Week 4 Recap for NCEA Spring Slate

Five meets took place

WACO, Texas – The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) saw five meets in the fourth week of spring action.

Single Discipline Meet of the Week

2/20 – No. 5 Sweet Briar Upsets No. 1 Lynchburg on Raw Scores

SWEET BRIAR, Va. - The No. 5 single discipline Sweet Briar College NCEA team (4-3, 3-2 ODAC) upset the No. 1 single discipline University of Lynchburg Hornets (6-0) with a victory at the Harriet Howell Rogers Riding Center on Friday afternoon, 5 (770.5) to 5 (748.5).

On the flat, senior Maggie Booth (Marietta, Ga.) put Sweet Briar on the board with a 73 on GG to secure her point. Sophomore Abigail Schreiner (Villa Rica, Ga.) followed with a winning 72.5 against a score of 68 for her Hornet opponent on Aate, adding another point to the Sweet Briar total. Fellow sophomore Gracie Robertson (Mocksville, N.C.) then delivered a 76 on Kanye to narrowly claim her point as well, rounding out the trio of flat victories that built an early cushion for the home side in a tight matchup, where the Vixens held the edge in the event, 3-2.

Over fences, Sweet Briar gained two more points as Booth completed a winning day with an 81 on Hemingway, compared to a score of 77.5 for her Lynchburg opponent. Senior Naomi Dachis (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) produced one of the standout rides of the day with an 84.5 on Kobe, capturing a 29.5 margin of victory.
With both teams tied at 5-5 following the completion of the meet, the Vixens defeated the Hornets on raw scores of 770.5 - 748.5 to take down the No. 1 nationally ranked side.

Highlights:

Dachis was named Most Outstanding Performer (MOP) over fences with the second-highest score of the meet.
Sweet Briar remains undefeated against Lynchburg, 4-0, when competing on home soil.

NEXT UP

The Vixens will head to Sewanee on Feb. 27th.

Dual Discipline Meet of the Week

2/20 – UT Martin Clicks on All Cylinders in ECAC Triumph Over Delaware

MARTIN, Tenn. – All four MOP performers belonged to the University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian squad today as the Skyhawks pieced together a dominant Eastern College Athletic Conference triumph over Delaware State.

UT Martin never trailed throughout today’s meet, sweeping the fences event 5-0 while also going unbeaten (4-0-1) in flat to cap off a remarkable effort in the Jumping Seat discipline. The Skyhawks also nabbed three points in horsemanship and two victories in reining, improving to 3-6 overall and 3-3 in the ECAC standings.

Garnering MOP accolades for UT Martin today was Kate Mills in fences (81 points), Lydia Jordan in flat (79), Ava Jo Glenn in horsemanship (career-best 79.5) and Abby Tibbits in reining (career-high 77.5). Today’s meet marked the second time that the Skyhawks had swept all four MOP’s as they also accomplished that feat against South Dakota State on Oct. 31.

Mills’ MOP effort was good enough for her team-best sixth victory in fences. Averey Pritchard (80 points) and Kathleen DeGenova (79) also claimed their fifth wins of the 2025-26 campaign while Daphne Stavig (78) and Audrey Morris (77) picked up their second head-to-head victories of the season.

In flat, Jordan’s MOP coasted her to a three-way tie for the team lead with her fourth win of the season. She equaled Mills (79) and DeGenova (78) for that title as both UT Martin upperclassmen also notched victories today. Shelby Davis earned her third win of the season with a score of 71 points while Amelia Turner tied her head-to-head competitor with 75 points.

Glenn’s whopping score of 79.5 points led to her first horsemanship MOP as a Skyhawk and her second win in as many meets. Ruby Gunderson additionally established a new career-high in scoring as her 75-point ride resulted in her team-best fifth win of the season. Olivia Wynn (65 points) also turned in her fourth victory of 2025-26 while Claire Carpenter (72.5 points) and Kailyn Veale also represented UT Martin in the lineup.

A trio of Skyhawks set career-high scoring tallies in reining, paced by Tibbits’ first MOP and team-best fifth win of the season. Stevie Brown dialed up a career-best 73.5 points for the third victory of her senior campaign while Elise Mason’s 74 was also a career-high. Payton Bundy (70.5) and Carpenter (66) concluded the scoring for UT Martin in that event.

NEXT UP
Senior Day is set for tomorrow as the Skyhawks host ECAC rival Minnesota-Crookston with an updated start time of 11:20 a.m. Brown, Davis, DeGenova and Veale will all be recognized in a post-meet ceremony at approximately 3:30 p.m.

2/21 – Skyhawks Complete Perfect Weekend With Senior Day Victory Over ECAC Foe Minnesota Crookston

MARTIN, Tenn. – For the second straight day, the University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian team bested an Eastern College Athletic Conference opponent by a 15-4 score as the Skyhawks soared to a Senior Day win over Minnesota-Crookston.

Today's victory capped off a fitting two-day stretch for the UT Martin seniors as Stevie Brown (reining), Shelby Davis (flat), Kathleen DeGenova (fences/flat) and Kailyn Veale (horsemanship) combined for a 10-0 head-to-head record in their final home appearances.

The Skyhawks swept all five points in horsemanship while adding four victories in reining, three wins (and a tie) in flat and three triumphs in fences.

UT Martin generated three MOP accolades today as DeGenova (80 points in flat), Veale (career-best 81.5 points in horsemanship) and Abby Tibbits (career-high 79 points in reining) showed out in the 2025-26 home finale.

Veale's team-best second MOP ride (and fourth win) of the season was one of four career-high Skyhawk scores in horsemanship as Ruby Gunderson (80 points for her team-best sixth victory of the season), Olivia Wynn (80 points, fifth win in 2025-26) and Ava Newsom (77.5 points, second win of the year) also picked up the best tallies of their collegiate careers. Ava Jo Glenn capped off the event sweep with 76.5 points for her third win in five starts this season. The victories for Wynn, Gunderson, Veale and Glenn were the second in as many days for each of those UT Martin representatives.

In reining, Tibbits picked up her second MOP medal of the weekend – posting her team-best sixth head-to-head victory in the process. Brown's career-high 79 points improved her to 2-0 on the weekend and was her fourth win of the 2025-26 campaign. Payton Bundy’s career-best 78 points tied Tibbits for the team lead in wins (six) while Elise Mason was responsible for her fifth triumph of the season after a 71.5-point performance. Claire Carpenter (71 points) wrapped up the Skyhawk lineup.

Four UT Martin riders polished off unbeaten weekends in flat, headed by DeGenova's team-best second MOP and team-high fifth win of the season. Davis' 79-point effort was her second win in as many days (fourth on the year) while Lydia Jordan equaled DeGenova for her team-best fifth victory in 2025-26 with 74 points to cap off a 2-0 weekend. Kate Mills’ 78 points tied her competitor and moved her record to 1-0-1 this week while Amelia Turner (76 points) additionally represented the Skyhawks.

DeGenova compiled a career-best 81 points in fences for the team-high sixth win of her senior campaign and second in as many days. Daphne Stavig managed her third win of the season (2-0 this week) with 80 points while Averey Pritchard put the finishing touches on a 2-0 weekend and co-team-high sixth victory with 79 points. Mills and Audrey Morris rounded out UT Martin's lineup with 81 and 75 points, respectively.

NEXT UP

The Skyhawks finish out the regular season next month with three matchups in California. UT Martin will take on Fresno State and Baylor on March 6 before heading to ECAC rival UC Davis on March 7.

Dual Discipline Meet of the Week

2/21 – EQ Upsets No. 7 TCU on Senior Day, 11-8

WACO, Texas – The Baylor equestrian team rallied with an early lead to upset No. 7 TCU 11-8 at the Willis Family Equestrian Center on Saturday afternoon.

The Bears (2-7, 2-3) earned event wins in Flat and Horsemanship to defeat the Horned Frogs (6-5, 2-3). Senior Lauren Jorgensen earned both Most Outstanding Performer honors in Fences and Flat, while junior Carley Rutledge earned the nod in Horsemanship.

THE RUNDOWN
Starting the day in the indoor arena, the Bears got off to a hot start. Lauren Reid upended TCU's 70.5 with an 83 for her sixth win of the season. MOP Jorgensen's 86 bested the Horned Frogs' 72.5 and Morgan McCarthy rode for a 70.5 to topple her opponents 65. The Bears won the event 3-2.

In Reining, Kalena Reynolds tied her career high of 73.5 but her opponent scored the same for no point to be awarded. Sadie Peters and Britt McIlnay both earned career highs with a 72 and 72.5, respectively. Both squads earned two points each to tie the event at 2-2.

At halftime, Baylor led 5-4 heading into Fences and Horsemanship.

After the half, McCarthy bested her opponent 79-75.5 for a point in Flat. MOP Jorgensen earned the Bears a point 83.5-80.5. The Horned Frogs earn all the other points, winning the event 3-2.

Finishing in Horsemanship, the Bears dominated to win its first event win of the season. Anna Thron won her point 76-71.75. MOP Rutledge earned her first career point with a career high of 77.5. Taylor Smith bested TCU 76-74.75 and Addisyn Albers earned her point 75.25-72.5. The Bears won the event 4-1 and won the meet 11-8.

NOTABLES

Flat earned its fourth event win of the season, 3-2
Horsemanship earned its first event win of the season, 4-1
Horsemanship junior Carley Rutledge earned her first career MOP
Horsemanship junior Taylor Smith earned her first point of the season
Rutledge rode for a career high of 77.5 to earn her first point
Jumping Seat freshman Lila Badham made her collegiate debut
Badham scored a career high of 64
Jumping Seat senior Lauren Jorgensen tied her season high score of 86 in Flat
Jorgensen earned her second MOP in Flat this season
Jorgensen earned her second MOP in Fences this season
Reining senior Britt McIlnay earned a career high of 72.5
Reining senior Kalena Reynolds tied her career high of 73.5
Reining senior Sadie Peters rode a career high of 72

STAT OF THE MEET
77.50 – Horsemanship junior Carley Rutledge rode Mister for a career high score of 77.50 to earn her first career point and career MOP honor.

WHAT’S NEXT
The Bears take a week off before traveling west to Fresno, Calif. to battle UT Martin on Friday, March 6 and No. 8 Fresno State on Saturday, March 7 to close out the regular season. Both meets will start at 12 p.m. at the Student Horse Center.

2/21 – Minnesota Crookston Picks Up First NCEA Victory with Win Over Delaware State

MARTIN, Tenn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston equestrian team picked up their first team victory in the NCEA with a 10-6 win over Delaware State University February 21 at the Ned McWherter Agricultural Complex in Martin, Tenn.

The Golden Eagles have a 1-7 mark in their first full season competing exclusively in the NCEA. They fell to Delaware State 13-6 September 26.

In Fences, Minnesota Crookston picked up a pair of victories. Julianne Lurie (Fr., Seminole, Fla.) earned a 76-74 win over Elizabeth Hopkins on Ferrari. Additionally, Maggie Lawler (Fr., Algonquin, Ill.) picked up a 79-73 win over Grace Mangrum on Pearl. Kristen Borchert (Sr., Coon Rapids, Minn.) scored a 78, while Belle Syrett (Jr., Winnipeg, Manitoba) tallied a 73.

The Golden Eagles had a strong performance in Flat. Syrett earned her point with a 75-73 victory over Mangrum on Finn. Lawler earned a MOP with a 79-72 victory over Kendall Very on Archie. Lawler recently earned the ECAC Flat Rider of the Week accolade. Lurie picked up a 77-75 win over Lily Kosal on Doug.

In Horsemanship, the Golden Eagles earned a pair of wins. Emma Mutnansky (So., Cass Lake, Minn.) defeated Emily Firth 79.5-65.5 on Shiner. Mutnansky, a three-time ECAC Horsemanship Rider of the Week, recorded her highest score of the 2025-26 season. McKenna Hooyer (Jr., Rock Rapids, Minn.) took a 77.5-69 victory over Hallie Prater on Tia. The point total was also the highest of the season for Hooyer.

In Reining, Allison Patron took home a MOP and a win 77-75.5 over Anna Payne on Tia. Patron had her highest score of the season. Siara Mosby (So., Bremerton, Wash.) took home a win over Estella Estus on Yeti. Hooyer earned a 71.5-70.5 win over Claire Andrews on Sarge.

UP NEXT

The Golden Eagles are done with the regular season and are now set for the ECAC Championship March 26-28 in Dover, Del.

2/21 – No. 1 Auburn Earns 13-7 Win Over No. 4 SMU Saturday

AUBURN, Ala. - The No. 1 Auburn equestrian team returned to the Auburn University Equestrian Center for the first time in 2026 and downed No. 4 SMU, 13-7, Saturday afternoon.

“It was great to be back home,” head coach Jessica Braswell said. “I’m really proud of this team and I think we’re getting close to putting a full meet together. Today was a good step in the right direction for us as we prepare to hit the road once again next week.”

The competition between the Auburn (7-2) and the Mustangs (4-5) was pushed back an hour because of weather, but that didn’t deter the Auburn fans from coming out and supporting the top-ranked Tigers.

“A big thank you to the Auburn faithful that came out today,” Braswell said. “We had some bad weather come through and we were delayed and everyone still showed up and that means a lot to this team.”

Auburn won three of the four events and took home all four Most Outstanding Performer honors. The Western side went 7-3, while Jumping Seat finished 6-4 vs. SMU.

“Horsemanship bounced back from their performances at our last meet and were excellent today,” Braswell said. “I’m also proud of our Flat riders. They keep getting better and better.”

The Tigers opened up the day with a 3-2 victory in Reining.

Junior Callie Hogg led things off with a 63.5-63.25 edge over Siena Krueger before senior Alexia Tordoff won MOP honors with a 70.25-0 win. The Mustangs took the next two points before freshman Michelle Fumagalli closed out the event with a 69-66.25 victory.

The Auburn Flat corps followed suit and had a great day on the Jumping Seat side, finishing 4-1-0 vs. SMU. Junior Avery Glynn opened up the event with her MOP ride, scoring 80 points to best her opponent’s 77.5. Sophomore Ariana Marnell earned a 78.5 to defeat Caroline Signorino’s 71 and classmates Sadie Berkhout and Kate Hagerty edged their opponents with a 78 and 76, respectively.

The Tigers held a 7-3 lead after the first two meets and sealed the team victory with Horsemanship’s 4-1-0 win.

Senior Caroline Fredenburg kicked off the event with a 71.5-70.75 win. Junior Brooke Jolstad captured MOP with her 75-74.5 edge over Alexa Black and Tordoff finished her day undefeated with a 74.25-66.5 victory vs. Jayna Lagace. Junior Sydney Swallom clinched the Auburn, besting her opponent, 74.75-73.5.

The Fences squad picked up two more points for the team to secure the 13-7 win. Hagerty won MOP with 85 points in her victory, while freshman Caroline Olsen edged Augusta Iwasaki, 79.5-78.

COMING UP NEXT
Auburn travels to rival and No. 3 Georgia for a Saturday meet on the road. The Tigers and the Bulldogs will face off at 11 a.m. CT on February 28 in Bishop, Georgia at the UGA Equestrian Complex.

About the NCEA
A non-profit corporation, the NCEA is a governing body to advance the sport of equestrian. The NCEA is responsible for the development and administration of equestrian rules and guidelines. Equestrian is subject to all NCAA policies and procedures in the same manner as other sports. In 1998, Equestrian was identified and adopted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) as an emerging sport for women at the Division I and II levels.

NCEA competitions are in a head-to-head format, and schools may choose to compete as a single or dual discipline team (Jumping Seat and Western). Each discipline has two events: in Jumping Seat, Fences and Flat, and in Western, Horsemanship and Reining. Teams can have five riders per event, with horses assigned by random draw at the start of the competition. Riders from opposing teams compete on the same horse, and whichever rider receives the higher score earns one point for her team. The level of difficulty is demonstrated by the accuracy of the pattern and how the competitor uses the horse to the best of her ability.

To stay up to date all year long on all things NCEA Equestrian, follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @NCEA_Equestrian and @ncea_eq.

- collegiateequestrian.com -