AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 1 Auburn equestrian team earned four SEC Rider of the Year honors and had nine Tigers awarded by the Southeastern Conference for their efforts this season as the league announced its postseason recognitions Thursday.
“I’m really proud of these conference recognitions earned by our student-athletes,” head coach Jessica Braswell said. “We have had some outstanding individual seasons that have really contributed to our success so far.”
Auburn won two Rider of the Year awards as well as two Freshman Rider of the Year accolades. In addition, Auburn’s nine student-athletes combined for 14 All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman team honors.
“Having all four Jumping Seat Rider of the Year honors and all these All-SEC selections is a testament to the hard work this team has put in,” Braswell said.
Braswell was also named the SEC Coach of the Year for the second time in her three years at the helm of the Auburn program. Under her direction, the Tigers enter the national championship as the No. 1 seed and have a 9-3 overall record this season.
“It’s an absolute honor to receive this award and be recognized by my peers,” Braswell said. “This is a testament to our staff and how hard they all work for the success of this program.”
Freshman Caroline Olsen was a big winner for the Tigers as she was named Co-Fences Rider of the Year, Freshman Fences Rider of the Year and Freshman Flat Rider of the Year. Her selection marked the eighth straight season an Auburn Tiger was named SEC Fences Rider of the Year.
Olsen, of Sherborn, Massachusetts, stands at 10-1-1 this year in Fences and 9-3-0 on the Flat. In Fences, she finished with a 5-1-0 record vs. SEC opponents during the regular season and had a 2-1-0 record against the league on the road. She scored a career-high 87.5 vs. SEC rival South Carolina and has an 82.3 average on the year.
On the Flat, Olsen finished 5-1-0 against the conference in the regular season and went a perfect 3-0-0 on the road. She averaged an 82.7, scoring a career-high 94 in October. In addition, she finished with two Most Outstanding Performer honors in each event.
Olsen was also placed on the All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman teams for both events.
Junior Avery Glynn was voted SEC Flat Rider of the Year by the league coaches, having a 10-2-0 mark in the event. She went 5-1-0 vs. SEC opponents during the regular season and had a team-best five MOPs in the event. She scored a season-best 94 earlier this season and is averaging an 83 this year with a 5.2 win margin. In addition, she secured two SEC Rider of the Month honors and one NCEA Rider of the Month award this year.
On top of being named All-SEC on the Flat, the Petaluma, California product secured All-SEC in Fences as well. She stands at 9-3-0 overall with five MOPs and is averaging an 84.7. Glynn was named SEC and NCEA Rider of the Month in November.
Joining Olsen and Glynn on the All-SEC team for Fences is sophomore Ariana Marnell. The Las Vegas native is 9-4-0 overall with two MOPs this year. She was named SEC Rider of the Month in March and the postseason recognition is her first.
Senior Alexia Tordoff earned All-SEC for both Horsemanship and Reining in her final year on the Plains, marking the second-straight season she’s received recognition in both events.
The Powell, Ohio, product is 9-2-1 in Horsemanship and 6-5-1 in Reining this year. She put together a 4-2-0 record vs. SEC opponents in Horsemanship and scored a career-high 78.5 vs. Georgia in the fall.
In Reining, Tordoff won three MOPs this season and reached a career-best 75 in the event against the Bulldogs in the same meet. She averaged a 70.3 and had a 2.3 win margin. For her efforts in November, Tordoff secured SEC Rider of the Month in both events.
Joining Tordoff in Horsemanship on the All-SEC team is senior Caroline Fredenburg and junior Brooke Jolstad. Fredenburg put together an 8-3-1 record with two MOPs on the year, averaging a 74.5 and having two MOPs. Jolstad finished the regular season with a 9-3-0 record and a 5-1-0 mark vs. the SEC with three MOPs. She was named SEC Rider of the Month in January.
Senior Caroline Buchanan was also placed on the All-SEC team in Reining, having a 7-4-0 record and a 5-1-0 mark against SEC opponents. She totaled three MOPs vs. the SEC and scored a career-high 75.25 on the road at South Carolina this spring. She was named SEC Rider of the Month in March.
Freshman Emily Jurnovoy joined Olsen on the SEC All-Freshman Team for her efforts in Fences this season. She stands at 3-4-0 for the Tigers with two wins against SEC opponents.
Freshman Sofia Tieche also earned SEC All-Freshman recognition, having a successful first season in Reining. She has five wins on the year with all five coming against SEC opponents. She scored a career-high 72.25 at Georgia to help the Tigers pick up a big road win and earned MOP for her efforts.
Southeastern Conference announces yearly equestrian awards
The No. 1 Auburn equestrian team earned four SEC Rider of the Year honors and had nine Tigers awarded by the Southeastern Conference for their efforts this season as the league announced its postseason recognitions Thursday.
