Everyone who earned a blue ribbon in one of the team classes at the 2011 Holiday Tournament of Champions on December 3rd received a Tournament of Champions sweater. Cori Reich (on right, with her Mother) was the first Centenary College rider to win a blue ribbon and a sweater. By the end of the day Centenary riders had five sweaters (including two for Reich), prizes in the Collegiate Medal Division and the High Point Team ribbon.

CENTENARY COLLEGE CLAIMS HIGH POINT TEAM HONORS AT 20TH HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS INVITATIONAL

Long Valley, NJ - Led by junior Cori Reich the Centenary College "White" team won a close 37-35 contest over Mount Holyoke College to claim high point team honors at the 20th annual Holiday Tournament of Champions invitational in Long Valley, New Jersey on December 3rd. From Ivyland, Pennsylvania, Reich won both her open flat and fences to become the only rider all day with more than one blue ribbon. The defending IHSA National Champion Cyclones also claimed seventh place, as Centenary's "Blue" team scored 23 points. Rounding out the top eight were 2010-11 tournament series champion Delaware Valley College with 31 points, current IHSA Zone 4, Region 1 leader Goucher College with 28, current IHSA Zone 2, Region 3 leader Skidmore College with 24, current IHSA Zone 5, Region 3 leader Savannah College of Art & Design also with 24 and Penn State University (State College campus) in eighth with 20 (the Nittany Lions won a tiebreaker for eight with Virginia Intermont College). Centenary hosted the 2011 event, coincidentally making their first Tournament series appearance since the 2009 Holiday event which was also at the Centenary College Equestrian Center. On that occasion Centenary not only boasted the high point team but also the reserve champion (it was the height of 'Twilight' mania, and Centenary's "Team Jacob" defeated "Team Edward" by a lop-sided 43-25 score on 12/5/09).

Two of the Centenary Blue riders were very successful in the Tournament of Champions Collegiate Medal Division. Held at each tournament event in lieu of a ride-off, the winner was Kathryn Haley of the Cyclones. A sophomore from Orchard Park, New York, Haley was best in a field of 27 where each rider flatted and 12 were called back to jump. Reich just missed a third blue ribbon, placing second to Haley. Kelsey Bernini, a sophomore from York, Pennsylvania who earned three points for team blue in open fences, was third in the Collegiate Medal to give Centenary a sweep of the top three.

In January 2011 the Tournament of Champions series added the Equestrian Talent Search High School Medal division. Run in the same way as the Collegiate Medal division, high school-aged riders who have previously taken part in one of Tournament of Champions founder Jim Arrigon's Equestrian Talent Search clinics compete not only for a blue ribbon but also a $5,000.00 scholarship. Samantha Genise, a high school senior from Freehold, New Jersey who competed at the previous two Tournament events was best in a field of 24 riders to win the first such class held at the Holiday event. Skylar Laakso, a high school sophomore from Medfield, Massachusetts who is also a member of the August Farm IEA team was the Reserve Champion in her first ETS High School Medal appearance.

(Campus Equestrian is in the process of preparing an expanded version of our 2011 Holiday Tournament Story. Please check back the week of December 24th for a longer version with more photos.)

---Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Sunny skies, with temperatures reaching the low '50's. Entire show held indoors. Start time: 9:12AM. Finish: 6:01PM (Including Awards Presentation) - Coaches and Captains meeting held prior to start of show. Judge: Heide Bossow Casciaro. Stewards: Malinda Grice/Penn State University, Kelly Lamont Francfort/Rutgers University and Megan Taylor/University of the South.

Class-by-class results, in the order in which they were held:

Open Equitation Over Fences, Section A: 1. Chelsea Jones, Skidmore College. 2. Brendan Weiss, Penn State University. 3. Karli Postel, Goucher College. 4. Kelsey Bernini, Centenary College - Team Blue. 5. Kim Lynch, University of New Hampshire. 6. Kerry Sachs, Tufts University. 7. Sam Sagot, Rutgers University. 8. Meghan Schader, University of Kentucky.

Open Equitation Over Fences, Section B: 1. Cori Reich, Centenary College - Team White. 2. Bronwyn Scrivens, Cornell University. 3. Lexie Lohrer, Mount Holyoke College. 4. Shelby Goodman, Bridgewater College. 5. Kels Bonham, Savannah College of Art & Design. 6. Katie LaDow, University of Delaware. 7. Jaclyn Mazzarella, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 8. Audrey Hanlon, Virginia Intermont College.

Intermediate Equitation Over Fences, Section A: 1. Rachel Jones, Lynchburg College. 2. Kelsey Ficara, Delaware Valley College. 3. Brendan Williams, Centenary College - Team Blue. 4. Kali Cram, St. Andrews University. 5. Taylor DiBella, Sacred Heart University. 6. Lillibet Motion, University of the South. 7. Emily Denning, Penn State University. 8. Ashleigh Ramey, Virginia Intermont College.

Intermediate Equitation Over Fences, Section B: 1. Nell Maynard, Mount Holyoke College. 2. Emily Kowalchik, Cornell University. 3. Laura Douglas, University of Kentucky. 4. Taylor Rose, Bridgewater College. 5. Kristin Stine, Savannah College of Art & Design. 6. Trevor Hawthorne, Centenary College - Team White. 7. Rebecca Rossi, Stonehill College. 8. Morgan Squires, West Virginia University.

Novice Equitation Over Fences, Section A: 1. Brooke Nestor, Centenary College - Team White. 2. Amanda Pritt, Penn State University. 3. Chelsea Koerper, Delaware Valley College. 4. Joey Fink, Goucher College. 5. Alison Brosky, Sacred Heart University. 6. Emmy Rhodes, Bridgewater College. 7. Sami Cram, St. Andrews University. 8. Kelli Greenslade, Lynchburg College.

Novice Equitation Over Fences, Section B: 1. Beth Scovotti, Centenary College - Team Blue. 2. Olivia Dodd, Savannah College of Art & Design. 3. Abigayle Raucher, Mount Holyoke College. 4. Elizabeth Corey, University of the South. 5. Brianna Bach, Stonehill College. 6. Madeline Frank, Skidmore College. 7. Helen Williams, Virginia Intermont College. 8. Gwen Campbell, Rutgers University.

Open Equitation On The Flat, Section A: 1. Cori Reich, Centenary College - Team White. 2. Kelly Campbell, Skidmore College. 3. Hannah Thornton, Mount Holyoke College. 4. Katie Hansen, St. Andrews University. 5. Sarah Barone, University of New Hampshire. 6. Amory Brandt, Goucher College. 7. Lauren Patterson, University of Kentucky. 8. Kels Bonham, Savannah College of Art & Design.

Novice Equitation On The Flat, Section A: 1. Emory Wonham, Skidmore College. 2. Emilee Herbert, Lynchburg College. 3. Rachel Calvert, Virginia Tech. 4. Alison Brosky, Sacred Heart University. 5. Chelsea Dowling, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 6. Joey Fink, Goucher College. 7. Elizabeth Price, University of Delaware. 8. Nazanin Behzad, Cornell University.

Open Equitation On The Flat, Section B: 1. Ciara Menkens, Delaware Valley College. 2. Lauren Fay, Virginia Intermont College. 3. Courtney Bryggman, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 4. Rebekah Scharfe, Lafayette College. 5. Kelsey Delaplaine, West Virginia University. 6. Jordan Rooney, Lynchburg College. 7. Katie Fink, Goucher College. 8. Kennon Ulicny, Tufts University.

Novice Equitation On The Flat, Section B: 1. Ashleigh Ramey, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Kristin Stine, Savannah College of Art & Design. 3. Margeaux Divirgillio, Stonehill College. 4. Maddy Fass, Penn State University. 5. Lauren Buettner, Centenary College - Team Blue. 6. Sarah Mallon, Delaware Valley College. 7. Emily Guest, University of the South. 8. Alex Szucs, Bridgewater College.

Walk-Trot Equitation On The Flat, Section A: 1. Madison Tidwell, Goucher College. 2. Sarah Conklin, Delaware Valley College. 3. Jessica Stephens, Mount Holyoke College. 4. Carey Masson, Centenary College - Team Blue. 5. Hannah Eldridge, University of Kentucky. 6. Annie Dewitt, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 7. Katie Plazak, Lynchburg College. 8. Alexz Goldin, Rutgers University.

Walk-Trot Equitation On The Flat, Section B: 1. Jessica Hanlon, Penn State University. 2. Katti Horng, Cornell University. 3. Sam Schmell, University of Delaware. 4. Shiloh Kozlowski, St. Andrews University. 5. Amelia Skerys, Sacred Heart University. 6. Bryan Waffa, University of the South. 7. Srahil Nandrajog, Lafayette College. 8. Elizabeth Mullins, West Virginia University.

Walk-Trot Equitation On The Flat, Section C: 1. Amy Priest, Centenary College - Team White. 2. Courtney Shea, Savannah College of Art & Design. 3. Taylor Scott, Virginia Intermont College. 4. Kara Sims, Bridgewater College. 5. Jacqueline Marinoff, University of New Hampshire. 6. Kayla Kleinman, Skidmore College. 7. Travis Roth, Virginia Tech. 8. Caitlin Wright, Stonehill College.

Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation On The Flat, Section A: 1. Allyson Kriebel, Delaware Valley College. 2. Laura VonDer Porten, Mount Holyoke College. 3. Megan Kelty, Virginia Intermont College. 4. Elizabeth Hart, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 5. Stacey Beam, Bridgewater College. 6. Kayleigh McDonnell, Stonehill College. 7. Anthony Desimone, Centenary College - Team Blue. 8. Maria Rittenhouse, Virginia Tech.

Intermediate Equitation On The Flat, Section A: 1. Felicia Harrsch, Mount Holyoke College. 2. Addie Jabin, Goucher College. 3. Natasha Klingenstein, Centenary College. 4. Kait Scott, West Virginia University. 5. Kelsey Ficara, Delaware Valley College. 6. Lauren Casey, Bridgewater College. 7. Kristen Phelps, University of New Hampshire. 8. Taylor Brown, Savannah College of Art & Design.

Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation On The Flat, Section B: 1. Callie Hodge, Goucher College. 2. Madison Myers, Savannah College of Art & Design. 3. Beth Jonas, Centenary College - Team White. 4. Isabella McKeon, Skidmore College. 5. Mary Beth Hannon, Cornell University. 6. Miranda Wright, St. Andrews University. 7. Erin Sutherland, Penn State University. 8. Rachel Walter, Rutgers University.

Equestrian Talent Search High School Medal: 1. Samantha Genise, Freehold, New Jersey. 2. Skylar Laakso, Medfield, Massachusetts. 3. Lucy Hart, Lexington, Kentucky. 4. Katelyn Krolick, Sharon, Massachusetts. 5. Morgan Schneider, Hillsborough, New Jersey. 6. Ryan Wilson, Colts Neck, New Jersey. 7. Mollie Kowalchik, Loveland, Ohio. 8. Caroline Becker, Branchville, New Jersey. 9. Erica Glancey, Newtown, Pennsylvania. 10. Tatiana Akhund, Brooklyn, New York. (Note: This class was completed before Section B of Intermediate Flat but not announced until after the completion of the Tournament of Champions Collegiate Medal.)

Intermediate Equitation On The Flat, Section B: 1. Kari Searls, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 2. Jessica Ropelewski, Virginia Tech. 3. Jessica Pabst, Centenary College. 4. Alanna Reiner, Lafayette College. 5. Sami Cram, St. Andrews University. 6. Christine Dwyer, Stonehill College. 7. Emily Denning, Penn State University. 8. Julia Mazzarella, Skidmore College.

Tournament of Champions Collegiate Medal: 1. Kathryn Haley, Centenary College. 2. Cori Reich, Centenary College. 3. Kelsey Bernini, Centenary College. 4. Ciara Menkens, Delaware Valley College. 5. Kelly Sullivan, Tufts University. 6. Margaret Swanson, Mount Holyoke College. 7. Casey Lorusso, Stonehill College. 8. Kelly Campbell, Skidmore College. 9. Rebekah Scharfe, Lafayette College. 10. Danielle Clark, Virginia Intermont College.

Team Totals: Centenary College - Team White (High Point Team) 37; Mount Holyoke College (Reserve) 35; Delaware Valley College (Third) 31; Goucher College (Fourth) 28; Skidmore College (Fifth) 24; Savannah College of Art & Design (Sixth) 24; Centenary College - Team Blue (Seventh) 23; Penn State University (Eighth) 20; Virginia Intermont College 20; University of Massachusetts at Amherst 17; Cornell University 17; Lynchburg College 13; Bridgewater College 13; St. Andrews University 12; Sacred Heart University 9; Virginia Tech 9; Stonehill College 7; University of Kentucky 6; Lafayette College 6; University of New Hampshire 6; University of the South 5; University of Delaware 5; West Virginia University 5; Tufts University 1 and Rutgers University 0.