(Crookston, Minn.) – The University of Minnesota, Crookston Western Equestrian team returned home from a very successful show held at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln in Lincoln, Neb. this past weekend. The Golden Eagles took home Reserve High Point team honors for both shows as well as having two team members tied for Reserve High Point Riders. Co-Captain Jackie Ezell (So, Carlton, Minn.) and Ashley Copa (Fr, Fargo, N.D.) both won their Open Horsemanship Class and were fifth in the Reining Division which tied them for the award. U of M, Crookston ended their regular season as the overall Reserve High Point team for Zone Nine of Region Three trailing the University of Nebraska, Lincoln Western team by only a handful of points.
Other winners from the weekend were Melanie Regan (Sr, Anchorage, Alaska), Jessica Hanson (So, Andover, Minn.), Amanda Peterson (So, Rochester, Minn.) and Gretchen Lucken (Fr, Greenwald, Minn.) who each won in their respective divisions. Kayla Klein (Fr, Hazen, N.D.), Rachel Muise (Sr, Ojai, Cal.) and Sarah Nowacki (Sr, Argyle, Minn.) brought home second place awards in their divisions as well. All members of the team placed well at each show as we remained consistently competitive through both shows.
This was the last regular season Western Horse Show. The Golden Eagles were able to qualify a total of ten riders for the Regional Competition on Saturday, March 8 at South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D. The ten riders who qualified are Sheena Engelbert (Sr, Bruce Crossing, Mich.), Ezell, Peterson, Matt Abraham (Jr, Frazee, Minn.), Amber Miller (Sr, DePere, Wis.), Kathy Ternes (Sr, Felton, Minn.), Hanson, Klein, Elsa Lunden (Fr, Annandale, Minn.) and Lucken. If any of these riders place in the top two slots of their division, they will advance to Western Semi-Finals on Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30 at West Texas A & M in Amarillo, Tex. From there, they may qualify for the National Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Competition held on May 9 – 11 in Los Angeles, Cal.
“I was really pleased with how well the last show of the year went for us,” says Golden Eagle Western Coach Nicky Overgaard. “I was especially pleased that we met our team goals for the year by being the Reserve High Point team for the region, qualifying ten riders for the Regional Show, and finally - really bonding as a team. We were able to meet our goals and become a team to be reckoned with at the shows. I am excited to get in a few extra practices before the Regional Show and expect some great rides at the Regional Show on the March 8.”
For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.
The University of Minnesota, Crookston is a NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Golden Eagle Hockey is a member of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).
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UMC News