Seen here at a previous show hosted by William & Mary, Lauren Campbell (left) and Jessica Van Brockin (right) of Mary Washington University placed first and second, respectively in individual open flat at Zone 4 Zones on April 13th.

VI BACK AT NATIONALS FOR A NINTH STRAIGHT SEASON; MARY WASHINGTON BACK FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE '94

Lynchburg, VA - They have a Jennifer, a Jessica, a Jamie and a Julianne. And each of these young women with a "J" at the beginning of their first name won either a team class or an individual class or both at Zone 4 Zones on April 13th. And because this team scored more points than anyone else at Zones this particular program is headed back to IHSA Nationals with a full hunter seat team for the ninth season in a row, the longest currently active streak for an IHSA English team.

They are the Virginia Intermont Cobras, who entangled the competition in Lynchburg, Virginia by way of cleaner jumps, better distances and flowing canters. Though it took five team classes to get ahead for good, Zone 4 Zones, like three of the last four IHSA Nationals, turned into a "Cobrafest." Senior Jessica May was the first to win a blue ribbon, best in a field of three who competed in team intermediate over fences. One team class later a non-J-person won for VI. Amanda Shamer won team novice fences, giving the Cobras a 19-16 lead on Hollins at the time.

May won individual intermediate on the flat to give VI their first blue ribbon of the day outside the team sections. Senior Julianne Wilson followed up May's flat performance with wins in both team intermediate flat and individual novice flat. Junior Jennifer Kelly then copied Wilson, winning team novice flat and following it up with a win in individual walk-trot-canter. Jamie King won VI's fourth individual blue ribbon of the day with a first in individual walk-trot while Michelle Wynn became only the second VI rider with one of the other 25 letters at the front of her first name to win by way of a first in the afternoon's final class, team walk-trot. In the end the Cobras prevailed easily, winning 49-41. The surprise to some was that the University of Mary Washington finished second.

Down 16-13 to Hollins and without a blue ribbon of any kind over fences, Mary Washington improved mightily once the jumps were removed. The first flat class of the day was individual open flat, and each of the top two placings were awarded to UMW riders. Senior Lauren Campbell came in first while 2007 Zone 4, Region 1 Cacchione rider Jessica Van Brocklin was reserve. A junior from Alexandria, Virginia, Van Brocklin followed up the second with a first in team open flat. Following seconds for Tiffany Batterton in team intermediate flat and Hannah Woll in team novice flat, the Eagles received one more blue ribbon for the day as Shannon Brown won team walk-trot-canter, essentially clinching second place for Mary Washington. Though they were unsuccessful at surviving Zone 4 Zones four times between 2000 and 2004 the Eagles will in fact send a full team to IHSA Nationals for the first time since 1994. This will be Mary Washington's seventh appearance at Nationals with a full team, the other occasions being 1987-90 and in both '93 and '94.

Hollins may have come up short in the team category (with 38 points) but the Region 2 school with no nickname will have three individuals entered in Burbank come May. Senior Mandy Lynch, who won individual novice flat at 2006 IHSA Nationals in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, won individual intermediate over fences at today's show. Sophomore Abby Gonzales won individual novice fences while senior Stephanie Ostericher was second to King in individual walk-trot. Though she did not advance in one of the individual classes, sophomore Katie Furches, who will represent Region 2 in the Cacchione Cup competition this season, was the only Hollins rider to win a team class, giving them a brief 7-5 lead over VI with a first in team open fences early in the day.

Regions 2 and 3 tied for most individuals advancing to Nationals, with six each. Bridgewater College will have two riders in California, as freshman Lindsay Clark won the very first class of the day, the individual open fences, while Cary Smith was second to Kelly in individual walk-trot-canter. Kirkland Brown continued her hot streak, as the University of Virginia senior was second to Clark in open fences. While Clark, Smith and Brown joined the Hollins trio out of Region 2 Brett Flower and Tracey Gold joined the VI quartet out of Region 3. Flower is the lone Virginia Tech undergraduate rider at 2008 Nationals, though Hokies Head Coach Teresa McDonald is probably happy to know that alumni rider and Pace University Head Coach Lisa Tomaselli survived Zone 2 Zones in alumni fences (Virginia Tech graduate Beth Blackwell, who is now Beth Boteler, could be congratulated by McDonald face-to-face as it is she who coaches Mary Washington). Flower was second to Lynch in intermediate fences while Gold was second to Gonzales in novice fences. We are still checking the record books to try and figure out the last time a Duke rider competed at an IHSA Nationals show.

Region 1 qualified four individuals. In addition to Campbell and Van Brocklin University of Maryland sophomore Veronica Bruce was second to May in intermediate flat while Goucher senior Sarah Pandolfini was second to Wilson in novice flat. Pandolfini will not be the only Gopher entered at Nationals, as teammate Brittany Martin is the Region 1 Cacchione entry (Region 3 Cacchione entry Brittany Denton of VI was second in team open fences, third in team open flat and fourth in individual open fences, but on any given day the junior from Atlanta, Georgia can beat anyone). Because Region 1 is the only region within Zone 4 with alumni there was no need for those divisions to be held at today's show. Without even having to show up 2007 Hood College graduate Jennifer Mehalko and Virginia Tech graduate Alicia Salo (you have two of them going head-to-head in the over fences, T! - Editor) were already assured of rides at Nationals in both alumni flat and fences, as they were the only riders in the Zone with 28 or more points in each alumni division.

--Steve Maxwell

Class-By-Class Results from Zone 4 Zones, held April 13th, 2008 in Lynchburg, Virginia, 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. Lindsay Clark, Bridgewater College. 2. Kirkland Brown, University of Virginia. 3. Ashley Miller, Virginia Intermont College. 4. Brittany Denton, Virginia Intermont College. 5. Brittany Yates, University of Richmond. 6. Maggie Wahl, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Team Open Equitation Over Fences: 1. Katie Furches, Hollins University. 2. Brittany Denton, Virginia Intermont College. 3. Jessica Van Brocklin, University of Mary Washington.

Individual Intermediate Equitation Over Fences: 1. Mandy Lynch, Hollins University. 2. Brett Flower, Virginia Tech. 3. Cary Proferes, Virginia Tech. 4. Emily Wolek, Bridgewater College. 5. Bridget Holroyd, James Madison University. 6. Jamie Nickolson, St. Andrews Presbyterian College.

Team Intermediate Equitation Over Fences: 1. Jessica May, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Brittany Hill, University of Mary Washington. 3. Brynn Hoffman, Hollins University.

Individual Novice Equitation Over Fences: 1. Abby Gonzales, Hollins University. 2. Tracey Gold, Duke University. 3. Caroline Taylor, St. Andrews Presbyterian College. 4. Allison Jones, Virginia Tech. 5. Emily Berkowitz, Goucher College. 6. Danielle Parkinson, James Madison University.

Team Novice Equitation Over Fences: 1. Amanda Shamer, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Karoline LeFebre, Hollins University. 3. Sarah Leavitt, University of Mary Washington.

Individual Open Equitation On The Flat: 1. Lauren Campbell, University of Mary Washington. 2. Jessica Van Brocklin, University of Mary Washington. 3. Katie Furches, Hollins University. 4. Patti Ann Thornton, Bridgewater College. 5. Ashley Miller, Virginia Intermont College. 6. Janelle Harcus, St. Andrews Presbyterian College.

Team Open Equitation On The Flat: 1. Jessica Van Brocklin, University of Mary Washington. 2. Katie Furches, Hollins University. 3. Brittany Denton, Virginia Intermont College.

Individual Intermediate Equitation On The Flat: 1. Jessica May, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Veronica Bruce, University of Maryland. 3. Julie Fink, Goucher College. 4. Mandy Lynch, Hollins University. 5. Lindsey Barrett, Bridgewater College. 6. Vanessa Colley, James Madison University.

Team Intermediate Equitation On The Flat: 1. Julianne Wilson, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Tiffany Batterton, University of Mary Washington. 3. Lauren Staley, Hollins University.

Individual Novice Equitation On The Flat: 1. Julianne Wilson, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Sarah Pandolfini, Goucher College. 3. March Ryan, Bridgewater College. 4. Caitlin Flathers, Lynchburg College. 5. Tiffany Batterton, University of Mary Washington. 6. Jan Stone, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Team Novice Equitation On The Flat: 1. Jennifer Kelly, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Hannah Woll, University of Mary Washington. 3. Emily Mendelssohn, Hollins University.

Individual Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation On The Flat: 1. Jennifer Kelly, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Cary Smith, Bridgewater College. 3. Melissa Quinan, Virginia Intermont College. 4. Jessica Szechi, Virginia Intermont College. 5. Sarah Ashby, Goucher College. 6. Julia Schleifman, Longwood University.

Team Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation On The Flat: 1. Shannon Brown, University of Mary Washington. 2. Chelsea Dressler, Virginia Intermont College. 3. Emilie Waichwicz, Hollins University.

Individual Walk-Trot Equitation On The Flat: 1. Jamie King, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Stephanie Ostericher, Hollins University. 3. Maggie Foley, James Madison University. 4. Jennifer Hogue, University of Mary Washington. 5. Vania Monsul, Randolph College. 6. Jessica Randall, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Team Walk-Trot Equitation On The Flat: 1. Michelle Wynn, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Angela Wentz, Hollins University. 3. Catarina Brokaw, University of Mary Washington.

Final Hunter Seat Team Totals, with the top two teams advancing to IHSA Nationals May 8th through 11th in Burbank, California: Virginia Intermont College 49 (Champion), University of Mary Washington 41 (Reserve) and Hollins University 38.

(Special thanks to Susan Wilson for her help in gathering these results - Editor)