Though she is jumping here, Nora Junkins of the University of Wisconsin at Madison won the individual intermediate fences class at Zone 9 Zones on April 3rd at Fox Creek Equestrian Center in Manhattan, Kansas. Junkins and Michelle Vennema (not pictured) both advanced individually for the badgers (Photo by Kristine Fisher).

ZONE 9 ZONES RESULTS

Manhattan, KS - In one of the few cases where both the hunter seat team competition and the stock seat team competition came down to the last class, the big winners today were the Purdue Boilermakers (in hunter seat), the Black Hawk Warriors (stock seat) and the entire state of Wisconsin, as the badgers and falcons from the University of Wisconsin system combined for seven individual rides and two full teams between their hunter seat and stock seat programs.

Unlike the rest of the IHSA, Zone 9 Zones started with Stock Seat instead of Hunter Seat, with the team competition between St. Mary of the Woods, Black Hawk and Wisconsin at River Falls so even that through three team classes each had exactly 16 points. The fourth and fifth stock seat team classes put Black Hawk ahead for good as Stefanie Cesari (team beginner western horsemanship) and Brock Reinbach (team novice western horsemanship) came away with blue ribbons for the "East Campus" in Kewanee, Illinois. St. Mary was briefly in second through four classes, then tied again with River Falls through five, both with 25 points. Tia Sampair of the falcons won the final team class outright (team advanced western horsemanship), thus giving second to River Falls, two points behind Black Hawk but two points ahead of St. Mary of the Woods. Provided the overall number of stock seat riders in Zone 9 is the same (or higher) as last season, all three schools will get to take their full stock seat teams to 2004 IHSA Nationals in Murfreesboro, Tennessee May 6th through 9th.

Black Hawk also managed to advance three individual stock seat riders to Nationals, the most of any Zone 9 school. Wisconsin at River Falls and Kansas State managed two each. Six of the twelve individual undergradute stock seat qualifiers came from Region 2, while Regions 1 and 3 split the other six evenly.

While Region 2 had a big day in stock seat, the same would not be as true for hunter seat. Following the lunch break & jump set-up, the hunter seat team race would be an emotional rollercoaster, with each of the three teams holding first place and last place all to themselves at some point. Purdue was awarded first place in each of the first two jumping divisions, giving them an early lead. Then three boilermakers in a row pinned third, allowing Kansas State to take a 28-26 lead on both Purdue and Wisconsin at Madison through five classes. Purdue was second in the sixth division, team walk-trot-canter, but had fallen behind both the badgers (now leading via Dana Smith's blue ribbon in this class) with 33 and the host wildcats with 32. Keep in mind with two team classes to go, Purdue had 31, keeping them still very much alive.

Purdue's Chelsia Robinson proceeded to win the seventh team class, team intermediate flat. With Madison's Jessie Jensen getting the second, both the boilermakers and the badgers led Kansas State by a 38-36 score. A Kansas State first in team open flat would guarantee a tie for the top spot, leaving the third place finisher in the class and her team out. However anything less than a first for Kansas State in the final team class would mean elimination for the wildcats.

The boilermakers wound up with a fourth blue ribbon via Christina Walsh, who had won the first team class of the day. Region 2 Cacchione rider Dehlia Burdan was second while Kristen Cleary of Wisconsin at Madison was third. The badgers and boilermakers thus both advanced full hunter seat teams to Nationals. Anna Wagner of Wisconsin at Madison should be mentioned as her blue ribbon in the fourth class of the day, which was team walk-trot, kept the badgers from establishing themselves in third place. Instead a walk-trot rider had started their comeback.

As far as hunter seat individuals go, Lauren Flexon of Carleton College was the lone rider to qualify in two separate divisions, placing first in open flat and second in open fences. Wisconsin at River Falls and Kansas State both advanced three riders individually in hunter seat, while Purdue and Wisconsin at Madison advanced two each. While Region 2 had dominated the individual placings for stock seat, Region 3 was just as dominating in hunter seat, earning eight of the sixteen Zone 9 undergraduate rides at Nationals. Kansas State turned out to be the only school in Region 2 with any undergraduate hunter seat representation at Nationals, with Allison Woodworth (first in individual open fences), Sara Waxman (first in individual intermediate fences) and Jannelle Orr (second in individual novice flat) joining Burdan in the Cacchione in Murfreesboro. Iowa State graduate Meaghan McLoughlin will also be competing at Nationals, having been one of only two alumni on the flat riders in the entire Zone to qualify for the post-season. McLoughlin will also ride in the alumni reining division, joined there by Southern Illinois at Carbondale graduate Joanne Numrich. Numrich and Southwest Missouri State alumni Robert Guy will compete at Nationals in the alumni western horsemanship division, and Virginia Intermont alumni Joleen DeWitt will join McLoughlin in the alumni flat division. The numbers worked out that no alumni classes were needed at Zones, thus shortening what was already a lengthy Zone show.

--Story by Steve Maxwell; Results courtesy Jerry Steinmetz/Purdue University.

Class results, in the order in which they were held, with the top two in each individual class advancing to IHSA Nationals in Murfreesboro, Tennessee May 6th through 9th:

Individual open reining: 1. Stefani Redding, Parkland College. 2. Erin Peery, Kansas State University. 3. Trisha Keller, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 4. Jillian Kimball, Ball State University. 5. Brandi Vogel, Kansas State University. 6. Heather Reichert, University of Wisconsin at Rivers Falls.

Team open reining: 1. Trisha Keller, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 2. Nicole Klein, Black Hawk College. 3. Christina Ecker, St. Mary of the Woods College.

Individual open western horsemanship: 1. Brandi Vogel, Kansas State University. 2. Heather Reichert, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 3. Julee Franks, St. Mary of the Woods College. 4. Ambra Neier, Purdue University. 5. Katie Black, Southwest Missouri State University. 6. Andrea Hoff, University of Minnesota at Crookston.

Team open western horsemanship: 1. Julie Franks, St. Mary of the Woods College. 2. Heather Reichert, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 3. Nicole Klein, Black Hawk College.

Individual intermediate western horsemanship: 1. Lindsey Salestrom, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 2. Shannon Brearton, St. Mary of the Woods College. 3. Rachel Pierson, Kansas State University. 4. Julie Lang, Black Hawk College. 5. Stephanie Freed, University of Indianapolis. 6. Danielle Bula, University of Wisconsin at River Falls.

Team intermediate western horsemanship: 1. Emily Kelsey, Black Hawk College. 2. Cathy Flanagan, St. Mary of the Woods College. 3. Amanda Johnson, University of Wisconsin at River Falls.

Individual beginner western horsemanship: 1. Amy Gillette, Black Hawk College. 2. Kristen Hess, Black Hawk College. 3. Anne Wilds, University of Indianapolis. 4. Tara Tweten, University of Minnesota at Crookston. 5. Danielle Smith, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 6. Jeanie Andrews, University of Illinois.

Team beginner western horsemanship: 1. Stefanie Cesari, Black Hawk College. 2. Tiffany Hopkins, St. Mary of the Woods College. 3. Judy Wickam, University of Wisconsin at River Falls.

Individual novice western horsemanship: 1. Lacy Lausten, University of Minnesota at Crookston. 2. Tia Sampair, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 3. Megan Kitchen, University of Indianapolis. 4. Brendon Mehochko, Black Hawk College. 5. Tiffany Mack, St. Mary of the Woods College.

Team novice western horsemanship: 1. Brock Reinbach, Black Hawk College. 2. Danielle Bula, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 3. Christina Cotner, St. Mary of the Woods College.

Individual advanced western horsemanship: 1. Katy Green, Purdue University. 2. Angela Garrett, Black Hawk College. 3. Bev Wilson, Kansas State University. 4. Carrie Byron, Gustavus Adolphus College. 5. Jess Sathoff, University of Minnesota at Crookston. 6. Leslie Davis, Indiana University.

Team advanced western horsemanship: 1. Tia Sampair, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 2. Veronica Martin, St. Mary of the Woods College. 3. Brendon Mehochko, Black Hawk College.

Individual open equitation over fences: 1. Allison Woodworth, Kansas State University. 2. Lauren Flexon, Carleton College. 3. Delhia Burdan, Kansas State University. 4. Kristen Cleary, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 5. Krista Steinmetz, Purdue University. 6. Christina Walsh, Purdue University.

Team open equitation over fences: 1. Christina Walsh, Purdue University. 2. Allison Woodworth, Kansas State University. 3. Stacey Helgren, University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Individual intermediate equitation over fences: 1. Sara Waxman, Kansas State University. 2. Andres Monroy, University of Minnesota at Crookston. 3. Ryan Reis, Purdue University. 4. Elizabeth Bell, University of Notre Dame. 5. Sondra Loos, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 6. Karen Hamilton, Iowa State University.

Team intermediate equitation over fences: 1. Leslie Maradik, Purdue University. 2. Kristin James, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 3. Lauren Demmel, Kansas State University.

Individual novice equitation over fences: 1. Megan Fisher, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 2. Ashley Fleck, Purdue University. 3. Pam Domash, University of Illinois. 4. Courtney Alexander, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. 5. Nora Junkins, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 6. Norell Harrison, Southwest Missouri State University.

Team novice equitation over fences: 1. Summer Hamil, Kansas State University. 2. Lindsey Willard, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 3. Christine Knowles, Purdue University.

Individual open equitation on the flat: 1. Lauren Flexon, Carleton College. 2. Krista Steinmetz, Purdue University. 3. Delhia Burdan, Kansas State University. 4. Allison Woodworth, Kansas State University. 5. Stacey Helgren, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 6. Bradley Wolkoff, Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis.

Team walk-trot equitation: 1. Anna Wagner, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 2. Sam Gerecke, Kansas State University. 3. Robin Meyers, Purdue University.

Individual intermediate equitation on the flat: 1. Nora Junkins, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 2. Jeanine Bullion, Indiana University. 3. Lauren Demel, Kansas State University. 4. Leslie Maradik, Purdue University. 5. Cathy Moe, University of Minnesota at Crookston. 6. Karen Hamilton, Iowa State University.

Team novice equitation on the flat: 1. Jenna Grossart, Kansas State University. 2. Mary Beth Schmoller, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 3. Jessica Boyd, Purdue University.

Individual walk-trot equitation: 1. Jackie Watson, Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis. 2. Michelle Vennema, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 3. Erin Bowen, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. 4. Sarah Cortes, Carleton College. 5. Ashley Stremple, Indiana University. 6. Jen Beasley, Washington University.

Team walk-trot-canter equitation: 1. Dana Smith, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 2. Elizabeth Strehlow, Purdue University. 3. Natalie Poholsky, Kansas State University.

Individual novice equitation on the flat: 1. Andrea Oliviero, University of Notre Dame. 2. Janelle Orr, Kansas State University. 3. Kate Hess, Southwest Missouri State University. 4. Meredith Hill, Indiana University. 5. Jessie Jensen, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 6. Ann Kronewetter, University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Team intermediate equitation on the flat: 1. Chelsia Robinson, Purdue University. 2. Jessie Jensen, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 3. Natalie Bennett, Kansas State University.

Individual walk-trot-canter equitation: 1. Emily Maurer, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 2. Danielle Bula, University of Wisconsin at River Falls. 3. Christi Conforti, Kansas State University. 4. Jessica Gittleman, Kansas State University. 5. Tommi Kreiter, Purdue University. 6. Jess Scheumann, Purdue University.

Team open equitation on the flat: 1. Christina Walsh, Purdue University. 2. Dehlia Burdan, Kansas State University. 3. Kristen Cleary, University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Stock Seat Team Totals: 1. Black Hawk College 34. 2. University of Wisconsin at River Falls 32. 3. St. Mary of the Woods College 30.

Hunter Seat Team Totals: 1. Purdue University 45. 2. University of Wisconsin at Madison 42. 3. Kansas State University 41.