AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 6 Auburn equestrian team put together a big win in its home opener, downing No. 9 UT Martin Saturday afternoon, 16-4, at the Auburn University Equestrian Center.
"The work that coaches Jessica Braswell and Taylor Searles are doing right now is unbelievable," head coach Greg Williams said. "They can predict and adjust so well and the team listens and will do it in competition. These two are getting the team to a high level of riding right now and I love the way the team is responding. It showed today."
The Tigers (3-1) won three Most Outstanding Performer awards on the day. Senior Ava Stearns and fifth year Emma Kurtz picked up Fences and Flat, respectively, while senior Olivia Tordoff won MOP in Horsemanship.
The meet opened up with Flat and Reining, seeing the Tigers go 7-3 between the two events.
Sophomore Mary-Grace Segars led Flat with an 83-68 victory to improve to 4-0-0 on the year. Kurtz scored 87 points in her MOP winning ride, while Stearns followed with another 87 in a win for the Tigers. Sophomore Sophee Steckbeck finished scoring with an 82-76 win before the Skyhawks took the final point of the event.
Reining saw wins from freshmen Alexia Tordoff, junior Isabella Tesmer and senior Boo Kammerer. Tordoff edged her opponent, 67.5-67, and Tesmer bested Lexi Bailey, 68-62.5. Kammerer capped the event with a 66-62 win.
The Fences corps picked up their second-straight sweep in the event, taking all five points for the squad. Stearns scored a 90 in her MOP win, while Segars earned an 88-76 victory over Haley Kane. Kurtz's 83 topped her opponent's 80 and junior Ellie Ferrigno remained undefeated in the event with an 82-81 edge. Steckbeck closed out the sweep with an 86-85 win.
Auburn put together a 4-1-0 mark in Horsemanship to close the day. Junior Madison Parduhn led off with a season-best 77 in her win. Freshman Caroline Fredenburg followed with a career-high 78 to defeat Paige Benson's 77. Senior Maddie Spak improved to 4-0-0 on the year with a 72-71 win and classmate Olivia Tordoff finished the day with a 78.5 for MOP and the victory.
Auburn takes a weekend off before heading to SEC rival South Carolina on November 4. The Tigers and the nationally-ranked Gamecocks will face off at 1 p.m. CT in Blythewood, South Carolina at One Wood Farm.
#6 AUBURN 16, #9 UT MARTIN 4
FENCES
Ava Stearns (AU)* def. Emmy Reed (UTM), 90-81
Mary-Grace Segars (AU) def. Haley Kane (UTM), 88-76
Emma Kurtz (AU) def. Sydney Hott (UTM), 83-80
Ellie Ferrigno (AU) def. Julia Gilman (UTM), 82-81
Sophee Steckbeck (AU) def. Elizabeth Becker (UTM), 86-85
FLAT
Mary-Grace Segars (AU) def. Sydney Hott (UTM), 83-68
Emma Kurtz (AU)* def. Julia Gilman (UTM), 87-84
Ava Stearns (AU) def. Haley Kane (UTM), 87-73
Sophee Steckbeck (AU) def. Rileigh Weiss (UTM), 82-76
Sophia Sundem (UTM) def. Ellie Ferrigno (AU), 77-75
HORSEMANSHIP
Madison Parduhn (AU) def. Keely Seiter (UTM), 77-75.5
Caroline Fredenburg (AU) def. Paige Benson (UTM), 78-77
Maddie Spak (AU) def. Emma Schaefer (UTM), 72-71
Kate Davis (UTM) def. Alexia Tordoff (AU), 73.5-72.5
Olivia Tordoff (AU)* def. Lexi Bailey (UTM), 78.5-77
REINING
Alexia Tordoff (AU) def. Aubrey Malone (UTM), 67.5-67
Logan Putvinski (UTM)* def. Olivia Marino (AU), 70-69
Marci Leath (UTM) def. Caroline Buchanan (AU), 65.5-65
Isabella Tesmer (AU) def. Lexi Bailey (UTM), 68-62.5
Boo Kammerer (AU) def. Kate Davis (UTM), 66-62
No. 6 Auburn too much for No. 9 UT Martin in 16-4 win
