April 19, 2007

Columbia, S.C. – The South Carolina equestrian team will advance to round three in both the western and hunt seat division. The Western team defeated No. 2 seed Georgia before defeating Oklahoma State to advance to the third round. The defending National Champion Hunt Seat team defeated Fresno State to advance to next round where they will face SC rival Auburn.

“I am really pleased that both teams are in the winners bracket,” Head Coach Boo Duncan said. “Our girls are riding very relaxed and have a lot of confidence going into the next round. “

After completing the reining portion of the competition Wednesday, the Gamecocks entered the horsemanship round tied 2-2 with Rebekah Roof (Lexington, S.C.) and Allison Bradley (Lancaster, Cali.) defeating their opponents 145-136.5 and 140.5-131 respectively. The teams split the horsemanship competition 2-2, but South Carolina edged the Bulldogs 990-980 in the raw score. Bradley defeated Catherine Pennington 141.5-137 while Katie Grossnickle (Winona Lake, Ind.) rode away with a 140.5-136 victory over Georgia’s Kelley Mundrick. Senior Rachel Sternoff (Redmond, Wash.) fell to Sarah Dunsmore 139.5-143 with UGA’s Lauren Love edging Katy Biffle (Orange Grove, Texas) 142.5-141.5.

After defeating Georgia, the Gamecocks faced Oklahoma State who won the regular season match-up 3-7. The Gamecocks and Cowgirls were tied at the end of the competition, but South Carolina edged OSU with a raw score of 995-991. Bradley (141.5-140.5), Roof (141-129), and Sternoff (143.5-141.5) were the winners in reining, with Sternoff securing the tie with a 141.5-137 victory over Jordan Pickelman.

In the English division, South Carolina remains perfect on the season securing a decisive 7-1 victory over Fresno State. The equitation over fences portion of the competition was held Wednesday, with LIndsey Pace (Camden, S.C.) Kristen Terebesi (Glenmoore, Pa.), and Nicole Bourgeois (Sherwood, Ore.) all earning wins over their opponents. Leading 3-1 going into equitation on the flat, South Carolina swept the Bulldogs of Fresno State 4-0 in the division. Kelley Campbell earned the high score, defeating Kirsten Sohns 172-137, while co-captain Carly Johns (Woodstock, Ga.) came away with a 142-136 victory over Morgan McDonald. Sarah Lowe (Augusta, Ga.) also earned a win, outscoring Lindsey Blair 151-137. Terebesi earned her second win of the competition, beating Fresno State’s Lisa Wells 165-154.

South Carolina will face Auburn in the next round of the Hunt Seat division. This will mark the fourth time the Gamecocks and Tigers have squared off this season, with South Carolina taking all three Hunt Seat competitions. The Western team will face Texas A&M in round three. This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season.