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FOUR SPRING SHOWS LEAD TO A NEW, FIRST-TIME REGION CHAMPION Readington, NJ - Kutztown University apparently fielded a team as far back as the 1970's. The University of Scranton formed a team at some point in the late '80's or early '90's. Lafayette had a team in the '70's which vanished in 1992. Then the Leopards showed briefly in 1998 before vanishing again until 2003, when they re-appeared with a vengeance. East Stroudsburg University, which at one point in 1998 was under consideration to join the IHSA as a member of Zone 2, Region 1 (thanks to the school's close proximity to Centenary College), first competed in an IHSA competition in the fall of 1999. Pat Speziale has been the East Stroudsburg Head Coach since day one, initially as a member of Zone 3, Region 2 and moving with eight others into Zone 3, Region 4 when the region was spun off in mid-2001. At times in the middle of the current decade, the ESU team was very small, perhaps as few as five members. There were even a few scattered shows (mostly in the spring and perhaps around spring break) which ESU did not enter. The Warriors were in no way a threat to the six schools which dominated the region at that time (Kutztown, Lehigh, Rutgers, Princeton, emerging Lafayette and now-region 1 member Bucknell). The future of the ESU team looked like it could go in any direction, be it to improve or disappear completely. Another school, the University of Scranton, was in the same boat. The Royals were part of Zone 3, Region 3 until 2000, when they shifted to Region 2. Then Scranton shifted into Region 4 the following season, making their program the only one in IHSA history to date to be part of three regions in three years! In the middle of the decade, Scranton was down to about four riders at one point. Head Coach Tara Lane Waitkus hosted a show only three seasons ago with about four or five of her Scranton riders in attendance! Suffice to say the Royals needed an influx of freshman very badly at the time. Fast-forward to the 2007-08 season. East Stroudsburg and Scranton, both coming off vastly-improved seasons (with several quality newcommers on the rosters) show early on that they will be on a par with the perrenial Region 4 leaders. After a controversy regarding the validity of Scranton's opening day point sheet is resolved, the Royals are destined to occupy first place for the first time in program history. On October 14th East Stroudsburg wins their first high-point team ribbon ever. It will not be the last time the Warriors accomplish this feat in 2007-08.
When the regular season resumed after the usual winter break, Scranton held a two-point lead over Kutztown, with East Stroudsburg and Lafayette both seven behind the Royals. The results of the March 2nd Bloomsburg show put ESU three ahead of Kutztown, as the Warriors and the Royals scored 34 each to tie for high point. This show is most memorable for the non-ride-off to break a five-way tie for reserve high point rider. Judge Creigh Duncan asked a series of questions, one of which was a trick question regarding the number of strides between fences set up a certain distance apart. Scranton Freshman Maria Gubbiotti was one of a few to recognize that a horse could canter four strides between this distance while a pony would need five. Ultimately Duncan asked all five riders (Kelly Delpome and Alex Charles of Rutgers, Elizabeth Halpin of Kutztown and Marissa Favata of East Stroudsburg were the others) to describe the best elements of their earlier rides. After this Duncan had to check the judge's cards to see if she agreed. The whole process took over half an hour (during which time ESU and Scranton tossed a coin for the high point team ribbon; Scranton won) before Duncan finally chose Gubbiotti as the red ribbon winner. Much earlier Lehigh senior Jess Engle won both of her open classes for the blue ribbon. Engle would win five of eight open classes over the course of four spring shows to represent the region at IHSA Nationals in the Cacchione Cup division. Lauren Casale of Kutztown was the runner-up, trailing Engle 88-69 in combined open flat and fences points over nine shows. The next competition was the "Mud Bowl," as torrential rain fell outside the Briarwood Farm indoor. This was also the day which Scranton would like to forget, as the Royals scored a season-low 15 points while watching ESU move into first place (Scranton scored 29 or more points at seven of the nine shows, with the other low score being 22 on opening day). Meredith Bock of Princeton was apparently high point rider that day, one of the few Princeton highlights of 2007-08. Bock won both of her open classes though the Tigers earned only five points as others were pointed. Lafayette won on March 8th, a show which the Leopards also hosted, and their 32-28 margin over Kutztown temporarily put them back into the team race. ESU scored 27 to move ahead of Scranton 205-200, the first time in program history that the Warriors had sole possession of first place better than halfway through any season.
However no one had time to figure the team standings out as another Region 4 show took place the same weekend. Scranton hosted on Sunday, March 9th, and for only the second time this season a Region 4 show took place outside of Briarwood Farm. The weather at Lithia Valley Farm was very different, with the sun out and wind chills making it feel about 20 degrees. In her second ride at the intermediate level over fences Gubbiotti gave the hosts seven points. The freshman from Falls, Pennsylvania would have to wait until the last class of the day to ride again, and that ride in novice flat would force her into another ride moments later. This time Gubbiotti would ride off for high point, and come up the blue ribbon winner. However the reserve high point rider honor went to ESU sophomore Kaitlin Black, who may have helped the Warriors score a season-high 38 points, enough for a narrow 38-35 win over the host Royals (who tied their high achieved at both the Cedar Crest and Rutgers shows in the fall). When Speziale was asked if she would be rooting for Penn State at Zones (where her daughter Loren was the Zone 3, Region 3 Cacchione Cup representative at 1996 IHSA Nationals ironically in Los Angeles) her response was something to the effect of "Oh No. I will be rooting for us!" At the time it appeared that Speziale and the Warriors might have to sweat out two more shows. Originally Moravian had the season finale scheduled on March 22nd but Lehigh almost managed a tenth show on March 30th. Only three days after the Scranton show did the Lehigh show turn out to be a 'no-go,' this due to a venue issue (the show was not to be at Briarwood, which already was booked by other regions both days over the March 29th/30th weekend). With that question mark out of the way, the Moravian show took on do-or-die consequences.
Though it started out a chilly day at Briarwood on March 22nd, things warmed up considerably, with temps reaching 50 degrees late in the afternoon. With the point sheets not posted in Region 4 one would have to guess how the Warriors and Royals were doing (Kutztown was now 17 points off the lead, while Lafayette trailed by 24. Both were essentially reduced to spoilers, though one would earn high point team honors for the day). Scranton looked as though they might have a shot at a rally, as ESU's normally-reliable Lauren Nelson was sixth in open fences. It was only the fourth time all season Nelson had not placed fourth or higher in a class of any kind. Meanwhile Scranton's Debbie McBride won her open Fences while Gubbiotti placed second to Shannon Ebert of Kutztown in intermediate fences. Marissa Favata was sixth in that same section for the Warriors. Two more sections of intermediate fences had everyone guessing, with Sarah Whitley third in section B and Emily Johnson fourth in section C for the Warriors. Meanwhile Michelle Geise of Scranton was only fifth in section B while Chelsea Levine won section C outright for the Royals. Moments later Levine went again and placed fourth in open flat section A while McBride was second to Johnson in section B. It later turned out that Nelson, who was second to Engle in section A, was pointed in open flat while Levine and not McBride was pointed for the Royals. ESU then won back-to-back sections of intermediate flat, as Favata and Whitley earned blues while Gubbiotti and Geise uncharacteristically won pinks! Scranton twins MaryElena and Jillian Cassetori were up next, with MaryElena a winner in novice fences section A while Jillian was fifth in section B. It is not clear who ESU pointed, though Melissa Tsouhnikas was fourth in section A, Sarah Gannon second in section B and Megan Frantz fourth in section C. Though she was in the ride-off with Gubbiotti 13 days earlier, Black was out of the ribbons in the first section, giving hope to Scranton that if ESU had consistantly pointed the wrong people that the Royals could still advance. But the odds of this were not all that good to even the casual observer. The latter part of the day saw Novice flat, advanced walk-trot-canter and beginner walk-trot-canter classes alternate with each other, meaning none of the three divisions was completed quickly. The results of the first three flat classes gave ESU reason to think a trip to Zones was likely. Grace Usdin of the Warriors won novice flat section A while April Koveleski was second in advanced walk-trot-canter section 2bA and Black second in novice flat section B. Meanwhile Scranton had only one ride in this span, which resulted in a fifth for MaryElena Cassetori in novice flat section B. Neither team had a rider in the second advanced walk-trot-canter section, but Scranton had Jillian Cassetori in novice flat section C. Jillian won to keep Scranton's hopes alive. Two sections of beginner walk-trot-canter were blended to create one, with Melissa Haines of ESU placing third and MaryGrace Potelunas of Scranton fourth. The remaining classes did little to help either side. Sarah Gannon was third in novice flat section D while Warrior teammate Laura Elsasser also won a yellow ribbon shortly thereafter in advanced walk-trot-canter section 2bC. Allison Quirk made it three thirds in as many divisions with a yellow in novice flat section E. Scranton had riders in both novice flat sections D and E, but neither placed in the top six. The final division did only so much for ESU, as walk-trot rider Sarah Brownlee was fifth. However Scranton did not have a walk-trot rider on this very important day, meaning there was little room for error from the get-go as the drop score was on the card before the show even started!
When the point cards were announced, Kutztown had won the show with 31 points. Leading the way for the Golden Bears was freshman Shannon Ebert, who won her open flat and intermediate fences. Other Kutztown riders to win on the 22nd were Alison Muir in beginner walk-trot-canter, Kari Ogden in walk-trot and Jess Benner in novice flat. Scranton took the reserve ribbon, with 29 points. If the Royals had scored 37 or more the region would have been theirs. However ESU was third for the day with 28 points, a loss of only one point in the standings overall and enough for a 271-264 margin over Scranton for the Region Championship. After nine years the Warriors, who were only sixth in the region a year ago (112 points behind Kutztown), had captured their first Region Championship and became the final piece of the puzzle, joining The University of Delaware, West Virginia University and Penn State for the Zone 3 Zones team competition on April 13th. Others with firsts at the final regular season show were Caitlin Belding (intermediate flat), Leah Hanson (novice fences), Jean Schroll (novice flat), Kelly Delpome (same) and Katie Caracappa (advanced walk-trot-canter) of Rutgers, which was fourth for the day with 25 points; Monique Roberts (advanced walk-trot-canter) and Amy Maletz (maiden crossrails) of Princeton; Jenna Breitinger (advanced walk-trot-canter) of Bloomsburg; Stephanie Rich (intermediate fences) of host Moravian; Emily Esteve (novice fences) of Lafayette and Engle, who won both of her open classes and the ride-off with Ebert for high point. Engle earned 14 of Lehigh's 23 points on this day. Ashton Phillips also won both of his alumni classes for the fifth time this season. In eight shows Phillips won 13 of the 16 alumni classes he competed in. 2003 Scranton graduate Sabrina King picked up four more points in alumni flat to advance to Regionals in the division, while Lena Andrews was second in alumni fences to point up as well. Two weeks later the annual Regional show took place. King, who had been the only rider to defeat Phillips over fences (back on October 14th) did so again. Nevertheless the placings were reversed for alumni flat so both riders advanced to Zones. Others to finish inside the top two at Regionals included Engle, who won both open flat and fences; Stacy Brussell, the only Bloomsburg rider to compete at Regionals, with a first in walk-trot; Katy Galbraith of Rutgers, who was second to Brussell; McBride and Gubbiotti, red ribbon winners for the Royals, with McBride second in open flat and Gubbiotti second in novice flat; Whitley with a first in novice fences and Favata with a second in intermediate flat for the Warriors; Ebert (the intermediate fences champion), Christine Geib (second in novice fences), Emily Shaffer (second in walk-trot-canter) and Linda Beyer (first in novice flat) of Kutztown. Lafayette tied Kutztown for the most riders to advance, as Emily Hanson won intermediate flat and Christina Chen won advanced walk-trot-canter while Emily Mallory was second to Engle in open fences and Katy Cording was second to Ebert in intermediate fences. Each of these riders will now compete against up to six riders from the other three regions when Zone 3 Zones takes place on the campus of Delaware Valley College on April 13th. Once again the top two in each division at Zones will advance to IHSA Nationals at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, California May 8th through 11th. East Stroudsburg will also take part in the Zone 3 Zones team competition. Each of the eight team classes will have one rider each from Penn State, the University of Delaware, West Virginia University and ESU. The two teams with the most points at the end of the day will also advance to IHSA Nationals. The Warriors are the fourth team in four seasons to represent Region 4 at Zones, and hopefully they will have better luck than the others, each of which finished no higher than third. --Steve Maxwell March 9th Show Incidentals: Sunny skies but windy, with temperatures in the low '30's. Entire show held indoors. Start time: 9:43AM. Finish: 4:32PM - includes 80 minute lunch break/Coaches & Captains meeting and a separate 10 minute schooling break. Point cards posted in this region? No. Alumni classes held in this Region? Yes. Judge: Kathy Pinera. Stewards: Kalmar/Lehigh University, Fiorot/Moravian College and Coffelt/Penn State University - Berks County. March 9th Team Totals: East Stroudsburg University (High Point Team) 38; University of Scranton (Reserve) 35; Kutztown University 23; Lafayette College 23; Penn State - Berks 19; Rutgers University 18; Lehigh University 17; Bloomsburg University 14; Wilkes University 10; Moravian College 9 and Cedar Crest College 8. High Point Rider - Maria Gubbiotti, University of Scranton March 22nd Show Incidentals: Sunny skies but windy, with temperatures climing into the low '50's. Entire show held indoors. Start time: 8:49AM. Finish: 3:57PM - includes 36 minute lunch break/Coaches & Captains meeting. Point cards posted in this region? No. Alumni classes held in this Region? Yes. Judge: Pat Byrne. Stewards: Lamont-Francfort/Rutgers University, Lane-Waitkus/University of Scranton and Clark/Lafayette College. March 22nd Team Totals: Kutztown University (High Point Team) 31; University of Scranton (Reserve) 29; East Stroudsburg University 28; Rutgers University 25; Lehigh University 23; Lafayette College 22; Moravian College 16; Princeton University 12; Bloomsburg University 6 and Penn State - Berks 5. High Point Rider - Jess Engle, Lehigh University April 5th Regionals Show Incidentals: Overcast skies early, then some sun with temperatures in the upper '40's. Entire show held indoors. Start time: 8:37AM. Finish: 2:35PM - includes 51 lunch break/Coaches & Captains meeting. Alumni classes held in this Region? Yes. Judge: Mike Maxwell, Colts Neck, New Jersey. Stewards: Casale/Kutztown University, Speziale/East Stroudsburg University, Kalmar/Lehigh University (AM only) and Wolfinger/Bloomsburg University (PM only). 2008 Zone 3, Region 4 Regionals class results, listed in the order in which they were held, with the top two in each class advancing to Zone 3 Zones on Sunday, April 13th, 2008 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania: Open equitation over fences: 1. Jess Engle, Lehigh University. 2. Emily Mallory, Lafayette College. 3. Molly Lowman, Kutztown University. 4. Amanda Berger, Lafayette College. 5. Lauren Casale, Kutztown University. Intermediate equitation over fences: 1. Shannon Ebert, Kutztown University. 2. Katy Cording, Lafayette College. 3. Gina MacBarb, Lehigh University. 4. Lauren Nelson, East Stroudsburg University. 5. Eleanor Murdoch, Moravian College. 6. Victoria Kresh, Moravian College. Open equitation on the flat: 1. Jess Engle, Lehigh University. 2. Debbie McBride, University of Scranton. 3. Gina MacBarb, Lehigh University. 4. Amanda Berger, Lafayette College. 5. Emily Johnson, East Stroudsburg University. 6. Lauren Casale, Kutztown University. 7. Alex Charles, Rutgers University. 8. Lauren Nelson, East Stroudsburg University. Intermediate equitation on the flat: 1. Emily Hanson, Lafayette College. 2. Marissa Favata, East Stroudsburg University. 3. Melissa Tsouhnikas, East Stroudsburg University. 4. Shannon Ebert, Kutztown University. 5. Lindsay Clements, Kutztown University. 6. Lexey Booth, Rutgers University. 7. Katie Klosterman, Princeton University. 8. Chelsea Levine, University of Scranton. Alumni equitation on the flat: 1. Ashton Phillips, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Sabrina King, University of Scranton. 3. Lena Andrews, Lehigh University. Alumni equitation over fences: 1. Ashton Phillips, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Sabrina King, University of Scranton. 3. Lena Andrews, Lehigh University. Novice equitation over fences: 1. Sarah Whitley, East Stroudsburg University. 2. Christine Geib, Kutztown University. 3. Linda Beyer, Kutztown University. 4. Michelle Welsh, Rutgers University. 5. Ashley Sanders, Lafayette College. 6. Dan DeRicco, Moravian College. 7. Lexey Booth, Rutgers University. 8. Kristen Greaney, Lafayette College. Walk-trot equitation: 1. Stacy Brussell, Bloomsburg University. 2. Katy Galbraith, Rutgers University. 3. Ashley Tolomer, Lafayette College. Novice equitation on the flat: 1. Linda Beyer, Kutztown University. 2. Maria Gubbiotti, University of Scranton. 3. Jess Benner, Kutztown University. 4. Elanna Spiegel, Lafayette College. 5. Christine Geib, Kutztown University. 6. Elizabeth Halpin, Kutztown University. 7. Theresa Zataveski, Moravian College. 8. Rachael Krause, Kutztown University. Advanced walk-trot-canter equitation: 1. Christina Chen, Lafayette College. 2. Emily Shaffer, Kutztown University. 3. Jean Schroll, Rutgers University. 4. Amanda Calhoun, Wilkes University. 5. Sara Metzger, Kutztown University. 6. Bridget Lang, Rutgers University. 7. Amy Parrish, Moravian College. 8. Nicole Kovolenko, University of Scranton.
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