Darling was named first-team All-SEC by the league’s coaches while Mia Lussand earned Freshman All-SEC honors.
• Mathilde Claisse and Louise Rydqvist earned CSC Academic All-District honors.
• The Gamecocks finished second at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, the Windy City Collegiate Classic, the Cactus Cup and the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic. Carolina has finished in the top 5 in seven of its eight tournaments this season.
• Individually, Carolina has placed seven golfers in the Top 5 of tournaments, led by Hannah Darling’s three and Mathilde Claisse’s two. Justine Fournand and Louise Rydqvist have one each.
• Mathilde Claisse took medalist honors at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate with a three-round score of 208, five shots under par.
MEN’S SOCCER
• The Gamecocks finished the season 5-8-4 under second year head coach Tony Annan.
• Qualified for the Sun Belt Conference tournament in its first season in the league.
• South Carolina finished the regular season leading the nation in average attendance with 2,839 fans per game.
• Six players were named to the 2022 Academic All-District® Men’s Soccer Team as selected by College Sports Communicators; Parker League, Brian Banahan, and Logan Frost each earned their second All-District honor, while Henry Weigand, Peter Clement, and Adam Luckhurst each earned their first selection.
• Adam Luckhurst became the first player since 2018 to record a goal and two assists in a match when he did so against Winthrop.
• Luckhurst led the team with five goals and four assists.
• Rocky Perez and Bryce Griffith were named to the Wolstein Classic All-Tournament Team.
• Freshman goalkeeper Ben Alexander was named to the Canadian U-20 team, where he started three matches during the 2022 Concacaf Men’s U-20 Championship.
• Signee Luke Brennan signed a professional contract with Atlanta United.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
• The Gamecocks had an incredible year, tallying their 18th winning season under head coach Shelley Smith, with the year being the 10th consecutive with 12+ wins.
• South Carolina’s appearance in the NCAA Tournament was its 10th straight, and the seventh season having advanced to the Sweet 16.
• Carolina finished 9th in the final United Soccer Coaches poll and 12th in the NCAA RPI.
• The 2nd-seeded Gamecocks defeated top-seeded Alabama, 1-0, on Nov. 6 to win the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Pensacola, Fla. Heather Hinz was named the tournament MVP, while Jyllissa Harris, Samantha Chang, Catherine Barry, and Hinz were named to the All-Tournament team.
• Junior Cat Barry and 5th year senior Jyllissa Harris were named First Team All-SEC selections, in addition to Shae O’Rourke and Gracie Falla earning spots on the SEC All-Freshman team.
• Harris earned second-team All-America honors by the United Soccer Coaches. As a Gamecock, Harris became the program leader in all-time starts (105 consecutive games) and games played (107, No. 3 in the NCAA). She led the team in minutes as a non-goalie (2,177) and finished in the top-10 for career shot % (.208).
• The Gamecocks were 15-4-5 overall and were 6-3-1 in conference play this season and registered 14 shutouts. The Gamecocks were the Eastern Division champion in the SEC. Carolina were 6-1-4 at Stone Stadium. The team tallied 14 shutouts this year and outscored its opponents, 38-14.
• SEC Player of the Week selections this year include: Heather Hinz (defense, 8/22) and Jyllissa Harris (defense, 9/12).
• TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week honorees this year include: Heather Hinz (8/23), Shae O’Rourke (8/30), Catherine Barry (9/6), Jyllissa Harris (9/13 and 10/11).
• College Soccer News Team of the Week honorees this year include: Heather Hinz (8/30) and Jyllissa Harris (10/10).
• Senior Forward/Midfielder Riane Coman was named to the SEC Community Service Team.
SOFTBALL
• The Gamecocks ended their season with 40 wins for the first time since 2018, their second time under head coach Beverly Smith.
• Carolina earns its 23rd all-time bid to the NCAA tournament and its eighth under head coach Beverly Smith.
• The Gamecocks finished the year ranked in the Top 25 in three polls – 20th in Softball America, 23rd in ESPN/USA Softball and 25th in USA Today/NFCA. Carolina had 12 wins this season against teams that finished the season in the Top 25.
• They advanced to the NCAA Regional final for the sixth time under head coach Beverly Smith.
• As a 10th seed, South Carolina made history during the SEC Tournament, becoming the lowest seed to ever reach the finals, becoming the first double-digit seed to play in the championship game.
• South Carolina took down 12 nationally ranked opponents.
• The squad played 29 games against top-25 RPI teams are the most by ANY team in the country.
• As a team, they stole 123 bases, which shattered the program record of 87 from 1995. The 150 attempts also shattered the old record of 99 from 2011.
• Head coach Bev Smith earned her 400th career win against UNC on March 1, becoming the 29th active head coach in Division I to amass 400 career victories while only coaching at one school.
• Donnie Gobourne, Jordan Fabian, and Marissa Gonzalez were named to the SEC All-Tournament Team.
• Gobourne was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Southeast Region Second Team.
• Gobourne was also named to the All-SEC First Team.
• Gobourne threw her first career no-hitter against #17 Auburn on April 29. It was the first no-hitter for Carolina in SEC play since Megan Matthews in 2002.
• Gobourne was selected 17th overall in the Women’s Professional Fastpitch Draft on April 17 by the Oklahoma City Spark, the first Gamecock drafted professionally since 2013.
• Riley Blampied, Karsen Ochs, and Leah Powell were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® team.
SWIMMING AND DIVING
• The Swimming & Diving team earned five medals at the SEC Championships – 2 gold, 2 silver, and one bronze.
• Brooke Schulz swept the springboards at the SEC Championships, the fourth time in her career accomplishing this feat and second time in as many years. She was named the Women’s Diver of the Meet for her accomplishments.
• The women’s team completed the SEC Championships in 8th place which equals the team’s highest finish in program history since Texas A&M and Missouri joined the conference in 2012.
• The men’s team finished the SEC Championships in 9th place, scoring 458.5 points, the most points the team has scored since 2020.
• South Carolina had 10 individuals and one relay qualify for the NCAAs, the most the team has had since 2019.
• Brooke Schultz placed ninth on the 1-meter and third on the 3-meter at the NCAAs. She was named an All-American honorable mention on the 1-meter and All-American on the 3-meter.
• Manny Vazquez Bas placed fourth on the platform at the NCAAs, earning All-America status.
• Brooke Schultz was named SEC Diver of the Year, her second consecutive year of earning the title.
• South Carolina placed five individuals on the All-SEC Teams – one on the First Team, three on the Second Team, and one on the Freshman Team.
MEN’S TENNIS
• The men’s tennis team achieved the highest ranking in program history this season, climbing up to No. 2 in the ITA Team Rankings. The team spent the entire 2023 season ranked inside the top-10 and finished with a year-end ranking of No. 8, the highest final team ranking since 1989.
• As a team, South Carolina went 22-7 overall including 14 ranked wins with ten of them in the top-25 and five of them in the top-10.
• The Gamecocks advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships, the furthest a South Carolina team has advanced since 1989. On their journey through the bracket, they took out No. 18 Florida State and upset No. 8 Tennessee in Knoxville.
• Juniors Toby Samuel and Connor Thomson both earned new career-high rankings this season, Samuel as high as No. 3 in the nation and Thomson as high as No. 5. Samuel ended the season ranked No. 10 in the country while Thomson finished at No. 17.
• In the fall, Samuel and Thomson became the program’s first ITA All-American Championship title holders after winning the doubles competition. Their win propelled them up to be the No. 1 doubles pair in the nation where they spent all but one week of the season. They held onto the No. 1 spot in the final doubles rankings, giving the program its first final No. 1 ranking in singles or doubles.
• Samuel and Thomson were both named ITA All-Americans in both singles and doubles at the conclusion of the season, becoming the fourth and fifth players in program history to boast that accomplishment.
• Thomson was named an Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators, just the fourth in program history earn that accolade and the second to ever be named a Singles, Doubles, and Academic All-American.
• Head Coach Josh Goffi was named the Wilson/ITA Carolina Region Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year and fourth time of his career.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
• The women’s tennis team won 13 dual matches this season including eight in conference play. Of those eight wins, six of them came consecutively and included a 4-1 upset of then-No. 23 Vanderbilt.
• Senior Ayana Akli earned a new career-high ranking this season, peaking at No. 6 in the ITA Singles Rankings. She ended the season ranked No. 11 in the country.
• The Gamecocks had two players selected to participate in the NCAA Singles Championships. Akli was granted a No. 9-16 seed while sophomore Sarah Hamner earned an at-large bid.
• At the NCAA Singles Championships, Akli made a deep run, taking out three opponents in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinals, the furthest that a Gamecock has ever advanced.
• Akli and Hamner also entered the NCAA Doubles Championship draw together after originally being named fifth alternates for the event. The duo made the most of their opportunity, making a run to the quarterfinals, the furthest a South Carolina pair has advanced since 2019.
• The ITA Awarded both Akli and Hamner All-America honors in doubles for advancing to the quarterfinal and Akli also received the title in singles for her tournament run.
• Hamner was named an Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators for her success both on the court and in the classroom.
TRACK & FIELD
• After 27 years at the helm of the South Carolina Track & Field and Cross Country program, legendary head coach Curtis Frye has announced his retirement effective June 30. During his long and storied career, Frye has coached or overseen 28 Olympians who have garnered 14 Olympic medals, 60 NCAA Champions, 126 SEC Champions, more than 500 NCAA All-Americans and 21 Academic All-Americans. He coached 14 SEC Athletes of the Year and five National Athletes of the Year. Frye’s athletes have earned four USTFCCCA National Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in addition to five SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards. One of the most well-respected coaches in the country, Frye brought South Carolina its first team NCAA Championship in any sport when his women’s squad captured the 2002 NCAA Outdoor title.
• The Gamecocks scored in 12 events at the SEC Indoor Championship, including five Top-3 finishes.
• Anass Essay and Filip Demsar each won an SEC Championship event, with Anass winning the indoor mile and Demsar capturing the 60-meter hurdles title.
• Silan Ayyildiz finished runner-up in the women’s mile, while also finishing fourth in the women’s 3K at the SEC Indoor Championship.
• The women’s 4x400m relay squad came home with silver medalist honors at the SEC Championship, stamping their place in the NCAA Indoor Championship.
• The Gamecocks walked away from the NCAA Indoor Championship with eight All-American honors, led by Anass Essayi with a third-place finish in the mile run.
• During the outdoor season, the Gamecocks finished 12th in the SEC on the men’s side and 13th on the women’s side.
• At the SEC Outdoor Championship in Baton Rouge, Rogerio Amaral took home bronze in the 10K and Sylvia Chelangat posted silver-medalist honors in the women’s 800m.
• Both Anass Essayi and Silan Ayyildiz claimed the 1500m championship at the SEC Outdoor Championship.
• Four different Gamecocks advanced out of the NCAA East Regional and into the NCAA Championship in Austin, Texas: Anass Essayi, Filip Demsar, Silan Ayyildiz and Jayla Jamison.
• At the NCAA Championship, Essayi earned First Team All-American honors after finishing fourth overall in the 1500m race.
• Ayyildiz, Jamison and Demsar each were named Honorable Mention All-Americans following the NCAA Championship.
• Nine Gamecocks earned CSC Academic All-District honors: Male – Rogerio Amaral, Filip Demsar, Jack Mensch, Dylan Targgart; Female – Hope Dominique, Brooke Donoghue, Angel Frank, Kieley Gayle, Katerina Hendrix.
• During the outdoor season, the Gamecocks combined for 25 new Top-10 program marks, including six new program records.
VOLLEYBALL
• The team’s win over No. 12 Florida on Sept. 25 secured the fifth season in a row with at least one win over a top-25-ranked opponent. It is the longest streak since joining the SEC in 1991; the next closest streak was three years, from 2001-03. The team has eight top-25 wins in head coach Tom Mendoza’s five-year tenure; prior to his arrival in 2018, the program had just nine ranked wins in total in the 26-year since joining the SEC in 1991, going 9-110 (.076) between 1991-2017.
• Head Coach Tom Mendoza notched his 75th win at South Carolina after a win vs. Missouri on Oct. 2. He is the fourth coach in the program’s 49-season history to reach that milestone.
• Jenna Hampton earned the Southeastern Conference Libero of the Year Award. She is the first Gamecock to earn the award from the conference’s coaches in program history. Hampton also made the 18-woman All-SEC Team, marking the sixth year in a row for a Gamecock to be recognized on the post-season list but the first time a libero represented the program.
• Sophomore middle blocker Oby Anadi made the SEC Volleyball Community Service Team. She has 25 total hours of community outreach midway through her second year at South Carolina. She has focused most of her volunteer efforts on local schools, spending time as a pen pal and mentor at Columbia-area middle and elementary schools. Anadi also has participated in the Gamecocks Games – a field day event with special needs children – and with United Way’s reading events around Columbia. Anadi serves as the team representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is the team coordinator for all community outreach efforts.
