Locked In: South Carolina Equestrian Heading into the NCEA National Championship

The SEC Championship wrapped up March 29th at Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina with South Carolina riding home victorious—and with momentum.

The Gamecocks now turn their focus to the NCEA National Championship April 17-20 in Florida at the World Equestrian Center, where they’ll compete as the No. 5 seed.

This season marked a fresh start for the program under first-year head coach Carol Gwin, and her team delivered when it mattered most.

South Carolina (8-5, 1-4 SEC) entered the postseason looking to make a statement—and did just that. In the SEC semifinals, the Gamecocks stunned top-seeded Auburn, then followed it up with a win over No. 3 Texas A&M to secure the conference title.

Senior Chloe VanStone and Junior Natalie Jayne were two of the riders who earned an MOP (Most Outstanding Player) award during the weekend, stepping up in key moments.

“To an extent I think we all still feel a little bit like it was a dream,” VanStone told GamecockCentral.com. “It felt so surreal to see something that we’ve spent years working towards come to fruition. It’s definitely been a feeling of immense pride—for our team, our teammates, and our school. Being on campus and having other athletes and students congratulate you and recognize the team’s achievement has been so special.”

The title marks South Carolina’s first SEC championship since back-to-back wins in 2013 and 2014. But this team isn’t done yet.

Now, the focus shifts to a bigger goal: a national championship.

The Gamecocks’ regular season featured a conference win over Texas A&M, upsetting the Aggies 11-9. While the SEC record may not have shown it, South Carolina’s post-season momentum and steady growth have them entering the national championship at full stride.

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Coach Gwin, who brought national championship experience with her from SMU, has guided the program with a focus on fundamentals, structure, and adapting to change.

“My outlook for preparing the team this season was fairly complex,” Gwin said. “We had to at our facility increase the number of horses and in addition, we had to restructure practices so they happened in the morning. Morning practices gave the girls a lot more time to do things. Focus in practice was the basics. We had to work on pattern placement, course dynamics, and how to ride in the flat arena correctly.”

With the SEC Championship now behind them, South Carolina is one of eight teams heading to the NCEA National Championship at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala.

“I believe we should not change a thing,” Gwin said. “We are in a great head space and are riding well. We just need to keep our heads down and stay focused.”

A national title in her first year as head coach would be a dream scenario for Gwin—especially following the program’s return to the top of the SEC.

“We may be getting ahead of things, but I would of course feel amazing,” she said. “This is a team that is so deserving of any titles that they receive. They have adapted to new horses, four new coaches, and a totally new dynamic. I would be so excited to even get to play on Saturday!”

Jayne knows exactly what it will take to carry the momentum into nationals.

“The competition at NCEA Nationals is not going to be easy, but now more than ever we know we can do it,” Jayne said. I think everyone is going to have to prepare themselves in the way they know will make them perform best, and we are going to have to be a cohesive, supportive team more than ever. The sky is the limit, and if we really set our minds to it and don’t get in our own way nothing is impossible.”

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