Texas A&M
Georgia (Hunter Seat Semifinals)
Western Squad to Ride for National Championship
Apr 16, 2010 | Equestrian
April 16, 2010
WACO, Texas - The Texas A&M western team will ride for the program's eighth national championship after defeating Georgia, 6-2, on Friday in semifinal action at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships at the Heart O' Texas Fair Complex.
The Aggies will face Kansas State, 6-2 winners over South Carolina, in the championship round Saturday afternoon.
Wins by Maggie Gratny and Caroline Gunn, Katie Lisabeth, Carey Nowacek and Randi Standley blanked the Bulldogs en route to the four-point win.
On the hunter seat side, top-seeded Georgia proved too much for the Aggies as the Bulldogs advanced with a 6-2 victory. Elizabeth Solch notched a win on the flat while Lindsay Smith earned her second straight victory over fences. Texas A&M will battle South Carolina in the third-place match on Saturday afternoon.
Friday also marked the start of the individual competitions, and the Aggies advanced four of five riders into Saturday's semifinals.
In reining, Gratny, the top seed, downed Auburn's Lyndsey Jordan, 138-134.5. She will face Oklahoma State's Rachell Shobe in the semis. Gunn, the top seed in horsemanship, posted a 146.5-139 win over Georgia's Alicia Shrum and will meet TCU's Courtney Chown. Nowacek, the No. 2 seed, topped K-State's Mikaela Sundgren, 144.5-139, to advance to a semifinal matchup with TCU's Kelsey Huffman.
On the flat, Solch tallied a two-point win over Carly Babcock of South Carolina, 164-162. She will meet top-seed Ally Blais of Oklahoma State. Maggie Earle, meanwhile, fell in her first-round ride over fences, 80-60, to top-seed Maggie McAlary of Auburn.
Action at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships will conclude on Saturday at the Heart O'Texas Fair Complex.
VARSITY EQUESTRIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
SCHEDULE AND RESULTS - TEXAS A&M
Western Team Competition
Thursday (Quarterfinals) - No. 1 Texas A&M def. No. 9 Baylor, 5-3
Friday (Semifinals) - No. 1 Texas A&M def. No. 5 Georgia, 6-2
Saturday (Championship) - No. 1 Texas A&M vs. No. 6 Kansas State
Hunter Seat Team Competition
Thursday (Quarterfinals) - No. 4 Texas A&M def. No. 12 TCU, 6-2
Friday (Semifinals) - No. 1 Georgia def. No. 4 Texas A&M, 6-2
Saturday (Third-Place) - No. 3 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Texas A&M
Individual Competitions
(Quarterfinals - Friday)
Horsemanship - No. 1 Caroline Gunn (A&M) def. No. 8 Alicia Shrum (Georgia), 146.5-139
Horsemanship - No. 2 Carey Nowacek (A&M) def. No. 7 Mikaela Sundgren (Kansas State), 144.5-139
Reining - No. 1 Maggie Gratny (A&M) def. No. 8 Lyndsey Jordan (Auburn), 138-134.5
Equitation on the Flat - No. 5 Elizabeth Solch (A&M) def. No. 4 Carly Babcock (South Carolina), 164-162
Equitation over Fences - No. 1 Maggie McAlary (Auburn) def. No. 8 Maggie Earle (A&M), 80-60
(Semifinals - Saturday)
Horsemanship - No. 1 Caroline Gunn (A&M) vs. No. 4 Courtney Chown (TCU)
Horsemanship - No. 2 Carey Nowacek (A&M) vs. No. 6 Kelsey Huffman (TCU)
Reining - No. 1 Maggie Gratny (A&M) vs. No. 4 Rachell Shobe (Oklahoma State)
Equitation on the Flat - No. 1 Ally Blais (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 5 Elizabeth Solch (A&M)
VENC Results and Info: http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/w-equest/10-natl-champ.html
Players Mentioned
