March 7, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" The Auburn equestrian team moved up to No. 1 in the latest National Collegiate Equestrian Association rankings released Tuesday following a successful weekend on the road last week.
"The team is starting to run much more in sync now and riding much more on the level we see in practices," head coach Greg Williams said. "I'm very proud of the team and coaches and love how we continue to get better weekly. We will be hitting full stride perfectly in the postseason."
Auburn (7-3, 4-2) put together solid performances in Texas this past weekend, opening with a tiebreak win over then-No. 1 Baylor Friday afternoon. The two teams rode to a 9-9 tie and the Tigers came away victorious with a 1495-1481 raw score win.
The squad moved on to College Station Saturday, facing then-No. 2 Texas A&M in the regular season finale. Auburn picked up a solid 12-7 victory over the Aggies following solid showings from Equitation on the Flat and Horsemanship.
Sophomore Caitlin Boyle earned back-to-back MOP honors in Equitation Over Fences on the weekend, while junior Alexa Rivard picked up her first MOP nod of the season in Reining Friday afternoon. Sophomores Ashton Alexander (Flat) and Lauren Diaz (Horsemanship) were also recognized for their outstanding rides against the Aggies.
Auburn will be the No. 2 seed in the upcoming SEC Championships. The two-day tournament will be held at the Auburn University Equestrian Center, March 24-25, and admission is free. Georgia will be the No. 1 seed, while Texas A&M and South Carolina come in at Nos. 3 and 4.
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