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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Today, senior Avery Ellis, who earned Horsemanship MOP at the NCEA Championship, discussed last season's success, Coach Jessie Weisinger, and goals for this year's campaign.
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What was it like to win the program's first national championship since 2012?
"After coming off of SECs, we didn't have the best performance and it wasn't what we planned for. Then we realized it wasn't our riding that was an issue. We just really needed to make sure that we were together as a team. We did a really great job with that at nationals. We had been riding great all year. Then for everybody to come together and really become such a great team, I think that is what won us the national championship."
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What was your reaction to winning the NCEA Horsemanship MOP at Nationals?
"That was really cool. I had a lot of really great draws this season, so a lot of it was luck of the draw. That is something that doesn't happen all the time, so that was really cool. Going off of that for this next year, I just want to go in and ride great."
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How is your mindset heading into this season?
 "In this sport, you come from being an individual into a team. You will not be successful until you choose to be a team player and decide that I'm doing this for the team and not for myself. I think having my teammates to back me up helps. When you're in the mindset of doing this for others and not for yourself, you go so much further."
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What are your goals for the upcoming season?
"I've actually been talking to Coach Jessie [Weisinger] about what goals I can have for this year since last year I had such a great season. I don't want to put pressure on myself to win these awards again, so really just going out there and having fun. I am super competitive on meet days, so just doing me. The leadership that we have talked a lot about this year is just being the example and setting the standard high for those freshmen and underclassmen to look up to you. That way when we are gone, the team can continue, so just to be examples for our younger teammates."
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How will this season's schedule bring challenges to the team?
"We have two doubleheaders this season that are both away meets. One of them is one of our first meets at Fresno, so just helping the freshmen understand that it is going to be crazy. It will be a challenge to keep everybody in the right mindset. We are super busy and will have lots of traveling, but it will be super fun."
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What do you expect to see from the Horsemanship team after a dominant season last year?
"I think we have definitely lost some people, but they were great examples, so I think that drives the underclassmen and people who are going to be starters this year to really push hard and do their best. They have big shoes to fill. I think we are going to keep building off of last year. We have really high expectations for ourselves."
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What team goals have been set for the season?
"Our team goal is really to build off of last year, while trying to make the freshmen feel included and get back that same vibe that we had at the end of last season. For me personally, we have never had great SECs. My freshman year we were reserve, so I think it would be really cool to win that. I think it is possible. I know it's possible for us to be SEC Champions."
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What are your expectations for the incoming freshmen?
"We are super excited. We have heard great things, and they have all been very nice and seem to all understand how dedicated we expect everyone to be to this team. I am super excited to start practice with the freshmen and help them out."
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What do the coaches require in the summer to prepare for the upcoming season?
"The coaches encourage us to keep up with our riding and to workout. When we get back, we don't have a ton of time before we have our Maroon and White scrimmage and our first few meets. We really have a busy season this semester, so nothing is mandatory, but we are all encouraged to keep with riding at some point during the summer so that you aren't super sore when you get back."
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What are your thoughts on Coach Jessie Weisinger?
"Coach Jessie actually started me off whenever she was on the team here, so it has come full circle and is really cool how that ended up happening. We get along so well. She is such a great coach and so easy to talk to that anybody can go talk to her. I am excited for my last year with her because she has definitely taught me a lot."
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What is like competing for head coach Tana McKay?
"Coach Tana really knows how to keep us all as a team and keep everybody unified. Everybody is important to this team no matter what your role may be, and she does a great job of making sure that is known throughout the whole team."
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Today, senior Avery Ellis, who earned Horsemanship MOP at the NCEA Championship, discussed last season's success, Coach Jessie Weisinger, and goals for this year's campaign.
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What was it like to win the program's first national championship since 2012?
"After coming off of SECs, we didn't have the best performance and it wasn't what we planned for. Then we realized it wasn't our riding that was an issue. We just really needed to make sure that we were together as a team. We did a really great job with that at nationals. We had been riding great all year. Then for everybody to come together and really become such a great team, I think that is what won us the national championship."
Â
What was your reaction to winning the NCEA Horsemanship MOP at Nationals?
"That was really cool. I had a lot of really great draws this season, so a lot of it was luck of the draw. That is something that doesn't happen all the time, so that was really cool. Going off of that for this next year, I just want to go in and ride great."
Â
How is your mindset heading into this season?
 "In this sport, you come from being an individual into a team. You will not be successful until you choose to be a team player and decide that I'm doing this for the team and not for myself. I think having my teammates to back me up helps. When you're in the mindset of doing this for others and not for yourself, you go so much further."
Â
What are your goals for the upcoming season?
"I've actually been talking to Coach Jessie [Weisinger] about what goals I can have for this year since last year I had such a great season. I don't want to put pressure on myself to win these awards again, so really just going out there and having fun. I am super competitive on meet days, so just doing me. The leadership that we have talked a lot about this year is just being the example and setting the standard high for those freshmen and underclassmen to look up to you. That way when we are gone, the team can continue, so just to be examples for our younger teammates."
Â
How will this season's schedule bring challenges to the team?
"We have two doubleheaders this season that are both away meets. One of them is one of our first meets at Fresno, so just helping the freshmen understand that it is going to be crazy. It will be a challenge to keep everybody in the right mindset. We are super busy and will have lots of traveling, but it will be super fun."
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What do you expect to see from the Horsemanship team after a dominant season last year?
"I think we have definitely lost some people, but they were great examples, so I think that drives the underclassmen and people who are going to be starters this year to really push hard and do their best. They have big shoes to fill. I think we are going to keep building off of last year. We have really high expectations for ourselves."
Â
What team goals have been set for the season?
"Our team goal is really to build off of last year, while trying to make the freshmen feel included and get back that same vibe that we had at the end of last season. For me personally, we have never had great SECs. My freshman year we were reserve, so I think it would be really cool to win that. I think it is possible. I know it's possible for us to be SEC Champions."
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What are your expectations for the incoming freshmen?
"We are super excited. We have heard great things, and they have all been very nice and seem to all understand how dedicated we expect everyone to be to this team. I am super excited to start practice with the freshmen and help them out."
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What do the coaches require in the summer to prepare for the upcoming season?
"The coaches encourage us to keep up with our riding and to workout. When we get back, we don't have a ton of time before we have our Maroon and White scrimmage and our first few meets. We really have a busy season this semester, so nothing is mandatory, but we are all encouraged to keep with riding at some point during the summer so that you aren't super sore when you get back."
Â
What are your thoughts on Coach Jessie Weisinger?
"Coach Jessie actually started me off whenever she was on the team here, so it has come full circle and is really cool how that ended up happening. We get along so well. She is such a great coach and so easy to talk to that anybody can go talk to her. I am excited for my last year with her because she has definitely taught me a lot."
Â
What is like competing for head coach Tana McKay?
"Coach Tana really knows how to keep us all as a team and keep everybody unified. Everybody is important to this team no matter what your role may be, and she does a great job of making sure that is known throughout the whole team."