Dickinson College riders took the top three placings in novice fences at Region 1 Regionals on April 2nd. From left to right are Kim Spackman, Julia Sturgeon, Head Coach Lindsay Vulich and Mary McClintock, the latter of which won the division. Christina Wolf (not pictured) was third in open fences earlier in the day to make it four Dickinson riders who advanced to Zones a week later.

BALANCE AMONG REGION 1 REGIONALS SHOW ZONE QUALIFIERS

Readington, NJ - For only the second time in IHSA history two Regional shows were held at the same location on the same day. Briarwood Farm in Readington, New Jersey was gracious enough to let Regions 1 and 4 of Zone 3 alternate classes throughout the day. At exactly 3:00PM the last Region 1 class was placed and over 20 riders had extended their seasons another week to Zone 3 Zones in Long Valley, New Jersey on April 9th.

In stark contrast to most recent Region 1 Regionals Penn State University did not dominate the top two placings. Though the Nittany Lions advanced five riders (six rides) to Zones only three riders made the top two (each of which won). Because Zones host Centenary College is allowing the top three rather than the top two at Regionals continue on to the Zone event, a total of 23 rides await Region 1 riders (between 2002 and 2010 only the top two in each division survived, which may or may not be the case again next season depending on who hosts Zones and horse availability at that site). Very surprisingly eight of the ten teams which showed in Region 1 during the 2010-11 regular season will have at least one rider entered at Centenary.

Even on an off-day Penn State still led the way. Elizabeth Lubrano, a senior from Glenmore, Pennsylvania who was abroad for the fall semester, remained unbeaten in open flat. Lubrano won all four spring open flat classes in addition to today's blue ribbon effort. Kristen Cassone, a sophomore from nearby Branchburg, New Jersey (who schooled horses at Briarwood for Region 3 Regionals the next day) won open fences to start the day while later placing third in open flat. Brooke Shinners, a junior from Harleysville, Pennsylvania who rode in Region 4 Regionals for Penn State - Berks Campus last season, won the intermediate flat class which concluded the day for Region 1 (Region 4 held the final class, which was also intermediate flat). Seniors Jake Benedict (Doylestown, Pennsylvania) and Michelle Stolte (San Rafael, California) were third in novice flat and advanced walk-trot-canter, respectively.

Susquehanna's Amanda Maggiano holds the blue ribbon while Crusaders head coach Jan Phillips holds the picture fram awarded to each Region 1 rider who won a class at Regionals. Maggiano beat out 12 others to win novice flat. Maggiano was the first of three Susquehanna riders to advance to Zones during the day.

Dickinson College, which for the first time in program history claimed reserve high point team honors for the 2010-11 season, advanced four riders (and five rides). Christina Wolf, a sophomore from Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania (what a neat coincidence! - Editor) was third in open fences to start the day. Novice fences was clearly the Dickinson highlight, as judge Michelle Morosky asked all three Dickinson riders to come back to test. When the placings were announced there had been no trickery. Julia Sturgeon (sophomore, Nashville, Tennessee) was third, Kim Spackman (senior, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania) was reserve champion and Mary McClintock (senior, West Bath, Maine) was grand champion. This marked the only time all day that a Region 1 team (or any team if you include Region 4) swept the top three ribbons in a division. Spackman later repeated her placing in novice flat.

Gettysburg College finished the regular season two points behind Dickinson. The Bullets qualified two riders (three rides) for Zones. Julie Weisz, a junior from Coto De Caza, California was second to Cassone in open fences and second to Lubrano in open flat (the latter division was not as dramatic as most, owing to the fact that only Weisz, Lubrano and Cassone were entered). Greer Luce, a sophomore from Milford, New Jersey was third in intermediate flat. Weisz will actually ride more that twice at Zones. This season Zone 3 Zones will include a Cacchione division. This unofficial class will include not only the top four open riders in the Zone but also the reserve high point open riders from each region. Therefore Weisz and Cassone will take part in an eight-way Cacchione class with both jumping and flat phases.

Susquehanna University finished fourth place in Region 1 for the season, which was the best year-end rank ever for the Crusaders. Three of the four Susquehanna riders who traveled to Briarwood to compete will now travel to Centenary. Amanda Maggiano, a freshman from Nutley, New Jersey was one of eight riders (out of 13 spread across two novice flat heats) invited back to test. Eventually Maggiano was the novice flat champion, earning the only blue ribbon of the day for the Crusaders. Annie Cecil, a sophomore from Rye, New York was one of eight riders from two walk-trot-canter heats invited back to test. Cecil was second in advanced walk-trot-canter while Lindsay Zacco was the third Susquehanna rider to advance. The freshman from West Chester, Pennsylvania was second to Shinners in intermediate flat (made up of only five riders, there was no testing in this division). It appears that Susquehanna either set a new team record for most riders advancing to Zones in one season or tied an existing one.

Alexa Aubel of York College of Pennsylvania (center) is joined by Spartan teammates Jennifer Butts (on left) and Erin Hanlon (the team President, on right) after placing second in intermediate fences. Aubel was the only rider from York out of four entered to advance to Zones.

It was all or nothing for Bucknell University, which qualified three riders for Zones. Nicole Lake, a junior from Cape May Courthouse, New Jersey, won the intermediate fences class made up of seven riders to become the first of three Bison to move on to Zones. Katherine Coney, a junior from Stow, Massachusetts ("Stow with no 'E;' We don't Ski" said Coney, as many think of Stowe, Vermont which is a popular locale for Skiing) survived a heat and the callback to be the best of eleven walk-trot-canter riders. In between the heat and the callback Alli Weinberger won the walk-trot class. The sophomore from Lake Forest, Illinois won the smallest class of the day, the only one made up of two riders.

The other rider in that walk-trot class was Allie Forbes. Perhaps a junior (Forbes debated whether she is a senior or not) from Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, Forbes was the only rider from Wilson College to qualify for Regionals during the 2010-11 season. Therefore Wilson had the best 'batting average' at advancing riders to Zones, going one-for-one while everyone else had at least one rider place fourth or below.

Today's show featured one single show program, listing all the classes for both regions in the order in which they were held. The only error in the program that this writer has caught is the omission of Alexa Aubel from the York College of Pennsylvania roster page. The sophomore coincidentally from the town of York, Pennsylvania was listed among the intermediate fences competitors, and when everyone lined up for the announcements near the ribbon table the red ribbon belonged to Aubel.

During one of the Region 4 classes everyone from Region 1 gathered around the awards table for presentation of year-end trophies. Penn State sophomore Kristen Cassone poses with her Mother and a trophy awarded for being the Region 1 high point open rider for 2010-11. Cassone is one of only three riders in Region 1 who will show in more than one individual class at Zones on April 9th.

Two seasons ago Sarah Bechtal became the first Lebanon Valley College rider ever to qualify for Zones (though she did not compete today, Bechtel will be at Zones to show in the alumni over fences division. Because Bechtel was the only Region 1 rider to qualify in either alumni division there was no need to hold the class at Regionals). At today's show Mandi Albright became the second such rider. The sophomore from Newport, Pennsylvania was one of two riders called back to test in intermediate fences. It was not clear if Albright was being tested for first, second or some lower ribbon, but it turned out that Judge Morosky was testing for third as this is the ribbon Albright received (Albright swapped horses, cantered fences 1, 2 and 9, halted, and exited the ring on a loose rein. Morosky specifically liked the way Albright approached each of the jumps). Prior to the start of the show Lebanon Valley head coach Jen Fralick said that this was her last show coaching the Dutchmen. The only coach Lebanon Valley has known in their five-year IHSA history is going back to school herself in the fall. When asked if she would coach a week later should any of her riders advance to Zones, Fralick admitted she would still be the coach for another week.

Though she did not make the callback we should acknowledge Ashley Cunningham of Juniata College. A senior from Pittsfield, Pennsylvania, Cunningham was the lone Juniata rider qualified for Regionals, taking part in the second heat of walk-trot-canter.

Our kind of Test: Prior to the start of the show a questionare was given out to each of the Region 1 and Region 4 teams. This test was to see what members of Region 1 knew about Region 4 and vice versa. Among the questions were 'who is the Region President?' (Region 4 has two of them) and 'how many teams are in the region?' (Region 1 was missing Millersville while Region 4 was missing East Stroudsburg if one were to try and count the schools listed in the program). However our favorite question was 'who keeps the official points (in each region)?' A recent University of Scranton graduate by the name of Michelle Geise keeps the Region 4 points while Meghan Spellman of Gettysburg had the honor in Region 1 for the 2010-11 season. Spellman, who went to high school with Region 4 Cacchione rider Danielle Miranda of Lafayette College, was seventh in intermediate fences. Someone in Region 1 won the contest, for which they received a container of cookies and other items similar to brownies.

What's next?: For the first time since 1982 Centenary College will take part in a Zones show which also includes the likes of Penn State, Delaware Valley College and Rutgers University. Zones host Centenary College was in the same region as those three schools from 1976 (when Eastern Pennsylvania and Central New Jersey split away from the New York City area) until 1982, when the Cyclones left the IHSA. Centenary returned two seasons later, as a member of what until this season was known as Zone 2, Region 1. In 2010-11 all of Zone 2, Region 1 became Zone 3, Region 3, while schools in Western Pennsylvania which were known as Zone 3, Region 3 became Zone 6, Region 5. Since Zones did not exist prior to 1989 (teams went directly to Nationals while individuals went from Regionals to Nationals) this is the first time many will see the Centenary College Equestrian Center. 12 riders (three from each region within Zone 3) will compete in the individual classes while riders from Penn State, Delaware Valley, Lafayette and host Centenary will compete in the team competition. Riders who place first and second in the individual classes as well as the top two teams will continue their seasons on to IHSA Nationals in Lexington, Kentucky May 5th through 8th.

---Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Sunny skies, with temperatures reaching the mid '50's. Entire show held indoors. Start time: 8:52AM. Finish: 3:00PM - Coaches and Captains meeting held prior to start of show. There were multiple schooling breaks which took close to an hour. Judge: Michelle Morosky. Stewards: Grice/Penn State University, Vulich/Dickinson College and Phillips-Hillyard/Bucknell University.

Class-by-Class results, in the order in which they were held, with the top three in each class advancing to Zone 3 Zones on April 9th in Long Valley, New Jersey:

Open equitation over fences: 1. Kristen Cassone, Penn State University. 2. Julie Weisz, Gettysburg College. 3. Christina Wolf, Dickinson College. 4. Devon Yacka, Penn State University.

Intermediate equitation over fences: 1. Nicole Lake, Bucknell University. 2. Alexa Aubel, York College of Pennsylvania. 3. Mandi Albright, Lebanon Valley College. 4. Michael Boyland, Gettysburg College. 5. Grace Howard, Bucknell University. 6. Brianna Billingham, Susquehanna University. 7. Meghan Spellman, Gettysburg College.

Novice equitation over fences: 1. Mary McClintock, Dickinson College. 2. Kim Spackman, Dickinson College. 3. Julia Sturgeon, Dickinson College. 4. Alexa Riddle, Gettysburg College. 5. Natalie Huso, Gettysburg College. 6. Erica Flaschner, Penn State University.

Walk-trot: 1. Alli Weinberger, Bucknell University. 2. Allie Forbes, Wilson College.

Novice equitation on the flat: 1. Amanda Maggiano, Susquehanna University. 2. Kim Spackman, Dickinson College. 3. Jake Benedict, Penn State University. 4. Katie Norris, Penn State University. 5. Erin Bair, Dickinson College. 6. Michael LaCourse, Gettysburg College. 7. Julia Sturgeon, Dickinson College. 8. Erica Flaschner, Penn State University.

Advanced walk-trot-canter: 1. Katherine Coney, Bucknell University. 2. Annie Cecil, Susquehanna University. 3. Michelle Stolte, Penn State University. 4. Ericka Mongeau, York College of Pennsylvania. 5. Bailey Kirkpatrick, Dickinson College. 6. Devon Whiteway, Dickinson College. 7. Rachel Dalkin, Gettysburg College. 8. Bethany Heft, Penn State University.

Open equitation on the flat: 1. Elizabeth Lubrano, Penn State University. 2. Julie Weisz, Gettysburg College. 3. Kristen Cassone, Penn State University.

Intermediate equitation on the flat: 1. Brooke Shinners, Penn State University. 2. Lindsay Zacco, Susquehanna University. 3. Greer Luce, Gettysburg College. 4. Amy Woolf, Dickinson College. 5. Nicole Lake, Bucknell University.