April 5, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" A trio of sophomores in Caitlin Boyle, Hayley Iannotti, and Betsy Brown were recognized by the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) Wednesday for their performances in the month of March and were awarded Rider of the Month honors in their respective disciplines.
Boyle was named the NCEA EquiFit Equitation Over Fences Rider of the Month, while Iannotti was awarded the EquiFit Equitation on the Flat honor. Brown secured the Shorty's Reining Rider of the Month award.
The three members of the Auburn equestrian team all went undefeated in March, helping the Tigers finish the regular season with two big wins on the road against then-No. 1 Baylor and then-No. 2 Texas A&M. The trio also guided the team to a second-place finish at the SEC Championships.
With her four victories in Fences, Boyle improved to 10-4-0 in the event. She was awarded three MOP honors out of four matches in March.
Against the Bears, Boyle scored a season-best 90 points in her win, defeating her opponent by 12 points. She followed with 87 points in her victory the next day in College Station, winning by 15. At the SEC Championships held in Auburn (March 24-25), the Hampshire, Ill., product helped the Tigers advance to the SEC title match with a 165-152 win over her Aggie opponent. In the SEC Championship, Boyle outscored her opponent by 100 points and was awarded MOP. Her 177 points was the third highest Fences score in SEC Championship match history.
Iannotti, of Wellington, Fla., improved to 10-1 on the year in Flat by going undefeated in March. Her 10 victories in the event leads the team and her winning percentage (.909) is an Auburn best this year. She edged her opponent at Baylor, winning 72-71. She followed with 83 points vs. Texas A&M to cap the regular season, helping the Tigers go 4-1 in the event vs. the Aggies.
At the SEC Championships, Iannotti outscored her opponents by double-digits to pick up wins each day. She bested her Aggie opponent in the conference semifinal with 156 points and winning by 18. Iannotti scored 160 points in her victory vs. Georgia in the SEC final, topping the Bulldog by 14.
Brown has had a great second half of the season for the Tigers in Reining, going 4-0 in March for AU. She improved to 7-5-0 on the year and her seven wins is second-best on the squad in the event. The Waxhaw, N.C., native kicked the month off with a big win at then-No. 1 Baylor, defeating her opponent by 10 points. She followed with a great ride at TAMU, earning 70 points to edge her opponent's 69.5.
Brown put together outstanding scores at the SEC Championships, winning both her matches with a 143.5. She bested her Aggie opponent in the semifinal by 1.5 points, earning a 72 and a 71.5. Brown had another 72 and 71.5 in her win over Georgia, edging her Bulldog opponent by .5.
Auburn continues the postseason at the NCEA National Championship, competing as the No. 3 seed overall in Waco, Texas. The Tigers will begin competition Friday, April 14, taking on the winner of No. 6 South Carolina/No. 11 South Dakota State.
For the latest on Auburn equestrian, follow @AuburnEQ on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuburnEQ.