No. 10 Equestrian Upsets Defending-Champion South Carolina

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From SMUMustangs.com:

No. 10 SMU Upsets Defending-Champion South Carolina to Advance to Quarterfinals
SMU will face No. 2-seed Georgia Friday

April 14, 2016

WACO, Texas (SMU) – The No. 10-seed SMU equestrian team used a dominating first-round performance to upset the defending-champion and No. 7-seed South Carolina, 10-6, at the Extraco Events Center Thursday. The Mustangs did not lose a single discipline, winning or tying all four to stay ahead of the Gamecocks and run away with the victory.

Leading 8-4 with four points remaining, junior Kelsey Karanges clinched the victory for SMU (7-9) with a 139.5-139 edge over Ashley Reichert. Karanges, a transfer from Kansas State, now has five victories in an SMU uniform. With the meet sealed, Michaela Dinger tacked on SMU’s final point, using a 139.5-130 win over Bailey Mierzejewski.

SMU took the lead and never looked back, using a 3-1 reining win to jump ahead 5-3. Freshman Madison Steed used a 131-130 edge over Sarah Bouchard to win the first point of the discipline, before sophomore Keagan Snively rolled over Bailey Walters, 137.5-126.5. Olivia Pakula had little trouble locking up the discipline win, recording a 131-120 victory over Paisley Roberts.

The Mustangs claimed equitation over fences, 3-1, to take a comfortable 8-4 lead. Senior Alex Butterworth topped Sydney Smith, 158-125, for her second win of the day, before Nora Gray earned her second win of the day with a 158-152 win over Samantha Smith. Gray, who set the freshman wins record during the United Equestrian Conference Championship, now owns the most wins in a single season at 22. Senior Schaefer Raposa capped the discipline with her 52nd-career victory, a 162-157 triumph over Lizzie van der Walde.

The day opened with equitation on the flat, where SMU and South Carolina rode to a 2-2 tie. Gray bested Chloe Schmidt, 140-123, for the first point of the day, before Butterworth posted a 138-109 rout over Samantha Kraus.

The Mustangs return to action Friday against No. 2-seed Georgia. The last time the two forces met was Oct. 26, 2014 in Dallas, where SMU topped the then-No. 1 Bulldogs via tiebreaker, 9-9 (1508.5-1496.5).

Friday's action is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. CT. Live streaming of the event can be seen online at http://www.baylorbears.com.