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STONY BROOK NEARING FIRST REGION 1 TITLE SINCE '98 (Stony Brook University open rider Stacey Munoz took the time to write a story about the seawolve's participation in the March 21st Nassau Community College show at Sweet Hills Stables. If other schools in attendance would like to submit a similar story, be it on the Nassau show or the Dowling/C.W. Post show this coming weekend, your stories are most welcome-ed.) Melville, NY - Going into the Nassau horse show the Stony Brook Equestrian Team had a 27 point lead over Sacred Heart University and a 31 point lead over C.W. Post. Knowing it was still possible for SHU and Post to overcome this lead, Stony Brook riders knew they needed to work hard and ride their best. The morning of the show Captain Julie Bartolotta and Coach George Lukemire made some changes in the point card by placing Rachel Cresswell as the Open point rider, Gigi Singh as the Intermediate point rider and Jen Whyard as the Novice flat point rider (this was the first time Cresswell was riding in either open division, and the first time above the advanced walk-trot-canter level for Whyard-ed.). It was a chilly day with temperatures in the low 40’s and winds gusting heavily at times. Cresswell was the first of the point riders to ride, making her debut with a splash winning a blue on the flat. She also posted a second in Open over fences, getting the Seawolves off to a very good 12 point start. The newest point rider, Gigi Singh, also scored big points in the intermediate division by placing second over fences and a first on the flat. The Novice over fences rider, Julie Bartolotta followed in last weeks footsteps by winning a blue and helping to add another 7 points to the Seawolves overall score. Jen Whyard, who recently placed out of Advanced Walk Trot Canter, debuted in Novice flat and placed a respected fifth on a difficult draw. Jonelle Miller, who is a recent addition to the team, remained consistent by placing third in Advanced Walk Trot Canter. The Seawolves usual pointed Walk-Trot rider, Angelina Nikolova, was ill that day but Brittany Brochard kept the points going by winning her first ever blue ribbon and helped to secure the Seawolves as High Point Team for the day with a total 42 of points. C.W. Post was Reserve High Point Team with 39 points after giving Stony Brook a run for it's money in the middle of the day. Honorable mention should go to struggling intermediate rider, Omri Adut, who rode his way to the top, winning first on both the flat and over fences which led him to ride off against Destiny Caldwell of Post. Both riders had a great test and rode hard. Cacchione leader Caldwell won High Point Rider while Adut was Reserve High Point Rider for the day. --Stacey Munoz (The win apparently puts Stony Brook within 10-15 points of clinching the region. If the seawolves put 15 points on the board on March 28th they mathematically eliminate the field. The March 28th show, though co-hosted by Dowling College and C.W. Post, will be held at Smoke Run Farm, which is where the seawolves train --- Those into nostalgia will enjoy the fact that if Stony Brook wins the region they will travel to Western Pennsylvania for the first time in ten years and face the same teams as they did in April of 1994. Penn State and Delaware Valley College have clinched regions three and two respectively. Region 4 will hold it's final regular season show at the same time as the Dowling/Molloy show, which will advance either Kutztown or Bucknell into the four-way team competition. The 1994 team competition was only a three-way affair for the record --- If Destiny Caldwell holds onto the lead in the open rider standings, she will become the first rider from a school other than Fairfield to represent region one in the Cacchione Cup Competition since Sacred Heart Head Coach Justin Gregory was sixth in the nation as an undergradute back in 1998-ed.) High Point Rider - Destiny Caldwell, C.W. Post College - Long Island University
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