BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Five members of the Texas A&M equestrian team garnered All-SEC distinctions, as voted on by the league's head coaches, it was announced Wednesday.
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Hayley Riddle was named the Co-Horsemanship Rider of the Year and was named to the All-SEC Horsemanship Team. Caroline Dance earned a spot on the All-SEC Flat Team, and Kaitlyn Lovingfoss landed on the All-SEC Fences Team. Ella Petak garnered SEC All-Freshman Horsemanship Team honors, while Rhian Murphy was named to the Community Service Team.
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Riddle rattled off a team-high eight wins and earned three Most Outstanding Player (MOP) honors. Earlier this month, she was named a NCEA First Team All-American, and won both of her points at the SEC Championship by an average margin of 4.75. She scored a 79, the highest score by an Aggie all season, at South Carolina in February en route to defeating Cora Wyers.
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Dance, a NCEA First Team All-American, compiled a 7-1 record and earned three MOP honors. She won both of her points at the SEC Championship by an average score of 13 points. Two of her MOPs came at Georgia and at South Carolina, and she scored a season-high 91 against Georgia on March 6. At Auburn in October, the West Chester, Pennsylvania, native registered a 90 in her win over Ava Stearns.
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Lovingfoss tallied a team-high six wins with two MOPs, and won both of her points at the SEC Championship. For her effort at SECs, the sophomore was named to the All-Championship Team. She earned MOP honors in the consolation meet against South Carolina after scoring a 262. The Canyon Country, California, native enters the NCEA Championships on a five-meet winning streak.
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Petak registered five wins, including two at the SEC Championship, with four of her five wins coming on the road or at a neutral site. The Rancho Palos Verdes, California, native scored a 221.5 in the consolation meet against South Carolina at the SEC Championship. Petak carded a season-high 78 at South Carolina on Feb. 27, and scored a 77 in her win against Auburn's Madison Parduhn, who scored a 72.
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Murphy has been a stalwart in the community as the senior organized, led and participated in Aggies MOVE, where she directed a class of second and fourth graders through a series of exercises, discussing the importance of good nutrition and keeping our bodies moving.
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As part of REVved up to Read, she joined a second grade class to encourage literacy by talking about the importance of reading. She read a short book with them and discussed the important lessons of the book such as supporting friends, good manners and how everyone deserves a chance to be included. She planned and launched Aggie Penpals, which is a partnership with the local Boys & Girls Club where student-athletes become a mentor to a child and exchange letters.
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The Charlotte, Vermont, native promoted the importance of women and girls visibility in sport by organizing National Women & Girls in Sport Day with fourth and fifth grade girls by discussing several female athlete role models and their life and sport dreams. Helped organize and participated in Aggies CAN, the largest student-run food drive in the country. All donations went to support the local Brazos Valley Foodbank.
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Murphy organized and participated in Fall for Service and Spring for Service, a month-long donation drive for student-athletes and athletics staff. Participants could donate clothes to local shelter or water bottles and other plastic items to be recycled.
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Murphy participated in the Voting Registration Drive, where she helped local community members become registered to vote. As part of the Texas A&M Green Team, she led a group of student-athletes and athletics staff in a DIY eco-friendly house cleaner and other tips and tricks to create a more sustainable household.
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Murphy was recently recognized by the Office of Sustainability as a 2021 Student Sustainability Champion for demonstrating exemplary effort, dedication, and leadership throughout the year in fostering a campus culture of sustainability.
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For the most up-to-date information on Texas A&M equestrian, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AggieEquestrian).
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Hayley Riddle was named the Co-Horsemanship Rider of the Year and was named to the All-SEC Horsemanship Team. Caroline Dance earned a spot on the All-SEC Flat Team, and Kaitlyn Lovingfoss landed on the All-SEC Fences Team. Ella Petak garnered SEC All-Freshman Horsemanship Team honors, while Rhian Murphy was named to the Community Service Team.
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Riddle rattled off a team-high eight wins and earned three Most Outstanding Player (MOP) honors. Earlier this month, she was named a NCEA First Team All-American, and won both of her points at the SEC Championship by an average margin of 4.75. She scored a 79, the highest score by an Aggie all season, at South Carolina in February en route to defeating Cora Wyers.
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Dance, a NCEA First Team All-American, compiled a 7-1 record and earned three MOP honors. She won both of her points at the SEC Championship by an average score of 13 points. Two of her MOPs came at Georgia and at South Carolina, and she scored a season-high 91 against Georgia on March 6. At Auburn in October, the West Chester, Pennsylvania, native registered a 90 in her win over Ava Stearns.
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Lovingfoss tallied a team-high six wins with two MOPs, and won both of her points at the SEC Championship. For her effort at SECs, the sophomore was named to the All-Championship Team. She earned MOP honors in the consolation meet against South Carolina after scoring a 262. The Canyon Country, California, native enters the NCEA Championships on a five-meet winning streak.
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Petak registered five wins, including two at the SEC Championship, with four of her five wins coming on the road or at a neutral site. The Rancho Palos Verdes, California, native scored a 221.5 in the consolation meet against South Carolina at the SEC Championship. Petak carded a season-high 78 at South Carolina on Feb. 27, and scored a 77 in her win against Auburn's Madison Parduhn, who scored a 72.
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Murphy has been a stalwart in the community as the senior organized, led and participated in Aggies MOVE, where she directed a class of second and fourth graders through a series of exercises, discussing the importance of good nutrition and keeping our bodies moving.
Â
As part of REVved up to Read, she joined a second grade class to encourage literacy by talking about the importance of reading. She read a short book with them and discussed the important lessons of the book such as supporting friends, good manners and how everyone deserves a chance to be included. She planned and launched Aggie Penpals, which is a partnership with the local Boys & Girls Club where student-athletes become a mentor to a child and exchange letters.
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The Charlotte, Vermont, native promoted the importance of women and girls visibility in sport by organizing National Women & Girls in Sport Day with fourth and fifth grade girls by discussing several female athlete role models and their life and sport dreams. Helped organize and participated in Aggies CAN, the largest student-run food drive in the country. All donations went to support the local Brazos Valley Foodbank.
Â
Murphy organized and participated in Fall for Service and Spring for Service, a month-long donation drive for student-athletes and athletics staff. Participants could donate clothes to local shelter or water bottles and other plastic items to be recycled.
Â
Murphy participated in the Voting Registration Drive, where she helped local community members become registered to vote. As part of the Texas A&M Green Team, she led a group of student-athletes and athletics staff in a DIY eco-friendly house cleaner and other tips and tricks to create a more sustainable household.
Â
Murphy was recently recognized by the Office of Sustainability as a 2021 Student Sustainability Champion for demonstrating exemplary effort, dedication, and leadership throughout the year in fostering a campus culture of sustainability.
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For the most up-to-date information on Texas A&M equestrian, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@AggieEquestrian).