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TUFTS IS FIRST TO LEAD REGION 4 IN 2007-08 Holliston, MA - If you followed Zone 1, Region 4 during the 2006-07 season you know that the race for high point team was not decided until late in the regions' final show. You may also recall that at one time or another Stonehill, Wheaton, Boston University and the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth all led the region at least once during the regular season. One school that hovered around the top but never sat in first place for a single day was Tufts University. The Jumbos were nine back in the standings at the winter break and may have even climbed to within five points but this was as close as they came. Stonehill led after the first, second and final shows to capture their fourth region title in five seasons. Though the Skyhawks were good on opening day 2007-08, earning reserve high point team honors in former St. Lawrence rider Tarah Watson's debut as Head Coach, host Tufts became the first Region 4 school of the new season to prevail, on top by a 41-36 score. Leading the way for Tufts was open rider Kathryn Wulster, who won both of her open classes. Known sometimes as "Katie," the senior from Lebanon, New Jersey was one of two riders to qualify for the ride-off. Also winning blue ribbons for Tufts were Margot Lurie (walk-trot), Emily Young (advanced walk-trot-canter), Cecilia Pontoriero (novice flat) and Rebecca Renier, who won the first section of open fences to start the show.
The key to Tufts' victory might have been their ability to block points, as six Jumbos placed second over the course of 21 undergraduate classes. Reserve high point team Stonehill finished with four blue and three red ribbons in contrast, yet it turned out the Skyhawks pointed those who went on to do well. Stonehill swept the intermediate fences, as Kayla Schneider and Rebecca Clifford were both winners. Schneider, a freshman from Vernon, Connecticut was one of two newcommers to the region to win a jumping class while Clifford's win in the fourth section of the day made her the first Massachusetts resident to win a Region 4 class this season! Along with Schneider and Clifford (a junior from Rehoboth, Massachusetts), Rachel Foster won her section of novice fences while senior and co-captain Renee Rogers was the Skyhawks' only flat winner, best in the third of four sections of novice flat. The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, coached by Katelyn Holiday (no longer Medeiros; She got married since last season) with assistance from Kate Goodwin, was third with 31 points. The Corsairs were led by Kaitlyn Kutzer, a winner in open flat, and Alanna Therrien, who won her section of beginner walk-trot-canter. Mia Finkelstein (intermediate flat) and Shayla Fiedler (walk-trot) won red ribbons for UMass-Dartmouth, who were one of only five teams with a full point card at today's show.
Endicott College had the second-highest number of blue ribbons on opening day, with four of their five winners pointed. Kate Selig led the way for the Gulls as the sophomore from Groveland, Massachusetts won both her novice flat and fences classes. Walk-trot rider Anna DeLorenzo, beginner walk-trot-canter rider Jessica Hewins and novice flat rider Casey Lake also won, with four of the five blue ribbons accounting for 28 of Endicott's 30 points. The blue ribbons for Delorenzo and Lake advanced each to Regionals. A late scratch meant that Wheaton College was one rider shy of a full card, but still the 2005 Region Champs managed 28 points. Briana Jackson, a senior who was making her IHSA debut, won the Crusaders only blue ribbon of the day in novice fences while placing second in novice flat. Jackson was actually one of Wheaton's better singles players on their Tennis Team for the past three seasons, but she was quick to point out she was a rider before becoming a tennis player! Molly Hislop was second in both of her novice classes while other Wheaton riders placed third a total of five times. Boston College scored 21 points without the benefit of a walk-trot rider. With assistant coach and former University of New Hampshire rider Jen Phelan at the helm the Eagles were led by senior Eileen Walsh, who won the first of two intermediate flat sections. The former Bermuda resident was making her first IHSA appearance since the 2005-06 season. Sophomore Nicole Dellarocco picked up five points for BC with a second in advanced walk-trot-canter.
Wellesley was without an open rider but still managed 19 points. The Blue were able to claim a pair of blue ribbon winners in Laurie Adamson (advanced walk-trot-canter) and Cleo Stoughton (intermediate flat). From Manhattan, Kansas, todays' show was the first for Stoughton, who lives only five minutes from Fox Creek Stable where Kansas State hosts shows in Zone 9, Region 2. Wellesley also received two red ribbons, awarded to Alex Pistey (second to Adamson in the shows' final class) and Alysha Carkin, whose five points moved her up and out of walk-trot. Bridgewater State College and Boston University tied with 10 points. Bridgewater accomplished this with three empty places on their point card. Sarah Stefanik earned Bridgewater States' top ribbon with a third in beginner walk-trot-canter. Boston University simply had about as unlucky a day as possible. Things started off well, with Zehra Gundogan and Krystyna Metcalf both placing second in separate sections of open fences, but from there on the Terriers only made the top three twice, with Casey Parmalee second in novice fences and Emma Wiedmaier third in advanced walk-trot-canter. The talent is there (BU was in first place through the third and fourth shows of the 2006-07 season with several of the same riders) and one expects the Terriers will improve the most regionwide between the first and second shows of the season. Rounding out the scoring was Brandeis with four points. Dan Lincoln led the way with fourth-place ribbons in both novice sections, while Maia Belic and Elizabeth Bowman were also fourth in their sections of novice fences. Brandeis was a team of only three riders on this day, but Head Coach Debbie Hoyt-Banfield claimed that others will participate in the UMass-Dartmouth show on October 21st.
Sanger-Katz dominates large alumni field: Though she had not competed at an IHSA show since the 2005-06 season, 2002 Yale graduate Margot Sanger-Katz picked up where she left off. Now a journalist for a New Hampshire newspaper, Sanger-Katz won both the alumni flat and fences divisions, each made up of eight riders. Unlike some alumni who have not had a great deal of lessons leading up to the new season, Sanger-Katz has been riding her horse known as 'Parker' or 'Lemon Park,' who was praised at 2007 IHSA Nationals by Virginia Intermont College Head Coach Eddie Federwisch, whose riders drew him and won on him. The top four were identical in each alumni division, with Sanger-Katz followed by 2007 Tufts graduate and Region 4 Cacchione entry Tessa LeCuyer in second, 2007 Tufts graduate Kate Stewart in third and 2005 Tufts graduate Kathryn 'Katie' Estes (who was fifth nationally in alumni flat at 2007 Nationals) in fourth. Sarah McBride, who was Sarah Bullard while an undergraduate at Endicott, was fifth on the flat while Worcester State graduate Sandra 'Sandy' Walsh was sixth. Over fences the pink ribbon went to Penn State graduate and Region 4 alumni rep Anneke Bartlesman while McBride was sixth. 2004 Oberlin College graduate Ilana White also competed, and several others, including UMass-Dartmouth assistant coach Goodwin, who was a steward at today's show and thus could not also compete in it, are likely to compete in the Region 4 alumni divisions as the fall progresses. The ride-off: Though sometimes you see an upset, in this case the open rider won out over the novice rider. Even though she broke from the canter at one point, Wulster was awarded the high point ribbon over Selig in a class where both worked for some time sans stirrups. Hooray for good news!: During the Coaches and Captains meeting, Holiday made the sort of announcement not heard very often as an IHSA show draws closer. UMass-Dartmouth raised rather than lowered their rider limit for the next show, essentially giving two more riders on every team the chance to show. At a time when horseflesh is scarce in many parts of the country, it is nice when something like this happens last minute. --Steve Maxwell Show Incidentals: Overcast skies, with rain early. Then clearing in the late afternoon. High temperature in the upper '60's. Start time: 9:27AM. Finish: 3:56PM - includes 68 minute Lunch Break/Coaches and Captains meeting. Point cards posted in this region?: Yes. Alumni Classes held in this region? Yes. Judge: Lisa Foster. Stewards: Andreottola/Endicott College, Quinlan/Wellesley College and Goodwin/University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. Team Totals: Tufts University (High Point Team) 41; Stonehill College (Reserve) 36; University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth 31; Endicott College 30; Wheaton College 28; Boston College 21; Wellesley College 19; Bridgewater State College 10; Boston University 10 and Brandeis University 4. High Point Rider - Kathryn Wulster, Tufts University
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