Former Gamecock Starling headlines USC Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2022

SPARTANBURG - The University of South Carolina Upstate athletic department has announced that former student-athletes led by former Sumter High basketball player Brittany Starling will be inducted into the USC Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame. Anna (Miller) Nickel and Ramiro Blanco will be inducted alongside Starling.

"We are thrilled to welcome another tremendous class to our Athletic Hall of Fame!" said vice chancellor and director of athletics Daniel Feig. "Brittany, Anna and Ramiro each made tremendous contributions to USC Upstate during their time here and all are considered to be the best of the best. I'm honored to welcome them into our Athletic Hall of Fame."

The USC Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame began in 1999 and including this class has inducted 95 members.

The 2022 Athletics Hall of Fame class will be honored during Homecoming Weekend brunch and induction ceremony at 9:30am, Saturday, April 2, 2022 inside the Campus Life Center Ballroom on campus. Tickets for the banquet and ceremony are available for purchase here. The Hall of Fame Class will also be recognized at Cyrill Softball Stadium as part of the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Spartans 1:00 pm contest against Winthrop.

Brittany Starling '16 - women's basketball

A graduate of Sumter High School, Starling competed at USC Upstate from 2012 to 2016 and graduated as one of the most accomplished players in USC Upstate women's basketball history, particularly during the program's Division I era. She is the lone player in program history to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds, scoring 1,533 points and grabbing 1,119 rebounds during her four-year career.

A College Sports Madness All-Mid Major Team selection in 2016, Starling was a two-time All-ASUN selection, earning First Team All-Conference honors in 2016 after ranking fifth in the NCAA in total rebounds (411), sixth in rebounds per game (12.1), and seventh in double-doubles (21).

Starling also finds her name littered across the USC Upstate record book as she ranks top-10 in program history in 15 different career statistical categories. She holds the program records for career rebounds (1,119), career defensive rebounds (738), and games played (126) while ranking fourth in scoring (1,533).

Anna (Miller) Nickel '14 - Softball

Anna (Miller) Nickel is the ninth softball player in program history to be inducted into the USC Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame. A native of Portland, Oregon and a product of Sunset High School and the College of Siskiyous, Nickel competed on the softball team from 2013-2014.

During her time as a Spartan, Nickel played as an essential piece on the mound for Upstate as she worked with head coach and 2003 USC Upstate Hall of Fame Inductee Chris Hawkins. Her efforts at Upstate led to her being the second player to ever be drafted into the National Pro Fastpitch League.

In her two seasons with Upstate, Nickel recorded 193.2 innings pitched, throwing 290 strikeouts and a .176 opponent batting average. She finished with a 1.84 career ERA, 23-6 career record, 16 career complete games and 11 shutouts while also tying the school record for career no-hitters (6).

Her senior season brought Nickel massive success as she stacked several accolades, just one of which was being the only player in school history to have ever pitched a perfect game in an NCAA Regional. She was named the 2014 ASUN Pitcher of the Year and the 2014 ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year while garnering First Team ASUN and All-Academic Team recognitions. She was also named a 2014 Capital One First Team Academic All-American, a 2014 NFCA Second Team All-Region Selection, and a 2014 ASUN NCAA Woman of the Year candidate.

During her first year as a Spartan, she would contribute both at the plate and in the circle - including throwing a complete game shutout - as Upstate captured the ASUN Tournament Championship. In the NCAA Tournament, she would throw a perfect game in five innings against Jacksonville State to win 8-0, at the time just the second perfect game in program history and first at the Division I level. The 2013 season, Nickel was recognized as an ASUN All-Academic selection. Nickel currently serves as the pitching coach at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash.

Ramiro Blanco '12 - men's tennis

A native of Chascomus, Argentina, Blanco competed at USC Upstate from 2009 to 2012 and graduated as one of the top players in USC Upstate history. A member of the ASUN All-Decade Team (2010-2019), he was a four-time All-ASUN selection, culminating with a pair of First Team All-Conference honors in 2011 and 2012.

In singles action, Blanco posted a career mark of 67-17 as his 67 singles wins rank third all-time in program history while his .798 career winning percentage is the best in program history. As a freshman, he concluded the 2009 season a perfect 23-0 on the season, becoming the first player in program history to achieve a perfect season, establishing a program-long winning streak in the process.

As a doubles competitor, Blanco finished with a 59-23 career mark with his 59 victories ranking fourth all-time in program history, posting a .720 winning percentage in doubles action. He stands as one of two players in program history to hold a .720 or greater winning percentage in both singles and doubles action.