Oklahoma State University Athletics
No. 4 Cowgirl Equestrian Hosts No. 5 Baylor
February 27, 2014 | Cowgirl Equestrian
Feb. 27, 2014
STILLWATER - The No. 4 Oklahoma State equestrian team returns home for a top-five rematch with No. 5 Baylor on Saturday, March 1 at 10 a.m. at Animal Science Arena.
Follow the Cowgirls
A full recap and final results will be made available following the end of competition on okstate.com. For all of the most up to date information on the Cowgirls on Twitter, follow @OSUEquestrian for live results of the action. Keep up with all of Oklahoma State athletics on Twitter @OSUAthletics and by using the #Okstate hashtag.
About the Cowgirls
Oklahoma State is 5-3 this season, with a 2-3 record against the Big 12. The Cowgirls lost to No. 8 TCU, 12-8, in Springtown, Texas, on Feb. 22. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Cowgirls that began on Nov. 2, 2013 against South Dakota State. OSU is 3-0 at home this season and 2-3 on the road.
Know the Foe
“We are looking forward to competing with Baylor this weekend,” Coach Larry Sanchez said. “They are a very talented team with many talented riders. The girls are very excited and ready to go. We're positive, even though we didn't get a win against TCU last week. They're even more driven to have a good competition this week.”
The No. 5 Baylor Bears are 5-3 this season and 3-1 in conference play. The Cowgirls and Bears have faced off once this season on Oct. 26 in Waco, Texas, with the Bears picking up the victory, 12-8. OSU leads the all-time series, 15-7.
OSU in the Rankings
The Cowgirls are ranked fourth in the latest National Collegiate Equestrian Association Poll. OSU opened the season at No. 4 and dropped after losing the first two matches of the season. The Cowgirls have won five of the last six matchups and have vaulted back into the top five.
Smooth Riding
The equitation on the flat team is 5-2-1 this season and has not lost since Oct. 26 against then-No. 4 Baylor. A trio of seniors tallied points for the Cowgirls against TCU in the discipline. Samantha Harrison earned her second Most Outstanding Performer award in the event for her 85-77 win over Caitlin Ader. Harrison holds an individual record of 5-2-1 in the discipline. Andrea Robbins competed in her second on the flat event and picked up her first victory in her 82-77 win over Nikki Diamantis. Sammy Elser earned the final point for OSU thanks to her 85-74 win over Kari Hancock. Freshman Jorden Davis suffered her first defeat of the season, moving to 6-1 in the event and senior Ali Rose dropped to 6-2.
Harrison Grabs Point for Over Fences Team
The equitation over fences squad moved to 5-3 after losing in its first match in six contests at TCU. Senior Samantha Harrison scored the lone point for the Cowgirls in her 83-81 win over Molly Peddicord. Harrison improved to 6-2 in the event and has built herself a four-game win streak. She has garnered three Most Outstanding Performer awards in the event this season.
Reining Dominant in Wins
The OSU reining team improved to 5-3 this season, winning five of its last six. In the five victories, the Cowgirls are outscoring their opponents by a combined overall score of 18-6. In the match against TCU, sophomore Justine Peters picked up her seventh win of the season, which ties the overall team high with junior Katy Krshka. Peters won 71-70 over Alexi Child, her sixth-consecutive win in the event. Senior Jenna Blumer improved to 6-2 with her 71.5-70.5 win over Katy Gray. Blumer has earned two Most Outstanding Performer awards this season, both while on the road. Krshka moved to 4-3-1 in the event after her close 68.5-68 win over Brooke Boyle. Krshka also has two Most Outstanding Performer honors in the event.
Halvorson Scores Point for Horsemanship
The Cowgirl horsemanship squad suffered its second loss of the season against TCU, moving to 6-2. Senior Lauren Halvorson picked up the only point for OSU in the event in her 72-70.5 win over Megan McMullen. Halvorson has one Most Outstanding Performer award this season thanks to her 78.5-78 win over Parris Rice of Baylor on Oct. 26. She is 5-3 this season and has won four of her last six matches.
Last Week's Most Outstanding Performer
In the match against No. 8 TCU, senior Samantha Harrison earned the lone Most Outstanding Performer for the Cowgirls. Harrison picked up the award for her 85-77 win over Caitlin Ader in the equitation on the flat event. It was the fourth-straight match where she received the honor of Most Outstanding Performer and her fifth overall of this season.
Harrison & Fugitt Named NCEA Riders of the Month
Seniors Samantha Harrison and Mackenzie Fugitt were named NCEA Riders of the Month for January. Harrison earned the honor in the equitation event and Fugitt picked up the award in the reining discipline. Harrison, Fugitt and the Cowgirls competed on Jan. 31, a road contest against Delaware State. Harrison dominated in a 94-71 win over Haley Jeske, the highest score tallied by a Cowgirl this season. In reining, Fugitt defeated Darby Mailhot, 71-68.5, and earned her first Most Outstanding Performer award of the season.
Elser Collegiate Equitation Challenge Reserve Champion
Senior Sammy Elser finished second at the Winter Equestrian Festival Collegiate Equitation Challenge on Feb. 7 in Wellington, Fla., earning Reserve Champion honors. The competition was a head-to-head bracket-style format in the over fences discipline featuring 16 NCEA and IHSA riders. In the first round, Elser defeated Caitlin Ader of TCU in a close matchup, 73-70. The next round, Elser dominated with an impressive 85-70 win over SMU's Juliana Fisher. In the round of four, Elser tallied an 80-75 score over Hannah Williams of Texas A&M to move to the final round of the tournament. In the championship match, Elser suffered a close defeat to South Carolina's Katherine Schmidt, 83-80. The WEF is the world's largest and longest running equestrian competition featuring horses from all over the world.
Krshka Named Big 12 Rider of the Month
Katy Krshka was named the Big 12 Horsemanship Rider of the Month for November. She defeated South Dakota State's Danielle Dickerson 76.5-70.5 on Nov. 2 en route to a Cowgirl sweep in the discipline. On Nov. 16, Krshka defeated TCU's Taylor Gillete 77.5-74.5, which earned her Most Outstanding Performer for the event. She was also crowned the winner of the AQHA Collegiate Horsemanship Challenge.
