Penn State freshman Katherine Hammelef (center, wearing glasses) won the final team class at Zone 3 Zones on April 7th. Hammelef's first in team walk-trot-canter assured the Nittany Lions of a fifth straight win at Zones.

PENN STATE WINS ZONE 3 ZONES FOR A FIFTH CONSECUTIVE SEASON

Saxonburg, PA - If there is one thing in the IHSA that seems dependable, it is that Penn State will capture high point team honors at Zone 3 Zones. Most of the time the Nittany Lions are off-and-running in the first team class. On April 7th it was sophomore open rider Samantha Pandolfi taking team open fences. Less than an hour later teammate Jessica Hoy had made Penn State two-for-two, earning the blue ribbon in team intermediate fences. Though Katherine Petro only placed second in team novice fences, Penn State still had the lead at the lunch break. Michele Demuth (team walk-trot), Stephanie Zawatski (team intermediate flat) and Katherine Hammelef (team walk-trot-canter) won the last three team classes after the University of Delaware had taken a two-point lead for a few minutes. Penn State has now won five consecutive Zone 3 Zones shows, the longest active streak of consecutive IHSA Zone championships nationwide.

With the top two teams both advancing to IHSA Nationals from Zone 3 Zones, there was a period of time when the race for second was interesting. After the first two classes were identical (Penn State rider first, University of Delaware rider second, West Virginia University rider third and Kutztown University rider fourth), Erin Murray's win in team novice fences gave West Virginia a 15-14 lead over the Fighting Hens.

From Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, Kaley Jones of California University of Pennsylvania (left) was one of two Region 3 riders to win an individual class. The CUP senior poses with Head Coach Sue Malenica, who got to wear both a "Coach" badge and a Steward's badge!

Following the lunch/schooling break Jen Piechowski of the University of Delaware won team novice flat. With the win the top three looked interesting, with Penn State leading Delaware 23-21 and Delaware leading West Virginia 21-18. The fifth team class also went to the Hens as Kristina Christiansen won open flat to put Delaware ahead 28-26. West Virginia was still alive with 22 (Kutztown had earned back-to-back red ribbons, though the Golden Bears were behind the eight-ball due to a rider falling off in novice fences). Following the alumni flat, Penn State tied Delaware via Demuth's blue ribbon, and with both the Nittany Lions and the Fighting Hens at 33 points and West Virginia now eight back it was a pretty good assumption that both teams were headed to the Big E in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Penn State wound up with 47 points, five more than the University of Delaware. After having impressed over the fences, West Virginia did not have the same success on the flat, placing fourth out of four in all but one team class. Kutztown managed three seconds and two thirds on the flat, but ultimately trailed the Mountaineers for third by a 31-29 score.

Seen here in a photo taken during the regular season, University of Delaware junior Kristina Christiansen did as well as anyone could ask. Christiansen won team open flat and individual open flat in her two rides at Zones.

The unusual order of classes at Zone 3 Zones meant that after the teams were presented with their ribbons, five individual flat classes remained. Christiansen was first in a field of eight to win individual open fences while Lauren Casale of Kutztown was second. University of Scranton freshman Michelle Geise won the next class, which was individual novice flat. From Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Geise is the first University of Scranton rider to reach IHSA Nationals since Jennifer Buckley survived 1998 Zone 3 Zones to place fourth at Nationals in - ironically - individual novice flat! Runner-up in the division was Lindsay Kohl of the University of Delaware, who had already placed second in individual novice fences and third in team intermediate flat. Individual walk-trot followed, with more droughts coming to an end. Cassandra Borek of Bucks County Community College won the walk-trot outright, becoming the first Bucks undergraduate hunter seat rider to reach Nationals since the early 1990's (Bucks County had the high point Zone 3, Region 2 team in both 1990-91 and 1991-92 but might not have had an undergraduate english rider participate since).

Since 1990 Princeton University has had only three riders of any kind reach Nationals. Karla Williams rode in Los Angeles on short notice in 1996 when the reserve rider in open fences could not make the trip; Kira Epstein also rode in open fences, placing second at 1998 Zone 3 Zones before earning 9th in the nation at Nationals in Port Jervis, New York a few weeks later, and Kelly Wells was the Zone 3, Region 4 Cacchione rider at 2002 Nationals in Cazenovia, New York. All of these Princeton Tigers were open riders, but in 2007 Princeton will be represented at Nationals by the other end of the spectrum. From Myersville, Maryland, Princeton sophomore Monique Roberts earned the reserve ribbon in walk-trot, becoming the first Princeton rider at Nationals below the open level since at least the 1980's.

Though West Virginia had won Region 3 for the second season in a row it was starting to look like not one member of the Mountaineers would be competing in Springfield. However sophomore Brittany Poff came through at the eleventh hour! From Phillipsburg, New Jersey, Poff was the last West Virginia rider of the day, and she delivered a first in individual intermediate flat. Region 3 took both the top two placings in the division, as Washington & Jefferson freshman Erica Green earned reserve. From Mansfield, Pennsylvania, Green is the first rider in Presidents' team history to qualify for IHSA Nationals.

The Washington & Jefferson Equestrian Team first competed within the IHSA during the 2001-02 season. Five seasons later the Presidents can claim their first IHSA Nationals qualifier in freshman Erica Green. Green poses with her red ribbon won in the individual intermediate flat division.

The final class of the day was the individual walk-trot-canter. Linda Beyer, a Kutztown freshman from Newtown, Pennsylvania who had placed second to Piechowski in team novice flat was again a red ribbon winner while Penn State junior Lauren Klutchka, who won team walk-trot-canter at 2006 IHSA Nationals, was the Zone Champion. From Harleysville, Pennsylvania, Klutchka had also competed in team walk-trot-canter at 2005 Nationals.

Prior to the five undergraduate individual classes there had been a pair of alumni classes, two phases of the Cacchione Cup Class and three individual over fences classes mixed in among the team classes. Individual open fences was actually the first official class of the day, with Franklin & Marshall junior Andrew Olen the winner. Olen, who was already assured of a trip to IHSA Nationals as the Zone 3, Region 1 Cacchione Cup entry, was the only non-Penn State rider from Region 1 to advance to 2007 IHSA Nationals. Runner-up in the division was Nicole Adams from the University of Delaware. A freshman from Pennington, New Jersey, Adams finished third in the Region 2 open rider standings and would place second in team open fences less than 30 minutes after her reserve ribbon here.

People who confuse Penn State University with the University of Pennsylvania need to pay attention here. Catherine "Kate" Zeronda of Penn State won the individual intermediate fences while Katie Kuzinevich of the University of Pennsylvania was reserve. Zeronda goes to the official state school of Pennsylvania, located in State College, Pennsylvania, which is in the middle of the state. Kuzinevich attends the private Ivy-League school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is in the eastern part of the state. Good news is both are going to Springfield to compete in what will likely be the very first class of 2007 IHSA Nationals on May 3rd.

Individual novice fences went to California of Pennsylvania senior Kaley Jones, who had won both novice western and novice over fences classes at Regionals shows in March. Kohl of the University of Delaware was second in both individual novice classes. At one point during the fall Kohl was repeatedly borrowing a pair of riding boots from one of her teammates and winning in them every time! It is not clear if Kohl was still borrowing the lucky boots when she earned her red ribbons on this day.

There was an unofficial Cacchione Class, or rather a jumping phase and a flat phase, with the combined scores of Judge Robert Tweedlie determining the champion. Fourth place went to Katie Carssow of the University of Pennsylvania, who for the second year in a row will represent Region 2 in the Cacchione competition at IHSA Nationals. Third went to Olen, who took a narrow two-point lead over Pandolfi into the final regular season show at Wilson and won twice. Erin Albert was the reserve champion. A Seton Hill freshman from South Park, Pennsylvania, Albert ran away with Zone 3, Region 3 high point open rider honors, finishing 28 points ahead of her nearest competitor even though she did not compete on opening day! Champion of the Cacchione division was Lehigh senior Jill Douglass. From nearby Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Douglass will be one of a very small number of riders showing at Nationals who competed in Murfreesboro, Tennessee at 2004 IHSA Nationals. As a freshman Douglass captured the Region 4 Cacchione honors, then proceeded to place second in the entire nation in the division at Nationals. However in between 2004 and 2007 Douglass - and the rest of Region 4 - could not stop 2006 Rutgers graduate Erica Bello from reaching the Cacchione class.

Monique Roberts (left) will be the first Princeton rider in five years to compete at IHSA Nationals. Princeton Coach Ashton Phillips (right) will have twice as many rides at Nationals as Roberts. Phillips won both the alumni flat and fences, becoming one of only two riders to win both alumni divisions at the nine combined Zones shows this Spring.

And there were two alumni classes as well. 1989 Virginia Intermont graduate Ashton Phillips, who previously rode in at least one alumni division at IHSA Nationals in 1994, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 will get two more shots at a blue ribbon. Phillips won both the alumni flat and fences at today's show. Delaware Valley College graduate Jamie Mast proved that one should never give up, as Mast's reserve ribbon in alumni fences qualified her for IHSA Nationals for the first time in five seasons riding alumni. Kutztown graduate Leah Moyer, who qualified for Nationals in alumni reining two weeks earlier, will ride a second time in Springfield after finishing second to Phillips in alumni flat.

Timed well: It was ten years ago this May that the University of Delaware traveled to Mount Holyoke College for IHSA Nationals and a come-from-behind victory over Colorado State for the National Championship. Following the championship Delaware won their region again from 1999-2003 but finished second to Delaware Valley College each of the past three seasons. Ironically Nationals are in New England again for the first time since the Hens were champs in '97. Though the show is at the Big E (Mount Holyoke was the last college to host on their own campus before the IHSA outgrew on-campus facilities) many are wondering if lightning can strike twice for Delaware on the tenth anniversary of their only previous IHSA Championship. Others are wondering if Penn State can move up one place from their finish at 2006 IHSA Nationals. Individual qualifiers from Zone 3 have not won a hunter seat class outright since 2000 Nationals. This writer says it is about time, and predicts this streak will be broken in May.

--Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Cold and windy, with occasional snow flurries. High temperature in the low '40's. Entire show held indoors. Start Time: 9:35AM. Finish: 2:39PM - includes 29 minute lunch break. Alumni Classes held in this region?: Yes. Judge: Robert Tweedlie, Carmel, Indiana. Stewards: Davis/Wilson College, Kieschnik/Delaware Valley College, Malencia/California University of Pennsylvania and Clark/Lafayette College.

Class-By-Class Results from 2007 Zone 3 Zones in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, with the top two riders in each individual class advancing to IHSA Nationals May 3rd through 6th in Springfield, Massachusetts:

Individual Open Equitation Over Fences: 1. Andrew Olen, Franklin & Marshall College. 2. Nicole Adams, University of Delaware. 3. Jill Douglass, Lehigh University. 4. Katie Carssow, University of Pennsylvania. 5. Jenn Blacker, West Virginia University. 6. Samanatha Pandolfi, Penn State University.

Team Open Equitation Over Fences: 1. Samantha Pandolfi, Penn State University. 2. Nicole Adams, University of Delaware. 3. Brittany Poff, West Virginia University. 4. Lauren Casale, Kutztown University.

Individual Intermediate Equitation Over Fences: 1. Catherine Zeronda, Penn State University. 2. Katie Kuzinevich, University of Pennsylvania. 3. Megan Cavan, West Virginia University. 4. Jessica Herlihy, Lehigh University. 5. Jessica Yankus, Delaware Valley College. 6. Brittany Poff, West Virginia University.

Team Intermediate Equitation Over Fences: 1. Jessica Hoy, Penn State University. 2. Sam Snyder, University of Delaware. 3. Christina Seeley, West Virginia University. 4. Andrea Heinzman, Kutztown University.

Alumni Equitation Over Fences: 1. Ashton Phillips, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Jamie Mast, Delaware Valley College. 3. Erin Githins, Lafayette College. 4. Kim Melnick, University of Delaware.

Individual Novice Equitation Over Fences: 1. Kaley Jones, California University of Pennsylvania. 2. Lindsay Kohl, University of Delaware. 3. Gina MacBarb, Lehigh University. 4. Lisa Thompson, Wilson College. 5. Christie Carlson, Drexel University. 6. Emily Johnson, East Stroudsburg University.

Team Novice Equitation Over Fences: 1. Erin Murray, West Virginia University. 2. Katherine Petro, Penn State University. 3. Jen Piechowski, University of Delaware.

Team Novice Equitation on the Flat: 1. Jen Piechowski, University of Delaware. 2. Linda Beyer, Kutztown University. 3. Lena Ohta, Penn State University. 4. Erin Murray, West Virginia University.

Team Open Equitation on the Flat: 1. Kristina Christiansen, University of Delaware. 2. Lauren Casale, Kutztown University. 3. Megan Cavan, West Virginia University. 4. Samantha Pandolfi, Penn State University.

Alumni Equitation on the Flat: 1. Ashton Phillips, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Leah Moyer, Kutztown University. 3. Cat Domanska, Vanderbilt University. 4. Kim Melnick, University of Delaware.

Team Walk-Trot Equitation on the Flat: 1. Michele Demuth, Penn State University. 2. Emily Janosko, University of Delaware. 3. Kim Miller, Kutztown University. 4. Brianna Wallace, West Virginia University.

Team Intermediate Equitation on the Flat: 1. Stephanie Zawatski, Penn State University. 2. Andrea Heinzman, Kutztown University. 3. Lindsay Kohl, University of Delaware. 4. Jackie Boyczuk, West Virginia University.

USEF/Cacchione Cup Combined Fences & Flat Phases: 1. Jill Douglass, Lehigh University. 2. Erin Albert, Seton Hill University. 3. Andrew Olen, Franklin & Marshall College. 4. Katie Carrsow, University of Pennsylvania.

Team Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation on the Flat: 1. Katherine Hammelef, Penn State University. 2. Rebecca DeBonis, University of Delaware. 3. Emily Schaeffer, Kutztown University. 4. Amanda Narcisi, West Virginia University.

Individual Open Equitation on the Flat: 1. Kristina Christiansen, University of Delaware. 2. Lauren Casale, Kutztown University. 3. Andrew Olen, Franklin & Marshall College. 4. Samantha Pandolfi, Penn State University. 5. Jill Douglass, Lehigh University. 6. Erin Albert, Seton Hill University. 7. Emma Taylor, West Virginia University. 8. Emily Casali, Delaware Valley College.

Individual Novice Equitation on the Flat: 1. Michelle Geise, University of Scranton. 2. Lindsay Kohl, University of Delaware. 3. Marissa Favata, East Stroudsburg University. 4. Jennifer Rowe, Delaware Valley College. 5. Erin Miner, University of Pittsburgh. 6. Kathleen Sheehan, Penn State University. 7. Kaitlyn Johnson, Wilson College. 8. Rachel Minford, West Virginia University.

Individual Walk-Trot Equitation on the Flat: 1. Cassandra Borek, Bucks County Community College. 2. Monique Roberts, Princeton University. 3. Lily Beth Parsons, West Virginia University. 4. Nicole Fiorellino, Rutgers University. 5. Carolyn Hurwitz, Villanova University. 6. Melissa Shelley, York College of Pennsylvania. 7. Adriana Cano, Seton Hill University. 8. Amanda Glantz, Penn State University.

Individual Intermediate Equitation on the Flat: 1. Brittany Poff, West Virginia University. 2. Erica Green, Washington & Jefferson University. 3. Kaitlyn McLaughlin, Delaware Valley College. 4. Gina MacBarb, Lehigh University. 5. Kylie Samuel, Penn State University. 6. Ashton Ryan, West Chester University. 7. Lisa Thompson, Wilson College. 8. Amanda Berger, Lafayette College.

Individual Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation on the Flat: 1. Lauren Klutchka, Penn State University. 2. Linda Beyer, Kutztown University. 3. Caitlin Belding, Rutgers University. 4. Ashley Iwaniec, Bethany College. 5. Lauren Vile, Delaware Valley College. 6. Amanda Hopson, Delaware Valley College. 7. Ali Sedlacko, Seton Hill University. 8. Hallie Bernstein, Penn State University.

Final Hunter Seat Team Totals, with the top two teams advancing to IHSA Nationals May 3rd through 6th in Springfield, Massachusetts: Penn State University 47, University of Delaware 42, West Virginia University 31 and Kutztown University 29.

(Special thanks to Allison Milwid for her help in gathering these results - Editor)