April 18, 2013
AUBURN, Ala. -
Auburn Equestrian's No. 8 seed Western team got off to a strong start at the 2013 NCEA National Championships defeating Baylor, 5-3, Thursday at the Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas.
"The girls rode great," Auburn head coach Greg Williams said. "They are all focused and ready to go. The second round will be full of intensity and great rides."
Auburn defeated Baylor, 3-1, in reining and tied, 2-2, in horsemanship to preserve the victory. Indy Roper (140.5-140), Cheyenne Cracraft (136-131.5) and Katsy Leeman (134.5-132.5) each won their points in reining, while Leeman (142.5-128.5) and Stephanie Rucci (147-133) earned wins in horsemanship.
"Today was a great step in preparing us for tomorrow," Leeman said. "We were very confident and plan to carry that over against Oklahoma State where we go against the top-seeded team. Our overwhelming team spirit was definitely unmatched today."
The Tigers move on to the second round and will face No. 1 seed Oklahoma State on Friday. Auburn's Hunt Seat team will begin competition after a first-round bye as it takes on No. 12 South Dakota State, who upset No. 5 TCU, 1107-1015, in raw score on Thursday.
Live scoring is available for each day of competition at http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/w-equest/ncea-live-scoring.html.
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