March 11, 2016
Photo Gallery 1 
| Photo Gallery 2
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| No. 1 Auburn def. No. 5 Oklahoma State | |
| Location | Stillwater, Okla. | Totusek Arena |
| Results | |
| Online | Twitter: @AuburnEQ | Facebook: Auburn Equestrian |
STILLWATER, Okla. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" Tied with one ride remaining, senior Griffin Knight of the No. 1 Auburn equestrian team rode to a 67.5-64.5 win to give the Tigers a 10-9 victory over No. 5 Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla. The win moved the top-ranked squad to 10-1 overall.
"The team rode great today and I felt the scores were going to reflect that," head coach Greg Williams said. "I'm so proud of the team for never slowing down the whole day and am thankful for all the fantastic support from the OKC Auburn Club who cheered us all day.
"Coach Jessica Braswell and Coach Mary Meneely have done a fantastic job coaching our team and getting them ready," Williams added. "But I'm most proud of how our team has responded in two tight meets now."
Auburn held a slim 8-7 lead heading into the final event - Reining. OSU tied the meet at eight and senior Hailey Munger tied her opponent, 68-68, to keep the score locked. Sophomore Alexa Rivard rode to a 71-69.5 victory for the Tigers before OSU's Ebba Lange tied the meet again at 9-9 with a win. Knight was the final rider of the day and secured the team win with her fourth victory of the season in the event.
The Equitation over Fences crew put together a dominating performance to open the meet, sweeping the Cowgirls, 5-0. The sweep was Auburn's second of the season in the event. Freshman Ashton Alexander opened with an 84-76 win over Jorden Davis and senior Elizabeth Benson followed with an 85-79 win over Amy White. Freshman Caitlin Boyle scored 77 points in her victory, while junior Ashley Foster led the way with a team-best 88 points in her win. Freshman Hayley Iannotti closed out Fences with a 78-73 victory over Maggie Drysch. The trio of Benson, Boyle and Iannotti picked up their 10th win in the event this year.
Knight and freshman Lauren Diaz were winners for the Tigers in Horsemanship. Knight earned her 10th victory in the event this year with a 75.5-74 win over Kirsten Chamberland. Diaz then defeated Libby Collins, 75-71.5, for her seventh win this season.
Boyle picked up a point for the Tigers in Equitation on the Flat, defeating Drysch, 74-66.
A pair of Tigers in Rivard and Foster earned MOP honors on the day. Rivard was named MOP in Reining for the first time this season, while Foster's MOP honor in Fences was her third of the year.
Auburn closes out the regular season Saturday, March 12, at No. 7 Kansas State. The Tigers and Wildcats face off at 10 a.m. CT in Manhattan, Kan., at Timbercreek Stables.
For the latest on Auburn equestrian, follow @AuburnEQ on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuburnEQ.