Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Face No. 1 Baylor on Senior Day
February 25, 2015 | Cowgirl Equestrian
The Basics
The Cowgirl equestrian team will wrap up its four-meet homestand this Friday, Feb. 27, when it hosts the top-ranked Baylor Bears in Stillwater at 10 a.m.
About the Cowgirls
The Cowgirls (3-4, 2-3 Big 12) are led by 16th-year head coach Larry Sanchez, eighth year assistant coach Kayla Hrencher and second year assistant coach Stacy Sanderson. The Cowgirls are coming off a hard-fought win over then-No. 3 TCU in Stillwater last Saturday that was decided in raw scores. The Cowgirls, having won two-consecutive meets are 3-1 overall at Animal Science Arena this season and will be competing in the final meet of a four-meet homestand this weekend. The Cowgirls are 1-1 at home against top-three opponents this season.
About the Bears
The Bears (11-0, 4-0 Big 12) come into Friday's meet undefeated and slotted as the No. 1 team in the nation. Baylor is led by head coach Ellen White, western coach Cindy Walquist and assistant hunter seat coach Anna Schierholz. The Bears are coming off of an 11-9 victory at TCU on Feb. 14. Baylor is unbeaten in its two meets away from Waco this season. After Friday's meet, the Bears will travel north to Manhattan, Kan., to wrap up their Big 12 Conference schedule against Kansas State on Saturday.
Last Time Out
The Oklahoma State equestrian team upset No. 3 TCU in Stillwater on Saturday, taking the victory in raw scores, 1585-1569.3.
The meet was decided in raw scores after the two teams finished the day tied at 10. The Cowgirls won the western events, 6-4, before TCU responded with a 6-4 win in the hunter seat events to even the score.
In western, the Oklahoma State horsemanship team remained undefeated on the year with a 4-1 victory in the event. Senior Katy Krshka collected her first of two MOP (Most Outstanding Performer) honors with a 75.5-70.5 win over TCU's Rylee Morgan. Cowgirls Miranda Reed, Ty Paris and Lindsey McMullen scored points for the Cowgirls as well. Reed edged TCU's Colby Plott 73.5-73 in the first ride of the day for her fourth win of the season before Paris knocked off Erin Gillete of TCU in a 73-72 contest. McMullen remained unstoppable, scoring a 73 to top TCU's Katie Gray and move to 7-0 on the season.
Krshka picked up her eighth overall MOP honor this season with a 72-70 triumph over Brooke Boyle in reining. Danielle Cohen defeated Alexi Child, 68.5-62, to notch the Cowgirls' only other point in the event. TCU took the reining event, 3-2.
For the second-straight meet, Oklahoma State was victorious in equitation over fences. Cowgirls Carly Barrick, Allie Joyce and Maggie Gampfer each picked up wins in the event to put the Cowgirls on top, 3-2. Barrick bumped her record in equitation over fences to 6-1 with an 82-81 decision over Carley Barnett of TCU. Joyce scored 82 to defeat TCU's Molly Peddicord and tally her fifth victory of the season in the event. Gampfer clinched the win in fences with a 77-71 win over Kaitlin Perry. TCU's Nikki Diamantis took home MOP honors.
In equitation, sophomore Maggie Drysch scored a season-high score of 92 to top Peddicord's 85. Drysch's 92 is the highest score by any Cowgirl this season in the event and matched the highest score by any Cowgirl opponent. TCU, however, took equitation on the flat, 4-1. Kaitlin Perry of TCU earned MOP honors.
Senior Day
This Friday marks the final home meet for nine seniors on the Cowgirl equestrian roster. Seniors Leighona Bernstein, Allison Dooman, Maggie Gampfer, Allison Hurlbut, Allison Joyce, Brooke Klimek Katy Krshka, Mackenzie Malone and Lindsey McMullen will be honored prior to the Cowgirls' meet against Baylor.
In the Rankings
The Oklahoma State equestrian team jumped one spot to No. 8 in this week's team rankings released by the National Collegiate Equestrian Association on Tuesday.
All four Big 12 teams appear in the rankings this week. Top-ranked Baylor leads off the poll followed by TCU at No. 6, a three-spot drop from last week. Kansas State rounds out the poll at No. 10.
An Oklahoma State Win Would...
• Move the Cowgirls to 4-1 in Stillwater this season.
• Be the third-straight conference win for the Cowgirls.
• Be the second Cowgirl win over a top-three opponent this season.
• Move the Cowgirls to 17-7 in the overall series with the Bears.
• Be the tenth win over Baylor in Stillwater, moving the Cowgirls' record against the Bears in Stillwater to 10-0.
The Series
The Cowgirls hold a 17-6 advantage in the overall series with the Bears. The Bears took the last meeting between the two programs earlier this season, knocking off the Cowgirls, 9-7, in Waco. The Cowgirls are a perfect 9-0 against Baylor in Stillwater since 2006, and will look to continue that success on Friday. Oklahoma State's last win in the series came in the Big 12 Championship last season, where the top-seeded Cowgirls defeated the Bears, 10-9, in Waco.
Riders of the Month
Oklahoma State equestrian senior Katy Krshka was named the National Collegiate Equestrian Association Rider of the Month in horsemanship and the Big 12 Conference Rider of the Month in horsemanship for the month of November.
Krshka was impressive in horsemanship in the month of November, racking up a 3-0 record in the discipline while averaging a score of 74.7 points and picking up one Most Outstanding Performer (MOP) honor. Krshka defeated TCU's Rylee Morgan, 72.5-71, to pick up her first win of the month before knocking off Kirsten Chamberland, 74.5-71.5, in the Cowgirls' meet against Kansas State.
Krshka had her best showing in horsemanship yet this season in the Pokes' matchup with South Carolina on Nov. 21, posting a score of 77 in her ride against Samantha Chiodo to pick up MOP honors and help the Cowgirls notch a 3-2 win in the event.
Home, Sweet Home
Saturday's meet will be the final contest of a four-meet homestand in Stillwater for the Cowgirls. After a tough loss to South Carolina to start the homestand, followed by wins over No. 9 Kansas State and No. 3 TCU , the Cowgirls have a meet with conference foe Baylor remaining. The Cowgirls will hit the road again on March 8, 2015, when they take on SMU in Dallas, Texas.
Success in Horsemanship
The Cowgirls have yet to be beaten in the horsemanship event this season, tallying an undefeated 7-0 record. The Oklahoma State horsemanship team is led by senior Lindsey McMullen (7-0) and senior Katy Krshka (6-1).
Super Seniors
Western riders Katy Krshka and Lindsey McMullen have been big for the Cowgirls so far this year. The two seniors have notched a combined 18-2 overall record. McMullen is an undefeated 7-0 in the horsemanship event, while Krshka is an impressive 12-2 overall with a 6-1 record in both horsemanship and reining. Krshka has also picked up eight total MOP honors this season.
Lucky Number Three
The Cowgirls' win over Baylor in last season's Big 12 Championship brought the team its third-consecutive Big 12 Championship. With the win, the squad became the first team in Big 12 history to win three-straight equestrian titles.
The championship was the program's fourth overall, with the first coming in 2009.
