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Gamecock Equestrian Wins Inaugural SEC Championship
AUBURN, Ala. – No. 6 South Carolina captured the first-ever Southeastern Conference Equestrian Championship, defeating No. 2 Auburn, 10-8, on Saturday at the Auburn University Horse Center.
The Gamecocks (8-6), the event’s No. 2 seed, defeated the top-seeded Tigers (11-3) 6-4 in hunter seat and tied 4-4 in western. South Carolina advanced to the championship round following a 10-7 win against third-seeded Georgia on Friday.
Saturday’s SEC Equestrian Championship marked the first new championship handed out in an SEC sport since softball in 1997.
“It means a whole lot to our program,” South Carolina head coach Boo Major said. “We’ve known that we’ve had it in us all year long, but you never know until you show up what’s going to happen. I think our girls just rode lights out yesterday and today. I think the girls just rode beautifully, and I can’t be more excited for them and more excited for our university and for Coach [Ray] Tanner to bring the first SEC Equestrian trophy home to South Carolina.”
The SEC All-Championship Team consisted of South Carolina’s Kimberly McCormack (Equitation Over Fences), South Carolina’s Katherine Schmidt (Equitation On The Flat), Texas A&M’s Carey Nowacek (Horsemanship) and Auburn’s Indy Roper (Reining).
Saturday’s championship is the 11th SEC Championship won by a South Carolina team, and the seventh by a female team. Today’s championship also marks the first SEC title won under athletic director Ray Tanner.
SEC Championships – South Carolina
2013 Equestrian
2011 Women’s Soccer
2011 Baseball (Co-champions)
2005 Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
2002 Baseball
2002 Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
2002 Women’s Golf
2000 Baseball
1999 Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
1997 Softball
1997 Men’s Basketball
University of South Carolina
Athletics Media Relations
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Columbia, SC 29208
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(803) 777-2967 Fax
www.GamecocksOnline.com
Press release is courtesy of Sean Cartell with the SEC.
