Weekend NCEA Wins Go to Baylor, Texas A&M, SMU, TCU, and OSU
NCEA SCOREBOARD: FEBRUARY 24, 2019
No. 5 EQ Secures 11-8 Home Victory over No. 7 Georgia
THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – No. 5 Baylor equestrian (6-3, 2-1 Big 12) clinched a 11-8 home win over No. 7 Georgia (3-5, 2-2 SEC) Saturday afternoon at the Willis Family Equestrian Center in its first non-conference meet of the spring season.
The meet started off with fences, where BU battled the Bulldogs to a close 3-2 win in the discipline. Gia Gulino, Madison Day and Catherine Moorhead each put BU on the scoreboard, with Gulino’s 80 taking home MOP honors.
Following fences, the meet continued indoors with reining, where Baylor pocketed another narrow 3-2 victory. Sydney Scheckel, Maggie Cincotta and Madaline Callaway each contributed a point for the Bears. Cincotta’s 73.5 earned the MOP nod.
With Baylor up 6-4 at the half, the meet picked back up with flat and horsemanship. In flat, BU claimed yet another 3-2 event win with Caroline Weaver, Madison Day and Grace Thiel each snagging points. Thiel’s 85 earned MOP recognition.
In horsemanship, the Bears and the Bulldogs continued to keep scores close with a 2-2 draw in the event. Katie Davis and Kacie Scharf locked in the last couple of points for the Bears, bringing the final overall score to 11-8.
To keep up with things all season long, follow the team on Facebook (Baylor Equestrian), Twitter (@BaylorEQ) and Instagram.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor improved to 6-0 at home this season with Saturday’s win.
• Baylor improved to 4-3 against ranked opponents this season.
• Baylor is 6-0 when scoring 10 or more points at a meet this season.
• Baylor improved to 28-8 in equitation on the flat points this seasons.
• Baylor improved to 22-10 in horsemanship points this season.
• Baylor is now 18-16 in reining points this season.
• Baylor is now 16-20 in equitation over fences points this season.
• Gia Gulino (fences) and Maggie Cincotta (reining) earned their first MOP honors of the season.
• Grace Thiel (flat) earned her second MOP honor of the season.
STAT OF THE MEET
3 – the number of times the Bears defeated the Bulldogs, 3-2, in three disciplines.
TOP QUOTE #1
Head coach Casie Maxwell- On the win…
“It was an outstanding day. This is one of the toughest teams in the country. They tested us in every single ride as we went on throughout today. We knew we were going to have to be really strong from the first ride to the very last ride, and that’s what we had to do. I’m just really impressed and pleased with how our team stepped up today and didn’t let those losses bring them down. They just kept fighting back every single ride they went in.”
TOP QUOTE #2
Head coach Casie Maxwell- On outstanding freshmen…
“I’ve got to give it to Caroline Fuller. She’s a freshman and came out of nowhere. I know she didn’t get her point in fences, but she laid down an outstanding round. And then to get an 85 in the equitation on the flat, she was outstanding. Then, Maggie Cincotta in the reining. She went in with a tough score to beat and she didn’t even let that get into her head. She went in there and marked that high score and got her first MOP. Really outstanding for both of them being freshmen with this kind of pressure on top of them.”
TOP QUOTE #3
Head coach Casie Maxwell- On Georgia…
“Georgia is a tough team in all four events. They’ve got a lot of depth and a lot of experience. They’ve got a great coaching staff. They come into every meet fighting and that’s what we expected, and that’s exactly what they gave us today. It’s exactly what it needed to be, and it’s exactly how we prepared for them.”
WHAT’S NEXT
BU will set its sights on its final Big 12 road meet against No. 8 TCU Saturday, March 2 at Turning Point Ranch in Springtown, Texas.
No. 2 Texas A&M Overpowers No. 3 South Carolina, 13-6
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — No. 2 Texas A&M Equestrian defeated No. 3 South Carolina, 13-6, Saturday at the Hildebrand Equine Complex.
“I’m proud of the girls for how they rode across the board,” head coach Tana McKay said. “Our Fences team was phenomenal, and anytime we’re playing an SEC team we know we have to lay it out there and give it all we’ve got. I really felt like they did that not only in the arena but behind the scenes as well. Their four-legged teammates were great, and they did a really good job prepping them and getting the job done against a tough team.”
The Maroon & White (8-3, 2-3 SEC) jumped out to a 4-1 lead in Equitation over the Fences as Brianna Sims struck first, defeating Madison Brayman, 76-72. Haley Redifer topped Caroline Bald, 84-77, and Rebekah Chenelle defeated Tyler Petrie, 83-78. Caroline Dance secured the last point for the Aggies, defeating Lizzie van der Walde, 82-70.
Texas A&M extended its lead to 8-2 at the half following a 4-1 win in Horsemanship. Ashley Sioco drew first blood with a 77-72.5 victory over Madison Thiel. Katie Conklin defeated Quinn Brandt, 74-68, before Alex Albright topped Caroline Gute, 76.5-74. Ashley Davidson concluded the event by edging out Sloane Vogt, 77-76, to earn the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) honors.
In Equitation on the Flat, Dance edged out Lizzie van der Walde, 76-75, before Chenelle defeated Trinity Hammerschmidt, 85-70, to earn MOP honors for her performance. To conclude the event, Nicole Leonard score an 80 to tie Madison Sellman’s 80, sealing Texas A&M’s victory.
The Aggies won the final event, Reining, 3-2. Ashton Dunkel secured the first point with a 71.5-61 triumph over Jordan Scott to earn MOP distinction. Courtney Yohey knocked off Madison Thiel, 70-68.5, prior to Darby Gardner’s 73-70 victory over Bridgett White to conclude the meet.
Texas A&M returns to action against Auburn on Saturday, March 1st. The meet is slated to begin at 11 a.m. at the Hildebrand Equine Complex.
To learn more about Texas A&M Equestrian, log on to 12thMan.com and follow @AggieEquestrian on Twitter and Instagram.
No. 4 SMU Advances Home and Conference Win Streak with 13-3 Victory over UC Davis
DALLAS, Texas (SMU)—The No. 4 Mustangs move to 7-2 (3-0 UEC) after topping the UC Davis Aggies, 13-3 (1139.0-1101.0), at the Dallas Equestrian Center, Friday.
Vivian Yowan (Equitation over Fences), Ashley Mauney (Horsemanship), Kirsten Ostling (Equitation on the Flat) and Holly Lansidel (Reining) were awarded Most Outstanding Player recognition by the judges.
Ostling and Lansidel (who has four MOPs on the season, currently three in a row) both clinch back-to-back honors, after earning MOPs in their events at OSU. Mauney and Yowan (who have also each tallied back-to-back MOP wins earlier in 2018-19) have won three and four MOPs on the season, respectively.
A stunning 4-0 sweep by the Horsemanship and Equitation on the Flat riders led the way for SMU to further their undefeated string of wins at home and in UEC competition.
Allowing only three Aggie points, SMU put together a strong team performance from start to finish, as the meet got off to a hot start, and the Mustangs ultimately emerged victorious over their conference foe from California.
HUNTER SEAT
The Ponies prevailed over fences, going 3-1 in the event. Vivian Yowan on Parker, rode to an 89-75 win over UC Davis, while team captain Nora Gray (who improves to an 8-1 mark over fences) checked in with a 78-75 triumph, riding Dillion. Devin Seek went for an 88-77 ride on Rosie to win her point and secure a near perfect 5-1-1 record over fences.
Tali DeJong, Vivian Yowan, Kirsten Ostling and Nora Gray worked together to shutout UC Davis on the Flat. DeJong, riding Alaina for a 62-56 win and Yowan, with an 81-69 conquest on Hamilton (improving her undefeated record on the flat to 7-0-1) helped propel the team to an exciting 4-0 event finish. Ostling rose up to defeat UC Davis, 83-54, on Punch (29 point margin of victory), as Gray on Andrew won, 72-68.
WESTERN
In Horsemanship, Megan Waldron, Ashley Mauney, Mallory Vroegh and Payton Neiberger combined for a perfect 4-0. Waldron surpassed her Aggie adversary by 10 points, going 74.5-64.5, for the point on Decker. Mauney led the Red & Blue with the highest score of the event, notching a 75 on Desi to win by six. Mauney tallied a 75-69 victory, as Vroegh earned a 73.5-70.5 win on Ray, and Neiberger, riding Shirley, outscored her competitor, 74.5-68.
For reining, SMU held off the Aggies’ final attempts, by going 2-2 in the arena. Lansidel, with 72.5-67.5 triumph on Tinsel, and team captain Madison Steed, earning a score of 72 on Juice (72-68 victory), closed out the contest, bringing home the win for SMU.
UP NEXT
The No. 4 Mustangs host No. 1 Auburn in a completive clash at the Dallas Equestrian Center this coming Saturday, March 2. Admission is free, and action is set to begin at 10 a.m., after senior day festivities.
Horned Frogs Best UC Davis, 12-4
SPRINGTOWN, Texas – Battling cold, rain, and hail, the eighth-ranked TCU equestrian team took down UC Davis, 12-4, Thursday afternoon at Turning Point Ranch. The Frogs earned all four Most Outstanding Performer awards in the victory.
Director of Equestrian Haley Schoolfield
“We are very blessed to have two covered arenas, so we weren’t impaired at all by the weather. It could have been a distraction, but the student-athletes and the horses persevered and kept their focus. That’s what they are trained to do, so that went as well as it could. This was another great opportunity for our team to improve and receive feedback from the officials and the judges.”
The Rundown
The meet began with Equitation over Fences, an event in which the Frogs are ranked third in the country. TCU kept up its string of strong performances with a 3-1 victory. Izzy Baxter led the charge, winning the MOP accolade with a score of 88-77 on Callisto. Wynne Weatherly tallied an 82, while Alex Beneson returned to her winning ways with a 78-68 victory on Fats.
The focus then turned to Reining where the Frogs earned three of the four points. Elena Hurd staked claim to the MOP, riding to a 70.5-67.5 victory on Scooby. Carly Lombard was the high scorer for the event, earning a 71.5 on Bud.
The Horned Frogs swept the Aggies in Horsemanship coming out of the intermission. Cydney Benes punched in an excellent 74.5, which was good enough to be the MOP and high scorer for the event. Jamie Cook, Josie Mootz and Natalia DeVencenty won with scores of 72, 73 and 69.5, respectively.
In the final event, Equitation on the Flat, TCU earned the first two points awarded, but split the event, 2-2, with UC Davis. Niki Barnes came in with a stellar 86, winning the MOP on Caprilli. Janelle Henningsen won the other point for TCU with a 79-68 victory on Mac.
Notes
* Two horses, Smooch and Caprilli, made their TCU debuts on Thursday.
* The Horned Frogs swept the MOP honors and now have won 34 of 48 MOPs this season.
* TCU now owns a winning record for the first time since the season opener against Delaware State.
Up Next
TCU will return to Big 12 action on Saturday when it travels to Stillwater, Okla., to take on Oklahoma State at 10 a.m. at Totusek Arena.
Cowgirls Sweep TCU, Keep Perfect Home Record
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State’s sixth-ranked equestrian team defeated No. 8 TCU, 12-8, on Saturday in Totusek Arena.
With the victory, the Cowgirls improved to 4-5 overall and 2-2 in Big 12 Conference play. All four of OSU’s victories have come at home, with each of its losses against top-10 ranked teams on the road.
“Any meet against Big 12 competition is hard,” said OSU head coach Larry Sanchez. “TCU is well-coached. They recruit well. They have top-caliber riders. Anytime you can beat another big 12 team, it’s special. In the end, you want to ride the best that you can, and it doesn’t matter who you’re competing against. In our sport, it’s about you and that horse and that ride.”
Against TCU, the Cowgirls’ Equitation over Fences team received points from sophomores Abigail Brayman and Katie Schell, but it was junior Hannah Janson’s score of 86 that decided the category. Janson’s score was a meet high and earned her Most Outstanding Performer honors. Brayman has now won six of her last eight outings, while Schell has won three straight.
“From beginning to end, (Janson) was locked in,” Sanchez said. “(I was impressed by) her focus and her mentality. When she walked into the arena, I could tell that she was there. She rode Oakley like nobody’s business. I knew when she came out, that she was going to be very hard to beat.”
With a 3-2 lead, the Cowgirl Horsemanship team extended its hot streak, winning in its third-straight meet. Sophomores Natalie Alcorn and Harley Huff won their matchups to continue their individual streaks; Alcorn has won four consecutive meets and Huff in five in a row. Emma Verplank clinched the category for OSU, and the junior has now won five of her six matchups this season.
OSU led 6-4 at the midway point, and Equitation on the Flat began the second half of the meet. Schell and Janson maintained their winning ways, each scoring their second point of the day. Freshman Katie Pelzel remained undefeated, sealing victory on the Flat for OSU by scoring 80 in her matchup.
“I’ve been so pleased with Katie (Pelzel),” Janson said. “In every meet I see her confidence improving. She works so hard, and I’m glad it’s coming together for her.”
Needing two points to clinch back-to-back wins for the Cowgirls, juniors Kristi Wiggins and Hannah Mitchell each scored 72.5 to win the day for OSU, with Mitchell earning an MOP. For good measure, Stephanie Helsen won her matchup and completed the Cowgirl sweep.
“The wins against SMU and TCU really boosted our confidence,” Mitchell said. “The fall semester was really tough. We can learn a lot from these rides and take them to the road meets.”
Up next, the Cowgirls travel to Dover, Delaware, to face Delaware State and South Dakota State on March 1st and 2nd.
