Campus Equestrian: Zone 3, Region 3 home page

IHSA ZONE 3 - REGION 3

Back on November 15th then-Centenary University President Dr. Dale Caldwell (on left) posed for a photo with Centenary University open rider Kayley Besbris. A senior from Newton, New Jersey, Besbris finished the 2025-26 season tied for fourth in the Region 3 open rider standings. Dr. Caldwell stepped down from his position as President in January as was planned, as he was elected Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey in early November.

If you compete in Zone 3, Region 3 the location of this photo will throw you for a loop. For it was not taken at a Zone 3, Region 3 show but rather the Pre-Season Tournament of Champions invitational hosted by Goucher College in Towson, Maryland on September 27th. In the photo Marist University freshman Shea Henry poses with a red ribbon after placing second in limit fences. A freshman from Saratoga Springs, New York and the younger sister of teammate Paige Henry, Shea Henry won three limit flat classes during the 2025-26 season for the Red Foxes. And some may have noticed that Marist is no longer a College but now a University!

While Marist finished second in Region 3 behind Centenary it was the State University of New York at New Paltz who claimed third place. Head Coach Helaina Ricciardi (on right) saw six of her Hawks qualify for Regionals including Carolina Dickens (on left). A senior who claims her U.S. address as Rhinebeck, New York, Dickens pointed out of novice equitation at the November 1st Marist show.

Sarah Lawrence College finished as the fourth place Region 3 team for 2025-26. Two members of the Gryphons qualified for Regionals including Nyah Raposo (pictured). November 15th was a very good day for Raposo. Centenary University hosted two shows on that day and the junior from Brooklyn, New York took home the blue ribbon in introductory equitation at each (you don't see an intro rider with two firsts on the same day very often!). Raposo is one of six riders qualified to compete in the intro division at Regionals on March 28th.

Elizabeth Melton of the United States Military Academy (on left) will be one of seven riders entered in the novice equitation division at Regionals on March 28th, making it the largest class of the day. USMA has a new head coach in Kaysha Holloman (on right), who took over the program in September. Holloman guided the Black Knights to fifth place in the Region 3 team standings while sending five riders to Regionals including Melton, who with a fourth pointed out of novice at the October 4th season opener at Centenary which the USMA hosted.

Harriet Simons of Vassar College was very close to pointing out of limit flat during the fall but was abroad for the Spring '26 and will start next season with 28 points in the division. Another Vassar rider getting closer to qualifying for Regionals is Evyn Katz (pictured). A freshman from South Orange, New Jersey, Katz is seen here after placing first in limit fences at Centenary on February 21st. When Marist hosted on November 22nd Katz was a winner in both limit classes. With Katz needing 10 more points over fences and 13 on the flat the Brewers may have two Regional Qualifiers early on in the fall of 2026.

At times over the past two seasons Nicole Harris of Drew University (pictured) has been a one-person team. In 2025-26 the Rangers grew to two members, with Harris competing the most of the two. A junior from Ocean Township, New Jersey, Harris won Drews' only blue ribbon of the 2025-26 season with a first in intermediate flat on February 21st. When next season starts Harris will need only five points to qualify for Regionals in limit fences.

There were two sections of introductory equitation at the 'afternoon' Centenary show on November 15th. Raposo of Sarah Lawrence won the second section while Samantha Salit of the State University of New York at New Paltz won the first one. We caught up with the sophomore from Warwick, New York as she was gradually changing into non-riding apparel after qualifying for Regionals with the win. Salit told us she needed only two points to go to Regionals and that the blue ribbon was in fact her first in IHSA competition.

Michaela Staniec of Centenary University (pictured) knew a thing or two about the IHSA before joining the Cyclones. The junior from Exeter, New Hampshire trained with Endicott College head coach Megan Martin before going to college (Martin herself was a former Cacchione Cup rider for Skidmore College) and spent a season with the USMA team competing against Centenary before transferring to the Hackettstown, New Jersey school. On November 15th Staniec won her limit flat during the first show while placing second in the division in the afternoon event. The latter five points made her a Regional Qualifier in the division. The Cyclones won six of the eight shows held in 2025-26 and finished 28 points ahead of the Red Foxes to capture their 36th consecutive Region Title. This is the all-time IHSA record for a hunter seat team (the old record of 35 was also theirs). The Western record is 38 consecutive Region Titles for Ohio State University from 1987-2024 (no shows in Ohio State's or Centenary's region in 2020-21 due to covid-19). With Ohio State unable to win a Region Title last season the Cyclones are inching closer to the Buckeye's record.

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The Zone 3, Region 3 Smorgasbord

Schools competing in Zone 3, Region 3 during the 2025-2026 school year: Centenary University (NJ), Drew University, Marist University, Sarah Lawrence College, State University of New York at New Paltz, United States Military Academy and Vassar College.

Winter/Spring 2026 Show Schedule for Zone 3, Region 3 (Zone 3, Region 3 is currently Hunter Seat Only):

Saturday, February 21 Centenary University (Host) at the Centenary University Equestrian Center, Long Valley, NJ 9:00AM - DOUBLEHEADER

Sunday, March 1 Entire Region (Co-Hosts) at Crosswinds Equestrian Center, LaGrangeville, NY 9:00AM

Saturday, March 28 Zone 3, Region 3 Regionals at Crosswinds Equestrian Center, LaGrangeville, NY Time TBA

Saturday, April 4 ZONE 3 ZONES at the Centenary University Equestrian Center, Long Valley, NJ Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Friday through Sunday, May 1 - 3 IHSA NATIONALS at Tryon International Equestrian Center, Mill Spring, NC Time each day TBA ENGLISH AND WESTERN

Show Schedule subject to change.

Recent Zone 2, Region 1 Team Champions (Re-named Zone 3, Region 3 prior to the 2010-11 Season)

Hunter Seat:

1997 - Centenary College
1998 - Centenary College
1999 - Centenary College
2000 - Centenary College
2001 - Centenary College
2002 - Centenary College
2003 - Centenary College
2004 - Centenary College
2005 - Centenary College
2006 - Centenary College
2007 - Centenary College
2008 - Centenary College
2009 - Centenary College (2008-09
IHSA Hunter Seat National Champions)
2010 - Centenary College
2011 - Centenary College (2010-11
IHSA Hunter Seat National Champions)
2012 - Centenary College
2013 - Centenary College
2014 - Centenary College (2013-14
IHSA Hunter Seat National Champions)
2015 - Centenary College
2016 - Centenary College
2017 - Centenary University
2018 - Centenary University
2019 - Centenary University
2020 - Centenary University
2022 - Centenary University
2023 - Centenary University
2024 - Centenary University
2025 - Centenary University
2026 - Centenary University

Western (started in region 1 Fall 1998; was part of a combined western region at times through 2015 but rode only with the same schools as Region 3 hunter seat during 2015-16):

1999 - United States Military Academy
2000 - United States Military Academy
2001 - United States Military Academy
2002 - United States Military Academy
2003 - United States Military Academy
2004 - Centenary College
2005 - United States Military Academy
2006 - United States Military Academy
2007 - United States Military Academy
2008 - United States Military Academy
2009 - United States Military Academy
2010 - United States Military Academy
2011 - Centenary College
2012 - Centenary College
2013 - Centenary College
2014 - Centenary College
2015 - University of Delaware
2016 - United States Military Academy
2017 - Delaware Valley University
2018 - Delaware Valley University
2019 - Penn State University (State College)
2020 - University of Delaware
2022 - Delaware Valley University
2023 - Delaware Valley University
2024 - Penn State University (State College)
2025 - Delaware Valley University

Regional Qualifiers

Open Level Rider Standings

Team Standings

ZONE 3 NEIGHBORS

Region 1 Homepage

Region 2 Homepage

Region 4 Homepage

Region 5 Homepage