As the school year winds down, many athletic programs are finishing up their seasons. To celebrate another successful season, all of the University of South Carolina's student-athletes gathered at Colonial Life Arena Monday night to celebrate their accomplishments both on and off the court.
Each sport had a team MVP that was presented during the ceremony as well as different awards for academic excellence and community service. Even though it's about the honors and recognizing their successes, the athletes really enjoy getting out of uniform and getting to dress up.
"Just seeing all of my teammates dressed up, out of uniform, and all of the other athletes. It's just great seeing them out of uniform," sophomore women's basketball player Mikiah Herbert Harrigan said.
Some of the awards were for hard work, some were funny, but one was perhaps the most special: the Gamecock Inspiration Award. Sophomore swimmer Will Riggs was presented with the award from his coach, McGee Moody. Moody went on stage first and shared the Riggs' story. Almost a year ago, Riggs first started experiencing stomach aches that rapidly escalated to the point where he could barely walk, and he was rushed to the hospital. There, doctors discovered that his intestines were completely twisted, so twisted that they were black and completely cut off his blood flow.
Moody said he got a call from his athletic trainer saying that he needed to get to the hospital because he didn't know if Riggs would make it through surgery. The doctors immediately brought him to surgery, and they were able to quickly find the source of the problem and get the blood streaming back through his intestines. Riggs was back in the pool less than a month later, and he was able to compete for the Gamecocks this season.
As Riggs walked on stage, he got a huge standing ovation from his peers, as everyone recognized the strength he needed to come back.
A'ja Wilson made her return to Columbia for the event and earned her share of awards. She was named Women's Basketball MVP and Female Athlete of the Year. Wilson was also the President's Award winner, an honor given out by University President Harris Pastides.
Wilson ran in fashionably late, as she just got back from Las Vegas, where she will play professionally, but was extremely happy to be back with her fellow student-athletes.
"It means a lot. This is kind of like one last time I get to be around all of the athletes, and just my teammates especially," Wilson said before the ceremony started. "So just to be back in South Carolina and around the atmosphere again, this is something I'm definitely going to cherish."
Full list of Gamecock Gala award winners below:
Team MVPs:
Baseball: LT Tolbert
Beach Volleyball: Macie Tendrich, Katie Smith
Women’s Basketball: A’ja Wilson
Men’s Basketball: Chris Silva
Cheerleading: Ashley Steinberger
Carolina Girls Dance Team: Celia Burger
Equestrian: Chloe Schmidt
Football: Skai Moore
Women’s Golf: Ainhoa Olarra
Men’s Golf: Keenan Huskey, Scott Stevens
Women’s Soccer: Dominique Babbitt
Men’s Soccer: William Pyle
Softball: Mackenzie Boesel
Women’s Swimming and Diving: Emma Barksdale
Men’s Swimming and Diving: Fynn Minuth, Tomas Peribonio
Women’s Tennis: Hadley Berg
Men’s Tennis: Gabriel Friedrich
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field: Tyler Brockington
Women’s Indoor Track and Field: Rougui Sow
Men’s Outdoor Track and Field: Tye Williams
Men’s Indoor Track and Field: Josh Awotunde
Cross Country: Anna Kathyrn Stoddard
Volleyball: Mikayla Shields
SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Award: Meredith Vay, Harrison O’Keefe
SEC Brad Davis Community Service Award: Jordyn Augustus, Thomas Mayronne
New Student-Athletes of the Year: Megan Davies, Brandonn Almeida
Scholar-Athletes of the Year: Megan Overberg, Nils Wich-Glasen
Community Outreach Team of the Year: Volleyball
Athletes of the Year: A’ja Wilson, Akram Mahmoud
Gamecock Inspiration Award: Will Riggs
President’s Award: A’ja Wilson