|
||||||
|
SOME EARLY SEASON SURPRISES If you follow the IHSA on a regular basis you know that the first show of the season holds some surprises. Teams that sometimes come nowhere near winning their region when the season is over can lead after only one show. The catch for just about everyone is to hold the lead for a series of shows, or even gain ground. The University of Rhode Island has managed to stay ahead through a pair of Zone 1, Region 1 shows, though the lead they hold over Brown is only one point. Prior to this season the Rams had never led their region at any time. New York University may have led after one show sometime in the distant past (though we have nothing to prove this). The Violets did not lead Zone 2, Region 4 after one show this season but did pull ahead through two shows. NYU thus leads their region later in the season than ever before. However like Rhode Island, their lead is a narrow one, with Fairfield, Columbia and Stony Brook all within eight points. Clemson University has never won their region in hunter seat but through two shows the Tigers are five points ahead of annual contender Berry College. The situation has looked like this in Zone 5, Region 2 for almost a month, but the third and fourth shows of the season are coming up this weekend, and with Berry hosting to make things interesting. There may be a few other races (mostly in the Midwest) that we are unsure if the usual suspects are winning. If we find out anything we will pass it along. There is one other race that so far has not followed the pattern of the past few seasons. Mount Holyoke College has won Zone 1, Region 3 every year since the 1996-97 season. The Lyons currently hold the second longest active streak of hunter seat Region Championships with ten straight (Centenary College has the all-time hunter seat record - and counting - with 17 straight). However through two shows the defending IHSA hunter seat National Champions are trailing the University of Massachusetts by eight points, while Becker College is only four points behind. Though Mount Holyoke has trailed after one show on three occasions this decade, the Lyons had not trailed after two since the Fall of 1999, when UMass built up a big lead only to watch Mount Holyoke go with a younger group of riders in the spring of 2000 and rally to win the region and eventually snare their second IHSA National Championship. The next two weekends will tell what UMass, Mount Holyoke and improving Becker are made of. Williams hosts outdoors this Saturday (looks like good weather, with sunshine and highs in the '50's), while Mount Holyoke will be at home on the 28th. UMass had considerable success at Mount Holyoke earlier this decade, but the past two seasons the MHC Equestrian Center has been very good to the hosts. Becker is in uncharted territory, never having been so close to the top this far into the season. With all that said, maybe Smith College (reserve overall in Region 3 two seasons ago) or Amherst or Williams will have a big day this weekend. Elsewhere Hollins will look to go 2-0 when they host in Zone 4, Region 2 on Saturday. Suprising University of Virginia took second last time. The University of Florida welcomes the rest of Zone 5, Region 3, including College of Charleston and Savannah College of Art & Design who are tied for the top spot with 41 early on. The University of Michigan hosts the rest of Zone 6, Region 3 where Findlay leads surprising Oakland University by six, with five other schools (including the Wolverines) within 13 points of the top. It is 'Season Opener' time in Pomona, California, where Cal Poly - Pomona will host the first Zone 8, Region 2 western show. Besides the schools in Southern California, Pomona will eventually host one of the three 'National Semifinals' which have replaced Western Zones in 2006-07. Schools from the New York Metro Area and part of the Southeast will be among those in Pomona the final weekend of March. Indiana of Pennsylvania hosts the Zone 3, Region 4 western opener on Saturday while the rest of Zone 3, i.e. Region 2 will open their western season with help from the University of Delaware on Sunday. Zone 7 will finally be back in action as the University of Denver hosts Region 1 hunter seat shows Saturday and Sunday. There will eventually be a new Region 1 Region Champion, as defending champ New Mexico State has gone exclusively 'Varsity' along with Oklahoma State and Texas A & M from Region 2. Miami of Ohio will host the hunter seat season opener in Zone 6, Region 2. This show will mark the first time former Red Hawk Head Coach Jim Arrigon has officially coached at the Miami Equestrian Center since leaving the program he guided to 13 hunter seat region titles in Spring of 2005. Arrigon returns as the Xavier Coach. Though Miami has dominated for several years watch out for the University of Kentucky, which did very well on an indvidual basis in the 2006 post-season. And on Monday there will be another of those Weekday Shows in Zone 4, Region 3. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte 49ers are perhaps the biggest "Built from Scratch" story so far this century. Coached by Shirley Murphy, the 49ers made their IHSA debut at the second Region 3 show last season. Even with one less show UNC-Charlotte finished fifth overall. Through two shows this season the 49ers are only seven points behind Virginia Intermont College, most recently tieing the Cobras for high point team (but winning the coin toss for the blue ribbon - Editor) with 35 at Virginia Tech. Saint Andrews is only three behind the 49ers. Virginia Tech is not far behind Saint Andrews. Three of the current top four have on-campus facilities, leaving us to wonder how good UNC-Charlotte would be if they had that same luxury. North Carolina State hosts. It should be entertaining to say the least. ---Steve Maxwell
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
HOME
| CONTACT US |
||||||
Zone 1,
Region 1 University of Connecticut (Host) on campus at Horsebarn
Hill Arena, Storrs, CT 9:00AM ENGLISH ONLY
Zone 3,
Region 4 Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Host) at Crooked Creek
Horse Park, near Ford City, PA 9:00AM 2 WESTERN ONLY