Seen here at the Holiday Tournament of Champions earlier this season, Elena Serkin of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst was one of three UMass riders to win a team class at Zone 1 Zones on April 5th. Serkin's first in team intermediate fences temporarily gave UMass the lead. Later on UMass would win comfortably, helped by placing second or higher in seven of the eight team classes.

UMASS ROLLS ON TO NATIONALS; BROWN WINS ENOUGH BLUE RIBBONS TO JOIN THEM

South Hadley, MA - The dream season of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst added another chapter with a happy ending, as the Minutemen won in their first Zone 1 Zones appearance with a full team since 1996. Three UMass riders won team classes while the Minutemen tied the University of Connecticut for most individual undergraduate riders to survive Zones and secure rides at IHSA Nationals in Burbank, California May 8th through 11th. The Minutemen and the Huskies advanced three riders each.

However if truth be told the race for second was more interesting. Stonehill College, which last appeared at Nationals with a full team when they won it all in 2003, was either in first or second place from the third team class through the seventh. However Brown University senior Whitney Keefe's win in team open flat forced a tie for second in the last class. With both Stonehill and Brown at 38 points, the IHSA Tiebreakers came into play. The first tiebreaker at a Zones show is the number of blue ribbons. Brown had three, as Keefe won both open divisions while Dakota Gruener won novice flat. With Stonehill holding only two blue ribbons this gave Brown reserve honors and a trip to IHSA Nationals for the second season in a row.

Seen here at the Holiday Tournament last December, Kayla Schneider (left, with Head Coach Tarah Watson) was one of two Stonehill riders to win a team class. Schneider's win in intermediate flat gave the Sky Hawks a 23-21 lead on UMass through four team classes, the only time Stonehill had first place to themselves.

In typical Zone 1 fashion, the team competition went back-and-forth. Keefe won in open fences to edge out UMass Caccchione rep Kate Lawrence to start the day. UMass came right back as Elena Serkin won intermediate fences. With Brown earning a fourth the door was open for Stonehill or Mount Ida to make a run. Stonehill seized the day as Rachel Foster won novice fences. Molly Bettancourt of UMass was second, giving the Minutemen a narrow 17-16 lead on the Sky Hawks. Stonehill then went ahead, as Kayla Schneider won intermediate flat. Stonehill was now up 23-21 on UMass but surprisingly Brown had run off three last place ribbons (fourths) in a row to sink into a tie for the cellar with Mount Ida. The Bears had only 16 points through four divisions, but as they have done so many times at Zones Brown rose out of the ashes to eventually secure their fifth trip to Nationals since 2001. The comeback began with a first for Dakota Gruener in the fifth team class, team novice flat. Molly Bettancourt's second for UMass moved the Minutemen back into a tie with Stonehill for the lead at 26-all. Ariel Spuzzillo of UMass proceeded to win team walk-trot-canter, while Stonehill was third and Brown fourth. This made it UMass 33, Stonehill 30, Brown 26 and Mount Ida 25 with two classes to go. The Minutemen won again as walk-trotter Hannah Deutsch prevailed in the seventh team class. UMass had clinched first place with 40, but Brown kept it interesting as Kona Shen was second, giving the Bears 31 to Stonehill's 34.

The final team class was open flat. Brown could not survive without a first, and even then if Stonehill was second their season would be over. However Keefe, a senior from Newport, Rhode Island was up to the challenge. Keefe won while Lawrence repeated her second to give UMass a total of 45 for the championship. Those who like the IHSA's tiebreaker formula instituted prior to the 2006-07 season are happy for the Bears while those who like the way it used to be (when a ride-off broke the tie) probably want Stonehill to still be riding.

Seen here at a UConn show in Region 1 this past October, Dakota Gruener of Brown snapped a streak of three Bear white ribbons with a blue one in team novice flat. The Bears earned three blues, four whites and a red for their 38 points. The IHSA tiebreaker system gave Brown the edge over Stonehill by virtue of more blue ribbons, which means the Bears join UMass and 15 other teams from around the country for a shot at the National Championship at IHSA Nationals this May.

Though Stonehill was unable to advance a full team, Sky Hawks open rider Quinn Traendly qualified for Nationals in the very first class of the day. The top two in each of the ten individual classes advance, and Traendly was second to Tara Lynch of the University of Connecticut in the individual open fences. UConn won the next individual class as well, as Julia Gildea (pronounced 'Gil-Day') won individual intermediate fences. UConn cleaned up individually, as Samantha Morse of the Huskies was second in individual walk-trot while UConn alumni rider Nicole Hunsicker won the alumni flat while placing second in alumni fences. Johnson & Wales advanced two riders while Keefe was second in individual open flat to give Region 1 bragging rights for the most individuals advanced to Nationals through Zone 1 Zones. Six Region 1 undergrads plus Hunsicker will mean Southern New England schools have considerable representation in Burbank.

Region 3 was next with three UMass riders and Smith's Sarah Maxner in walk-trot-canter all qualifying for Nationals individually. A pair of Mount Holyoke alumni riders made the top two as Laura Tarko won alumni fences while Christine Gunn was second to Hunsicker in alumni flat (where former Cacchione Cup winner and 2002 Brown graduate Amanda Forte was third). Each of the other two regions advanced three riders to Nationals, with Rebecca Viera of the other UMass school, the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, the only Region 4 rider to win an individual class. Viera was a place higher than Maxner in walk-trot-canter. Region 2 riders were first place winners three times, with University of Vermont's Jordan Werner the novice fences champion, Jessica McLavey of Colby-Sawyer tops in walk-trot and Cacchione qualifier Daisy Freund of Dartmouth a place higher than Keefe in open flat. Keefe and Freund may compete against each other one more time Before Nationals, as Brown and Dartmouth will be part of the Ivy League Invitational hosted by Cornell University April 19th in Ithaca, New York.

There was one more division at today's show. Zone 1 is one of the last to still hold a 'Cacchione Class' for each of the four region's top open riders. Freund, Lawrence, Lynch and Tufts' Rebecca Reiner first jumped and later flatted in a division which determines the top open rider in the Zone. Many zones used to hold this class, but so much time has passed that many in other zones probably never knew the division existed. With Bob Cacchione on hand at today's show, Judge Linda Shahinian chose Lawrence as the Zone 1 Cacchione Champion, with Renier reserve. This division has no bearing on the future, as all four riders will still compete for the Cacchione Cup at IHSA Nationals. It is however good preparation for the Nationals environment, as Zone 1 Zones is about as exciting if not more exciting than most National or Invitational shows.

--Steve Maxwell.

Class-By-Class Results from Zone 1 Zones, held April 5th, 2008 in South Hadley, Massachusetts, with the top two riders in each individual class advancing to IHSA Nationals May 8th through 11th in Burbank, California:

Individual Open Equitation Over Fences: 1. Tara Lynch, University of Connecticut. 2. Quinn Traendly, Stonehill College. 3. Heather Caswell, University of Connecticut. 4. Monica Sakurai, Mount Holyoke College. 5. Bailey Sheran, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 6. Rebecca Renier, Tufts University. 7. Kim Lynch, University of New Hampshire. 8. Lauren Gately, Mount Ida College.

Team Open Equitation Over Fences: 1. Whitney Keefe, Brown University. 2. Kate Lawrence, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 3. Quinn Traendly, Stonehill College. 4. Lauren Gately, Mount Ida College.

Individual Intermediate Equitation Over Fences: 1. Julia Gildea, University of Connecticut. 2. Ariel Weisman, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 3. Diana Bondy, Wheaton College. 4. Josh Corriveau, University of Rhode Island. 5. Annie Olilla, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 6. Lila Pemberton, Mount Ida College. 7. Ashley Chapman, University of Vermont. 8. Margaret Thompson, Wellesley College.

Team Intermediate Equitation Over Fences: 1. Elena Serkin, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 2. Rebecca Clifford, Stonehill College. 3. Amanda Lindgren, Mount Ida College. 4. Rachel Griffith, Brown University.

Alumni Equitation Over Fences: 1. Laura Tarko, Mount Holyoke College. 2. Nicole Hunsicker, University of Connecticut. 3. Kate Goodwin, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. 4. Shay Meisinger, University of Connecticut. 5. Christine Gunn, Mount Holyoke College. 6. Katie Stewart, Tufts University.

Individual Novice Equitation Over Fences: 1. Jordan Werner, University of Vermont. 2. Nikki Layne, Johnson & Wales University. 3. Amanda Lindgren, Mount Ida College. 4. Kate Selig, Endicott College. 5. Noelle Bassette, Trinity College (CT). 6. Caralie Cahill, Mount Holyoke College. 7. Heather Mrzyglod, Becker College. 8. Brianna Jackson, Wheaton College.

Team Novice Equitation Over Fences: 1. Rachel Foster, Stonehill College. 2. Molly Bettencourt, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 3. Taylor Bergquist, Mount Ida College. 4. Emily Bourdeau, Brown University.

Individual Intermediate Equitation on the Flat: 1. Lisa Risso, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 2. Chelsea Conant, Endicott College. 3. Lorin Weaver, Mount Holyoke College. 4. Lauren Rarich, Roger Williams University. 5. Katherine Scovner, Dartmouth College. 6. Eileen Walsh, Boston College. 7. Holly Tumiel, Colby-Sawyer College. 8. Jennifer Troncone, Johnson & Wales University.

Team Intermediate Equitation on the Flat: 1. Kayla Schneider, Stonehill College. 2. Courtney McGrath, Mount Ida College. 3. Stefanie Vander Kaaij, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 4. Allegra Aron, Brown University.

Alumni Equitation on the Flat: 1. Nicole Hunsicker, University of Connecticut. 2. Christine Gunn, Mount Holyoke College. 3. Amanda Forte, Brown University. 4. Mary Omelenchuck, Becker College. 5. Katie Stewart, Tufts University. 6. Tessa Le Cuyer, Tufts University.

Individual Novice Equitation on the Flat: 1. Kimberly Fearick, Johnson & Wales University. 2. Amy Donahue, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 3. Elise Desbonnet, University of Rhode Island. 4. Erica Botman, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 5. Lily Macartney, Dartmouth College. 6. Cecilia Pontoriero, Tufts University. 7. Amy Mason, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. 8. Amanda Lindgren, Mount Ida College.

Team Novice Equitation on the Flat: 1. Dakota Gruener, Brown University. 2. Molly Bettencourt, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 3. Autumn Iverson, Mount Ida College. 4. Kelli Monroe, Stonehill College.

Individual Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation on the Flat: 1. Rebecca Viera, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. 2. Sarah Maxner, Smith College. 3. Jennifer Solomon, Mount Ida College. 4. Michaelan Burke, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 5. Taylor Bergquist, Mount Ida College. 6. Isabel Argrelles, University of Connecticut. 7. Emily Young, Tufts University. 8. Alicia Levy, Roger Williams University.

Team Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation on the Flat: 1. Ariel Spuzzillo, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 2. Nancy Bowes, Mount Ida College. 3. Hilary Hamlyn, Stonehill College. 4. Stephanie Carmack, Brown University.

Individual Walk-Trot Equitation on the Flat: 1. Jessica McLavey, Colby-Sawyer College. 2. Samantha Morse, University of Connecticut. 3. Kate Miller, Mount Holyoke College. 4. Andrea Falciani, Mount Holyoke College. 5. Jenna Boyd, Stonehill College. 6. Ruth Reinken, Middlebury College. 7. Stephanie Carmack, Brown University. 8. Shayla Fiedler, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.

Team Walk-Trot Equitation on the Flat: 1. Hannah Deutsch, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 2. Kona Shen, Brown University. 3. Callie Ryan, Stonehill College. 4. Abbey Champagne, Mount Ida College.

Team Open Equitation on the Flat: 1. Whitney Keefe, Brown University. 2. Kate Lawrence, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 3. Jamie Marsalise, Stonehill College. 4. Lila Pemberton, Mount Ida College.

Individual Open Equitation on the Flat: 1. Daisy Freund, Dartmouth College. 2. Whitney Keefe, Brown University. 3. Kate Lawrence, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 4. Tracey Mack, Mount Holyoke College. 5. Meredith Milliner, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. 6. Tara Lynch, University of Connecticut. 7. Elizabeth Bissell, Dartmouth College. 8. Quinn Traendly, Stonehill College.

Cacchione Cup Class: 1. Kate Lawrence, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 2. Rebecca Renier, Tufts University. 3. Tara Lynch, University of Connecticut. 4. Daisy Freund, Dartmouth College. (All four of these riders are automatically qualified for IHSA Nationals as Region Champion High Point Open Riders - Editor)

Final Hunter Seat Team Totals, with the top two teams advancing to IHSA Nationals May 8th through 11th in Burbank, California: University of Massachusetts at Amherst 45, Brown University 38 (Reserve; Won tiebreaker which was most blue ribbons), Stonehill College 38 and Mount Ida College 31.

(Special thanks to Sara Royston for her help in gathering these results - Editor)