Summer Hamil was one of three Kansas State hunter seat riders to advance to IHSA Nationals on an individual basis. Kansas State placed second in the Zone 9 Zones Hunter Seat Team Competition, which assured the cyclones of taking a full team to Nationals.

KANSAS STATE ADVANCES ENGLISH AND WESTERN TEAMS TO NATIONALS

River Falls, WI - Kansas State University became one of only five IHSA teams to advance both an english and a western team to 2005 IHSA Nationals by virtue of 43 points in the Hunter Seat Team Competition (second place) and 36 points in the Stock Seat Team Competition (first place). Allison Woodward (open fences) and Macy Ayers (advanced walk-trot-canter) won team classes for the K-State english team in the AM while Brandi Vogel (open reining), Rachel Pierson (novice western horsemanship) and Sarah Coomes (intermediate western horsemanship) did likewise for the western team in the PM. The wildcats also advanced three hunter seat and three stock seat riders to Nationals on an individual basis.

The University of Wisconsin at Madison hunter seat team had a big day, winning the hunter seat team competition with 51 points. Lindsay Willard won blue ribbons in both team intermediate flat and team novice fences while Kalli Carlson (intermediate fences), Caley Chambers (novice flat) and Nina Galvani (walk-trot) also were victorious for the badgers in team classes. In addition, open rider Stacey Helgren was second in individual open fences, giving her an individual ride at Nationals.

St. Mary of the Woods came close to Kansas State in the Western Team Competition but wound up three points behind. Christina Ecker (open western horsemanship) and Ashley Runyan (beginner western horsemanship) won team classes for SMOTW while Calantha Bandy (individual beginner western) and Ecker (individual open western horsemanship) advanced to Nationals on an individual basis. Third place team University of Nebraska at Lincoln was led by Lindsey Salestrom, who won team advanced western horsemanship. Though they were third out of three, both Nebraska and reserve Kansas State get to take full western teams to Nationals, as Zone 9 has enough western riders overall that the 'top' three teams in the Zones competition each advance.

Ted Chapman from host Wisconsin at River Falls became the only Zone 9 rider to advance to Nationals on both an english and western basis. Chapman placed second in both individual novice fences and individual open reining. Chapman knew entering the show that he would already be riding at Nationals in the AQHA Cup Competition. Chapman was the Zone 9, Region 3 high point stock seat rider for the 2004-05 season.

The individual intermediate flat class not only proved "It isn't over until it's over," but that even then you cannot be sure it is over. The division was initially pinned with Natalie Bennett of Kansas State in first and Jessica Jensen of the University of Wisconsin at Madison second. Sometime later the decision was made to run the class a second time, as hunter seat Judge Terry Beck had not asked the riders in this class to canter in one direction. The class was run a second time after the final hunter seat team class, with Bennett still in first and Meredith Hill of Indiana moving up one place to second. After the second set of pinnings there was still some debate as to which of the two would count. Apparently one of the riders who had been in the first go-round had left for the day. To the best of our knowledge, the second version of individual intermediate flat will count.

The big winners in alumni were Purdue graduate Lauren Sappenfield in hunter seat and Minnesota at Crookston graduate Andrew Hinrichs in stock seat. Sappenfield won both english alumni divisions while Hinrichs won alumni western horsemanship and was placed second by Judge Kay Colvin in alumni reining to Wisconsin at Madison gradute Kristen Foster. Northwest Missouri State alum Deidre Weldon placed second to Hinrichs in alumni western horsemanship while IUPUI graduate Angie Yates placed second to Sappenfield in alumni flat and Mount Holyoke graduate Andrea Bill placed second in alumni fences. Bill's fourth in alumni flat was perhaps the biggest surprise of the day, as the former Mount Holyoke standout was Alumni National Champion at each of the past two IHSA Nationals shows in this division. Wisconsin at Madison's Jensen felt Bill did not have the best of draws for this class. Still Bill did make it to Nationals in alumni fences, a division in which she placed third in 2003 and second the year before that. 2005 IHSA Nationals are at Eden Park Equestrian Complex in Sunbury, Ohio May 5th through 8th, with hunter seat classes taking place the 5th through the 7th and stock seat taking place May 6th through 8th.

--Steve Maxwell, with results courtesy of Jessica Jensen and Jessica Sathoff

Zone 9 Zones Class-by-Class results, in the order in which they were held, with the top two in each individual class advancing to 2005 IHSA Nationals in Sunbury, Ohio May 5th through 8th:

Individual open equitation over fences: 1. Lauren Flexon, Carleton College. 2. Stacey Helgren, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 3. Joanna Prager, Washington University. 4. Lindsey Monroe, Purdue University. 5. Bradley Wolkoff, Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis. 6. Allison Woodward, Kansas State University.

Team open equitation over fences: 1. Allison Woodward, Kansas State University. 2. Stacey Helgren, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 3. Katie Baron, University of Notre Dame.

Individual intermediate equitation over fences: 1. Cameo Parrish, Purdue University. 2. Kristi Santerre, University of Minnesota at Crookston. 3. Natalie Bennett, Kansas State University. 4. Amanda Beyer, Iowa State University. 5. Kristen James, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 6. Chelsea Macaluso, Purdue University.

Team intermediate equitation over fences: 1. Kali Carlson, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 2. Kaitlin Landuyt, University of Notre Dame. 3. Lauren Demmel, Kansas State University.

Individual alumni equitation over fences: 1. Lauren Sappenfield, Purdue University. 2. Andrea Bill, Mount Holyoke College. 3. Lauren McCarthy, Wesleyan University 4. Angie Yates, Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis.

Individual novice equitation over fences: 1. Summer Hammil, Kansas State University. 2. Ted Chapman, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 3. Christine Knowles, Purdue University. 4. Ashley Warren, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 5. Jenae Grossart, Kansas State University. 6. Rebecca Bielinski, Indiana University.

Team novice equitation over fences: 1. Lindsey Willard, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 2. Megan Westberg, Kansas State University. 3. Hayden Piscal, University of Notre Dame.

Individual alumni equitation on the flat: 1. Lauren Sappenfield, Purdue University. 2. Angie Yates, Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis. 3. Joleene Dewitt, Virginia Intermont College. 4. Andrea Bill, Mount Holyoke College. 5. Joanne Numrich, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. 6. Lauren McCarthy, Wesleyan University.

Individual open equitation on the flat: 1. Lauren Flexon, Carleton College. 2. Sheila Gallery, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. 3. Bradley Wolkoff, Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis. 4. Claire Freeman, University of Notre Dame. 5. Kristen James, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 6. Dehlia Burdan, Kansas State University.

Team open equitation on the flat: 1. Kristen James, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 2. Dehlia Burdan, Kansas State University. 3. Claire Freeman, University of Notre Dame.

Individual intermediate equitation on the flat: 1. Natalie Bennett, Kansas State University. 2. Meredith Hill, Indiana University (other placings for this division unknown).

Team intermediate equitation on the flat: 1. Lindsey Willard, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 2. Jenae Grossart, Kansas State University. 3. Allie Montana, University of Notre Dame.

Individual novice equitation on the flat: 1. Rachel Dieg, Indiana University. 2. Jenae Grossart, Kansas State University. 3. Claire Neenan, University of Minnesota at Crookston. 4. Summer Hammil, Kansas State University. 5. Josie Fowler, Earlham College. 6. Lindsey Willard, University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Team novice equitation on the flat: 1. Caley Chambers, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 2. Natalie Poholsky, Kansas State University. 3. Megan Murphy, University of Notre Dame.

Individual walk-trot-canter equitation: 1. Nell Gamble, Purdue University. 2. Sara Pendzick, Truman State University. 3. Elizabeth Strehlow, Purdue University. 4. Natalie Poholsky, Kansas State University. 5. Katie Bates, Carleton College. 6. Sarah Cortes, Carleton College.

Team walk-trot-canter equitation: 1. Macy Ayers, Kansas State University. 2. Heather LaDue, University of Notre Dame. 3. Anna Wagner, University of Wisconsin at River Falls.

Individual walk-trot equitation: 1. Michelle Nystrom, Washington University. 2. Kimberly Wortman, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 3. Jacque Schutzenhofer, St. Mary of The Woods College. 4. Laura Bowen, Taylor University. 5. Brian Mitchell, Northern Illinois University.

Team walk-trot equitation: 1. Nina Galvani, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 2. Lianna Bodlak, Kansas State University. 3. Nicole Gonsalves, University of Notre Dame.

Individual alumni reining: 1. Kristen Foster, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 2. Andrew Hinrichs, University of Minnesota at Crookston. 3. Joanne Numrich, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. 4. Deidra Weldon, Northwest Missouri State University.

Individual open reining: 1. Kate Hess, Southwest Missouri State University. 2. Ted Chapman, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 3. Christina Ecker, St. Mary of the Woods College. 4. Stefani Redding, Parkland College.

Individual alumni western horsemanship: 1. Andrew Hinrichs, University of Minnesota at Crookston 2. Deidra Weldon, Northwest Missouri State University. 3. Joanne Numrich, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. 4. Andrea Bill, Mount Holyoke College.

Team open reining: 1. Brandi Vogel, Kansas State University. 2. Christina Ecker, St. Mary of the Woods College. 3. Erin Perry, University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Individual open western horsemanship: 1. Christina Ecker, St. Mary of the Woods College. 2. Lindsey Hicks, Kansas State University. 3. Felicia Lamb, North Dakota State University. 4. Stefani Redding, Parkland College. 5. Rachelle Bose, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 6. Nichole Ruff, Kansas State University.

Team open western horsemanship: 1. Christina Ecker, St. Mary of the Woods College. 2. Nichole Ruff, Kansas State University. 3. Erin Perry, University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Individual advanced western horsemanship: 1. Ashley Flick, North Dakota State University. 2. Melissa Becking, Kansas State University. 3. Dennon Zimbleman, Kansas State University. 4. Charlynn Turner, St. Mary of the Woods College. 5. Lacy Lausten, University of Minnesota at Crookston. 6. Emily Silver, University of Indianapolis.

Team advanced western horsemanship: 1. Lindsey Salestrom, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 2. Samantha Titus, Kansas State University. 3. Christina Cotner, St. Mary of the Woods College.

Individual novice western horsemanship: 1. Kelly Herrington, University of Illinois. 2. Elayna Haan, Black Hawk College. 3. Lindsay Salestrom, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 4. Jessica Johnson, Black Hawk College. 5. Susann Border, St. Mary of the Woods College. 6. Morgan Sager, North Dakota State University.

Team novice western horsemanship: 1. Rachel Pierson, Kansas State University. 2. Kindra Clauser, St. Mary of the Woods College. 3. Christi Vidlak, University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Individual intermediate western horsemanship: 1. Valerie Meyer, Kansas State University. 2. Katie Weyenberg, University of Minnesota at Crookston. 3. Melissa Grafton, Black Hawk College. 4. Clara Grundman, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 5. Amber Riffey, St. Mary of the Woods College. 6. Katie Dausmen, Indiana University.

Team intermediate western horsemanship: 1. Sarah Coomes, Kansas State University. 2. Brittany Carrol, St. Mary of the Woods College. 3. Nila Holmquist, University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Individual beginner western horsemanship: 1. Calantha Bandy, St Mary of the Woods College. 2. Shane Mathis, Black Hawk College. 3. Katie Decourt, Black Hawk College. 4. Judy Wickam, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 5. Karen Bloomquist, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 6. Kana Henderson, University of Illinois.

Team beginner western horsemanship: 1. Ashley Runyan, St. Mary of the Woods College. 2. Jessica Spalding, Kansas State University. 3. Emily Osberg, University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Final Hunter Seat Team Totals: University of Wisconsin at Madison 51, Kansas State University 43 and University of Notre Dame 34.

Final Stock Seat Team Totals: Kansas State University 36, St. Mary of the Woods College 33 and University of Nebraska at Lincoln 27.

(Thanks to Jessica Jensen from Wisconsin at Madison and Jessica Sathoff from Minnesota at Crookston for providing us with results from each class moments after they took place.)