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BURRIS DOMINATES ALUMNI WESTERN WHILE FORTE SETS NEW IHSA NATIONALS STANDARD FOR COVERING ALL THE BASES Burbank, CA - Every year the Alumni divisions at IHSA Nationals have certain underlying stories. It could be a pair of former teammates matched against each other for the first time. It could be siblings in the same division. It could be a rider trying to win a division two (or three) years in a row. 2008 IHSA Nationals did not look set to have many such stories when the Zones and Semifinals shows were completed. However the decision of one hunter seat Zones survivor not to take part in the National show opened up the door for one of the great IHSA achievements of all time. Mount Holyoke alumni rider Christine Gunn, whom had placed second at Zone 1 Zones in alumni flat on April 5th (and who placed second at 2007 IHSA Nationals in the individual intermediate over fences) knew far enough ahead of time that she would not be able to compete at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center for the individual alumni flat National Championship that the third place rider at Zones could move up and take her place. Third in the division that day was none other than 2002 Brown University graduate Amanda Forte, whose resume at IHSA Nationals deserves to be revisited... A standout rider as a teenager before ever attending Brown, Forte's IHSA Nationals debut was a first in individual open flat at the Cazenovia College Equestrian Center in 1999. A year later Forte won the individual open over fences at 2000 Nationals in Conyers, Georgia, while also placing fourth in the Cacchione Cup (Forte might have won the cup in 2000 had she not been unfairly penalized for an unautherized dismount after the final jump due to a loose saddle - Editor). 2001 Nationals were again at the Georgia International Horse Park, and though the University of Findlay stole the show by becoming the first school ever to win the hunter seat and western team championships the same season, Forte won both english team open classes and the Cacchione Cup. Forte became the first rider in Brown University history to win a team class and/or win the Cacchione Cup. Forte's final IHSA Nationals as an undergraduate saw her back at Cazenovia, earning a first in team open fences, seconds in both individual open flat and the Cacchione Cup and a fourth in team open flat. Brown finished third at 2002 Nationals, the Bears' finest showing up to that point. Though more than one rider had accomplished the feat of winning both team open divisions, both individual open divisions and the Cacchione Cup prior to Forte, none had ever returned to the ring after graduating and found themselves a winner in both hunter seat alumni divisions. Some may have thought they had seen the last of Forte riding in the IHSA at 2002 Nationals, but in the fall of 2005 Forte resurfaced back in Zone 1, Region 1 for her first IHSA Alumni rides. Her first season back in IHSA was very hit and miss, with Forte having either very good or forgetable rides. Forte did go all the way to Nationals in alumni fences, eventually going off-course in the middle of a beautiful round at Harrisburg in May of 2006. Forte was far more consistant during the 2006-07 season, and few were surprised to see her again competing for the alumni fences championship at the Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts in May of 2007. Forte was second in the initial judge's scoring to 2006 William & Mary graduate Jill Wilson. However both were asked to return for testing, with Forte elevated to blue ribbon status. With the win Forte was now in search of a blue ribbon in only one division - the Alumni Flat - to become the only rider in IHSA history with firsts at IHSA Nationals in both hunter seat team open divisions, both individual hunter seat open divisions, the Cacchione Cup and both hunter seat alumni divisions. Thanks to an error in the 2008 Nationals show program, some might have believed that Forte would be riding in both alumni divisions (Forte only accrued 17 points over fences during the regular season). Forte was not one of the 15 riders to reach Nationals in alumni fences, which was both the first class of the day on Saturday, May 10th, and the first alumni class of any kind held at 2008 IHSA Nationals. 2007 College of Charleston graduate Erin Boles was first into the ring at 9:02AM Pacific time and roughly one hour later announcer Kenn Marash was ready to announce the placings from tenth to first. After thanking five riders for their participation tenth went to University of Scranton graduate Sabrina King. It was the first time at Nationals for King, who judges Michael Page and Sue Ashe felt was worthy of a score of '65' for her round. Ninth place went to Delaware Valley College graduate Genna Weissner, who ironically had finished one placing ahead of King at Zone 3 Zones on April 13th. Weissner, who had a large following in attendance at Nationals (including trainer Ron Blessington, who rode for Bucks County Community College at 1991 Nationals), received a considerably higher score of '73.' 2006 Pepperdine University graduate Sarah Titlow was next to hear her name called. The Zone 8, Region 2 Cacchione Cup entry two seasons ago, Titlow received a score of '74' and eighth place. Nicki Hunsicker of the University of Connecticut had finished second at Zone 1 Zones over a month earlier. Hunsicker, who was one of five alumni to compete in both hunter seat alumni divisions at 2008 Nationals, received a score of '75' and seventh place. Lisa Tomaselli was one of two Virginia Tech graduates competing in the division (Ironically, Virginia Techs' region, Zone 4, Region 3, does not have alumni classes, so both 2004 VT graduate Alicia Salo and Tomaselli had to emerge from other regions to reach Nationals). Also the Coach of Pace University's equestrian team in Zone 2, Region 1, Tomaselli received a score of '76,' good enough for the 2002 Hokie graduate to earn sixth place. It was hard to believe that the rider with the fifth place ribbon was the only current or former rider from her school to compete at 2008 IHSA Nationals. The legendary Mount Holyoke College program finally did not win their region after 11 straight Zone 1, Region 3 hunter seat titles, yielding to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst for the first time since 1996. Though many members of the Lyons equestrian team qualified individually for Regionals, many were eliminated at the Regional show, and all but two alumni riders were eliminated at Zone 1 Zones on April 5th. Gunn opted out of Nationals earlier, leaving only Laura Tarko to represent the Lyons at Nationals. Tarko, who won the division over Hunsicker at Zones, received a score of '76.5' to earn fifth place. Jaclyn Cradduck, a former Cacchione rider and Middle Tennessee State graduate, received a score of '77' to earn fourth place. Cradduck had finished second to Boles in the division at Zone 5 Zones over a month earlier, and once again the two finished one placing apart. Boles earned third place in her first IHSA Nationals ride since earning her diploma, with a judge's score of '78.'
The Reserve Champion in the division was no stranger to IHSA Nationals. 2002 Hiram College graduate Allison Park (who was Allison Shaw as an undergraduate) had placed fifth in alumni flat at both 2003 and 2005 IHSA Nationals while placing 4th over fences at 2004 Nationals and sixth over fences at 2007 Nationals. Park added yet another ribbon color to her collection. Judges Ashe and Page gave Park a score of '79,' adding a red ribbon and leaving only orange and blue as goals for Park to shoot for next season! As embarassed as we are to admit it, we are not sure if the 2008 Alumni over Fences Champion graduated in 2005 or 2006. In either event it was the first time at Nationals for Ithaca College graduate Audra Ravo. Though she was second to Tomaselli at Zones this time Ravo had the best ribbon of anyone. The only hunter seat alumni rider to receive a score in 80's, Ravo's '80' meant first place. It should be noted that few of the hunter seat divisions were tested during 2008 Nationals, with the alumni fences no exception. However as has been the case at IHSA Nationals since 2004 the judge's scores are announced after each jumping round, which means anyone writing down the scores can figure out the placings before they are announced, save for those occasions when there is either a tie score or further testing. Following the Cacchione Cup work-off phase and team open over fences class, the final IHSA hunter seat alumni class of 2007-08 took place, the Alumni Equitation on the Flat. Mount Holyoke Head Coach C.J. Law, who was on hand to watch Tarko compete, felt it was fate that Forte was able to move up and take Gunn's place at Nationals. Law essentially predicted that Forte would win the division, and her instincts would prove correct. In the meantime all 15 riders walked, trotted and cantered in each direction, with the judges able to sort the division out in less than 30 minutes. Once everyone had dismounted, the handlers had escorted the horses out of the ring and the riders themselves were crowded around the winner's circle the results were ready. Though she was listed in the program (and announced by Marash) as Carolyn Saussy, 2002 University of the South graduate (and now single again) Carrie Barske was tenth. Barske is the first University of the South rider to reach Nationals in a hunter seat alumni division since Kate Elliott was eighth in the same division at Cazenovia in 2002. Angela Netoskie, who was Angie Stone when she graduated from Pace University in the mid 1990's, qualified out of Zone 2, Region 3 and placed ninth. Though Jennine Bullion had placed out of the top ten in alumni fences the Indiana University graduate was eighth this time. The rider in seventh place competed at 2003 IHSA Nationals in the team open on the flat. Her future husband was also at that show, but they never met that weekend! Current University of Wisconsin at Madison Head Coach Mark Aplin was coaching Ithaca College (Lisa Tilstone was Ithaca's lone qualifier, a teammate of Ravo's at the time), and a year later he would be piloting the Badgers. However one rider he did not get to coach was 2003 graduate Jennifer Niemeier, out of the ribbons at '03 Nationals but eventually to return to IHSA in 2007-08 as Jenny Aplin! Aplin placed seventh, and we are still checking the record books to find out if someone married to a Head Coach has ever won a class at IHSA Nationals before. For the seventh year in a row Ashton Phillips qualified to compete at IHSA Nationals in at least one alumni division, and for the seventh season in a row the 1989 Virginia Intermont College graduate earned at least one top ten ribbon. Phillips continues his search for that elusive blue ribbon at the year-end show, this time earning a green, sixth place ribbon. 2003 California University of Pennsylvania graduate Nicole Duncan finished second to Phillips at Zone 3 Zones on April 13th but this time the former Nicole Marculaitis turned the tables, finishing a ribbon higher with a fifth. Fourth place went to the 2007 National alumni on the flat champion, 2006 Drew University graduate Kristine Kennedy. Though Kennedy did not win she can claim to be part of a two-year Drew winning streak, as at least one Drew rider has won a class at Nationals each of the past two seasons. Though the results of the Cacchione work-off would not be announced until that evening, Drew junior James Fairclough II was the 2008 Cacchione Cup champion. Though she did not place in three classes as an undergraduate at 2007 Nationals, Katherine "Kat" Bechtel of Stanford finished high up the charts in her first IHSA Nationals alumni ride, placing third. Former Miami of Ohio Head Coach Jim Arrigon (who currently coaches the Xavier of Ohio team) often refers to the 1999-2000 Red Hawks team as one of his favorites ("a nice bunch of kids," says Arrigon). 2002 Miami of Ohio graduate Erin Armbruster placed third in individual open over fences at the 2000 IHSA National show in Conyers, Georgia, but somewhat surprisingly no long jumps when riding alumni. Now known as Erin Barritt, she is still on top of her game on the flat, and this time around Barritt was the Reserve National Champion, her highest placing at Nationals to date. For some unexplanable reason, the entire Brown team cheered the loudest when Barritt was announced as second in the division.
But perhaps this was because of who was still waiting to be announced. The grand champion Alumni on the Flat rider was Forte, now a winner at Nationals in five undergraduate divisions and two alumni. In Basketball people talk about the time Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in an NBA game. In Baseball they talk about Cy Young winning 511 games or Nolan Ryan throwing seven no hitters. Though one can rightly argue who is the "They" they will be talking about Amanda Forte having won team open flat, team open fences, individual open flat, individual open fences and the Cacchione Cup at Nationals as an undergraduate, and winning alumni flat and alumni fences at later National shows after graduating. Perhaps the only way anyone can upstage Forte would be to win something at the Intermediate level at Nationals, then go on to win all seven ribbons Forte has captured. There are some who feel the current IHSA hunter seat alumni divisions could be subdivided, as to create "Open level" alumni divisions (currently Alumni are supposed to be judged at the novice level, with fences set to novice heights). Though there is nothing to indicate that the alumni classes are changing in any way at the moment it would not surprise this writer that if an Alumni open division (or divisions) was created that Forte would be first in line to register to compete. The final day of IHSA Nationals was Sunday, May 11th, and though only seven classes took place on that day two of the first three were the western alumni divisions. The final day of '08 Nationals commenced at 9:00AM, with 2005 Ohio State graduate Ryan Ceddia entering the ring as the first of 11 Alumni Reining riders. In similar fashion to the fences divisions, the combined judge's scores were announced following each reining pattern. Though usually this means that anyone with a pen and paper can figure out where one will finish there was some drama this time, as two riders tied with a top score of '144.' As a result 2001 University of Wyoming graduate Codi Burris and 2004 Oregon State graduate Carrie Kolstad were tested. Both riders were asked to perform the test on the same horse to balance things out. The western judges for 2008 Nationals were Laurie Krause and Scott Buckwalter, each of whom were judging or co-judging IHSA Nationals for the first time. When it was time to announce the top ten tenth place went to Whitney Eisentraut of Delaware Valley College. Krause and Buckwalter gave Eisentraut a score of '122.5' which was the only score in the division which did not add to a whole number. Though she made her Nationals alumni debut a year ago when she was out of the ribbons in alumni horsemanship Eisentraut is actually a 2008 Del Val grad, having used up her undergraduate eligibility earlier this decade. There was quite a gap between tenth and ninth, as University of Akron graduate Michael Pancoe received a combined judge's score of '132' to take ninth place. Sarah Wells was one of five riders to compete in both western alumni divisions, and the California University of Pennsylvania graduate placed eighth with a score of '133.' Though she had ridden at Nationals as a freshman in individual walk-trot-canter (in 2004) and as a junior in individual novice over fences (in 2006), Claire Winterscheid did not advance to Nationals in a western division. The 2007 Oregon State graduate had been out of the ribbons in her two prior Nationals appearances, but in '08 her first alumni ride (and first requiring a slide stop) resulted in seventh place and a score of '134.' In her only previous ride at IHSA Nationals, Melissa Williams had placed ninth in individual open reining at 2001 Nationals in Conyers, Georgia. That was Williams' senior year at Wesleyan College, and in her first IHSA Nationals ride in seven years she topped that performance with sixth place and a score of '134.' Throughout the 2007-08 season three California of Pennsylvania riders made up the Zone 3, Region 1/3/4 alumni division. One was Wells, one was Melissa Collins and the third was 2007 graduate Kaley Riel. Known as Kaley Jones as an undergraduate, Riel received a judge's score of '138' to earn fifth place. Like Winterschied, it was Riel's first western ride at Nationals, having finished out of the ribbons a year ago at the Big E in individual novice over fences. Besides having ridden in the same region, Alexis Plavacos had something else in common with Eisentraut: Both were at one time members of the Bucks County Community College team where they rode under the legendary Dee Jones. However while Eisentraut transferred to Del Val, Plavacos stayed at Bucks. Plavacos finished one place ahead of Williams and two ahead of Eisentraut at the Laurinburg, North Carolina Semifinal in late March, and this time Plavacos was fourth overall with a '139' score. Though his younger brother Keith has had more success as an undergraduate western rider at Ohio State, Ryan Ceddia still came through with a third and a score of '141' in his IHSA Nationals alumni debut. According to Buckeyes Head Coach Ollie Griffith, Ryan Ceddia "is a genius," having graduated from Ohio State in 2005 with a 4.3 grade point average.
The Reserve Champion in the division had ironically finished fourth out of four in the division at the Laurinburg semifinal. She last competed in the alumni reining at Nationals six seasons earlier, having placed tenth at that time. In 2001 she had finished fourth in individual open reining in her only IHSA Nationals ride as an undergraduate. Burris scored her best ribbon at Nationals to date, placing second with a score of '144' while her test score was '141.' Kolstad was thus the champion, in what was her second-ever IHSA Nationals ride (she had finished out of the ribbons at '04 Nationals in the individual AQHA Trophy class). Kolstad's mother Dana, who was one of many working at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on behalf of Zone 8, was in the winner's circle with her daughter when the blue ribbon was given out. Kolstad received a score of '143' on her test, which kept her undefeated in the division this post-season. Following team walk-trot-canter the final alumni division of 2007-08 took place, the Alumni Western Horsemanship or Alumni Rail division. All 12 riders walked, jogged and lopped before lining up and navigating the pattern one at a time. After roughly an hour it was time for the placings. Wells was the first of five riders in the top ten to receive their second ribbon of the morning, earning tenth place. 2007 Ohio University graduate Rebecca Dingus was ninth, in what was her second IHSA Nationals appearance (sixth in intermediate western at the Big E a year ago). Riel again got the better of former CUP teammate Wells, placing eighth. It was the first time competing at Nationals for 2007 Washington State graduate Erin Wheeler, who placed seventh after having been fourth at the Canyon, Texas Semifinal on March 29th. Kolstad had a chance to become the fourth rider in only seven years to sweep the Western Alumni divisions at Nationals, but that opportunity went by the boards as the former Oregon State rider placed sixth. Williams moved up a placing from her reining ride, earning fifth while Stanford graduate Patricia Huerta earned fourth in what is believed to be her Nationals debut. It was deja vu all over again for 2002 Middle Tennessee State graduate Susan Shemwell. Her only previous IHSA Nationals appearance was in 2001, when she finished third in individual beginner western for Middle Tennessee State. After having won the alumni rail at the Canyon, Texas Semifinal (finishing one placing ahead of former AQHA Trophy rider Kolstad), Shemwell received yet another yellow ribbon for her effort on this day. Had Shemwell won the division, Middle Tennessee State graduates would have set a new alumni western record for having won the division three years in a row. We are still checking the record books to see if Shemwell's ability to place inside the top ten set another record. With Shemwell's third at least one Middle Tennessee State alumni rider has placed sixth or higher in the alumni rail division at Nationals every year since 2003. If you can confirm another school went six years in a row with a top ten ribbon in this division please let us know. At the Laurinburg Semifinal Williams had won Alumni Rail, with Huerta second, Burris third and University of Kentucky graduate Lacey Werczynski fourth. The results of this division proved that prior results should be thrown out, as the lower-ranked survivors in Laurinburg were the top two in the Nation. 2007 Wildcat graduate Werczynski was making her second Nationals appearance, having been out of the ribbons in individual open western horsemanship at the Big E 12 months earlier. Werczynski was the Reserve Champion while Burris, who placed third at the Big E in 2007 and sixth at Cazenovia in 2002 was the new Alumni Western Horsemanship champion. With the win Burris became the first University of Wyoming graduate or undergraduate ever to win a class at an IHSA Nationals show. Burris also become the first western or english alumni rider ever to emerge from Zone 9 and win an alumni division at Nationals since the Zone's creation prior to the 2002-03 season. Burris trained with Missouri State Head Coach Sue Webb (who was part of the entourage in the winner's circle when the final placings were announced) in Zone 9, Region 2 during the 2007-08 regular season. Though the 2008 Nationals Alumni classes lacked the usual 'underlying stories' at least there were some record-setting rides to counteract it. --Steve Maxwell The following is a list of the Alumni Class-by-Class Results from 2008 IHSA Nationals, held in the Equidome at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, California. Alumni Fences and Alumni Flat were held on Saturday, May 10th while Alumni Reining and Alumni Western Horsemanship (also known as Alumni Rail) were held on Sunday, May 11th. The judges for all 2008 IHSA Nationals hunter seat classes were Sue Ashe and Michael Page while the judges for all western classes were Laurie Krause and Scott Buckwalter: Individual alumni equitation over fences: 1. Audra Ravo, Ithaca College. 2. Allison Park, Hiram College. 3. Erin Boles, College of Charleston. 4. Jaclyn Cradduck, Middle Tennessee State University. 5. Laura Tarko, Mount Holyoke College. 6. Lisa Tomaselli, Virginia Tech. 7. Nicki Hunsicker, University of Connecticut. 8. Sarah Titlow, Pepperdine University. 9. Genna Weissner, Delaware Valley College. 10. Sabrina King, University of Scranton. Individual alumni equitation on the flat: 1. Amanda Forte, Brown University. 2. Erin Barritt, Miami University of Ohio. 3. Katherine Bechtel, Stanford University. 4. Kristine Kennedy, Drew University. 5. Nicole Duncan, California University of Pennsylvania. 6. Ashton Phillips, Virginia Intermont College. 7. Jennifer Aplin, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 8. Jeannine Bullion, Indiana University. 9. Angela Netoskie, Pace University. 10. Carrie Barske, University of the South. Individual alumni reining: 1. Carrie Kolstad, Oregon State University. 2. Codi Burris, University of Wyoming. 3. Ryan Ceddia, Ohio State University. 4. Alexis Plavacos, Bucks County Community College. 5. Kaley Riel, California University of Pennsylvania. 6. Melissa Williams, Wesleyan College. 7. Claire Winterscheid, Oregon State University. 8. Sarah Wells, California University of Pennsylvania. 9. Michael Pancoe, University of Akron. 10. Whitney Eisentraut, Delaware Valley College. Individual alumni western horsemanship: 1. Codi Burris, University of Wyoming. 2. Lacey Werczynski, University of Kentucky. 3. Susan Shemwell, Middle Tennessee State University. 4. Patricia Huerta, Stanford University. 5. Melissa Williams, Wesleyan College. 6. Carrie Kolstad, Oregon State University. 7. Erin Wheeler, Washington State University. 8. Kaley Riel, California University of Pennsylvania. 9. Rebecca Dingus, Ohio University. 10. Sarah Wells, California University of Pennsylvania.
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