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South Carolina

Gamecock Olympic Sports Report: August 11 to August 17

Griffin Goodwynby: Griffin Goodwyn08/18/25griffin_goodwyn
south carolina gamecocks gator bowl
South Carolina Gamecocks mascot Sir Big Spur looks on before the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 2022 Gator Bowl at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

After a wait lasting multiple months, South Carolina sports are finally back.

USC students from across the country and abroad returned to campus this past week, with class set to begin on Tuesday. But the school’s student-athletes have been hard at work since well before then, with some (namely, women’s soccer players) recently participating in their first competitive action of the fall.

Here’s a recap of all the big things that happened with the Gamecocks’ Olympic sports programs this past week.

Your GamecockCentral membership starts at just $1 for the first week – and we’ll throw in a complimentary year of access to The Athletic.

Women’s soccer completes perfect first week of play

The South Carolina women’s soccer team began its 2024 campaign with a nine-game unbeaten run. Through two games, this season’s Gamecocks are just under one quarter of the way to equaling that mark.

South Carolina’s season opener against the College of Charleston was an offensively dominant display. The Cougars mustered just one shot on goal the entire match, which junior goalkeeper Christian Tsaousis saved. The Gamecocks, meanwhile, had nine (and 14 total shots), in addition to three corner kicks. But for the first 80 minutes of the game, they had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard.

That was until freshman forward Mackenzie Johnson let loose a long-distance effort that found the back of the net for her first collegiate goal.

South Carolina’s next opponent, USF, had the Gamecocks on the ropes for a short time in the home opener.

Senior forward Kinley Brown opened the scoring in the ninth minute after some clever play on the right flank by junior defender Amanda Patrick. Still, the Bulls had multiple opportunities to equal the score, forcing Tsaousis into making difficult saves. They eventually got an equalizer after South Carolina experienced a defensive lapse early in the second half.

Then, the Katie Shea Collins show took over. In the 63rd minute, she scored from close range after a teammate’s blocked shot ricocheted to her feet. The sophomore forward then logged a brace after Johnson fed the ball to an oncoming Collins, who slid the ball past USF’s goalkeeper and celebrated the strike with a Michael Jordan-esque shrug.

Men’s soccer earns preseason accolades, adds new assistant to coaching staff

Preseason accolades continued rolling in for the Gamecocks, whose first game of the season is on Thursday (and also happens to be against the College of Charleston).

The Sun Belt Conference announced its preseason coaches poll and awards on Aug. 13. South Carolina is predicted to finish fifth in the conference, behind Marshall, West Virginia, UCF and Kentucky. Three players, tied for the most of any program, made the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team: senior forward Ethan Ballek, senior midfielder Alexander Stjernegaard and sophomore midfielder Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez.

Head coach Tony Annan also filled the remaining vacancy on his staff by hiring Jaxsen Wirth as an associate head coach. Wirth will work closely with the team’s netminders as the Gamecocks’ goalkeeper coach.

“We are excited to bring a coach like Jaxsen onto our staff,” Annan said in a statement. “His work ethic on and off the field will benefit our program in a big way. His maturity and professionalism have been evident from his first day with us.”

Wirth previously plied his trade at SIU Edwardsville, where he held a similar role for the past two seasons. The Cougars earned NCAA Tournament bids in both campaigns and recorded 20 clean sheets across 40 total matches.

Men’s, women’s golf release 2025-26 season schedules

The 2025-26 South Carolina golf season is on the horizon. This past week, Rob Bradley and Kalen Anderson – the head coaches of the Gamecock men’s and women’s golf teams, respectively – unveiled the slate of competitions they will be competing in this fall and next spring.

A men’s tournament of note will be hosted for the first time. The inaugural Bryan Bros Classic will be hosted by Gamecock Athletics and two alumni of its men’s golf program – brothers George IV and Wesley Bryan – at Solina Golf Club in West Columbia on Sept. 29-30.

The full men’s golf schedule, released on Aug. 15, can be found here.

The headline-grabbing women’s tournament, meanwhile, has been a scheduling staple for years. On March 2-4, South Carolina will host the 14th Darius Rucker Intercollegiate at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head. Golf Channel will broadcast all three rounds of the tournament for the fifth consecutive year.

The full women’s golf schedule, released on Aug. 12, can be found here.

Gamecocks in action this week

  • Thursday, Aug. 21: Women’s soccer vs. Ohio State (7 p.m., SEC Network)
  • Thursday, Aug. 21: Men’s soccer at College of Charleston (7:30 p.m., FloSports)
  • Sunday, Aug. 24: Women’s soccer vs. Miami-Ohio (1 p.m., SEC Network Plus)

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