OCALA, Fla. – The No. 2 seed Auburn equestrian team put together a complete team effort to advance at the 2023 NCEA Championships, topping No. 7 seed South Carolina with a 13-7 win at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida.
"I'm really proud of this team," head coach Greg Williams said. "One thing I love about this team is the way that they're always united. They are a threat when they're like that. It was good to get this first day under our belts so that we can be ready to get after it tomorrow."
With the win, the Tigers will face No. 3 seed Oklahoma State in the NCEA Semifinals on Friday at 1 p.m. CT.
Leading the charge were a pair of seniors in Ava Stearns and Maddie Spak. Stearns finished 2-0-0 in Jumping Seat action, scoring the meet's highest scores in both Fences and Flat. Spak sealed the team win with her victory in Horsemanship.
"I felt like we really set our sights on Ocala this year," Stearns said. "I felt really prepared coming into today and got a great Fences draw. I had the support of my teammates behind me, and it worked out in the end."
"It was a great day for us today," Spak said. "We rode really hard, and we knew that today was a great opportunity to establish ourselves in this tournament."
Auburn opened the meet up with a 7-3 victory after Fences and Reining with the Fences squad going 4-1-0 against South Carolina.
After the Gamecocks took the first point in Fences, the Tigers rattled off the next four points to win the event. Sophomore Sophee Steckbeck scored a 227 in her win before Stearns put up a huge number, downing Bella Primavera, 270-260. Fifth year Emma Kurtz edged South Carolina's Natalie Jayne, 251-248, and junior Ellie Ferrigno bested SC's Jordan Allen with 253 points.
A trio of juniors in Kate Buchanan, Olivia Marino and Isabella Tesmer won their points in Reining for the squad. Buchanan led things off with a 212-210.5 win before Marino scored the most points of the meet with a 219 to take her point. Tesmer bested Haley Turner with a 212.5 to finish off Auburn's scoring in the event.
The Auburn Flat corps went 3-2 against the Gamecocks, seeing wins from Stearns, sophomore Mary-Grace Segars and Kurtz. South Carolina took a one-point win in the first match up before Stearns downed Trinity Hammerschmidt, 264-234. Segars and Kurtz closed things out with a pair of victories for the squad.
Horsemanship sealed the deal with three points in the event. Spak kicked things off with her meet-winning point, 223.5-216. Freshman Caroline Fredenburg won her match, 217-213, and classmate Alexia Tordoff had a huge score to edge her opponent, 231-228.
#2 AUBURN 13, #7 SOUTH CAROLINA 7
FENCES
Madeline Schaefer (SC) def. Mary-Grace Segars (AU), 263-253
Sophee Steckbeck (AU) def. Trinity Hammerschmidt (SC), 227-120
Ava Stearns (AU) def. Bella Primavera (SC), 270-260
Emma Kurtz (AU) def. Natalie Jayne (SC), 251-248
Ellie Ferrigno (AU) def. Jordan Allen (SC), 253-249
FLAT
Ellie Beard (SC) def. Ellie Ferrigno (AU), 240-239
Ava Stearns (AU) def. Trinity Hammerschmidt (SC), 264-234
Natalie Jayne (SC) def. Sophee Steckbeck (AU), 232-228
Mary-Grace Segars (AU) def. Mary Hunter Millet (SC), 224-210
Emma Kurtz (AU) def. Nina Columbia (SC), 246-228
HORSEMANSHIP
Maddie Spak (AU) def. Carly Jenkins (SC), 223.5-216
Kiersten Beckner (SC) def. Olivia Tordoff (AU), 227.5-218.5
Caroline Fredenburg (AU) def. Alyssa Jipping (SC), 217-213
Alexa Thorpe (SC) def. Madison Parduhn (AU), 223.5-218
Alexia Tordoff (AU) def. Tierney Horton (SC), 231-228
REINING
Kate Buchanan (AU) def. Chloe Stephenson (SC), 212-210.5
Olivia Marino (AU) def. Emilia Reutimann (SC), 219-216.5
Isabella Tesmer (AU) def. Haley Turner (SC), 212.-209
Emma Lane (SC) def. Alexia Tordoff (AU), 213-212
Mary Margaret Coats (SC) def. Caroline Buchanan (AU), 208.5-205.5
No. 2 Auburn advances with a 13-7 victory over No. 7 South Carolina
