April 17, 2018
2018 NCEA Championship
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina equestrian team heads to Waco, Texas, this week for the 2018 NCEA Championship. The season-ending championship extravaganza runs April 18-21 at the Extraco Events Center.
The Gamecocks will compete in four single-event brackets plus the main draw this season under the new NCEA Championship format. The eight-team main draw begins Thursday, April 19 when the eighth-seeded Gamecocks face No. 1 Georgia at 8:30 a.m. CT.
The Gamecocks also earned a spot in each of the four 15-team single-event brackets, which begin on Wednesday, April 18 at 8:30 a.m. CT. In equitation on the flat, the Gamecocks are seeded 10th and will take on seventh-seeded TCU. In equitation over fences, Carolina is the No. 6 seed and will face No. 11 Baylor.
On the western side, Carolina enters as the No. 11 seed in horsemanship and will ride against sixth-seeded Baylor in the opening round. In reining, the Gamecocks hold the No. 9 seed and will open the meet against No. 8 TCU.
Live video is once again available through EQSportsNet. Fans can watch each meet live for as little as $10 and can access the stream here.
CAROLINA’S NCEA CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
• South Carolina is a three-time varsity equestrian national champion. The Gamecocks were the overall winners under the old format at the inaugural Varsity Equestrian Championship in 2005, and they also won the overall crown in 2007. In 2015, the Gamecocks captured the NCEA title in Waco.
• The Gamecocks also won the hunt seat national title under the old format in 2006, and they were runners-up at the NCEA Championship in 2014.
• Carolina’s senior-class was part of the 2015 NCEA title run. As freshmen, Megan Overberg and Paisley Roberts each rode in the 10-6 triumph over Georgia.
• Since the combined format was instituted in 2014, the Gamecocks are 6-3 at the NCEA Championship.
LAST YEAR AT THE NCEA CHAMPIONSHIP
• The Gamecocks entered the 12-team NCEA Championship bracket as the No. 6 seed last season. They defeated South Dakota State in the first round, 15-1, before falling to Auburn in the quarterfinals, 12-4.
• Carolina won all four points in equitation on the flat, equitation over fences and horsemanship in the victory over SDSU last season, with current Gamecocks Chloe Schmidt and Lizzie van der Walde each going 2-0.
• Three current Gamecocks earned points in the loss to Auburn last season: Jordan Scott (reining), Paige Stopperich (horsemanship) and Madison Thiel (horsemanship).
• Scott was the lone Gamecock to go undefeated last season in Waco.
LAST TIME OUT
• Carolina fell twice at the 2018 SEC Championship, held March 30-31 at OneWood Farm. The Gamecocks lost to Georgia, 16-4, in the semifinals and were topped by Texas A&M in the consolation matchup, 10-9.
• In the matchup with Texas A&M, Gamecocks Lizzie van der Walde (equitation over fences) and Paisley Roberts (reining) took home MOP honors.
• Megan Overberg (horsemanship) and Bailey Walters (reining) were each named to the SEC All-Championship Team.
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
• South Carolina is 4-10 to start the week and holds the No. 8 seed in the overall bracket.
• In individual events, the Gamecocks hold a 4-10 mark in equitation on the flat, a 4-7-1 mark in equitation over fences, a 3-10-1 mark in horsemanship and a 5-8-1 record in reining.
• Madison Brayman paces the Carolina hunt seat squad with 14 total victories on the season (eight fences, six flat).
• Chloe Schmidt is right behind Brayman, with 13 total wins (eight flat, five fences), and she is tied for the team lead with four MOP awards.
• Lauren Fabiano holds seven jumping victories this season and shares the team MOP lead with four.
• Megan Overberg paces Carolina’s horsemanship crew with eight wins.
• In reining, Bailey Walters holds eight victories, best on the team.
• Schmidt was named SEC Flat Rider of the Month for March after winning two MOP awards in Carolina’s three regular-season meets.
• Paisley Roberts is a two-time SEC Rider of the Month for reining. She won the award in September and again in February after posting a 3-1 record with two MOP wins.
• Fabiano was named SEC Rider of the Month in November for her jumping efforts, while Kate Eagleton earned the NCEA’s Standout Rider of the Month award in November.
• Horsemanship standout Reggie was named NCEA Horse of the Month for January. A member of the Carolina squad since 2012, Reggie has competed at both the SEC and NCEA Championships and has been an NCEA top-10 horse each season since 2012-13.
POSTSEASON AWARDS POUR IN FOR GAMECOCKS
• With the 2017-18 season winding down, several Gamecocks have earned major postseason awards for their superior efforts in and out of competition this season.
• Senior Megan Overberg was named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. A native of Hillsboro, Ohio, Overberg has a 3.912 GPA as an exercise science major.
• Lauren Fabiano was honored as an NCEA Second-Team All-American for equitation over fences. The senior is 7-4 this season with four MOP awards to her credit.
• Sophomore Jordan Scott was named to the 2017-18 SEC Equestrian Community Service Team. Scott has logged 250 community service hours during the 2017-18 season, tops on the team.
• Three Gamecocks were named to the SEC All-Freshman Team: Louisa Brackett (equitation on the flat and equitation over fences), Billi Brandner (equitation on the flat) and Tyler Petrie (equitation over fences).
• Horsemanship veteran Reggie was named an NCEA Top-10 horse for the sixth-consecutive season.
• The Gamecocks led the nation with 12 NCEA All-Academic selections and 19 NCEA Honor Roll picks. First-Team All-Academic honorees included Lauren Fabiano, Megan Overberg, Paisley Roberts, Jordan Scott, Madison Sellman, Paige Stopperich and Madison Thiel.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
• Georgia is 11-1 entering the NCEA Championship, and the Bulldogs are the No. 1 seed.
• UGA won the 2018 SEC Championship, held March 30-31 at OneWood Farm. They defeated the Gamecocks in the semifinals and Auburn in the final match.
• Georgia is 3-0 this season against the Gamecocks. In the regular season, they picked up a 14-6 win in the Peach State and a 12-7 win at OneWood Farm. They also won the SEC Championship meeting, 16-4.
• The Bulldogs hold a 32-13 edge all-time against Carolina.
• The Bulldogs feature the SEC Rider of the Year in all four disciplines: Maddy Darst (fences), Addyson Cord (flat), Bailey Anderson (horsemanship) and Graysen Stroud (reining).
SCOUTING THE BEARS
• Baylor is 5-8 in overall competitions this season. The Bears went 0-2 at the Big 12 Championship, falling to TCU, 12-8 and Oklahoma State, 13-7.
• The Gamecocks fell to Baylor in the regular season, 7-5. The Bears won the horsemanship section of the meet, 3-1, but equitation over fences was canceled because of inclement weather.
• Baylor features two Big 12 Riders of the Year: Rachael Davis (equitation on the flat) and Georgia Smith (reining).
SCOUTING THE HORNED FROGS
• TCU is 8-8 on the season. They hold a 7-7-2 record in equitation on the flat and a 5-9-2 record in reining.
• The Horned Frogs are coming off of a victory over Baylor in the Big 12 Championship consolation round, 12-8. They fell to Oklahoma State in their opener, 11-9.
• Carolina and TCU did not square off in the 2017-18 regular season. The teams last met Feb. 12, 2017, a 9-8 Carolina victory.
• Seven Horned Frogs earned All-Big 12 honors, including Jayme Ormand, who won the award in both hunt seat disciplines.
GAMECOCK PROGRAM HISTORY
• The 2017-18 season marks the 22nd year of the Gamecock equestrian program, as well as head coach Boo Major’s 21st season at the helm.
• The Gamecocks have won three national championships (2005, 2007, 2015).
• South Carolina has two runner-up finishes (2006, 2014).
• The Gamecocks have won two SEC Conference championships (2013, 2014).
• Carolina won the 2012 Southern Equestrian Championship, the precursor to the SEC Championship, which was added for the 2012-13 season
MEET THE COACHES
• The 2017-18 campaign will be the 21st season for head coach Boo Major, as Major celebrated the milestone mark of 20 years last year.
• In those 20 years at the helm, Major has piled up three NCEA National Championships, two SEC Championships and two National Coach of the Year awards (2014, 2015).
• Associate head coach Ruth Sorrel is in her 13th year with the Gamecocks as the leader of Carolina’s western team.
• South Carolina welcomes home Kristen Terebesi this season, as the former Gamecock equestrian standout returns to lead the hunt seat squad.
