These Gamecock seniors could get one more year from NCAA after COVID-19 cancellations
Senior student-athletes who saw their final season go up in smoke with the NCAA’s decision to cancel all winter and spring championships in response to the spread of COVID-19, will likely have the option to get that year back.
The NCAA Division I Council Coordination Committee released a statement Friday saying it agreed that eligibility relief should be provided for all student-athletes who compete in spring sports. Details of that relief, however, have yet to be finalized.
“Additional issues with NCAA rules must be addressed, and the appropriate governance bodies will work through those in the coming days and weeks,” the statement concluded.
Stadium and The Athletic had both reported that the NCAA was set to make the move, while adding that additional discussions surrounding winter sports were still in progress — those teams had played most of their seasons but still had their final NCAA tournaments canceled.
The move will be especially important for senior student-athletes, who were set to run out of eligibility without NCAA intervention. For South Carolina, there are 10 teams that compete in the spring, counting men’s and women’s track and field separately, and 45 seniors will now likely be able to come back in 2021. All told, 253 student-athletes are listed on South Carolina’s spring sports’ rosters.
However, the seniors can still choose to move on. In baseball, especially, with the MLB draft set to take place in June, players can choose to forego their remaining eligibility and turn pro.
How this class of seniors returning will affect sports with roster and scholarships will be one of the main issues the NCAA will need to figure out over the coming weeks and months and could cause ripple effects in the years down the road.
South Carolina spring sport seniors
BASEBALL (4)
Bryant Bowen, graduate transfer, catcher/infield
Dallas Beaver, graduate transfer, catcher/infield
Graham Lawson, redshirt senior, relief pitcher
George Callil, senior, shortstop
MEN’S GOLF (2)
Caleb Proveaux, senior
Jamie Wilson, senior
MEN’S TENNIS (1)
Paul Jubb, senior
MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD (6)
Arinze Chance, senior, sprints
Darrell Singleton Jr., senior, sprints
Noah Walker, senior, sprints/hurdles
Eric Favors, redshirt senior, throws
Quincy Hall, senior, sprints/hurdles
Malik Paul, senior, throws
WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD (8)
Jhari Williams, senior, sprints/jumps
Anna Kathryn Stoddard, senior, distance
Sarah-Sims McGrath, senior, distance
Morgan Lee, senior, distance
Kelsey Larkin, senior, middle distance
Leah Ford, senior, distance
Hanifah Abdulqadir, senior, jumps
Hailey Sweatman, senior, pole vault
BEACH VOLLEYBALL (7)
Madison Brabham, graduate
Morgyn Greer, graduate
Sarah Nacouzi, senior
Carly Schnieder, senior
Franky Harrison, senior
Hannah Edelman, senior
Katie Smith, senior
EQUESTRIAN (8)
Quinn Brandt, redshirt senior, horsemanship
Caroline Gute, senior, horsemanship & reining
Madelynne Herlocker, senior\u0009
Bailey Imbus, senior, flat and fences
Maddy Parker, senior flat and fences
Jordan Scott, senior, reining\u0009
Madison Sellman, senior, flat and fences
Farley Wickre, senior, reining
WOMEN’S GOLF (3)
Lois Kaye Go, senior
Ana Pelaez, senior
Anita Uwadia, senior
SOFTBALL (4)
Lauren Stewart, redshirt senior, outfielder
Kenzi Maguire, redshirt senior, infielder
Mackenzie Boesel, senior, infielder
Cayla Drotar, senior, pitcher/designated player
WOMEN’S TENNIS (2)
Silvia Chinellato, senior
Mia Horvit, senior
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 2:46 PM.
