Oklahoma State University Athletics
No. 3 Cowgirl Equestrian Travels to Texas A&M
March 06, 2014 | Cowgirl Equestrian
March 6, 2014
STILLWATER - The No. 3 Oklahoma State equestrian team hits the road for a matchup with Texas A&M on Saturday, March 8 at 10 a.m. at Hildebrand Equine Complex.
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 6-3 this season and finished conference play with a 3-3 record. The Cowgirls wrapped up their Big 12 slate with an 11-7 win over then-No. 5 Baylor in Stillwater, on March 1. With the victory, the Cowgirls have won six of their last seven matches. OSU is 4-0 at home this season and 2-3 on the road.
Know the Foe
The Texas A&M Aggies are 2-7 this season, with a 2-2 home record and are 0-5 on the road. Every opponent for the Aggies this season has been ranked in the NCEA poll and most of their losses have been by a small margin. Texas A&M leads the all-time series with OSU, 12-11.
"Texas A&M has always been a really good team," coach Larry Sanchez said. "My mindset is that the girls are going to need to ride at their best down there to bring home the victory. We are going to have execute at a high level, ride mistake free and try to make a statement in this competition."
OSU in the Rankings
The Cowgirls are ranked third 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 six of the last seven matchups and it is the highest ranking for OSU this season.
Equitation Over Fences Gets Back in the Win Column
After falling at then-No. 8 TCU last weekend, the equitation over fences squad defeated then-No. 5 Baylor, 3-2, and improved to 6-3 this season. Senior Andrea Robbins earned the highest score for the Cowgirls in the match against Baylor for her 93-84 win over Paige Parker. Her score of 93 earned her Most Outstanding Performer for the event, her second of the season. Senior Samantha Harrison also scored in the 90s with her 91-84 victory over Alicia Gasser, her seventh win of the season in the event. Freshman Jorden Davis improved to 5-3 in the event thanks to her 78-55 win over Ashley McGehee.
Robbins Scores Point in Equitation on the Flat
Senior Andrea Robbins picked up a point in the equitation on the flat event against Baylor as she defeated Paige Parker, 74-73. It was her third match in the discipline this season and she holds a 2-1 record.
Reining Dominant in Wins
The OSU reining team picked up its third straight win after its 3-1 win over Baylor last weekend, improving to 6-3. In the six victories, the Cowgirls are outscoring their opponents by a combined overall score of 21-7. Against Baylor, sophomore Justine Peters picked up a 69.5-66.5 win over Shelbey Jackson. She earned Most Outstanding Performer honors for her win, her second of the season and improved to an 8-1 record. Sophomore Erin Willoughby also tallied a 69.5 in her win over Katherine Berg. Senior Jenna Blumer earned the third point for the reining squad with her 69-67.5 win over Parris Rice.
Horsemanship Blanks Bears
The Cowgirl horsemanship team improved to 7-2 this season after keeping Baylor off the scoreboard in the discipline. It was the third time this season that OSU has prevented the opponent from scoring in the horsemanship event. Junior Katy Krshka earned her team-leading seventh Most Outstanding Performer award for her 76-75 win over Bryn Lindley. Krshka is 8-1 in the discipline this season. Junior Lindsey McMullen also posted a score of 76 in her win over Parris Rice, improving to 7-2. Senior Lauren Halvorson earned her sixth win of the season with her 74-72 win over Jessica Leach and sophomore Paris Nottingham defeated Mary Brown, 72.5-68.5.
Harrison Named Big 12 Rider of the Month
Senior Samantha Harrison earned Big 12 Equitation on the Flat Rider of the Month for February after competing in three matches this month and going undefeated. Harrison scored an impressive 90 when she defeated Auburn's Tory Hoft, 90-83. Against TCU, Harrison picked up her fifth win of the season in the event over Caitlin Ader. Her score earned her Most Outstanding Performer honors and it was her second of the season in the discipline. Harrison is the second Cowgirl to be named Rider of the Month by the Big 12 this season, after Katy Krshka won the award in the Horsemanship discipline in November.
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.
