They did not know it when the picture was taken before Zone 3 Zones started, but Penn State Coach Malinda Grice (left) and open rider Jennifer Betts (right) would have lots to be happy about on the drive back to State College.

NITTANY LIONS COME FROM BEHIND, WIN GOING AWAY

Readington, NJ - Since a rather exciting team competition in 2000, Zone 3 Zones has not been known for close team races, but rather for two teams getting ahead early and pulling away. In 2001, the last season the Zone was made up of only three regions, Penn State and the University of Delaware were fairly secure for Nationals after the fifth class. In 2002 both the University of Delaware and Wilson College had comfortable leads at that same point. 2003 was the exception, but no one knew it at the time. The 2003 Team Results were not announced at the time of the classes, though some of the earlier classes were announced late in the day before the show was over. This led to some confusion as to what had actually happenned, as a draw for a ride-off was prepared before it was realized that Fairfield and Bucknell had not tied for reserve. Penn State had won with 40, Fairfield had 39 and Bucknell 38. In 2004 Penn State won again, with blue ribbons in five of the eight classes. Delaware Valley had the other three firsts, and finished a comfortable second.

In total contrast to those shows, today's Zone 3 team competition gave people something to pay close attention to. Held outdoors at Briarwood Farm under sunny skies and temperatures that hit 65 degrees, all four teams would at some point hold at least a tie for the lead and at least a tie for last place.

Alternating with the team classes were the individual classes, most of which included eight riders. Like the top two teams in today's competition, the top two riders in each of the eight individual undergraduate and two alumni divisions advanced to 2005 Nationals. The day began at 9:10AM with individual open fences. The class of only seven included all four of the 2004-05 Zone 3 high point open riders and one previous Cacchione Cup participant in Lehigh's Jill Douglass. The results for all of today's classes were read from the lowest placing through the highest. By the time Douglass was announced as third the Delaware Valley and Rutgers teams were jumping up and down, for they knew their riders would not only ride at IHSA Nationals in the Cacchione Cup Competition, but also as individual qualifiers. Delaware Valley senior Melisa Voytershark, who started in fall of 2001 in both novice divisions, was reserve while Rutgers junior Erica Bello, who was intermediate flat/novice fences as a freshman won the division.

Voytershark would have the distinction of riding in each of the first three classes at today's show, competing in team open fences and the jumping phase of the High Point Rider division. With the results read in reverse order, Penn State freshman Jennifer Betts was uncharacteristically fourth, Voytershark third, Philippa Pavia of Yale second and Becky Worden of Bucknell the champion. From the Denver area, Betts was not off to the best start (sixth in individual open fences) but better placings were on the horizon for the Region 3 Cacchione qualifier. Pavia, a senior from New York City, had the first team points at a Zones show in Yale history. Though the Yale program dates back to the 1970's, 2004-05 marked the first time the bulldogs had won their region. Worden, a senior from Anthem, Arizona (north of Scotsdale), had given the bison the early lead. In two previous team competitions, Bucknell had come out in third place each time. Could the bison break that streak?

Bucknell senior Becky Worden won the first Zone 3 Zones team class of the day, which was open fences.

Moments later, Bello and Voytershark were jumping again, this time in the over fences phase of the Zone 3 High Point Rider division. The other Cacchione qualifers were Betts and Sacred Heart senior Kate Janczak. No placings were given at this time, as the results of the class would not be determined until after the flat phase sometime later.

Team intermediate fences was the fourth class of the day. None of the four entries in this class had ever ridden in a post-season show before. This is because all were first-year members of their respective teams. Erica Deahl of Yale was fourth, while Jackie Geewax of Penn State was third. Both Deahl and Geewax had actually faced each other before, at the December 4th Holiday Tournament of Champions. Second went to Kira Epstein of Bucknell while the blue ribbon went to Kaitlyn McLaughlin of Delaware Valley. Epstein, a freshman from Scarsdale, New York, is not to be confused with a Princeton rider of the same name who reached Nationals in individual open fences in 1998. McLaughlin, from Seaville, New Jersey was one of many riders to keep aggies Head Coach Cory Kieschnick busy, as Delaware Valley had at least one rider in seventeen of the twenty classes (including alumni) held on this day. The score through two team classes: Bucknell 12, Delaware Valley 11, Yale 8 and Penn State 7.

Two of the four regions in Zone 3 use Briarwood Farm for some of their shows every season. In 2004-05, Region 2 had a pair of fall shows there, while Region 4 used Briarwood for seven of nine regular season shows plus Regionals. Though some horses were brought in from other sources, more than a few in attendance may have thought Regions 2 and 4 had the upper hand as far as familiarity with some of the draws goes.

The individual intermediate fences was next, which started a trend of the outsiders fairing the best. Princeton junior Dylan Hogarty had the highest Region 4 placing in the division, with a fourth (Hogarty was one of three trying to be the first Princeton rider to qualify individually for Nationals since the other Kira Epstein seven seasons ago). Delaware Valley senior Amy Siebert was third, the highest Region 2 placing. Though she did not have any experience on the Briarwood horses, Tina Rocco of Molloy College did just fine. The senior from Plain Edge, Long Island was second, giving Region 1 their first individual Nationals qualifier. Jackie Vadas, a West Virginia University junior from Rochester, New York gave Region 3 their first qualifier by winning the class. Through two individual divisions each region had one qualifier. Could the team race become as equally divided?

Team open flat was next, with Worden uncharacteristally fourth. Siebert was third, Betts second and Yale junior Elizabeth Jordan first. From Indianapolis, Jordan had won both individual open classes at 2004 Zone 3 Zones. Her blue ribbon moved Yale into a three-way tie for first. Through three team classes it was Yale 15, Bucknell 15, Delaware Valley 15 and Penn State 12.

The individual open flat was next, and for the fifth time in seven classes Jennifer Betts would be competing. The class was the longest flat section of the day, as 'Corkaboo' was replaced by 'Certz' and the class was ostensibly run twice. Finishing in reserve was Jocelyn Abbate from Fairfield University in Region 1. A senior from Glastonbury, Connecticut, Abbate became the first Fairfield rider to go to Nationals since Jody Boles joined the coaching staff at the start of the season. Boles, Kitty Larocque (who was a steward at today's show) and Lisa Bailey handle the Fairfield coaching duties though Boles and Larocque were the 'show coaches' at the majority of Region 1 meets this season. Betts already had red, white and yellow ribbons when she won the blue here.

Save for Geewax, the team intermediate flat class featured three riders who were not part of intermediate fences and in fact would only ride this one time. Former olympian Michael Page was today's judge (and was honored with a page of his lifetime achievements in the show program, including 1956 AHSA Medal Finals Winner), and for the first time all day Page had two riders switch horses. Julia Irwin, a Bucknell junior from Moraga, California switched mounts with Geewax, with the latter eventually getting the blue ribbon. Delaware Valley's Emily Casali was third, while Yale's Rebecca Krauss was fourth. The team competition was riveting through four classes: Bucknell 20, Penn State 19, Delaware Valley 19 and Yale 18.

Regions 1 and 3 had snared the top two placings in last two individual classes. However this time it was the even numbered regions rising to the top. Ali Levine, a Delaware Valley College senior from Forest Hill, Maryland was reserve while Brittany Zaleski, a Bloomsburg University sophomore from Hackettstown, New Jersey was intermediate flat champion. Zaleski became the first Bloomsburg hunter seat rider to qualify for Nationals since Stephanie Stropp did it in walk-trot-canter back in 1997.

The last class before the lunch break was the High Point Open Rider Flat Phase. All four riders were tested thoroughly without irons by Page. Janczak, was the only rider in Region 1 to qualify for Regionals in the open fences division, won the class, earning the right to be called 2005 Zone 3 High Point Open Rider. Bello was second, Betts third and Voytershark fourth. All four of these riders will compete at Nationals for the Cacchione Cup, along with 25 more riders from other regions.

An hour and twenty minutes after Janczak was placed, the alumni over fences got underway. Virginia Tech graduate Blair Barbieri was the last rider in the class and fell off. However after a steward's meeting she was given a re-ride and won the class. Barbieri pointed out that several of the riders who schooled her first horse had trouble with refusals, and that one schooling rider was applauded for staying on! Riders who went to school in the state of Virginia faired well in this division, as Virginia Intermont graduate Ashton Phillips was second. Yale graduate and Head Coach Margot Sanger-Katz was third, but would have another ride in alumni flat. And her team was very much in the race as well.

Though Penn State had spent much of the morning climbing out of last place, the Nittany Lions remained hot as Lauren Wright won team novice fences. A sophomore from Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, Wright was riding in her second Zones team class in two seasons, having finished second last season in team novice flat. Yale junior Elizabeth Gerber won the red ribbon. A junior from Beverly Hills, Florida, Gerber had pulled the bulldogs into a three-way tie for second. Jessica Yankus of Delaware Valley was third while Alex Coleman of Bucknell was fourth. Penn State not only had their first lead of the day, the Nittany Lions were three points up on the field. Through five team classes: Penn State 26, Yale 23, Delaware Valley 23 and Bucknell 23.

The final jumping class of the day was individual novice fences. Kutztown University had three riders entered individually at today's show, including junior Megan Lissi, who just missed out going to Nationals in novice fences with a third. Lissi would have another ride in individual novice flat later on. Second went to Theresa DeLucca, the only University of Delaware hunter seat rider to advance to Nationals this season. Though we have heard of many horses with names similar to some riders, we think the blue ribbon winner in this class will always remember her mounts' name. Meghan McIver of C.W. Post College (part of the Long Island University system) drew a horse named "McGuyver" and won the division! From Riverhead, Long Island, McIver had actually graduated mid-season but had qualifed to ride at Regionals during the fall semester (The only regret this writer has is that we could not get a picture of McIver with McGuyver for our site - Editor).

Next was the team walk-trot-canter division, with Penn State hoping for the chance to pull away from the rest of the field. Lauren Klutchka, a freshman from Harleysville, Pennsylvania, gave Penn State their third team blue ribbon in a row with a first. Another freshman named Lauren, in this case Lauren Vile from Newtown, Pennsylvania won the reserve ribbon for Delaware Valley. Donnell Gavin of Yale was third while Rachel Schuster of Bucknell was fourth. The 2004 Zone 3 Zones Team Competition had seen Penn State win with Delaware Valley second. At this moment these same two teams were one and two. Penn State 33, Delaware Valley 28, Yale 27 and Bucknell 26.

Individual walk-trot followed, with Penn State getting another blue ribbon. Becky Daly, a sophomore from Pittsburgh won the class for the Nittany Lions while Kutztown advanced their first rider to Nationals as Cole Warminsky was reserve. The junior from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania would not be the last golden bear rider to qualify either.

The final two team classes were up next. Team novice flat offered both Penn State and Delaware Valley the chance to clinch a place at the IHSA Nationals Team Competition. By the same token both Yale and Bucknell also had the chance to knock Delaware Valley back to fourth. When the placings were announced, the worst fears of the bulldogs and bison were realized. Gypsy Moore of Yale had placed fourth while Coleman has finished third. Rachel Roland's second moved Penn State to 38 points while Yankus won, snapping the Penn State team class win streak at three. Provided no one was disqualified in team walk-trot the Nittany Lions and the Aggies were once again taking full teams to Nationals. Through seven team classes: Penn State 38, Delaware Valley 35, Yale 30 and Bucknell 30.

The team walk-trot was one of the shortest classes of the day, and became the fourth blue-ribbon effort for Penn State. Erin Boyce, a sophomore from Hanover, Pennsylvania won while Amy Hoffman got Bucknell back into the top two with reserve. Amanda Hall of Delaware Valley was third while Melissa Gonzalez of Yale was fourth. Yale ended the day in fourth with 33 points, which was not all that bad considering it was their first time ever with a team at Zones. Bucknell was third with 35 points, perhaps a bit more of a disappointment in that the bison rode most of the season at Briarwood and had the early lead at today's show. Delaware Valley College was reserve with 39 points, though ironically they only had one red ribbon over the course of eight classes. Penn State won for the third season in a row and the fourth time in five years, finishing with four of the eight blue ribbons and 45 points. Region 3 will be sending their high point team to Nationals for the sixth season in a row (Wilson College was technically second at 2002 Zone 3 Zones while Penn State was reserve at the 2000 Zone show) while Region 2 will have been represented in the Nationals Team Competition for the seventh time in nine seasons.

Whether or not this says one Zone 3 Region is stronger than another may be up for debate. However the number of undergraduate individual qualifiers from each region over the past four seasons tends to favor Regions 1 and 4. Region 1 is the only region in that time span to have advanced at least four individual riders (or 25% of the total) to Nationals each season. And a Region 1 school from New Haven, Connecticut was about to dominate the remainder of the day.

Elizabeth Jordan of Yale (left) won team open flat while Head Coach Margot Sanger-Katz won alumni flat. Before Sanger-Katz became Yale Head Coach, the bulldogs had no riders qualify for Nationals for over a decade. Now in her third season, Sanger-Katz has seen Yale earn two individual undergraduate rides at each of the past two IHSA National Shows!

Alumni flat was the third-to-last class of the day, and though the Yale team was eliminated as a whole, Sanger-Katz was the best alumni flat rider in 2005. From New York City, the Yale Head Coach qualified for Nationals for the first time ever, having ridden as an undergraduate for the bulldogs between 1998 and 2002 and as an alumni ever since. Though his goal is to win an alumni class at IHSA Nationals, Phillips has made a living the past three seasons earning red reserve ribbons at post-season shows. Phillips was second in both alumni classes at 2004 Nationals, second at 2003 Nationals in alumni flat, second last week at Regionals in alumni fences, second at 2004 Region 4 Regionals in both alumni divisions and finally second today in both alumni divisions. Nevertheless, Phillips was happy to gain the opportunity to go for the blue ribbons in Sunbury, Ohio on May 6th.

Though Gypsy Moore had placed fourth in her team class, the sophomore from Oakland, California was deemed best in the individual walk-trot-canter, though someone thought she may have won despite picking up one wrong diagonal. Moore's blue ribbon gave Sanger-Katz someone to coach at Nationals while Tara Davies of Kutztown joined teammate Warminsky as the second golden bear rider to advance to Nationals with a reserve ribbon.

Stony Brook Head Coach George Lukemire had joked earlier with the Penn State riders, saying they ride their best in the afternoon. If this is true, then the bulldogs ride their best after 3:00PM in the afternoon! The individual novice fences class produced another Yale blue ribbon, as Gerber was the champion. Lissi may have been third in novice fences, but here the junior from Easton, Pennsylvania was one place higher, giving Kutztown three individual undergraduate National Qualifers, tops in the Zone.

What's Next?: For Princeton and Yale, the Ivy League Invitational in Etna, New Hampshire (which Brown won on April 16th with a perfect 49 score - Editor). For everyone else, either next season or 2005 IHSA Nationals at Eden Park Equestrian Complex in Sunbury, Ohio. The four-day event will start on May 5th, with Vadas and Rocco in the spotlight first with individual intermediate fences the opening class. Four of the eight team classes also take place the first day, while both alumni divisions will be held on Friday, May 6th. Alumni flying to Columbus should note that alumni fences is the first class on Friday morning, with alumni flat three classes later. The final hunter seat class of any kind will be individual open flat, held sometime in the mid-afternoon on Saturday, May 7th. How will Penn State and Delaware Valley fair in the team competition? Who knows, though during the 2004-05 season this writer noticed that riders in the novice, intermediate and open divisions who were somewhere between 5'8" and 5'10" in height tended to place highest. If this holds true, Penn State (with one of the tallest teams we saw this season) could have one of their best performances since the 90's. With that having been said, Delaware Valley has the personnel to do just as well in the eight classes that will determine who the best IHSA hunter seat team in the nation will be for the 2004-05 season.

--Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Sunny and clear. Highs in the mid 60's. Start Time: 9:10AM. Finish: 3:56PM - includes 79 minute schooling/lunch break. Results announced after each Zone 3 Zones team class?: Yes. Alumni Classes held in this Zone?: Yes. Judge: Mr. Michael O. Page. Stewards: Larocque/Fairfield University, Vogt/University of Delaware, Malencia/California University of Pennsylvania and Kalmar/Lehigh University.

Class-by-Class results, in the order in which they were held, with the top two in each individual class advancing to 2005 IHSA Nationals in Sunbury, Ohio May 5th through 7th:

Individual open equitation over fences: 1. Erica Bello, Rutgers University. 2. Melisa Voytershark, Delaware Valley College. 3. Jill Douglass, Lehigh University. 4. Mary Markvan, West Virginia University. 5. Sara Holland, University of Delaware. 6. Jennifer Betts, Penn State University (State College). 7. Kate Janczak, Sacred Heart University.

Team open equitation over fences: 1. Becky Worden, Bucknell University. 2. Philippa Pavia, Yale University. 3. Melisa Voytershark, Delaware Valley College. 4. Jennifer Betts, Penn State University (State College).

Team intermediate equitation over fences: 1. Kaitlyn McLaughlin, Delaware Valley College. 2. Kira Epstein, Bucknell University. 3. Jackie Geewax, Penn State University (State College). 4. Erica Deahl, Yale University.

Individual intermediate equitation over fences: 1. Jackie Vadas, West Virginia University. 2. Tina Rocco, Molloy College. 3. Amy Siebert, Delaware Valley College. 4. Dylan Hogarty, Princeton University. 5. Gemma Garlick, Rutgers University. 6. Alicia Smith, Wilson College. 7. Caitlin Patton, Washington College (MD).

Team open equitation on the flat: 1. Elizabeth Jordan, Yale University. 2. Jennifer Betts, Penn State University (State College). 3. Amy Siebert, Delaware Valley College. 4. Becky Worden, Bucknell University.

Individual open equitation on the flat: 1. Jennifer Betts, Penn State University (State College). 2. Jocelyn Abbate, Fairfield University. 3. Mary Markvan, West Virginia University. 4. Kristina Christiansen, University of Delaware. 5. Christy Aussiker, Bucks County Community College. 6. Stacey Munoz, Stony Brook University. 7. Audrey Banks, Princeton University. 8. Danielle Strangos, Rutgers University.

Team intermediate equitation on the flat: 1. Jackie Geewax, Penn State University (State College). 2. Julia Irwin, Bucknell University. 3. Emily Casali, Delaware Valley College. 4. Rebecca Krauss, Yale University.

Individual intermediate equitation on the flat: 1. Brittany Zaleski, Bloomsburg University. 2. Ali Levine, Delaware Valley College. 3. Tricia Crispens, St. Joseph's College (NY). 4. Jessica Reynolds, Sacred Heart University. 5. Sarah Sigal, Gettysburg College. 6. Kaitlin Klotz, Wilson College. 7. Hillary Frankel, Princeton University.

Zone 3 Cacchione Cup/High Point Open Rider Championship: 1. Kate Janczak, Sacred Heart University. 2. Erica Bello, Rutgers University. 3. Jennifer Betts, Penn State University (State College). 4. Melisa Voytershark, Delaware Valley College.

Alumni equitation over fences: 1. Blair Barbieri, Virginia Tech. 2. Ashton Phillips, Virginia Intermont College. 3. Margot Sanger-Katz, Yale University. 4. Laura Hetz, Edinboro University. 5. Jamie Mast, Delaware Valley College. 6. Jaclyn Page, California University of Pennsylvania. 7. Erin Graham, Stony Brook University. 8. Chrissy Seelaus, University of Connecticut.

Team novice equitation over fences: 1. Lauren Wright, Penn State University (State College). 2. Elizabeth Gerber, Yale University. 3. Jessica Yankus, Delaware Valley College. 4. Alex Coleman, Bucknell University.

Individual novice equitation over fences: 1. Meghan McIver, C.W. Post College (Long Island University). 2. Theresa DeLucca, University of Delaware. 3. Megan Lissi, Kutztown University. 4. Tricia Crispens, St. Joseph's College (NY). 5. Krista Klett, Bucknell University. 6. Christina Howard, Allegheny College. 7. Kim Rice, West Chester University.

Team walk-trot-canter equitation: 1. Lauren Klutchka, Penn State University (State College). 2. Lauren Vile, Delaware Valley College. 3. Donnell Gavin, Yale University. 4. Rachel Schuster, Bucknell University.

Individual walk-trot equitation: 1. Becky Daly, Penn State University (State College). 2. Cole Warminsky, Kutztown University. 3. Rebecca Spille, Delaware Valley College. 4. Jackie Bicicchi, Indiana University of Pennsylvania. 5. Brittany Brochard, Stony Brook University. 6. Amanda McKeon, St. Joseph's College (NY). 7. Elena Torbert, University of Delaware. 8. Mary-Kate Schneider, Kutztown University.

Team novice equitation on the flat: 1. Jessica Yankus, Delaware Valley College. 2. Rachel Roland, Penn State University (State College). 3. Alex Coleman, Bucknell University. 4. Gypsy Moore, Yale University.

Team walk-trot equitation: 1. Erin Boyce, Penn State University (State College). 2. Amy Hoffman, Bucknell University. 3. Amanda Hall, Delaware Valley College. 4. Melissa Gonzalez, Yale University.

Alumni equitation on the flat: 1. Margot Sanger-Katz, Yale University. 2. Ashton Phillips, Virginia Intermont College. 3. Mindy Deleary, Hofstra University. 4. Blair Barbieri, Virginia Tech. 5. Laura Hetz, Edinboro University. 6. Joanne Coniglio, Delaware Valley College. 7. Jaclyn Page, California University of Pennsylvania. 8. Erika Bender, University of Findlay.

Individual walk-trot-canter equitation: 1. Gypsy Moore, Yale University. 2. Tara Davies, Kutztown University. 3. Kristin Smaltz, West Virginia University. 4. Laura Huntley, Franklin & Marshall College. 5. Sarah Pennypacker, Kutztown University. 6. Amber Allen, Wilson College. 7. Amy Dyson, Delaware Valley College. 8. Manpreet Wadwa, Dowling College.

Individual novice equitation on the flat: 1. Elizabeth Gerber, Yale University. 2. Megan Lissi, Kutztown University. 3. Brittany Hitz, University of Delaware. 4. Makenzie Womer, Slippery Rock University. 5. Dana Grimley, Lehigh University. 6. Leigh Bonnick, Fairfield University. 7. Erin Nolan, West Chester University. 8. Lisa Thompson, Wilson College.