COLUMBIA, S.C. – Six former University of South Carolina stars will be immortalized this fall as the newest members of the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame, the school announced Wednesday. Sponsored by the Association of Lettermen, the 2025 class features three men and three women across six different sports: Natasha Hastings (Track & Field), Brandon Hulko (Diving), Paul Jubb (Tennis), Akram Mahmoud (Swimming), Mollie Patton (Soccer), and A’ja Wilson (Basketball).
The induction ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, October 23, with the group also recognized two days later during South Carolina’s football matchup against Alabama on October 25.
Natasha Hastings – Track & Field (2005–2007)
One of the most decorated sprinters in Gamecock history, Hastings was a 10-time All-American and three-time NCAA Champion, including sweeping both the indoor and outdoor 400m titles in 2007. A seven-time SEC champion and the 2007 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year, she still holds the program’s indoor 400m record (50.80). Beyond Columbia, Hastings shined on the international stage, becoming a two-time Olympian and two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA’s 4x400m relay (2008, 2016).
Brandon Hulko – Diving (1998–2002)
Hulko stands as one of South Carolina’s all-time diving greats. A four-year letterman, he was a three-time All-American in the 1-meter and earned additional honors in the 3-meter. Hulko reached NCAA and SEC finals in each of his seasons, claiming three SEC bronze medals, and was named South Carolina Male Athlete of the Year in 2002.
Paul Jubb – Men’s Tennis (2016–2020)
Jubb delivered a historic moment for Gamecock tennis in 2019, becoming the first player in program history to win the NCAA Singles National Championship, defeating the nation’s top-ranked player in the final. That year, he set a program record with 23 ranked wins and tied the fifth-most single-season victories in school history with a 38–4 record. A standout student-athlete, he was also the 2020 National Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership & Scholarship Award winner and a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member.
Akram Mahmoud – Men’s Swimming (2014–2018)
Mahmoud dominated distance swimming, earning 10 All-America honors and becoming a three-time SEC Champion in the 1650 freestyle. He claimed silver at the 2016 NCAA Championships in that same event before representing Egypt at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Mahmoud still holds school records in the 1000 and 1650 freestyle and remains one of the most accomplished swimmers in South Carolina history.
Mollie Patton – Women’s Soccer (2006–2010)
Patton rewrote the record books as the Gamecocks’ goalkeeper, setting the single-season shutouts record (15 in 2009) while ranking second all-time in career goals-against average (0.73) and third in career shutouts (31). A CoSIDA Academic All-American, Patton was named Team MVP in back-to-back seasons (2008, 2009) and capped her career by earning the prestigious President’s Award in 2010.
A’ja Wilson – Women’s Basketball (2014–2018)
Arguably the most iconic athlete in South Carolina history, Wilson was the 2018 unanimous National Player of the Year, the program’s first four-time All-American, and the leader of the Gamecocks’ first National Championship in 2017. A three-time SEC Player of the Year, Wilson left Columbia as the school’s all-time leader in points (2,389) and blocks (363), with her No. 22 jersey retired in 2023. She went on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft and has since become a three-time WNBA MVP with the Las Vegas Aces and a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2020, 2024).
