Jackrabbits drop competition at South Carolina

Saturday, October 6

Blythewood, S.C.

9:00 AM

South Dakota State University

South Carolina

10/7/2007 1:00:00 AM | Equestrian

By: SDSU Sports Info

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. -- Jordanne Blair earned MVP honors in horsemanship to lead the South Dakota State University women's equestrian team Saturday, but the Jackrabbits dropped a head-to-head competition, 14-3, to perennial national power South Carolina.

A junior from Lake City, Iowa, Blair recorded a score of 73 to win her matchup with Allison Bradley for the lone Jackrabbit victory in horsemanship.

SDSU also received a pair of victories in reining from Abby Knobbe and freshman Lydia Placzek. Both riders tallied scores of 71 as the Jackrabbits earned a split in the reining competition.

The Jackrabbits were shut out in English competition, although freshman Marian Michalson drew even with Luci Laffittee of South Carolina with a score of 77 in the equitation on the flat competition. Michalson recorded a team-best score of 80 points in the equtitation over fences event, dropping her matchup with MVP Kristen Terebesi, who tallied 84 points.

"Coach (Joe) Humphrey and I are pleased with individual performances from several riders on each squad, particularly the freshmen who are making their first road trip with our team," head coach Megan McGee said. "This varsity format is very different from any other type of equestrian competition that any of them have participated in before coming to college, regardless of their years of experience. As our squad becomes more and more familiar with this format, we expect to see these individual scores continue to improve; this has already been the case with a number of our riders, even in the three short weeks of competition we have seen at the start of this season."

SDSU, 0-3 in head-to-head competition this season, is scheduled to compete in a pair of events on Oct. 27. The Western squad will travel to New Mexico State, while the English team opens a two-day tournament at Minnesota-Crookston.

SOUTH CAROLINA 14, SDSU 3
Horsemanship
Rachel Stas, USC, def. Molly Seidel, 73-71
Amy Biffle, USC, def. Abby Knobbe, 71.5-70.5
Michelle Grah, USC, def. Lydia Placzek, 71.5-70.5
Katie Grossnickle, USC, def. Brianna Grohs, 72-68.5
Jordanne Blair (MVP), SDSU, def. Allison Bradley, 73-71

Reining
Abby Knobbe, SDSU, def. Allison Bradley, 71-66.5
Kyla Thurlow (MVP), USC, def. Lacey Vernon, 74.5-73.5
Lydia Placzek, SDSU, def. Emily Brookwalter, 71-68
Chloe Gray, USC, def. Brianna Grohs, 73-67.5

Equitation on the Flat
Megan Massaro, USC, def. Melissa Zajac, 76-66
Victoria Middleton (MVP), USC, def. Ashley Marrin, 77-62
Courtney Reese, USC, def. Allison Carie, 76-70
Marian Michalson, SDSU, and Luci Laffitte, tied at 77
Ciara Stuart, USC, def. Lindsay Harr, 72-65

Equitation Over Fences
Ashley Rohde, USC, def. Melissa Zajac, 78-74
Kristen Terebesi (MVP), USC, def. Marian Michalson, 84-80
Megan Massaro, USC, def. Ashley Marrin, 82-77
Eleanor Kunsman, USC, def. Sara Stirton, 80-68