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PENN STATE WINS FIRST FIVE CLASSES, DEFEATS HOST DICKINSON BY SIX Readington, NJ - With wins in 12 of the 27 undergraduate classes, Penn State University (State College campus) won for the third time in four attempts. The Nittany Lions won the first five classes of the day (all over fences) and never looked back, edging out host Dickinson College by a 38-32 score at Briarwood Farm on November 20th. Only one rider managed to win twice throughout the day, and it was in fact a Penn State novice rider who was making her IHSA debut. Amanda Pritt, a freshman from Whiteford, Pennsylvania won her novice fences and then equaled the feat in novice flat seven classes later. With no high point ride-off necessary Pritt finished the day undefeated. Pritt trains with Karen Zinkham and Laurie Kiser-Mace back home. Other Nittany Lions to win classes were Devon Yacka (senior, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, in open fences), Kristen Cassone (sophomore, Branchburg, New Jersey, also in open fences), Jake Benedict (senior, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, in intermediate flat), Ellen Forsyth (junior, Annapolis, Maryland, in intermediate fences), Erin Donlon (sophomore, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, also in intermediate fences), Emily Denning (freshman, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, the third consecutive intermediate fences winner), Annie Tralka (sophomore, Mendham, New Jersey, in novice flat), Polly Werner (sophomore, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in advanced walk-trot-canter), Bree Frederick (freshman, Lake Wynonah, Pennsylvania, also in advanced walk-trot-canter and coincidentally her IHSA debut), Gina Russoniello (junior, Moscow, Pennsylvania, also in advanced walk-trot-canter) and Sarah Carlock (senior, Wayne, New Jersey, in walk-trot). Penn State riders also earned six red ribbons, awarded to Kelli Greco (in open flat), Lauren Massi (in intermediate fences), Ari Delin (in novice flat), Kate Norris (in novice fences), Olivia Perdew (in advanced walk-trot-canter) and Marissa Perch (also in advanced walk-trot-canter). Delin qualified for Regionals in novice flat to become the fourth Penn State rider in as many shows to secure a ride in the post-season.
Host Dickinson College earned reserve high point honors with 32 points. The Red Devils visited the winner's circle five times, as Amy Woolf (junior, Baltimore, Maryland, in open flat), Mary McClintock (senior, West Bath, Maine, in intermediate flat), Bailey Kirkpatrick (freshman, Miller Place, New York, in beginner walk-trot-canter), Kim Spackman (senior, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, in novice flat) and Elizabeth Mudge (freshman, Nashua, New Hampshire, in novice fences) each returned to Carlisle with a blue ribbon. Mudge's novice fences win was also her IHSA debut. Spackman pointed into intermediate flat with her blue. Julia Sturgeon was second in her novice flat while Brittany Small was second in her novice fences. Head Coach Lindsay Vulich has Dickinson in unfamiliar territory, as the Red Devils finished the day at least 23 points up in the battle for second place overall in the Region 1 team standings. Dickinson has never finished a season higher than third overall, a feat they accomplished for the first time in program history last season. Susquehanna University was third at today's show with 28 points. The Crusaders were led by freshman Amanda Maggiano. From Nutley, New Jersey, Maggiano won the Crusader's lone blue ribbon of the day via the third section of novice flat. Susquehanna was good at gathering up red ribbons, as Katie Ford (in walk-trot), Hannah Driskell (in novice fences) and Lindsay Zacco (both intermediate divisions) were second place winners. Head Coach Jan Phillips has generally been pleased with the Crusader's effort so far in 2010-11. Through four shows Susquehanna is only one point out of third place, this despite not having an open flat or fences rider. Like Dickinson, Susquehanna is looking for a new all-time high, having never finished a season above fifth place.
Bucknell University, which has finished second overall to Penn State each of the past two seasons, was fourth today with 27 points. Madeleine Greenlee, a freshman from Easton, Maryland won her novice fences while placing second in open flat (Because Greenlee was the only rider all day to earn a first and a second while Pritt was the only rider with two firsts there was no need for a ride-off of any kind). The Bison earned three consecutive blue ribbons at one point. Claire McCardell, a junior from New Canaan, Connecticut won the third section of novice fences. After Greenlee won the fourth section it was Katie Coney's turn. The junior from Stow, Massachusetts won the fifth and final section of novice fences. The only flat blue ribbon for the Bison had come earlier, when Charlotte Marks (a freshman from New York City) won the second of two sections of open flat. In addition to Greenlee's red ribbon in open flat, Grace Howard (in intermediate flat) and Gillian Sheffy (in novice fences) also were second in their respective classes. The Bison may have finished higher than fourth today had there been a walk-trot rider on their point card. With 90 points through four shows Bucknell is only five points behind third-place Gettysburg College. Speaking of Gettysburg the Bullets were next with 16 points. Things started out well for Gettysburg, with each of their first three riders earning a red ribbon during Penn States' run of blues. Julie Weisz, a junior from Coto de Caza, California was second to Yacka in open fences. Teammate Greer Luce (a sophomore from Miford, New Jersey) was second to Cassone moments later. Michael Boyland, a sophomore from Potomic, Maryland was second to Denning in intermediate fences. Kalley Hansel, Natalie Huso, Julie Ivers and Andrew McCamley were second in their respective novice flat classes. Abbie Ziegler, a sophomore from Downingtown, Pennsylvania won the Bullets' lone blue ribbon of the day with a first in advanced walk-trot-canter. Gettysburg ended the day with a 95-94 lead overall on Susquehanna for third place in the Region 1 team standings.
Millersville University, which has shown sparingly the previous two seasons, earned 14 points. The Marauders did well considering there were only four of them at today's show spread out over five divisions. Danielle Roher, a sophomore from Etters, Pennsylvania was second in novice fences for the only Millersville ribbon above fifth place. Still the Marauders moved over the 40 point plateau for the season, which is well beyond the 16 points Millersville earned in 2008-09 and 2009-10 combined. Wilson College did not compete at the first two shows of the 2010-11 season, yet the Phoenix now have 40 points (their 20 points-per-show average would have them in sixth place overall had Wilson scored a total of 40 at the shows they missed). The Phoenix earned 13 today, with no open or walk-trot riders. Meghan Marsters, a freshman from Chester County, Pennsylvania won the Phoenix's lone blue ribbon of the day in intermediate flat. It was also Marster's first-ever IHSA blue ribbon. Coupled with a third in intermediate fences this put Marsters in line for high point early in the day before Pritt and Greenlee faired better. Melanie Getz earned a red ribbon in the lone section of beginner walk-trot-canter while Katie Snyder, who was a rare 'add' to today's program (there were many 'drops') was second in the section of intermediate flat which preceeded Marster's blue ribbon effort. York College of Pennsylvania was the final school into double digits with 10 points. York had five divisions filled and over a dozen riders participating, with several earning substatial placings. Ericka Mongeau, a junior from Columbia, Pennsylvania who was already qualified for Regionals in advanced walk-trot-canter, won the sixth and final section of novice flat which ended the contest at two minutes to four in the afternoon. Earlier Alexa Aubel, a sophomore coincidentally from York, Pennsylvania won the first section of novice flat. Mallory Haydt was second in advanced walk-trot-canter for the Spartans.
Juniata College had all of two riders entered in today's contest. Co-Captains Michelle Yockelson (senior, San Clemente, California) and Elura Fink (junior, Montoursville, Pennsylvania) were the Eagles team. The duo faired better over the jumps than without them as Fink and Yockelson were third in consecutive sections of intermediate fences. Fink then finished fourth in open flat while Yockelson was out of the ribbons in intermediate flat. At that point it wasn't even 11AM and Juniata had seven points and were on their way back to Central Pennsylvania. Lebanon Valley College had five riders listed in the program but they too fielded an undergraduate team of two riders. Mandi Albright, a sophomore from Newport, Pennsylvania was fifth in intermediate flat and sixth in intermediate fences. Dutchman teammate Hana Ernest was fifth in the final section of novice flat and out of the ribbons in novice fences. All four of these rides were on the point card, resulting in five points. There were as many Lebanon Valley riders in the Alumni divisions at today's show, which marked the first time this season that alumni took place at a Region 1 event. Kristi Jacobson, a 2008 Dutchmen graduate and Sarah Bechtel, who graduated last season and is the only LVC rider in program history to advance to Zones, made up two-thirds of the division. It was the need for a third rider that had bogged down these two in their prior efforts to get alumni 'legal' at a Region 1 show this fall. Jacobson came up with a briliant idea. Having taken lessons at Briarwood prior to going off to college, Jacobson knew that 1998 Rutgers University graduate (and Briarwood instructor) Carole Zempel would likely be on hand to help run the show. Though Zempel had not once ridden alumni at any of over 100 IHSA shows at Briarwood (spread across multiple regions) since graduating, Jacobson convinced Zempel to sign up and fill the divisions at today's show. Bechtel, who is also the Region 1 alumni representative, won the alumni fences while Zempel was second in her first IHSA ride since the 1997-98 season. Zempel rode 'Eddie' over fences whom she had not ridden prior to this day. Jacobson was third. Later Zempel won the alumni flat outright while Bechtel was second and Jacobson again third. Zempel did admit to taking her first lesson of the year a few days earlier to prepare. With the possibility of back-to-backs at Briarwood in the spring (Region 1 suprisingly only held this one show at Briarwood; Usually the entire region trecks east for two shows and spends the weekend in New Jersey) it is not out of the question that Zempel could be asked to ride alumni again in order to fill the class.
A Briarwood rarity: As is usually the case when an IHSA show takes place during the fall at Briarwood Farm the open and intermediate fences start the show in a ring set up specifically for these two classes. Then another, similarly-sized ring a few feet away is home to all the flat classes. However on this day after the flat horses were schooled it was decided that the flat ring was too muddy for use (it did not rain during today's show but it had poured much of the week). Therefore the open/intermediate jumping ring was used as a flat ring for the first time this writer can ever remember. Following the open and intermediate flat divisions and the lunch break all the novice classes and down were held in the Briarwood indoor. There had been speculation that if things dried out between the open/intermediate flat schooling and the end of novice fences that the outdoor flat ring would be used but this did not materialize. Once again a big turnout: With so many riders from New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania competing at today's show, many parents and siblings attended the event. Unlike the other regions which used Briarwood during the fall, none of the Region 1 schools are located in New Jersey (or within two hours of Briarwood). Because all of Central Pennsylvania travels east to this show, it makes life easier for parents in the area to see their children show in IHSA competition. And as a result the overall number of spectators was greater than what might be found for another Zone 3 region. Only one day after showing at Briarwood, Region 1 again was in action at Wilson College. As of December 1st we do not have the results from the Wilson show nor do we know how many parents and other relatives may have treked to Chambersburg to see the fall finale. When we find out the Region 1 team standings page will be updated with the latest totals. --Steve Maxwell Show Incidentals: Partly sunny skies, with temperatures reaching the low '50's. Start time: 9:05AM. Finish: 3:58PM - Includes 55 minute lunch break/Coaches and Captain's meeting. Point cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni classes held in this region? Yes. Judge: Pat Byrne. Stewards: Grice/Penn State University, Phillips/Susquehanna University and Phillips-Hillyard/Bucknell University. Team Totals: Penn State University (High Point Team) 38; Dickinson College (Reserve) 32; Susquehanna University 28; Bucknell University 27; Gettysburg College 16; Millersville University 14; Wilson College 13; York College of Pennsylvania 10; Juniata College 7 and Lebanon Valley College 5. High Point Rider - Amanda Pritt, Penn State University
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