Missing the Olympics? Watch these Gamecocks athletes
With the 2016 Summer Olympics now just a memory, many of us are having serious withdrawals – spoiled after two weeks of watching athletes compete in sports that don’t always get a lot of attention.
But fortunately for us, we don’t have to wait another four years for the Tokyo Olympics to watch some top athletes in action.
While football and basketball will grab most of the headlines this fall at the University of South Carolina, several other sports are just getting underway with the new school year.
Several of them are free for spectators – and all are worth checking out.
“I am excited about what 2016-17 holds for Gamecock Athletics,” USC Athletics Director Ray Tanner said. “We have built tremendous momentum in our program. I appreciate our student-athletes, coaches and staff for their hard work, dedication and commitment. Representing the University of South Carolina is an honor that they do not take for granted.”
Some of the fall sports at USC include Olympians, all-conference competitors, and two teams that play at The Graveyard.
Women’s soccer
Home opener: 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25 vs. N.C. State
Home field: Stone Stadium, The Graveyard
2015-16 record: 12-5-3
Worth noting: Nine seniors; seven of top nine scorers return from last season, including First Team All-SEC junior forward/midfielder Savannah McCaskill; 9-1 regular season record at home in 2015 after ranking third nationally in home attendance.
Coach Shelley Smith: “We’re consistently one of the top teams in the country, and I think we’ve shown that. We have very exciting players. We also play a difficult schedule, so you’re going to see some of the top teams and some of the top players in the country.”
Tickets:* $5, adults; $3, youth (17 and under)
Men’s soccer
Home opener: 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26
Home field: Stone Stadium, The Graveyard
2015-16 record: 11-8-2
Worth noting: Ranked ninth nationally in home attendance and went undefeated at home with an 8-0-2 mark in 2015; senior Danny Deakin returns after earning First Team All-Conference USA honors last year with a team-high 11 goals.
Coach Mark Berson: “We have a great nucleus of players from last year returning who went undefeated at home. That’s only the second time in our history that we’ve gone undefeated at home. ... This year, we host the top two seeds from the NCAA Tournament from last year. So we’ll need everybody’s help. The home field advantage is undeniable.”
Tickets:* $5 adults, $3 youth (17 and under)
*Season tickets – $25, adults; $10, youth – gain admission for all home soccer games, men and women.
Women’s volleyball
Home opener: Friday, Sept. 2 vs. Clemson, 7 p.m.
Home court: Carolina Volleyball Center
2015-16 record: 13-18
Worth noting: Seniors Jacqy Angermiller, Koko Atoa-Williams, Dessaa Legros, Joely Cabrera, and Megan Kirkland return; team was 9-7 at home in 2015.
Coach Scott Swanson: “I’m excited about the experience we have coming back. We have five seniors that have really been leading the charge all spring and all summer to make this team better. We also have one of our most athletic and exciting incoming classes since I’ve been here the last five years. It’s a really good mixture of experience and athleticism that fans will love to watch on the court.”
Tickets: $5, adults; $3, youth (17 and under); $25, adult season ticket; $10, youth season ticket
Equestrian
Opening date/home opener: 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16 vs. Alabama (exhibition)
Home arena: One Wood Park, Blythewood
2015-16 record: 5-11
Worth noting: The team has nine seniors and 29 letter winners back from last season’s team; the Gamecocks return SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year Bailey Mierzejewski and SEC All-Freshman Team selections Madison Thiel and Lizzie van der Walde. South Carolina earned the No. 7 seed last season at the NCEA National Championship.
Coach Boo Major: “We are looking forward to a better season this year than last. We gained a lot of valuable experience that is sure to help us this year. The western team remains strong, and we continue to improve on the hunt seat side. Our freshmen are looking great, and they are very excited to be a part of our team.”
Tickets: Free
Women’s Cross Country
Opening date/home opener: Saturday, Sept. 3
Home course: Sandhill REC
2015 record: Finished 13th in SEC, 26th in NCAA Southeast Regional
Worth noting: Six of the top seven finishers on the team from last year’s SEC Championship return alongside 12 newcomers; the top returner is Mary Reiser, who holds the third-fastest 6K in program history and is a former SEC All-Freshman Team finisher in her final year of eligibility. Head Coach is Curtis Frye.
Assistant Coach (distance) Andrew Allden: “We’re actually getting to the point where we’ve got some maturity. We return a pretty good crew. We return the most people that we’ve ever had that have run under 22 minutes for 6K. ...We’ll have some freshmen that will come in and certainly be knocking on the door for top seven, eight, maybe even top five.”
Admission: Free
Men’s swimming and diving
Home opener: Noon Thursday, Oct. 13 vs. Kentucky
Home pool: Carolina Natatorium
2015-16 record: 6-3
Worth noting: Akaram Mahmoud competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, representing Egypt and finishing 11th in the 1500m freestyle. Mahmoud is coming off an All-America season after winning the SEC title and finishing second at the NCAA Championships in the 1650-yard freestyle; USC finished seventh in the SEC and 17th in the NCAA last season.
Swim Coach McGee Moody: “We’re excited about adding the incoming class to what is already a strong team. ... We’re looking forward to seeing what they can accomplish over the next four years.”
Diving Coach Todd Sherritt: “Jordan Gotro, a returning senior, had a great year finishing in the top eight at the SEC Championships and receiving All-American honors at the NCAAs. ... We hope to be in a position to win an event at conference and a top-eight finish at NCAAs. Lyle Markman, a returning junior, will add some depth to the team. We hope to have him in a top-16 range at conference championships.”
Tickets: Free
Women’s swimming and diving
2015-16 record: 6-3
Home opener: Noon Thursday, Oct. 13 vs. Kentucky
Home pool: Carolina Natatorium
Tickets: Free
Worth noting: Julia Vincent competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, representing South Africa. She made her Olympic debut in the women’s 3-meter springboard dive and placed 29th. Vincent became the fourth Carolina diver in program history to compete at the Olympics. She is the first Gamecock Olympian in the sport of diving since 2004. Vincent is coming off an All-America season after placing fourth nationally in the 1-meter dive; USC finished 11th in the SEC and 29th in the NCAA last season.
Diving Coach Todd Sherritt: “Our team remains strong with five solid athletes. ... Julia Vincent, who finished fourth at the NCAA Championships and is an Olympian, will be aiming for the National Championship this year. Allyson Nied finished sixth in the nation on platform this summer, and we look for her to compete for the SEC Championship and a top-eight finish at NCAAs.”
Swim Coach McGee Moody: “We have a very talented group of returners (men’s and women’s teams) that will set the culture for one of the best freshmen classes in the nation. We plan to build off of a very successful summer that included, 10 U.S. Olympic Trial qualifiers, 2 Olympians, as well as, being well represented at the U.S. Open in Minnesota a few weeks ago.”