Auburn Equestrian Ends Regular Season with 14-4 Victory Over South Carolina
With stormy weather rolling through the southeast, there was some concern Auburn’s Friday equestrian meet might get interrupted or postponed.
But the force of nature on display this afternoon was another outstanding Tigers performance.
How the Meet Went
The meet began with Equitation on the Flat, an event that typically allows the Tigers to start strong and take an early lead.
Friday’s contest went true to the script as Auburn took four of the event’s five points, on strong rides from Ava Stearns, Ellie Ferrigno, Sophee Steckbeck, and Emma Kurtz. Ferrigno’s ride also proved to be the Most Outstanding Performance in the event.
From the way the random draw arranged the head-to-head matchups, Reining figured to be the event the Gamecocks would have their best chance at success. Auburn’s response would likely dictate if the meet would be a close contest, or a blowout Auburn win.
The Tigers’ Reiners handled their Gamecock counterparts, winning the majority of the event’s points. Auburn’s Isabella Tesmer, Kate Buchanan, and Olivia Marino each bested their opponents, with Marino’s ride also winning the MOP distinction.
Auburn’s 7-3 halftime lead had the hundreds of Auburn faithful confident they would not go home unhappy.
The action resumed with the second half’s Equitation Over Fences event. Over the season, few teams have outmatched the Tigers here, and Friday would be no different.
Auburn’s Mary-Grace Segars, along with the familiar Stearns, Ferrigno, and Steckbeck, took their points and put the meet out of reach from the visitors. Teammate Emma Kurtz almost joined them in the winner’s circle but scored a no-point tie with her opponent that denied the Gamecocks any points in the event.
Ferrigno’s incredible day continued as the Auburn junior again registered the MOP ride.
With the meet all but concluded, the crowd’s attention turned to the Western ring where Auburn’s outstanding Horsemanship squad was completing the emphatic victory.
Olivia Tordoff, Alexia Tordoff, and Madison Parduhn turned in winning rides, with teammate Maddie Spak also scoring a no-point tie against her foe. Olivia Tordoff also completed the Tigers’ sweep of the MOP honors with her ride.
The 14-4 final score was an accurate summary of not only Friday’s meet but also of Auburn’s success at home these past few years.
Historic Winning Streak
Every time we turn around it seems like Auburn Equestrian is setting more records. Friday, the Tigers’ home winning streak extended to 31 straight meets against fellow dual-discipline teams.
And this current streak is not only an Auburn program record but also stands out as the gold standard in all of NCEA equestrian.
A Day for Honoring the Seniors
Likely no group appreciates the significance of that home wins streak than the eight members of Auburn Equestrian’s senior class: Lily Beatty, Rachel Hoopman, Lindsey Klein, Emma Kurtz, Hannah Lemel, Mary McDaniel, Maddie Spak, and Olivia Tordoff.
As each member of the class was honored at halftime, the arena’s announcer recounted their impact on the program, along with numerous athletic and academic achievements.
What’s Next?
In three weeks, the Tigers will try to defend their SEC title, facing the Gamecocks on March 24 in the semifinal.
After an Auburn win, the Tigers would face the winner of #2 seed Texas A&M and #3 Georgia the following day.
Auburn has recently risen back up to #2 in the NCEA rankings, and another SEC title, coupled with SMU’s lack of a conference tournament, could produce the perfect storm for Auburn to overtake the Mustangs before the national playoffs.
The Scoresheet
South Carolina 4 - Auburn 14
FENCES:
Bella Primavera (SC) tied Emma Kurtz (AU): 84-84
Mary-Grace Segars (AU) def Madeline Schaefer (SC): 83-80
Ava Stearns (AU) def Jordan Allen (SC): 85-84
*Ellie Ferrigno (AU) def Sydney DeGrazia (SC): 86-76
Sophee Steckbeck (AU) def Natalie Jayne (SC): 83-75
FLAT:
Ava Stearns (AU) def Mary Hunter Millet (SC): 75-71
*Ellie Ferrigno (AU) def Natalie Jayne (SC): 88-80
Sophee Steckbeck (AU) def Madeline Schaefer (SC): 64-59
Emma Kurtz (AU) def Ellie Beard (SC): 80-75
Trinity Hammerschmidt (SC) def Mary-Grace Segars (AU): 82-81
HORSEMANSHIP:
*Olivia Tordoff (AU) def Alexa Thorpe (SC): 75.5-73.5
Kiersten Beckner (SC) def Caroline Fredenburg (AU): 73-71.5
Alexia Tordoff (AU) def Carly Jenkins (SC): 75-73
Tierney Horton (SC) tied Maddie Spak (AU): 74.5-74.5
Madison Parduhn (AU) def Alyssa Jipping (SC): 74-73.5
REINING:
Isabella Tesmer (AU) def Chloe Stephenson (SC): 69-63
Kate Buchanan (AU) def Emma Lane (SC): 69.5-66
Mary Margaret Coats (SC) def Alexia Tordoff (AU): 70.5-70
Emilia Reutimann (SC) def Caroline Buchanan (AU): 68.5-68
Olivia Marino (AU) def Haley Turner (SC): 71.5-70
*Event MOP"