USC athletes get to dress up, show out at Gamecock Gala

South Carolina pitcher Clarke Schmidt directed the credit for his light blue blazer where it belonged – his mom.

“I have to thank her for that one,” Schmidt said. “This is all her choice. I said, ‘Alright, you pick something for me to wear and I’ll wear it.’ Thank her.”

The Gamecocks’ ace was decked out in his best attire Monday evening, as were the rest of the 500 athletes on South Carolina’s 19 teams as they came together for the 2016 Gamecock Gala. Awards were passed out over dinner, with A’ja Wilson claiming female athlete of the year and Akaram Mahmoud and Matt NeSmith sharing the male award, but the athletes seemed to revel in the chance to come down the red, well garnet, carpet.

“This doesn’t happen very often,” said NeSmith, who also won the men’s golf MVP award. “Most times you see athletes, they’re in sweatpants, a hoodie from practice or whatever.”

They were a bit more dressed up than that.

Equestrian MVP Abigail Pait wore a top as dense with sequins as possible. The men’s athletes’ blazers ran the full gamut of colors, including track’s Greg Childs in leopard print. Men’s track MVP Dondre Echols paired a brimmed hat and loud green jacket.

Women’s basketball player Khadijah Sessions came in a black suit and bowtie. Football wide receiver Deebo Samuel drew attention with a bright red blazer along with a matching bowtie and shoes.

“It’s real nice for the whole athletic (department),” Samuel said. “These teams get to come out here, be around each other. See everybody here grinning and smiling, going back and forth taking pictures. It’s a lot.”

He was certainly going back and forth, taking three trips down the red carpet.

“We all love to dress up and have fun,” Sessions said. “Come to functions like this, and they’ve put together a good end of the year thing.”

This story was originally published April 25, 2016 at 9:37 PM with the headline "USC athletes get to dress up, show out at Gamecock Gala."