USC Beaufort settles on name for new mascot

Sand Shark Nation has spoken.

USC Beaufort’s first mascot character will bear the name of Finnegan, which was the overwhelming favorite in voting by Sand Shark fans earlier this week. The winning name garnered 57 percent of the vote, easily defeating Chomp (15 percent), Thrasher (14 percent) and Sandy (13 percent).

The four names on the final ballot were selected from nearly 100 fan submissions including more than 50 unique monikers. Students and fans were invited to vote for their favorite online with more than 350 votes cast.

Finnegan – who also will go by “Fin” for short – made his public debut at the Bluffton Christmas Parade on Saturday.

This story was originally published December 5, 2015 at 1:02 PM with the headline "USC Beaufort settles on name for new mascot."