Penn State sophomore Taylor Jaros (right, with Head Coach Dee Vonada) was the second of six Penn State riders to win a class on November 10th. Jaros won the second section of walk-trot, helping the Nittany Lions to stay unbeaten.

PENN STATE SWEEPS FALL REGION 1 SHOWS WITH 41-31 VICTORY OVER FRANKLIN & MARSHALL

New Bloomfield, PA - Through the first 13 classes at Outlaw Stables on November 10th region-leader Penn State had managed only two blue ribbons. In spite of this the Nittany Lions were already looking like a 50/50 proposition for no worse than reserve.

Then the last four classes, two which were novice flat while the rest were advanced walk-trot-canter, all went to Penn State. Kate Hammelef started the streak with a win in advanced WTC while Lauren Klutchka followed with a first in novice flat. Kate Norris then won the second and final section of advanced WTC while Emily Zubrow ended the day with a first in the second and final section of novice flat. Along with firsts for Katherine Petro in novice fences and Taylor Jaros in walk-trot Penn State had the most blue ribbons of any Region 1 team and the most points, scoring in the 40's for the third time in four tries.

Penn State total of 41 points included five from one of their open flat riders. Both Kylie Samuel and Samantha Pandolfi were second in their respective sections of open flat, with Pandolfi also earning a third in open fences. Pandolfi, a junior from Danbury, Connecticut took a ten point lead in the Region 1 USEF Cacchione/Open Rider Standings. Pandolfi was the regions' 2006 Cacchione entry at IHSA Nationals but finished second in the region last season to Franklin & Marshall's Andrew olen.

Seen here with Head Coach Jerre Frankhouser (whose first name is pronounced 'Jerry'), Franklin & Marshall sophomore Bonnie Ascher was first in intermediate fences and second in intermediate flat to win Reserve High Point Rider honors for the day.

Olen had a good day for the Diplomats at Outlaw Stables. His first in open fences started the day while a third in open flat meant he had scored 11 of Franklin & Marshall's 31 points. The senior, who is one of only a handful of riders from either Franklin & Marshall or Gettysburg to have ridden in Zone 3, Region 2 before the 2005 region realignment, moved into second place in the Region 1 open rider standings. Olen moved one point ahead of Bucknell's Devon Avallone, who now has 31 points to Olen's 32 and Pandolfi's 42 with three spring shows ahead to make things interesting. The Diplomats took home both reserve ribbons, as Bonnie Ascher was the Reserve High Point Rider. A sophomore from New Britain, Pennsylvania, Ascher won her intermediate fences while placing second in intermediate flat. Meredith Buck delivered a third blue ribbon for the Diplomats, winning the second of two sections of beginner walk-trot-canter. Franklin & Marshall won two other red ribbons, as freshman Molly Mahoney was second to Olen in the only section of open fences held at today's show (which was made up of eleven riders) while Carly Eastern was second in the days' final class, the second section of novice flat. It was Easterns' first ride after pointing out advanced walk-trot-canter six days earlier at Wilson.

Host Dickinson College was third with 29 points. The school from Carlisle, Pennsylvania known today as the Devils but previously as the Great Danes earned three firsts and a second. Bridging the gap between the end of jumping and the beginning of flat, Ashley Adamik, Lily Walter and Nicole Godley won Dickinsons' blue ribbons in consecutive classes! Adamik was a winner in novice fences while after the lunch break and removal of jumps Walter won walk-trot while Godley bested Pandolfi in the first section of open flat. Sophomore Lauren Saunders had already earned what turned out to be Dickinson's lone red ribbon earlier, having done so in intermediate fences.

From Biglerville, Pennsylvania, Dickinson sophomore Ashley Adamik (second left) won in her only ride on November 10th, winning the blue ribbon in novice fences. Each winner also received a mini saddlepad, which Adamik holds. Also in the picture are Dickinson Head Coach Lindsay Vulich (second right) and Adamik's parents.

Wilson College was next with 27 points. The Phoenix cornered the market on second place ribbons with six but managed only one blue ribbon, awarded to freshman Megan Dennis in open flat. From Cooperstown, New York it was the third blue ribbon for Dennis in four shows and her second in the open flat. Junior Jaclyn Smith won red ribbons in both of her novice classes while Janae Klinger (novice fences), Kimberly Jean Crowell (intermediate fences), Meredith Yeager (intermediate flat) and Heather Dunkin (beginner walk-trot-canter) helped paint Interstate 81 red from New Bloomfield to Chambersburg.

Bucknell may have been fifth but the Bison claimed the day's top ribbon winner in Simone March. From Scotch Plains, New Jersey, March won both of her intermediate classes in her third-ever IHSA show. Bucknell can make a strange claim in that two of their riders were High Point Rider at separate shows held the same calendar week! While March won twice on Saturday the 10th, Avallone had won both of her open classes at Wilson on Sunday the 4th. Sophomore beginner walk-trot-canter rider Meghan Hoopes also won a class, thus making her the only Bison rider to win at both Wilson and Dickinson and thus go undefeated for the week! Bucknell earned a pair of red ribbons in walk-trot, as Amanda Rose was second to Walter while Katie Leinen was second to Buck.

She's the one, Yay! Wilson Head Coach Kina Davis (center) is delighted that Megan Dennis (left) has won three blue ribbons for the Phoenix in four shows. Dennis had just won the second section of open flat when this photo was taken. Davis's husband Armand Smithberger (right) is used to his wife's enthusiasm.

It is probably not a coincidence that the top six schools at today's show each had a full point card. The sixth and final school to make this claim is Gettysburg College. The Bullets were led by Jen Conway, who won her intermediate flat class while finishing fourth in intermediate fences. Gettysburg also earned a red ribbon via Leigh Weitzman, who was second to Norris in advanced walk-trot-canter. The Bullets finished the day with 16 points.

A pair of schools tied for seventh on this day. York College of Pennsylvania did it with four divisions filled while Lebanon Valley College managed with only three (Ironically if the two teams were merged only open fences would be missing). York, with novice and below filled, was led by Kelly Thompson, who was second to Hammelef in advanced walk-trot-canter. Lebanon Valley, with the novice, intermediate and open flat under control, were led by Lindsay Porter, a third-place winner in both of her intermediate classes. Both schools hit double digits with ten points.

Juniata College nearly was as good, finishing with nine points. Leading the way was Michelle Yockelson, who may have been making her IHSA debut. Yockelson was third behind March and Yeager in the second section of intermediate flat for Juniata.

She was fourth previously. Indiana of Pennsylvania freshman Tyler Nuzzo (seen here on "Sam I Am") was second in her second IHSA show, having shown in the first section of beginner walk-trot-canter.

When you have new riders you don't always know how they will do from week to week. Indiana University of Pennsylvania will probably consider pointing freshman Tyler Nuzzo in level 2 from now on. In her second IHSA show Nuzzo was second in beginner walk-trot-canter, easily the highest placing of the day for the Crimson Hawks. Though IUP had seven riders entered across three divisions only two placed, the other being Lauren Berdanier receiving a sixth in advanced walk-trot-canter. Neither of these riders were pointed, leaving the Crimson Hawks with no team points to add to their season total. It should be noted that the IUP western team (which competes in the combined Zone 3, Regions 1, 3 and 4 region) now has 67 points through six fall shows, good enough for fifth place out of eleven.

Seventh in that same western region is Susquehanna University, with 48 points. Susquehanna is currently the only school in the entire Northeast US which can claim to have competed in the western divisions this fall but not the hunter seat. Susquehanna had two riders listed in today's program, both in the walk-trot division, but neither participated. Since no Susquehanna point card was filled out it is unclear if under IHSA rules Susquehanna gets charged with a zero score at today's show or if they are still listed as not having shown hunter seat in 2007-08.

York College Faculty Advisor Cheryl Thompson (left) and Kelly Thompson (center) are not related. Head Coach Patti Shultz poses with both after Kelly Thompson was second in her section of advanced walk-trot-canter.

No alumni this week: Zone 3, Region 1 did not have alumni classes either of the past two seasons, but in 2007-08 the alumni have returned. However the region could not secure three people for the class this week, thus meaning the division would not be legal and the points from the classes could not count. As a result the alumni got a day off. One of the Alumni who has competed was present at today's show, as Jaclyn Smith's older sister and former teammate Alicia is now the Wilson Assistant Coach. Alicia Smith is currently tied with recent Penn State graduate Ashley Harris in both the alumni flat and fences. Both have 17 points on the flat and 10 over fences through the three shows which did have alumni (though one did not have alumni fences).

The Ride-Off: There was no need for a ride-off at today's show, though the reserve situation came down to the last class. Crowell needed a first but was fourth in novice flat. This was either the first or second show for Crowell in the novice division, having pointed out of advanced walk-trot-canter at the second Penn State show. Ascher thus earned reserve high point outright, the first time in her two seasons at F & M that she has done so.

Don't start the class without me!: Those at Dickinson who ran the show did so at a rapid pace, with the final class pinned at quarter after two. The Dickinson people did a great job and should be commended for it. However at one point the heart ruled the mind when Crowell was asked to start section 6A and had to be told to pull up before her first fence. It seemed no one had noticed the judge had gotten up to go somewhere while the fences were being lowered from open to intermediate! Once the judge was back Crowell started over and was eventually second.

When it rains it doesn't always pour: Hammelef did not have the best start to her day, accidentally locking her keys in the car while it was running! However this was not a bad omen, as the Penn State sophomore started her team on their four-class winning streak with her Advanced WTC blue ribbon. Penn State will take that four-class winning streak all the way to March 2nd, when Wilson hosts the first of three Region 1 spring shows. The other confirmed spring dates are March 22nd (Dickinson, once again at Outlaw Stables) and March 30th (Franklin & Marshall co-hosting with York at Briarwood Farm in Readington, New Jersey). Regionals will be at Wilson a week after that while Zones will be Sunday, April 13th at either Delaware Valley College or C-Line Stables in Odessa, Delaware, which was the site of Zone 3 Zones only two seasons ago.

Bucknell Head Coach Farra Phillips-Hillyard (right) poses with Simone March after the latter won her intermediate flat class. March was high point rider for the day, the first time the freshman from Scotch Plains, New Jersey has received the honor.

Those were the days: When Adamik won her novice fences class, this writer asked permission to take her picture with the ribbon. When all was said and done it turned out to be a picture of Adamik with her blue ribbon, her mini saddlepad, her coach and her parents. Adamik's father impressed this writer/photographer with his knowledge of song lyrics. This led to a discussion about concerts while we waited for the mini saddlepad to be retrieved for the photo. Having seen the Police in Atlantic City for over $200.00 the previous weekend it is safe to say Adamik's dad got the better deal, having seen the Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat, Santana, Chicago Transit Authority (before they shortened their name) and five other acts at the Spectrum in Philadelphia in the late 1960's at an all-day event for only $10.00 while sitting in the 13th row!

This is the place: Outlaw Stables had not hosted an IHSA show prior to today's event. The facility in New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania near Harrisburg includes an elevated viewing area, indoor heating (though the door near the in-gate was open throughout the show, thus making things slightly chilly but still a good 15 degrees warmer in the viewing area than the high of 45 felt outdoors), many stalls and plenty of parking. Though Wilson will host 2008 Regionals (and they have quite a facility too) Outlaw Stables is an exceptional place to view a show and would be a good choice for future Regionals and even Zones. Provided the horseflesh is in place, Outlaw Stables would be suitable for any IHSA post-season show leading to Nationals.

--Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Cloudy skies, with temperatures in the mid 40's. Entire show held indoors. Start time: 9:22AM. Finish: 2:17PM - includes a 55 minute lunch break/Coaches and Captain's meeting. Point cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni classes held in this region? Yes but not on this day. Judge: Nancy D. Ashway. Stewards: Vonada/Penn State University, Phillips-Hillyard/Bucknell University and Shultz/York College of Pennsylvania.

Team Totals: Penn State University (High Point Team) 41; Franklin & Marshall College (Reserve) 31; Dickinson College 29; Wilson College 27; Bucknell University 26; Gettysburg College 16; Lebanon Valley College 10; York College of Pennsylvania 10; Juniata College 9; Indiana University of Pennsylvania 0 and (?) Susquehanna University 0.

High Point Rider - Simone March, Bucknell University
Reserve High Point Rider - Bonnie Ascher, Franklin & Marshall College