Ohio State University was one of three schools to field more than one team at the January 20th Winter Tournament of Champions invitational in Coolville, Ohio. Junior Jessica Wayne (on left) and freshman Taylor Topping (on right) rode in different sections of intermediate fences for the Buckeye's "B" and "A" teams, respectively. Wayne won her intermediate fences class and scored eight of B's 24 points. Ohio State hunter seat coach Allison Applegett (center) saw her B team finish sixth (winning a tiebreaker with West Virginia University) while her A team was eighth with 23 points.

MOUNT HOLYOKE COLLEGE STOPS SCAD WIN STREAK BUT BEES WIN TOURNAMENT SERIES SEASON TROPHY A WEEK LATER

Coolville, OH - The third of four 2017-18 Tournament of Champions invitational horse shows was held at Stonegate Farm in Coolville, Ohio on January 20th. Known as the Winter Tournament of Champions I (or first of two Winter Tournament shows in two weekends) the final score was not known until the placings in the final team class were read in reverse order to the moment third place was announced.

From roughly the time all of the open and intermediate over fences team classes had been completed early in the day three-time defending IHSA National Champion Savannah College of Art & Design and Mount Holyoke College went back-and-forth exchanging the lead. Adam Edgar of SCAD (a freshman, from Leesburg, Virginia) won the open fences class which started the festivities. Through two team classes Mount Holyoke led the Bees 9-8, with Penn State University's Blue Team also at nine points in part due to a first from Nittany Lion sophomore Sabrina Mercadante in intermediate fences. After six sections of the High Medal and Low Medal divisions Edgar again put SCAD into the lead with a first in intermediate flat. However Sabrina Fox of the MHC Lyons was second to Edgar in this class, making it close at 15-14. A Lilly Hilgers second in novice flat made it 20-14 in favor of the Bees before Sarah Etzel won walk-trot-canter to give the Lyons 21. However in that same WTC class Ally Bates was fifth so that the Bees retained the lead at 22-21. Indra Rapinchuk briefly put the Lyons ahead with a fourth in novice flat, 24-22. However SCAD walk-trot rider Vincent Delissio (who trains with Villanova University coach Bryan Bradley in the off-season) won a blue ribbon and despite having to compete head-to-head with MHC rider Wenjie Li put the Bees back up 29-26.

Like Ohio State, Penn State University fielded two teams and like the Buckeyes the Nittany Lions two entries were in the top eight. From Morristown, New Jersey, Sabrina Mercadante is seen here before winning the first section of intermediate fences for Penn State's Blue Team. The Penn State White Team would score 26 points for fifth place but the Blue Team would be superior with 27 and fourth place.

After two team classes which featured riders from neither of the leading schools, Mount Holyoke turned the tables on SCAD. Franny Eremeeva of the Lyons won the blue ribbon in open flat while Maddy Keck was fifth for the Bees. With only one team class to go Mount Holyoke was up 33-31.

The audience saw Fox ride a second time, going eighth out of eight entries in the final team class, the second section of novice fences. Tess Mroczka of the Bees had gone at least three rides earlier and had turned in a solid performance. Fox had a good round but it could go either way at that point. With the results of each class read aloud over the public address system from eighth back to first the rider to hear her name come out the speakers first was Fox. Her fourth place ribbon put the Lyon's total at 36. If Mroczka was second there would be a tie. A first and SCAD would continue an unbeaten streak across Tournament Events, Zone 5, Region 5 shows and Post-Season competitions including two Nationals stretching back to the 2015-16 season.

However Mroczka was the next to hear her name with a third. This alowed the Lyons to prevail 36-35 and snap a very long SCAD win streak which includes multiple 49 scores within Zone 5, Region 5 shows. Ashley Jenkins of Penn State's Blue Team (junior, Harleysville, Pennsylvania) was second to lift one of two Nittany Lion teams into fourth place with 27 points while Addison O'Rourke of West Virginia University (junior, Owego, New York) won this novice fences section to give the Mountaineers 24 points for the day and seventh place overall.

Nowadays there are two classes at Tournament of Champions events for individuals and not teams. They are the "High Medal" and "Low Medal" classes which substitute for a ride-off for high point rider. Riders from Savannah College of Art & Design earned three top-two ribbons in these divisions. From left to right are Lilly Hilgers (second in the low medal), Brady Martino (champion in the low medal) and Adam Edgar (second in the high medal). Edgar (who won the open fences class which started the day) and Martino are both freshmen for the Bees, who scored 35 points to finish second overall for the day.

Ribbons were awarded to the top eight teams. Goucher College got stronger as the day went on, with Adelie Callihan (freshman, Keene, New Hampshire) winning the second section of walk-trot-canter to help the Gophers to third place overall and 29 points. Penn State's White Team did not win a blue ribbon but Madison Halbom (in intermediate fences), Lizzy Traband (in open flat) and Ally Kirk (in novice fences) each won red ribbons to help raise their total to 26 points and fifth place. Three schools - Ohio State University, University of Delaware and Penn State - brought two teams of eight riders each - almost! Ohio State's Team B had no rider in one of the open fences sections. However this group of Buckeyes made lemonade out of that lemon and still beat out their A team of eight riders 24-23. Jessica Wayne (junior, Shaker Heights, Ohio) was the first Team B rider to show for the Buckeyes and Wayne won the second section of intermediate fences. Victoria Jenkins (sophomore, Springfield, Ohio and as far as we know not related to Penn State's Ashley Jenkins) won a second blue for Ohio State B in novice flat. Ohio State Team B won a tiebreaker with West Virginia for the sixth place team ribbon. Ohio State A won once outright, as Natalie Lindsay (junior, Colts Neck, New Jersey) was better than everyone in judge Diane Young's eyes in the second section of novice flat. With 23 points Ohio State Team A was awarded the eighth place team ribbon.

Tournament of Champions creator Jim Arrigon, who puts on these events with the help of his wife Gwen every season, could say for the first time since the first Tournament event in 1991 that he was both running the show and hosting the show. Since taking the position during the last weekend in September Arrigon coaches the Ohio University equestrian team, which trains at Stonegate Farm in Coolville. Arrigon did not bring his Bobcats to either of the previous TOC events earlier this season (he was not yet involved with the Ohio University program when the September 16th Pre-Season TOC was held in Lynchburg, Virginia) but did enter the school from Athens, Ohio into the January 20th event. Ohio University gained a standout open rider during the winter break, as Maddie Davis transfered from Randolph College. In her first IHSA-related event as an Ohio University rider Davis was second in open fences and fourth in open flat. The Bobcats, who sit in fourth place currently within the Zone 6, Region 2 hunter seat team standings, just missed a ribbon on the 20th, scoring 22 points which would technically be ninth place. Arrigon was happy enough with the Bobcat's effort that they will also compete at the second Winter Tournament of Champions event on January 27th in Hardeeville, South Carolina.

From Madison, Wisconsin, Anna Rzchowski of Mount Holyoke College (on right, with head coach C.J. Law) was second to Mercadante in intermediate fences to account for five of the Lyon's 36 points. Mount Holyoke claimed high point team honors at Stonegate while earning reserve champion status for the season behind SCAD when the results of all four Tournament of Champions events were combined. Mount Holyoke finished ahead of Randolph College 67-64 with Goucher in fourth with 63. SCAD won three of four events and scored 95 points when their low score was dropped.

You deserve a Medal for that!: At some point in the history of the Tournament of Champions history the "Medal" division replaced the ride-off for high point rider. The Medal class was for riders of any level who could jump to compete in a multi-phase division where those who flat well are called back to jump and consequently for further testing. That went so well that in recent seasons a second Medal division was created. The original Medal class is now the "High Medal" while the new one is the "Low Medal."

One year ago when the first of two winter tournament events was held in Weyer's Cave, Virginia a rider named Nick Martino who was a senior at Emory and Henry College at the time was the high medal champion. One year later another Martino won a medal class but this time in the low medal. Brady Martino, a Savannah College of Art & Design freshman from Easton, Pennsylvania was one of ten riders out of 22 called back to jump. Eventually Martino won out over teammate Hilgers to claim the Low Medal Championship. 24 riders competed for the High Medal, and among the ten invited back to jump was Edgar. The SCAD freshman - who in six Zone 5, Region 5 rides during the fall won five of them - was the Reserve Champion. Winning out was University of Findlay senior Marco Polo Uchoa, who earlier in the day had won the second open over fences class while placing one ribbon higher than Davis in her Bobcat debut. SCAD director of riding Eddie Federwisch pointed out that the top three in the high medal were all males, with Purdue University senior Chris Johnson third. This was not the first time the top three were all male in this division, as Federwisch had pointed out the same thing about four seasons ago.

Hey! We won too!!: Other blue ribbon winners not mentioned until now were Meghan Moran of the University of Findlay, whose win in intermediate flat coupled with Uchoa's win in open flat accounted for 14 of the Oiler's 19 points; Jacky Zinchuck (in walk-trot) and Lexi Ferris (in novice fences) of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Zinchuck and Ferris were the only teammates to win classes held one right after the other all day; and Katie Groomes of Penn State's Blue Team. A winner in open flat, Groomes's mother Janis was also on hand but not as a spectator. Normally Janis Groomes attends her daughter's shows as head coach of Zone 3, Region 1 rival Gettysburg College. However today Janis stepped in for Kerry Kocher and Kristen Gretok who had other obligations.

Stop the (virtual) presses!: In addition to three consecutive IHSA National Championships the SCAD Bees are now the winner's of five consecutive Tournament of Champions series trophies. On January 27th SCAD hosted the second Winter Tournament of Champions at their Ronald C. Waranch Equestrian Center in Hardeeville, South Carolina. The hosts fielded not one but two teams and both defeated the rest of the field. SCAD's team BEE-lieve was high point with 46 points (the top score of any team this TOC season) while Team BEE-strong was reserve champion with 35. Mount Holyoke also had two teams entered, and their team Lyon Up was third with 31. For the second time in a week Martino won the low medal while Lenna Hoff of Ohio University was second. The high medal winner was Francisco Caba Guil of Emory and Henry College, who had improved from an eighth place showing in the same division seven days earlier. Reserve Champion in the high medal went to Kirby Tidmore of Randolph College. The Wildcats were fourth at the January 27th Tournament event but faired better in the series standings overall. Randolph's 64 points in the overall series standings put them one point ahead of Goucher for third place. Mount Holyoke, bolstered by fine showings in January of 2018, moved into Reserve Champion status for 2017-18 with 67 points while SCAD ran away from the field with 95 points (which, like for some others, includes having to drop their lowest score). Though SCAD lost a few key riders to graduation last season it appears the additions of Edgar and Martino among others put them in a position to keep the IHSA National Title in reach for some time to come.

--Steve Maxwell

January 20th Show Incidentals: Mostly sunny skies, with temperatures reaching the upper 40's. Entire show held indoors in a heated facility. Judge: Diane Young, Belleville, Illinois. Stewards: Krista Steinmetz/Purdue University, Eddie Federwisch/Savannah College of Art & Design and Allison Applegett/Ohio State University.

Marco Polo Uchoa of the University of Findlay (on left, with Oiler's hunter seat coach Alexandra Kemp - Thompson) had the best day of anyone at Stonegate. The senior from Brazil won the second section of team open over fences and finished the day by winning the High Medal competition. There were three flat sections of each Medal division and ten riders were called back to jump at the end of the day. Judge Diane Young liked Uchoa the best of the 24 individual riders who took part in the high medal.

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

Open Equitation Over Fences, Section A: 1. Adam Edgar, Savannah College of Art & Design. 2. Chris Johnson, Purdue University. 3. Megan Sheffler, West Virginia University. 4. Lizzy Traband, Penn State University - White Team. 5. Francisco Caba Guil, Emory & Henry College. 6. Eryn Lindner, University of Delaware - Team YoUDee. 7. Erika Gavin, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 8. Samantha Calzone, University of Connecticut.

Open Equitation Over Fences, Section B: 1. Marco Polo Uchoa, University of Findlay. 2. Maddie Davis, Ohio University. 3. Maddy Skrak, Mount Holyoke College. 4. Maeve McLoughlin, Ohio State University - Team A. 5. Tess Lee, Penn State University - Blue Team. 6. Amanda Sakwa, University of Delaware - Team Baby Blue. 7. Cary Hundley, Goucher College.

Intermediate Equitation Over Fences, Section A: 1. Sabrina Mercadante, Penn State University - Blue Team. 2. Anna Rzchowski, Mount Holyoke College. 3. Bobbie Jo Adsit, Emory and Henry College. 4. Ally Lagiovane, Ohio University. 5. Rena DiPaula, Goucher College. 6. Olivia Murray, Savannah College of Art and Design. 7. Kelly Bohnenberger, University of Delaware - Team YoUDee. 8. Taylor Topping, Ohio State University - Team A.

Intermediate Equitation Over Fences, Section B: 1. Jessica Wayne, Ohio State University - Team B. 2. Madison Halbom, Penn State University - White Team. 3. Autumn Ortiz, West Virginia University. 4. Alyssa Kelly, University of Delaware - Team Baby Blue. 6. Claire Meyer, Purdue University. 7. Alexa Sendro, University of Findlay. 8. Amanda Lyons, University of Connecticut.

Intermediate Equitation On The Flat, Section A: 1. Adam Edgar, Savannah College of Art and Design. 2. Sabrina Fox, Mount Holyoke College. 3. Claire Meyer, Purdue University. 4. Carly Vodola, University of Delaware - Team Baby Blue. 5. Gabriella Fournier, Penn State University - White Team. 6. Catherine Lach, Ohio State University - Team B. 7. Bobbie Jo Adsit, Emory and Henry College. 8. Alex Davidson, West Virginia University.

Novice Equitation On The Flat, Section A: 1. Victoria Jenkins, Ohio State University - Team B. 2. Lilly Hilgers, Savannah College of Art and Design. 3. Courtney Sloan, Goucher College. 4. Caitlin O'Neill, Penn State University - White Team. 5. Melissa Kay, University of Delaware - Team YoUDee. 6. Catherine Hill, Emory and Henry College. 7. Alexa Sendro, University of Findlay. 8. Genevieve Hickey, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Intermediate Equitation On The Flat, Section B: 1. Meghan Moran, University of Findlay. 2. Clea Lerner, Goucher College. 3. Kelly Bohnenberger, University of Delaware - Team YoUDee. 4. Martine Maschio, University of Connecticut. 5. Connor Day, Ohio State University - Team A. 6. Samantha Hurley, Penn State University - Team Blue. 7. Gina Knoll, Ohio University. 8. Jen Szafir, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation On The Flat, Section A: 1. Sarah Etzel, Mount Holyoke College. 2. Anna Lia Sullivan, University of Delaware - Team YoUDee. 3. Shelby Metzger, Ohio State University - Team B. 4. Tresa Gunderman, Penn State University - Blue Team. 5. Ally Bates, Savannah College of Art and Design. 6. Tatum Wagner, University of Findlay. 7. Zach Will, Emory and Henry College. 8. Tyler McEvoy, Purdue University.

Novice Equitation On The Flat, Section B: 1. Natalie Lindsay, Ohio State University - Team A. 2. Julia Lineweber, University of Connecticut. 3. Lenna Hoff, Ohio University. 4. Indra Rapinchuk, Mount Holyoke College. 5. Kelsi Taylor, West Virginia University. 6. Andrea Marti, Purdue University. 7. Olivia Richards, Penn State University - Team Blue. 8. Bailey Harach, University of Delaware - Team Baby Blue.

Walk-Trot Equitation On The Flat, Section A: 1. Vincent Delissio, Savannah College of Art and Design. 2. Alexa Neely, Ohio University. 3. Jane Swanton, University of Findlay. 4. Madison Stine, Penn State University - White Team. 5. Wenjie Li, Mount Holyoke College. 6. Catherine Ishimasa, West Virginia University. 7. Maddy Hollingsworth, Ohio State University - Team A. 8. Rebecca Brown, University of Delaware - Team Baby Blue.

Open Equitation On The Flat, Section A: 1. Katie Groomes, Penn State University - Blue Team. 2. Maeve McLoughlin, Ohio State University - Team A. 3. Marina Coleman, University of Connecticut. 4. Maddie Davis, Ohio University. 5. Cary Hundley, Goucher College. 6. Megan Sheffler, West Virginia University. 7. Alyssa Kelly, University of Delaware - Team Baby Blue. 8. Lindsay Lucas, Purdue University.

Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation On The Flat, Section B: 1. Adelie Callihan, Goucher College. 2. Cody Martino, West Virginia University. 3. Bethany Pilon, University of Connecticut. 4. Megan McMahon, Ohio State University - Team A. 5. Sarah Wooldridge, Ohio University. 6. Kiernan Fallows, University of Delaware - Team Baby Blue. 7. Laura Barkowski, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 8. Christine Ruffin, Penn State University - White Team.

Open Equitation On The Flat, Section B: 1. Franny Eremeeva, Mount Holyoke College. 2. Lizzy Traband, Penn State University - White Team. 3. Erika Gavin, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 4. Eryn Lindner, University of Delaware - Team YoUDee. 5. Maddy Keck, Savannah College of Art and Design. 6. Jessica Wayne, Ohio State University - Team B. 7. Payton McClintock, University of Findlay. 8. Billie Henard, Emory and Henry College.

Walk-Trot Equitation On The Flat, Section B: 1. Jacky Zinchuck, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 2. Cherise Madrid, Goucher College. 3. Alyssa Key, University of Delaware - Team YoUDee. 4. Hannah Cochran, Ohio State University - Team B. 5. Ryan Toole, Penn State University - Blue Team. 6. Robbie Rodemann, Emory and Henry College. 7. Christie Kesecki, University of Connecticut. 8. Joyce Jai, Purdue University.

Novice Equitation Over Fences, Section A: 1. Lexi Ferris, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 2. Ally Kirk, Penn State University - White Team. 3. Anni Field, Goucher College. 4. Natalie Lindsay, Ohio State University - Team A. 5. Mya Lizzardo, Emory and Henry College. 6. Jamison Glass, University of Connecticut. 7. Meghan Moran, University of Findlay.

Novice Equitation Over Fences, Section B: 1. Addison O'Rourke, West Virginia University. 2. Ashley Jenkins, Penn State University - Blue Team. 3. Tess Mroczka, Savannah College of Art and Design. 4. Sabrina Fox, Mount Holyoke College. 5. Melissa Kay, University of Delaware - Team YoUDee. 6. Morgan Clarke, Ohio State University - Team B. 7. Andrea Marti, Purdue University. 8. Katie Kemp, Ohio University.

Tournament of Champions Collegiate Low Medal: 1. Brady Martino, Savannah College of Art and Design. 2. Lilly Hilgers, Savannah College of Art and Design. 3. Bobbie Jo Adsit, Emory and Henry College. 4. Melissa Kay, University of Delaware. 5. Natalie Lindsay, Ohio State University. 6. Sabrina Fox, Mount Holyoke College. 7. Meghan Moran, University of Findlay. 8. Connor Day, Ohio State University. 9. Ashley Jenkins, Penn State University. 10. Madison Bonner, Emory and Henry College.

Tournament of Champions Collegiate High Medal: 1. Marco Polo Uchoa, University of Findlay. 2. Adam Edgar, Savannah College of Art and Design. 3. Chris Johnson, Purdue University. 4. Erika Gavin, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 5. Mollie Kowalchik, Mount Holyoke College. 6. Amanda Sakwa, University of Delaware. 7. Maeve McLoughlin, Ohio State University. 8. Francisco Caba Guil, Emory and Henry College. 9. Jessica Wayne, Ohio State University. 10. Alyssa Simin, University of Findlay.

January 20th Team Totals:

Mount Holyoke College - 36 Points (Champion)

Savannah College of Art and Design - 35 Points (official Reserve Champion)

Goucher College - 29 (official third place)

Penn State University - Blue Team - 27 (official fourth place)

Penn State University - White Team - 26 (official fifth place)

Ohio State University - Team B - 24 (official sixth place)

West Virginia University - 24 (official seventh place)

Ohio State University - Team A - 23 (official eighth place)

Ohio University - 22

University of Delaware - Team YoUDee - 21

University of Massachusetts at Amherst - 20

University of Connecticut - 20

University of Findlay - 19

Purdue University - 11

Emory and Henry College - 10

University of Delaware - Team Baby Blue - 8

January 27th Team Totals:

Savannah College of Art and Design - Team BEE-lieve 46 Points (Champion)

Savannah College of Art and Design - Team BEE-strong 35 Points (official Reserve Champion)

Mount Holyoke College - Team Lyon Up - 31 Points (official third place)

Randolph College - 27 (official fourth place)

Miami University of Ohio - 26 (official fifth place)

Emory and Henry College - 24 (official sixth place)

Ohio University - 23 (official seventh place)

University of Rhode Island - Team Rhody Rams - 22 (official eighth place)

Mount Holyoke College - Team Cause and Effect - 21

University of South Carolina - 21

Berry College - 18

Goucher College - 16

University of Findlay - 13

Boston University - 13

Louisiana State University - 11

West Chester University - 4

University of Rhode Island - Team Rhody Ruckus - 1

Final 2017-18 Overall Tournament of Champions Results:

Savannah College of Art and Design - 95 Points (Series Champion)

Mount Holyoke College - 67 (official Reserve Champion)

Randolph College - 64 (official third place)

Goucher College - 63 (official fourth place)

Penn State University - 55 (official fifth place)

Miami University of Ohio - 54 (official sixth place)

Ohio University - 45 (official seventh place)

University of Findlay - 44 (official eighth place)

(For more info about the Tournament of Champions series or the Equestrian Talent Search, please e-mail JimArrigon@hotmail.com or visit www.BeckettRunRiding.com or visit the Equestrian Talent Search page on Facebook.)