Georgia, Auburn, Gamecocks, TCU, OSU, SDSU Score Weekend Collegiate Equestrian Wins

March 12, 2018 | Filed under: Club & Show News,Club and Show News | Posted by:

NCEA SCOREBOARD: MARCH 11, 2018

Georgia Tops Texas A&M in Regular Season Finale

COLLEGE STATION, Texas– No. 1 Georgia equestrian topped No. 3 Texas A&M, 13-7, on Saturday, concluding regular season competition with a 9-1 record and 5-1 mark in Southeastern Conference action.

Highlighting the meet was Grace Bridges (Equitation on Flat) and Bailey Anderson (Horsemanship) who took home Most Outstanding Performance honors for their rides.

“Today was a great day, what a strong SEC competitor,” head coach Meghan Boenig said. “To come out and have dominance in three events and a very close one in Fences as well was great. What a great pressure situation setting us up for SEC’s. They have been working really hard these past couple weeks. I’m really proud, additionally, of our MOPS. We just have to keep this roll going. We know we don’t have the post-season done, this is just getting us there and securing, hopefully, that SEC number one seed. We just have to keep earning it.”

Competition started in Equitation Over Fences, with the Aggies establishing a slight advantage after earning three points. Sophomore Maddy Darst led off, claiming the first point of the meet with an 86-85 win over Texas A&M’s Alex Desiderio. Senior Addy Cord earned the next point for the Bulldogs, 82.5-81, before Texas A&M won three-straight points.

The Bulldogs gave up one point to the Aggies in Reining before senior Kyndall Harper, freshman Jordan Carpenter, sophomore Annabeth Payne, and junior Graysen Stroud each secured points for Georgia.

The Bulldogs held a 6-4 advantage over the Aggies after two events.

Georgia extended its lead in Equitation on the Flat with four more points. Sophomore Grace Bridges rode to a 77-67 victory over the Aggies’ Brianna Peddicord. The Bulldogs dropped the next point before Cord, Madison Newman and Darst picked up points with scores of 74, 73, and 72, respectively.

Georgia sealed the victory with its first point in Horsemanship from Stroud, edging Texas A&M’s Alex Albright, 75-74.5. Riding to an event-high score of 76, Anderson earned MOP honors for her ride, topping Ashley Davidson’s 71.5. Sammie Johnson ended the day with another point for the Bulldogs, 73.5-71.

The SEC Championship will be hosted by South Carolina on March 30-31. The NCEA National Championships will take place April 18-21 in Waco, Texas.

No. 2 Auburn Powers Past Fresno State, 15-2, in Regular Season Finale

AUBURN, Alabama– The No. 2 Auburn equestrian team capped the 2017-18 regular season Saturday, defeating Fresno State, 15-2, at the Auburn University Equestrian Center. The Tigers improved to 9-3 overall with the victory.

“This team moved up another notch today,” head coach Greg Williams said. “This was the best we’ve seen them ride all year. They are taking a couple days off before gearing up for the SEC Championship and I believe this team has more in them and are going to get even better.”

The Tigers recognized their three seniors at intermission, honoring Caitlin Creel, Alexa Rivard, and Abby Wagner.

“It’s special to have our seniors come away with a win both as a team and on their individual rides,” Williams said. “For four years, this group has put the team ahead of themselves and the team acknowledges that and really sees this class as leaders in every aspect.”

The Horsemanship corps continued its unbeaten streak, going 4-0-1 against Fresno State. Freshman Taylor Searles was awarded her second-consecutive 75 for Auburn, defeating Rachel Williams. Sophomore Kara Kauffman bested Taylor Dixon, 73-69, and junior Lauren Diaz edged Julia Kelly, 72.5-72.

Redshirt junior Kelsey Jung earned her second Most Outstanding Performer honor the year, besting Taeya Harle’s 74 with a meet-best 75.5. Freshman Deanna Green’s 72 matched her opponent to finish in a tie.

In Equitation on the Flat, the Tigers went 3-1-1 vs. the Bulldogs to guide Auburn to a 7-1 lead at intermission. Freshman Taylor St. Jacques was awarded her third MOP honor and sixth win in the event this year, topping Kylina Chalack, 74-65. Junior Hayley Iannotti picked up her team-leading 11th Flat win of the season with a 67-52 victory over Alex Dirickson.

Creel secured Auburn’s third point of the event on Senior Day, scoring 67 points to best Natalie Wendt’s 55. Junior Caitlin Boyle rode to a 61-61 tie with her Bulldog opponent.

After the break, it was the Equitation Over Fences crew’s turn to go undefeated as the Tigers swept FSU, 5-0. Junior Ashton Alexander’s 85-66 victory awarded her MOP recognition, while classmate Alex Ladove followed with 82 points in her win. Boyle outscored her opponent by 40, winning 81-41. St. Jacques led all student-athletes with 86 points in her win and Iannotti capped the event with an 81-75 triumph over Chalack.

The Auburn Reining corps tallied a 3-1-1 mark and was led by senior Rivard. The Suwanee, Ga., product extended her winning streak to four and earned her third MOP in the last four meets, outscoring FSU’s Taylor Dixon, 72.5-71.

Freshman Terri-June Granger got things started with a 69.5-66.5 victory to up her season total to a team-leading eight wins on the year. Junior Blair McFarlin bested her opponent, 71-69.5, while classmate Betsy Brown rode to a 70-70 tie.

Auburn takes a couple weeks off before the 2018 SEC Championships. The two-day tournament will be held in Blythewood, S.C., and will be hosted by South Carolina, March 30-31.

Gamecocks Down Fresno State, 13-6, on Senior Day

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C.– The University of South Carolina finished the 2017-18 equestrian regular season with a 13-6 victory over Fresno State on Friday. With the win, the Gamecocks head into the postseason with triumphs in two of their last three meets.

Fresno State fell to 3-8 with the loss, while the Gamecocks are now 4-8.

Carolina swept the MOP awards Friday. Madison Brayman (equitation over fences) and Chloe Schmidt (equitation on the flat) won for hunt seat events, while Madison Thiel (horsemanship) and Caroline Gute (reining) led the western squad.

The day started with equitation over fences and horsemanship riding simultaneously. Jumping finished first, with the Gamecocks dominating by taking four of five points. Lizzie van der Walde was an 83-59 winner on Joe over Sierra Swaffar, and Brayman turned in an MOP effort on Batman by defeating Erica Rosinski, 90-70. Louisa Brackett knocked off Paige Pastorino, 78-56, on Tattoo, and Lauren Fabiano collected an 84-79 win on Leon over Natalie Wendt.

Two Gamecocks were victorious in horsemanship. Megan Overberg rode Jazz to a 73.5-71 win over Julia Kelly, and Thiel edged Rachel Williams on Caper, 74.5-74. Midway through the meet, the Gamecocks led, 6-3.

Carolina took control by winning four points in equitation on the flat. Brackett earned her second point of the day, 65-51, over Alex Peltier on Toby. Schmidt rode to an MOP performance with a 76-69 win on Chip over Swaffar, and van der Walde collected a 76-58 point on Cody over Kylina Chalack. Finally, Madison Sellman won her point, 75-64, on Kenny over Wendt.

Reining ran simultaneously with the flat, and Carolina won three points. Jordan Scott defeated Allison Nordvall, 73-71 on Sparky, and Bailey Walters earned a 72-70 win over Shea Gilson on Stoner. Finally, Gute secured an MOP win with her 73-68 win over Kara Gustafson on Chexy.

NOTABLE

Gute and Schmidt have now each won MOP laurels three weekends in a row. Schmidt’s MOP was her fourth of the season.
Friday’s competition was the final home regular-season meet for seniors Raleigh Bacharach, Madison Butehorn, Lauren Fabiano, Megan Overberg, Jaana Rasmussen, Paisley Roberts, Megan Russo, Chloe Schmidt, Aurie Engel Schmieding, Paige Stopperichand Bailey Walters

FROM THE COACH

“Our girls performed beautifully, and we’re really looking forward to SECs and our girls continuing to improve. I’ve just seen steady improvement with the hunt seat riders from January on. I think Coach Terebesi has done a great job with them. We’ve had to do some work with getting folks to do things a little bit differently here and there, but it’s been a great learning year for everybody. We’re just seeing a lot of improvement.”– Head Coach Boo Major

UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS

The Gamecocks host the 2018 SEC Championships March 30-31 at One Wood Farm. Carolina will learn their semifinal opponent when seedings are announced Monday by the conference office.

No. 6 TCU Defeats No. 5 SMU, 14-4

SPRINGTOWN, Texas– No. 6 TCU equestrian defeated crosstown foe No. 5 SMU on Senior Day, 14-4. TCU captured all four MOPs, with all eight senior student-athletes seeing time in the saddle.

The Rundown

The Frogs (7-7) ended the regular season on a high note by sweeping Horsemanship and nearly sweeping in Flat.

In Equitation over Fences, the Frogs split the discipline 2-2 with SMU. Senior Marisa Malevitis started strong with an 85-83 win over Kelsie Brittan on Callisto. Freshman Raegan Rast earned the other point for TCU, as well as earning her fourth MOP, with an 89-84 decision over Vivian Yowan on Java. The 89-point ride is a new high score for the newcomer. It seemed senior Carley Barnett had earned her point but ended in a draw at 87 with Nora Gray on Elle. Senior Julia Finn saw action as the demo rider for Fences, earning an 81 on Pim.

In Reining, TCU won the discipline 3-1. Senior Conner West had a good ride in exhibition on Willy, earning herself a score of 68.5. Sophomores Laska Anderson and Claire Dittrich along with freshman Josie Ferrante earned their points for the Purple and White, with Elena Hurd coming to a draw with SMU’s Madison Steed. Dittrich earned her second MOP of the season with a 73-71 decision over Keagan Snively on Snoop Dog.

On the Flat, the Frogs nearly swept the discipline but came away with a 4-1 decision. Seniors Carley Barnett, Emelie Burgess and Mady Fithian along with freshman Alex Beneson earned their points, with Beneson earning her first MOP on the Flat. Beneson had a 76-point ride on Ozzie to defeat SMU’s Kirsten Ostling. Barnett had an impressive ride on Flash, downing Alexandra Murphy with a 76-58 decision.

In Horsemanship, the Frogs finished the meet strong with a clean sweep in the discipline. Senior Elizabeth Bohn along with sophomores Laska Anderson, Cydney Benes, Jamie Cook, and Josie Mootz finished the job against the Mustangs. Anderson came away with her fourth MOP of the season after a 75.5-68.5 decision on Bob against Michaela Dinger.

Notes

Rast had a career-high 89-point ride over Fences
Dittrich had a career-high 73-point ride in Reining
TCU improves to 9-6 in the all-time series against SMU
Eight senior student-athletes were celebrated at the end of the meet

Up Next

The Frogs will host the Big 12 Championships at Turning Point Ranch in Springtown, March 30 and 31.

OSU Equestrian Takes Down WTAMU on Senior Day

The No. 4 Oklahoma State equestrian team dominated West Texas A&M University with a 17-3 victory on Saturday at Totusek Arena.

It was Senior Day, and the Cowgirls (7-3, 3-0) sent their seniors off in perfect fashion. It was all Cowgirls from the start, and they didn’t let up throughout the entire meet.

The Cowgirls started off with Equitation Over Fences and dominated the event. Seniors Carly Barrick, Maggie Drysch and Katie Jones led the way, winning their matchups. Abigail Brayman and Hannah Janson followed suit and won their matchups as well, with Janson taking home MOP honors for her 82-65 win over Daniella Salaverria.

The Cowgirls kept the momentum going in Horsemanship, winning 5-0. The seniors once again started things off with Maddie Bender, Kirsten Chamberland and Libby Collins earning points, with Collins scoring a season-high 78. Harley Huff and Sarah Miller won the next two points, with Huff earning her team-high seventh MOP of the season. She defeated Kendall Woellmer, 78.5-74, to clinch the MOP honor.

The two MOP honors would be Janson’s third and fourth of the season.

OSU would go on to take Equitation on the Flat, 4-1. Brayman, Drysch, Janson and Jones got their second wins of the day. Janson earned MOP honors again for her 83-73 win over Daniella Salaverria.

The meet concluded with Reining, where the Cowgirls won 3-2. Stephanie Helsen, Ebba Lange and Hannah Mitchell won the points for the Cowgirls. Lange earned her second MOP of the season with a 73-71.5 victory over Catherine Johnson.

The Cowgirls conclude Big 12 play next week when they travel to Waco to take on No. 7 Baylor.

SDSU Equestrian Defeats Crookston on Senior Day

The No. 9 South Dakota State equestrian team defeated Minnesota Crookston 15-5 Saturday at the DeHaan Equestrian Center.

“It was great to end our regular season on a high note and send off the seniors with a win,” head coach Ellie Wilkins said. “Hunt seat did a great job with career high scores and a school record. We’re ready to see what the post season has in store.”

In Equitation over Fences, the Jacks won, 4-2. Sydney House topped Rachel Johnson, 80-66 to claim the first point for State. Taylor Duerr won her point with a 78-72 victory over Selena Young. Claire Garduno garnered MOP accolades with an 85-75 win over Mazie Pini. Jacey Chorlton defeated Megan Motter 80-68 to round out the win.

Sophomore Rylee Streit upended Katie Warner, 69-56.5 in Horsemanship. Nichole Zazula dropped EmmaRae Nelson, 72.5-61.5, while Emily Keiser won her point with a 58.

State swept Equitation on the Flat and set a new school record. Jacey Chorlton broke the school record scoring a 99 en route to garnering MOP honors. Claire Garduno topped Selena Young, 88-86, while Jessica Martinez defeated Monika Frame 98-74. Taylor Duerr won her point with a 93-79 victory over Megna Motter and Matilyn Skinner upended Mazie Pini, 88-79.

In Reining, Madison Sullivan scored the first point for the Jacks with a 67-64.5 victory over EmmaRae Nelson. Mariah Wright was successful with a 65 and Miranda Sullivan garnered MOP accolades with a 69.5-67.5 win over Katelynn Robertson.

Meet Notes

Claire Garduno garnered MOP honors in Equitation over Fences.a
Sydney House scored a season-high 80 in Fences.
Jessica Martinez scored a career-high 98 in Equitation on the Flat.
Jacey Chorlton scored a career-high and school record 99 on the Flat.
Taylor Duerr scored a career-high 93 on the Flat.
Matilyn Skinner scored a career-high 88 on the Flat.
Claire Garduno scored a career-high 88 on the Flat.
Sydney House scored a season-high 80 in Fences.
Jacey Chorlton claimed her third MOP honor for the season on the Flat.
Miranda Sullivan garnered MOP honors in Reining.