March 31, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M earned two top seeds and had five individuals qualify for the upcoming Varsity Equestrian National Championships, as seedings and pairings were announced by the selection committee on Tuesday.
The Aggie western team, the defending national champions, are the No. 1 seed in their bracket, while the hunter seat squad earned a No. 4 seed. Both teams were awarded first-round byes and will open competition in the quarterfinals on the evening of Thursday, April 15 at the Heart O' Texas Coliseum in Waco.
"We are thrilled with our seeding and are excited to get up there and compete," head coach Tana McKay said. "The team has worked so hard all year and has had a very good season, so we're excited that all that work paid off with two byes. Now we have to focus hard in these few weeks of practice and head up there to hopefully bring home another national championship."
On the western side, the top-seeded Aggies will face either 8th-seeded Fresno State or 9th-seeded Baylor in quarterfinal action on April 15th. The hunter seat riders will meet the winner of No. 5-seed Baylor and No. 12-seed TCU in quarterfinal action on the same day. Semifinals in both disciplines are scheduled for April 16 and the championship April 17.
Texas A&M has claimed two championships in the varsity equestrian era, western titles in 2007 and 2009. The Aggies have finished second overall in each of the last two seasons.
Auburn is seeded second on the western side behind A&M, followed by Oklahoma State, TCU, Georgia, Kansas State, New Mexico State and Fresno State. Baylor, South Carolina, Delaware State and South Dakota State round out the 12-team field in order.
Top seed in the hunter seat bracket went to Georgia, followed by Auburn, South Caroilna, A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Tennessee-Martin and Fresno State. New Mexico State, Kansas State, SMU and TCU are the last four seeds in the bracket.
In addition to the team competitions, each of the four disciplines will feature an eight-rider, single-elimination championship bracket, and A&M placed five in those fields for the first time in program history.
Senior Caroline Gunn (14-1) earned the overall No. 1 seed in horsemanship will look to make it three consecutive individual national titles when she faces No. 8-seed Alicia Shrum of Georgia in the quarterfinals.
True freshman Carey Nowacek (13-1-1) also made the draw in horsemanship and was awarded the No. 2 seed. She will ride against 7th-seed Mikaela Sundgren of Kansas State in the quarterfinals.
In reining, senior Maggie Gratny (11-3-1) is the field's top seed. Her quarterfinal opponent will be 8th-seeded Lyndsey Jordan of Auburn.
Over fences, sophomore Maggie Earle (9-5) is the No. 8 seed. She will battle Auburn's Maggie McAlary, the top seed in the competition, in quarterfinal action.
Rounding out A&M's individual riders is sophomore Elizabeth Solch (11-2-2), tabbed the No. 5 seed on the flat. She will meet fourth-seeded Carly Babcock of South Carolina in quarterfinal action.
"Our team has been very balanced all season and I think getting this many riders in the individual draws speaks to that," McKay said. "I'm happy for those girls that they'll get a chance to not only bring home a team championship but showcase their skills individually as well."
All four individual competitions get underway on Friday, April 16. Full brackets for all competitions can be found at varsityequestrian.com.