Senior Sarah Schmelzel won the individual title at the three-day Bryan National Collegiate, leading the team to a second-place finish.
Starting on Friday, a pair of one-over-par golfers led the way for the Gamecocks. Schmelzel and sophomore Ainhoa Olarra tied for sixth after the first 18 holes with a score of 73. As far as the other three Gamecock golfers, junior Katelyn Dambaugh scored a three-over for 22nd place, junior Jia Xin Yang hit a four-over and tied for 28th, and freshman Marion Veysseyre stroked a six-over and tied for 44th.
The Gamecocks ended the day tied with Notre Dame for second, eight strokes behind the leader Virginia.
Besides Schmelzel and Veysseyre, Day Two brought a decline in play from all the other Gamecocks. Schmelzel hit a one-under to boost herself into tied for second while Veysseyre shot a two-over, ending the day tied for 35th. Olarra and Dambaugh both dropped to 28th place by hitting a six-over- and four-over-par, respectively, and Yang had a seven-over to finish tied for 49th.
South Carolina dipped into fourth place Saturday after allowing Florida State and Wake Forest to pass them.
But on Sunday, the Gamecocks clinched second place thanks to a number of impressive last-day performances. Schmelzel turned in a three-over 75, earning a first-place finish with a 219 for the tournament. Behind her, Dambaugh jumped up 26 spots with the round’s lowest score of two-under par, putting her second. Olarra also moved up spots by shooting a three-over, finishing the weekend. Veysseyre finished the weekend tied for 34th, and Yang tied for 47th place.
In the tournament, South Carolina shot the most pars at 174, two ahead of Miami. Dambaugh and Schmelzel had the most individual pars, with 41 and 38.
The Gamecocks will be back in action April 15-17 in the SEC Championships in Birmingham, Alabama.