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NITTANY LIONS TAME DIPLOMATS BY SEVEN Bellefonte, PA - Slowly but surely the Penn State Nittany Lions pulled away from the field at Eastwood Farms in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania on October 15th. Penn State scored 32 points to edge Franklin & Marshall with 25, the latter proving to be the most consistant team in the country early on (The Diplomats scored 25 points in the season opener two weeks earlier). Of the sixteen classes held, 12 were won by Penn State riders. Kendall Ross (open flat), Samantha Pandolfi (open fences), Lauren Dowler (same), Katie Sheehan (novice flat), Emily Zubrow (same), Sarah Lepley (novice fences), Keith George (advanced walk-trot-canter), Jenna Giambalvo (same), Kate Hemmelef (same), Erin Boyce (beginner walk-trot-canter), Erin Nowelsky (walk-trot) and Amanda Glantz (same) were the Nittany Lion blue ribbon winners. Dowler was second in open flat while Lepley was second in novice flat, and with no riders winning twice both were part of a three-way ride-off at the end of the day. The third member of the ride-off was Franklin & Marshall junior Andrew Olen. From Malvern, Pennsylvania, Olen was a winner in the final section of open flat while having placed second to Dowler in open fences earlier. Olen was the only rider not from Penn State to win any of the seven classes which took place after the lunch break. The Diplomats claimed a blue ribbon early in the day via Bonnie Ascher. The freshman from New Britain, Pennsylvania won the lone section of intermediate flat, which was made up of a whopping 13 riders who were all in the ring simultaniously. Franklin & Marshall's 25-point score is all the more impressive in that the Diplomats had neither a walk-trot nor a walk-trot-canter rider entered in today's show.
Wilson College had a full card, and for the second time in as many shows placed third overall. Leading the way for the Phoenix was junior Kimberly Crowell. From Plainfield, Massachusetts, Crowell won the second of two sections of novice fences while teammate Kaitlin Johnson was the runner-up. Johnson was one of four red-ribbon winners for Wilson, as Alise Melvin (intermediate flat), Stephanie Forbeck (advanced walk-trot-canter) and Jaclyn Smith (same) were also awarded seconds. Smith, whose older sister Alicia rides open for Wilson (and will graduate in December), now needs seven points to class up into the novice flat. Dickinson College was fourth overall a point behind Wilson. The Red Devils were led by sophomore Elizabeth Gingrich, who placed second in the open fences and freshman Ashley Adamik, a red ribbon-winner in her IHSA debut over the novice fences. Dickinson improved considerably on the scoreboard from the opener, during which the Red Devils scored only 11 points. It should be noted that like Franklin & Marshall, Dickinson did not have a full card, with no walk-trotter on hand. Gettysburg College had scored 19 at the opener but was held to 14 this time. The Bullets could claim a blue ribbon however, as Courtney Leith was a winner in the lone (and very large) section of intermediate fences. A sophomore from Rockville, Maryland, Leith was a blue ribbon winner for the second time in her IHSA career. Gettysburg also had the red ribbon in intermediate fences, won by junior Liz Richman. The intermediate fences was the largest class of the day, with 14 riders (four from Gettysburg) entered. Back in March the Bullets made a plea at the final regular season Coaches & Captains meeting for help finding a new Head Coach. Though no one had any suggestions at the time, the Bullets have found a Head Coach with several seasons of IHSA coaching experience. Janis Groomes is one of two Head Coachs in the IHSA this season that will attempt to coach two teams in separate regions, and in this case, separate Zones. In addition to coaching Gettysburg, Groomes is the Head Coach of Mount Saint Mary's University, which is located on the Maryland/Pennsylvania border not far from the Wilson, Dickinson, York College, Franklin & Marshall and Gettysburg campuses. Groomes' teams have been consistant so far. Through three Zone 4, Region 1 show Mount Saint Mary's is averaging 17 points a show while Gettysburg is averaging 16.5 through two!
Bucknell has a new coach in 2006-07, and she too has IHSA experience. Farra Phillips-Hillyard coached Susquehanna in 2003-05, and many will recall that her Mother, Jan Phillips, coached the Bison throughout the 1990's up to the Spring of 2005. Bucknell has several new riders, some of which only showed at either the first or second Penn State show (one rider who was not present today was Sarah Schubert, who was reserve high point rider at the season opener October 1st). The Bison scored ten points at today's show, with sophomore Devon Avallone earning nine of them. From Pleasantville, NY, Avallone was making her IHSA debut. One of several new open riders for Bucknell, Avallone was second over fences while placing third on the flat. Bucknell also earned the final red ribbon of the day when freshman Liana Horner placed second in advanced walk-trot-canter. Penn State, Wilson, Gettysburg and Bucknell all had full cards at today's show. By contrast, York College of Pennsylvania had only two places filled on their point card. Due to a scratch, the Spartans had only the walk-trot and walk-trot-canter divisions covered. Though all of York's rides came after the lunch break (when Penn State was on top of their game), the Spartans were able to snare red ribbons their first four classes with participants. Melissa Chia went first and took second in the lone section of beginner walk-trot-canter. Two classes later junior Melissa Shelley was second in the first section of walk-trot. Three classes later York had two riders in the ring for the second walk-trot class. While Caryn Piechowski was just out of the ribbons senior Jade Camerer kept her hot streak alive with a red ribbon. Camerer, who won her walk-trot class back on October 1st has never finished below second in an IHSA show. Susan Sweeny was third in the final class of the day, earning four points for the Spartans in advanced walk-trot-canter. York ended with nine points, a decent follow-up to the first show when they scored 11 and had a novice flat rider taking part.
Susquehanna University had three riders at today's show, and the Crusaders averaged a point per rider. Laura Peffer earned two of Susquehanna's points with a fifth in novice flat while Jessica Owens took sixth in novice fences, the lone jumping round for the Crusaders. Sara Sciarello was reserve in the advanced walk-trot-canter. Save for open flat and fences, Indiana University of Pennsylvania had the remaining divisons filled. However IUP managed only one point. Ashley Smith (intermediate flat), Jessica Hazel (novice flat), Kimberly George (novice fences), April Swarthout (beginner walk-trot-canter) and Sasha Sapollich (advanced walk-trot-canter) all finished seventh on separate occasions. Karyn Mikula earned the highest ribbon of the day for IUP with a third in beginner walk-trot. George earned a sixth in novice flat while Veronica Welty did likewise in her section of beginner walk-trot. Welty's sixth in the next-to-last class of the day put IUP on the scoreboard. IUP scored five points in the Region 1 season opener and one cannot help but feel they are a better team than the placings indicated at today's show. Juniata College did not take part at today's show, but will likely be back on several occasions in November. Though not yet officially registered, Lebanon Valley College could make their IHSA debut sometime this season. Whether LVC makes that debut in the Fall or Spring remains to be seen.
The Ride-Off: Though Penn State won six of the last seven and 12 of 16 regular classes, the ride-off went to someone from another school for once. Olen, Dowler and Lepley all were asked by Judge Street Moore to perform some sort of test that looked like a figure eight according to Diplomat's Head Coach Jerre Frankhouser. Initially Dowler looked the best. Then all three riders rode over to the judge who asked for each to perform yet another test. Each rider faced Moore up close so as not to see the rider performing his or her test. Riding a horse named 'Ivan,' Olen looked better the second time around. When the results were announced it was Olen taking the championship and Dowler reserve. Though she was second, Dowler is certainly making a name for herself. The senior from Meadeville, Pennsylvania ("A little south of Erie," says Dowler) has taken part in the last three ride-offs at Region 1 Regular Season Shows dating back to last March, winning a three-way affair on October 1st while finishing second the other two times. Dowler is also two points ahead of Pandolfi in the Region 1 Cacchione race, with Olen five back. Unless several riders from F & M or Wilson get red hot, Penn State appears to be headed back to Zone 3 Zones with a full team for a fifth consecutive season. However the Cacchione race appears to be interesting, and if all the Bucknell open riders compete regularly the results of divisions seven and eight could become very unpredictable. --Steve Maxwell Show Incidentals: Partly sunny skies & windy, with temperatures eventually reaching the upper '60's. Start time: 9:24AM. Finish: 3:42PM - includes a 64 minute lunch break/Coaches and Captain's meeting. Point cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni classes held in this region? No. Judge: Street Moore. Stewards: Vulich/Dickinson College, Frankhouser/Franklin & Marshall College and Davis/Wilson College. Team Totals: Penn State University (High Point Team) 32; Franklin & Marshall College (Reserve) 25; Wilson College 20; Dickinson College 19; Gettysburg College 14; Bucknell University 10; York College of Pennsylvania 9; Susquehanna University 3 and Indiana University of Pennsylvania 1. High Point Rider - Andrew Olen, Franklin & Marshall College
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