AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 1 Auburn equestrian team capped the fall portion of the season with a big win over No. 7 Texas A&M, topping the Aggies, 15-5, at Auburn University Equestrian Center Friday.
"Overall, this team is riding lights out," head coach Greg Williams said. "Even when someone has a bad ride, the rest of the team steps up and makes up for it and that's what happened today. The one thing we want to make sure we do is to be consistent from top to bottom and we've been doing."
The Tigers improved to 3-0 overall and in the Southeastern Conference with the win. The victory also extended the team's winning streak to 37 matches, dating back to April 19, 2018.
"It makes every meet that much tougher to be undefeated," senior Taylor St. Jacques said. "It gets tougher every time, but I think we just continue to rise to the occasion and are getting better as we go."
"Practices have been good and we've been riding really well," Williams added. "To finish out the fall winning all four events today and to continue this streak is a big deal and a great way to go into the break for us."
Auburn did indeed win all four events, including a 5-0 sweep in Fences. Reining went 4-1 vs. the Aggies, while Flat and Horsemanship put together 3-2 efforts at home.
In addition, three Tigers took away MOP honors for the squad. Senior Taylor Searles and sophomore Boo Kammerer were honored in Horsemanship and Reining, respectively, while junior Emma Kurtz was awarded the Fences MOP.
The Tigers took a commanding 8-2 lead at intermission following Fences and Horsemanship.
St. Jacques kicked off Fences with an 85-83 edge over Kaitlyn Lovingfoss. Kurtz put together an 88 in her MOP victory and was followed by sophomore Ava Stearns with an 86-74 win. Junior Meghan Knapic topped Caroline Dance, 84-81, and classmate McKayla Langmeier capped the sweep with an 87-72 victory.
Horsemanship finished with a 3-2 advantage over the Aggies in the first half of competition. After TAMU took the first two points, Auburn responded with three-straight wins starting with sophomore Olivia Tordoff's 76-74.5 victory. Senior Deanna Green also scored 76 points in her win and Searles closed things out with a 76.5-76 edge over Cori Cansdale for MOP.
The Western corps continued momentum in Reining, going 4-1. Searles led off with a 70-69.5 win and was followed by senior Terri-June Granger's 69.5-69 victory over Ariana Gray. Freshman Isabella Tesmer concluded the fall undefeated after topping her opponent, 68-67.5. Kammerer scored 69 points in her MOP win.
Auburn had a 3-2 finish in Flat to close out the day, seeing big scores overall all five rides. Langmeier earned a 92 on her winning ride, while Kurtz scored a career-best 95 in her win. St. Jacques finished with a 94 to better her opponent's 85.
The Tigers return to competition in the spring and the schedule will be announced at a later date.
#1 AUBURN 15, #7 TEXAS A&M 5
Fences
Taylor St. Jacques (AU) def. Kaitlyn Lovingfoss (TAMU), 85-83
Emma Kurtz (AU)* def. Grace Boston (TAMU), 88-80
Ava Stearns (AU) def. Alexis Ortiz (TAMU), 86-74
Meghan Knapic (AU) def. Caroline Dance (TAMU), 84-81
McKayla Langmeier (AU) def. Haley Redifer (TAMU), 87-72
Flat
McKayla Langmeier (AU) def. Nicole Leonard (TAMU, 92-81
Emma Kurtz (AU) def. Mali Selman (TAMU), 95-81
Caroline Dance (TAMU) def. Ava Stearns (AU), 90-88
Rhian Murphy (TAMU)* def. Meghan Knapic (AU), 93-83
Taylor St. Jacques (AU) def. Kaitlyn Lovingfoss (TAMU), 94-85
Horsemanship
Hayley Riddle (TAMU) def. Jacqueline Frimodt (AU), 72.5-71.5
Ella Petak (TAMU) def. Maddie Spak (AU), 73-72.5
Olivia Tordoff (AU) def. Cameron Crenwelge (TAMU), 76-74.5
Deanna Green (AU) def. Rheagan Bryant (TAMU), 76-74.5
Taylor Searles (AU)* def. Cori Cansdale (TAMU), 76.5-76
Reining
Taylor Searles (AU) def. Marissa Harrell (TAMU), 70-69.5
Terri-June Granger (AU) def. Ariana Gray (TAMU), 69.5-69
Isabella Tesmer (AU) def. Emmy-Lu Marsh (TAMU), 68-67.5
Boo Kammerer (AU)* def. Lisa Bricker (TAMU), 69-58.6
Shelby Reine (TAMU) def. Deanna Green (AU), 52.5-0