Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Ride to Waco for NCEA Championships
April 14, 2015 | Cowgirl Equestrian
STILLWATER - The Basics
The Oklahoma State equestrian team will compete at the 2015 National Collegiate Equestrian Association Championships this weekend. The championships are set to begin on Thursday, April 16, and wrap up on Saturday, April 18. The 10th-seeded Cowgirls will face No. 7 TCU in the first round on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. for a chance to take on No. 2 Baylor in the quarterfinals on Friday at 8:30 a.m.
About the Cowgirls
The Cowgirls (4-7, 3-3 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 tough weekend at the Big 12 Equestrian Championships that saw the team drop close meets to Kansas State and TCU. The Cowgirls will be looking to pick up their seventh total championship at the NCEA Championships.
Last Time Out
The Oklahoma State equestrian team fell, 11-9, to TCU in the third-place meet at the Big 12 Championships in Springtown, Texas, last month.
Oklahoma State picked up a 6-4 win in the hunt seat events on Saturday, but TCU's 7-3 win in western proved to be the deciding factor of the meet.
The Cowgirls jumped out to an early lead over the Horned Frogs, taking equitation over fences, 4-1, behind wins from Allison Joyce, Amy White, Carly Barrick and Maggie Drysch. Joyce picked up her second win of the weekend in fences with a 170-157 victory over TCU's Molly Peddicord. Also picking up her second win in fences at this year's Big 12 Championships was White, scoring 167 in her triumph over Nikki Diamantis. Barrick topped TCU's Carley Barnett, 147-137, before Drysch downed her opponent, 164-128.
The Horned Frogs responded with a 3-2 win in reining. Cowgirl senior Katy Krshka continued her hot streak, defeating Katie Gray of TCU, 143.5-138.5, for her sixth straight victory in reining and 10th this season. Freshman Danielle Cohen notched the only other Cowgirl point in the event with a 144.5-132 win over Chantz Stewart.
TCU cut the Cowgirl lead to 8-7 with a 3-2 win in equitation on the flat. Kendall Pedigo and Amy White recorded the two Cowgirl points. Pedigo defeated TCU's Kari Hancock, 164-135, to claim the first point in the discipline. Soon after, Amy White edged Molly Peddicord, 155-153 to take a 2-1 lead in the event, but wins by Horned Frogs Emelie Burgess and Kaitlin Perry in the final two rides clinched the victory in the flat for TCU.
After a perfect regular season in horsemanship, the Cowgirls picked up their second-straight loss in the event on Saturday. Oklahoma State junior Ty Paris knocked off TCU's Rylee Morgan, 142.5-141, which proved to be the only point of the day in the discipline for the Cowgirls, as the Horned Frogs took the event, 4-1.
In the Rankings
The Oklahoma State equestrian team will compete as the No. 10 seed at the 2015 National Collegiate Equestrian Association Championships at the Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas, this April, the NCEA Selection Committee announced last week.
All four Big 12 teams are seeded in this year's championship. Baylor holds the No. 2 seed, while TCU is set to compete as the seventh seed. Kansas State sits right in front of the Cowgirls with the No. 9 seed.
The Series
TCU currently holds an 8-6 advantage in the overall series between these two programs. The Horned Frogs took the last meeting between the two Big 12 foes, 11-9, in the third-place meet at the Big 12 Championships last month. The Cowgirls are 1-2 against the Horned Frogs this season, and 0-1 in the only neutral meet this season against TCU.
Rider of the Month
Oklahoma State equestrian senior Katy Krshka was named Big 12 Rider of the Month in reining for the month of March, the league office announced Thursday. It is the second consecutive month that Krshka has received the honor.
Krshka recorded a 3-0 mark in reining through the month of March. The Yukon, Okla., native knocked off Casey Bibbs, 66-56, in the Cowgirls' meet at No. 10 SMU. The senior went 2-0 in the event at the Big 12 Championships with wins over Kansas State's Brynn Critcher and TCU's Katie Gray.
The honor is the Cowgirl senior's fifth career Big 12 Rider of the Month honor in reining and second of the season. Krshka has earned three total Big 12 monthly honors this season in reining and horsemanship.
Cowgirl All-Americans
Three members of the Oklahoma State equestrian team were named to the 2014-15 National Collegiate Equestrian Association All-America class, the league announced Wednesday.
Senior Katy Krshka was named a First Team All-American in the horsemanship and reining events. It is the fourth-straight season Krshka has been honored as an All-American.
Senior Lindsey McMullen received Honorable Mention accolades in horsemanship. It qualifies as her third consecutive All-America honor, going back to her sophomore season.
Junior Amy White earned Honorable Mention in equitation on the flat for her first All-America recognition.
Postseason Big 12 Honors
Three members of the Oklahoma State equestrian team garnered postseason Big 12 honors, the league office announced following the Big 12 Championships last month.
Katy Krshka highlighted the list of Cowgirl honorees, earning the title of Big 12 Rider of the Year in horsemanship and Co-Rider of the Year in reining, as well as All-Big 12 honors in both events.
Krshka had previously been named Big 12 Horsemanship Co-Rider of the Year in 2012 and 2013. It is the senior's first time to receive Rider of the Year honors in reining.
Senior Lindsey McMullen picked up All-Big 12 recognition in horsemanship for the third-straight season.
Junior Amy White picked up her first career All-Big 12 award when she was named to the All-Big 12 Equitation on the Flat team.
Hitting the Books
Fifteen members of the Oklahoma State equestrian team were named to the 2015 Academic All-Big 12 Equestrian Team, the league announced last month.
Cowgirls Katy Krshka and Amy White were two of four athletes to finish with a 4.00 GPA. Leighona Bernstein , Jorden Davis, Allison Dooman, Maggie Drysch, Maggie Gampfer, Allison Hurlbut, Allie Joyce, Brooke Klimek, Mackenzie Malone, Lindsey McMullen, Paris Nottingham, Ty Paris and Miranda Reed were also named to the First Team.
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 27-6 overall record. McMullen is 8-3 in the horsemanship event with an MOP honor to her credit, while Krshka is an impressive 19-3 overall with a 9-2 record in horsemanship and a 10-1 mark in reining. Krshka has also picked up 10 total MOP honors this season.
