Leading up to the start of the 2017-18 season, 12thMan.com will highlight a student-athlete from each discipline. The Aggies look to defend their NCEA National Championship as they begin the campaign against Fresno State on September 22.
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Senior Rachael Hake, who broke the school record for most wins in Fences last season, chatted about last season's success, preparing for the upcoming season and new hunt seat coach, Abby O'Mara.
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What was it like to win the NCEA National Championship last season?
"I honestly did not see it coming. Our end goal was to ride the best that we could, not just to win. With that in mind, winning just came to us."
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Now that you are a senior, what kind of leader do you want to be and what are your goals for your final season?
"My main goal is always being a supportive teammate. I always want my teammates to do well, so that is definitely my main goal. I also want to do well for myself. Last year, I got All-American and that was so unexpected, so that is another goal of mine this year."
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What are your goals for the team?
"I think one of our main goals is having a good team dynamic, so that we can support each other and always be riding for the team and not necessarily just yourself."
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What was it like to break the school record for most wins in a season in Equitation over Fences last year?
"It is funny because my goal last year was never to actually win my point. My goal was to always have fun. It was kind of a joke. Coach Caroline (Postoak) would always say 'have fun' before I went in the ring, so that was always my goal to have a good time and do the best with every horse that I sat on. With that, I always won my point, so it was kind of a joke."
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What did you work on in between your sophomore and junior seasons to see such a drastic improvement?
"My mindset is definitely positivity all the time. I think the hardest thing is making a mistake and coming back from that. I think I worked on that last year a lot with myself and my teammates. I tried to help them come back and stay positive."
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What do you hope to teach the incoming freshmen?
"I really want them to look up to us and follow us. I want us to be leaders and show a good representation of the team so that they can become good teammates, work hard, and support everybody."
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How did you spend your summer preparing for the upcoming season?
"This summer was the first summer that I didn't really show. I actually rode here and rode our horses here which was nice because I actually got to practice on our own horses. I just rode here in preparation."
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What are some challenges that you'll face this season?
"I think the main challenge is going to be maintaining this high that we are on. It is so easy to come down and be in a low after reaching your goals, but staying up there is going to be difficult. If we have a hiccup, we need to just remind ourselves that we are National Champions, so we just need to keep working hard every day and keep it there every single day by raising the bar higher."
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What do you think of the new Hunt Seat coach, Abby O'Mara?
"Because I was here over the summer, I actually got to spend a lot of time with her. We have ridden together, and she is very nice. She is very knowledgeable and open to listening to us, which I like because she is not trying to change anything."
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What is like competing for head coach Tana McKay?
"I think Coach McKay does a fabulous job with the whole team. I love that she is so positive. She always lifts us up. I love that at the beginning of meets she always talks to us, and she makes it a point that we need to do the best with what we have and not just go and try to win. We can only do the best we can, and that is my favorite part about her."
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Senior Rachael Hake, who broke the school record for most wins in Fences last season, chatted about last season's success, preparing for the upcoming season and new hunt seat coach, Abby O'Mara.
Â
What was it like to win the NCEA National Championship last season?
"I honestly did not see it coming. Our end goal was to ride the best that we could, not just to win. With that in mind, winning just came to us."
Â
Now that you are a senior, what kind of leader do you want to be and what are your goals for your final season?
"My main goal is always being a supportive teammate. I always want my teammates to do well, so that is definitely my main goal. I also want to do well for myself. Last year, I got All-American and that was so unexpected, so that is another goal of mine this year."
Â
What are your goals for the team?
"I think one of our main goals is having a good team dynamic, so that we can support each other and always be riding for the team and not necessarily just yourself."
Â
What was it like to break the school record for most wins in a season in Equitation over Fences last year?
"It is funny because my goal last year was never to actually win my point. My goal was to always have fun. It was kind of a joke. Coach Caroline (Postoak) would always say 'have fun' before I went in the ring, so that was always my goal to have a good time and do the best with every horse that I sat on. With that, I always won my point, so it was kind of a joke."
Â
What did you work on in between your sophomore and junior seasons to see such a drastic improvement?
"My mindset is definitely positivity all the time. I think the hardest thing is making a mistake and coming back from that. I think I worked on that last year a lot with myself and my teammates. I tried to help them come back and stay positive."
Â
What do you hope to teach the incoming freshmen?
"I really want them to look up to us and follow us. I want us to be leaders and show a good representation of the team so that they can become good teammates, work hard, and support everybody."
Â
How did you spend your summer preparing for the upcoming season?
"This summer was the first summer that I didn't really show. I actually rode here and rode our horses here which was nice because I actually got to practice on our own horses. I just rode here in preparation."
Â
What are some challenges that you'll face this season?
"I think the main challenge is going to be maintaining this high that we are on. It is so easy to come down and be in a low after reaching your goals, but staying up there is going to be difficult. If we have a hiccup, we need to just remind ourselves that we are National Champions, so we just need to keep working hard every day and keep it there every single day by raising the bar higher."
Â
What do you think of the new Hunt Seat coach, Abby O'Mara?
"Because I was here over the summer, I actually got to spend a lot of time with her. We have ridden together, and she is very nice. She is very knowledgeable and open to listening to us, which I like because she is not trying to change anything."
Â
What is like competing for head coach Tana McKay?
"I think Coach McKay does a fabulous job with the whole team. I love that she is so positive. She always lifts us up. I love that at the beginning of meets she always talks to us, and she makes it a point that we need to do the best with what we have and not just go and try to win. We can only do the best we can, and that is my favorite part about her."