The Athletics Department held its annual Gamecock Gala Monday where student-athletes were presented with awards and honors voted on throughout the department. The big winner of the night was women's soccer senior Blakely Mattern, who was named Female Athlete of the Year, The President's Award winner and an SEC McWhorter Scholarship recipient. In being named Female Athlete of the Year, Mattern became the first person to ever win the award twice in her Gamecock career. She also earned the honor at the 2008 Gala. In winning three awards Monday night, Mattern also joined elite company as the second person and first woman to earn three awards at one Gala (not including being named a Team MVP). The other person to achieve this feat was men's tennis athlete Tom Eklund who won three awards in 2006. That season, Eklund was named Scholar Athlete of the Year, earned the Gamecock Inspiration Award and was awarded the McWhorter Scholarship as well.
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