Sam Chiodo

2014-2015: Western team captain… 13-3-1 record in horsemanship with four MVPs… Won her first point and MVP of the year in the season opener at No. 6 Kansas State on Sept. 19, defeating her opponent with an event-high score of 76 to win her head-to-head by three points… In the SEC opener vs. No. 1 Georgia on Oct. 3, she improved to 2-0 on the season with a team-high score, defeating her opponent 74.5-71.5… Improved to 3-0 on the season and won her second MVP of the year on Oct. 10 in the Gamecocks’ 10-9 upset win at No. 3 Auburn, as she posted an event-high score 74.5 to beat her Tiger opponent by one point… Named AgSouth Athlete of the Week for her performance at Auburn… Improved to 4-0 in the Gamecocks’ win over Texas A&M on Oct. 31, defeating her opponent, 72.5-71.5… Won her fifth straight point of the season on Nov. 7 in Carolina’s win at Fresno State as she beat her Bulldog opponent, 73.5-70… In the spring opener vs. No. 5 SMU, she picked up a 72.5-69 victory… Improved to 6-2 with a 76.5-74.5 victory at No. 5 Georgia on Feb. 7… Improved to 7-2 later in the second meet of the doubleheader on Feb. 7 with a 77-76.5 win over Delaware State… Held her Auburn opponent to a 72-72 tie in the Senior Day meet on Feb. 28… Closed out the regular season with an 80.5-78.5 victory over her opponent from No. 3 Baylor… Competed at the SEC Championship… Competed at the NCEA National Championship, where she went undefeated with a perfect 3-0 record… In the Gamecocks’ win over Fresno State in the quarterfinals, she defeated her opponent, 148-145… In the semifinal win over No. 2 Baylor, she cruised to a 147.5-139 victory… In the national championship meet, she defeated her opponent from No. 1 Georgia, 150-146.5.

2013-2014: 10-4-2 record in horsemanship with two MVPs… Competed in the season opener vs. No. 5 Kansas State on Sept. 20… Won her first point of the season on Sept. 27, knocking off her Fresno State opponent, 77-76.5… Won her first MVP since her freshman year on Oct. 5 with a 73.5-72 win over SMU in a neutral site meet in Dover, Del… In the SEC opener against No. 1 Georgia, she held her Bulldog opponent to a 75-75 tie… Picked up a 74-72 victory at No. 9 Texas A&M on Oct. 25… Knocked off her Auburn opponent, 74-70.5 on Nov. 9… Ended the season with six straight wins, five of which came during the postseason… Picked up her first spring win of the season on March 8 at UT-Martin, defeating her opponent 73-70 and earning her second MVP of the year… Was the only Gamecock to go undefeated during the postseason, winning all five of her rides… In the SEC semifinal win over Texas A&M on March 28, she defeated her opponent, 146.5-143.5… In the SEC Championship victory over No. 2 Georgia on March 29, she won her point, 146-144.5… At the NCEA National Championship in Waco, she went 3-0… In the quarterfinal victory over TCU, she knocked off her Horned Frog opponent, 145-142.5… In the semifinal victory against Auburn, she posted a 151-149.5 win… In the national championship meet against Georgia, she cruised to a 150.5-144 victory… Won the Western Grooming Award at the team banquet with Lindsey Slack… Third-year letter winner.

2012-2013: 2013 NCEA Honorable Mention All-American in Horsemanship… 9-6-1 overall record in Horsemanship… 8-3 regular season record in Horsemanship… 1-3-1 postseason record… In the season opener against No. 5 Oklahoma State, she defeated her Cowgirl opponent, 78.5-77 on Sept. 29… Improved to 2-0 on Oct. 4 when she picked up a 75.5-71 victory over No. 3 Auburn… On Nov. 16 at No. 4 Texas A&M, she tied a team-high score of 76.5 to defeat her Aggie opponent, 76.5-76… Improved to 4-1 a day later when she closed out the fall with a 75-74.5 victory at No. 8 Baylor on Nov. 17… Began the spring semester with a 75.5-74.5 win over her Georgia opponent on Feb. 2… Improved to 6-1 on Feb. 14 with a 76.5-61.5 victory at No. 2 Auburn… Improved to 7-1 on Feb. 23 at home against No. 6 Texas A&M, defeating her Aggie opponent, 72.5-69.5. Fall 2012 Dean’s List… Improved to 8-1 on March 1 as she defeated her Delaware State opponent 75-71 to score the first point in the 5-0 sweep for the Horsemanship team… Competed at SEC’s, going 0-1-1… In the opening round meet vs. No. 1 Georgia, she held her Bulldog opponent to a 149-149 tie… Competed at NCEA Nationals, posting a 1-2 record… In the opening round vs. New Mexico State on April 18, she picked up a 146-143 win over her Aggie opponent… NCEA Academic First Team… NCEA Academic Honor Roll… Fall 2012 Athletic Director’s Honor Roll… Second-year letter winner.

2011-2012: 8-6 regular season and postseason combined record in Horsemanship with two MVP’s… 3-3 postseason record… 5-3 regular season record in Horsemanship with two MVP’s… began her career as a Gamecock on Sept. 30, earning her first win and first MVP as she defeated her TCU opponent, 77.5-67.5… won her second point of the season on Nov. 4 in a 75-74.5 win over Georgia at home… Picked up a 71-69 victory at UT-Martin on Feb. 11 as part of a 5-0 sweep for the Horsemanship team… Won her second MVP of the season on Feb. 25 as she defeated her Tiger opponent, 74.5-70.5, as part of a 4-1 Horsemanship win and 12-6 overall win over No. 1 Auburn… Improved to 5-3 on Feb. 26 with a two-point victory as part of a 4-0 Horsemanship shutout over No. 4 Baylor… Competed at the Southern Equestrian Championships, going 1-1… In the opening round upset over No. 3 Auburn on March 30, she defeated her Tiger opponent, 144.5-143.5… Competed at Nationals, going 2-2.. Picked up a Day-1 victory over Tennessee-Martin on April 12 and a victory over Texas A&M on April 13… Spring 2012 Dean’s List… First-year letter winner.

High School: Competed in four sports during her career at Mount Pleasant High School (equestrian, cross country, track & field, soccer)… Served as president of the Michigan Quarter Horse Youth Association… 2010 – AQHA Congress Champion in Showmanship… AQHA Congress Champion NYATT in Showmanship… AQHYA World Show 7th Place finish in Equitation… 2009 – MQHYA Outstanding Leadership Award… AQHYA World Show 6th Place finish in Hunter Under Saddle… AQHA Congress Champion in Hunter Under Saddle… 2008 – AQHA Reserve Congress Champion in Hunter Under Saddle… AQHYA World Champion in Hunter Under Saddle… 2007 – AQHA Congress Champion in Horsemanship.