SMU Wins Second-Straight Equestrian National Championship

Title is school's 10th national championship, second in equestrian

OCALA, Fla. – SMU will be the reigning national champions in at least one sport as it heads into the Atlantic Coast Conference this summer. The SMU equestrian team won its second-straight National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) National Championship by defeating top-seeded TCU 12-7 on Saturday at the World Equestrian Center.

"It is incredibly special to win back-to-back national championships," SMU Coach Carol Gwin said. "This group has accomplished so much over the last four years. We have won two national championships, been national runners-up, won conference championships and earned countless awards. I am so proud of this group, and we will never forget this moment."

The Mustangs captured the school's 10th national championship, and second in equestrian. It also marks just the second time a school outside of the Big 12 or SEC has won the equestrian National Championship, a feat first accomplished by SMU last season. SMU becomes the third equestrian program to win back-to-back National Championships, a feat previously accomplished by only Auburn (2019) and Georgia (2009, 2004).

SMU finishes the season 12-4, which included a five-meet win streak to end the year. The Mustangs are now 25-5 over the last two seasons.

SMU never trailed on Saturday, leading the meet from beginning to end.

The Mustangs jumped out 4-1 with a powerful start to the day in reining. Shelby Clausen scored first for SMU, posting a 67.83 to beat out Giorgia Medows' 65. Dani Latimer scored next for the Mustangs with an event-high of 73.5. With her third win of the tournament, Latimer tied the program record for career reining victories (33). Latimer's ride was followed by Taylor Zimmerman's 72.17-71.83 victory against Shea Graham, and Chalyce Head gave SMU a fourth point with a 71.67-66.67 defeat of Mattie Dukes.

The Mustangs picked up two more points in horsemanship. Nya Kearns scored a 78-75.83 win over Payton Boutelle. Kearns' second win of the tournament marked her 46th overall as a Mustang, tying the program record for career horsemanship wins. Caroline Nielson added to SMU's first half tally, notching a 75.67-75.33 victory over Medows to build a 6-3 lead at the break.

SMU took the flat with three points to begin the second half. Katy Merchant scored an 83, topping Lilly Goldstein's 82.33. Augusta Iwasaki then defeated Ashleigh Scully 81.67-81, with Taylor Madden earning the Mustangs' third point on the Flat in a 78.67-74.33 victory against Ella Bostwick.

SMU entered fences with a 9-5 advantage, needing just one more point to secure the title.

Iwasaki posted a 91.33-79.67 victory over TCU's Goldstein to clinch the championship. Both Hannah Hoch and Elli Yeager added on with additional Fences scores, finalizing the total at 12-7 SMU advantage.

"I want to shout out Laura Persons, Brad Kearns, and Dean Latimer for having the team well prepared for this entire tournament, and season" Gwin said. "We truly have a special group of coaches and student athletes, and they deserve every bit of this achievement."

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