Equestrian ranked No. 1 in NCEA Dual Discipline poll

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Mustangs Ranked No. 1 In NCEA Dual Discipline Preseason Poll

WACO, Texas (NCEA/SMU) – The defending national champion SMU Mustangs were announced as the National Collegiate Equestrian Association's number one ranked team entering the 2023-24 season.

SMU now enters its 29th consecutive week as the number one ranked team in the nation following its program-best 13-1 season that resulted in the SMU Equestrian's first NCEA National Championship.

Head Coach Carol Gwin enters her 10th season leading the Mustangs. Gwin, the reigning NCEA Head Coach of the Year, helped lead the Mustangs to the SMU's ninth national championship across all sports.

The Mustangs return seven of its nine All-American selections from 2022-23, including First-Team honorees Augusta Iwasaki (Fences) and Nya Kearns (Horsemanship). Second-Team Horsemanship and Reigning selections Lily Anderson and Chalyce Head also return as well as Flat Honorable Mentions Hensley Humphries, Emma Engel and Horsemanship Honorable Mention Alexa Black.

The Mustangs also return 13 Most Outstanding Performers from a season ago. Five of which – Iwasaki, Taylor Madden, Kearns, Head and Taylor Zimmerman – received multiple MOP honors in their respective events.

SMU transfers a five-meet win streak over to its new season, a stretch in which the Mustangs have defeated five top-eight opponents.

The No. 1 Mustangs open the season on the road at Diamond Creek Farms versus No. 3 TCU on Friday at 10 a.m.