EQUESTRIAN HOSTS MINNESOTA CROOKSTON IN OPENER

Saturday, October 15

Brookings, S.D.

9 a.m.

South Dakota State University

Minnesota Crookston

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

10/14/2022 10:55:00 AM | Equestrian

By: Jason Hove

MEET 1: South Dakota State (0-0) vs. Minnesota Crookston (0-2)

When	Saturday, Oct. 15 \| 9 a.m. Event Order: Fences (9 a.m.), Horsemanship (10:30 a.m.), Flat (12:15 p.m.), Reining (2 p.m.) All times approximate
Where	DeHaan Equestrian Center \| Brookings, S.D.
TV	None
Results	Live Results
Meet Notes	See Below
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook

The South Dakota State equestrian team opens the 2022-23 season Saturday, hosting Minnesota Crookston in head-to-head competition at the DeHaan Equestrian Center. The meet is slated for a 9 a.m. start, with riders competing in four different events.

The Jackrabbits are coming off a 2021-22 season in which they posted a 4-8 record in head-to-head competitions, including three victories over Minnesota Crookston. UMC is 0-2 on the season, including an 0-1 mark in ECAC competitions.

PROBABLE LINEUPS: Following are the projected lineups for the Jackrabbits in Saturday's head-to-head competition against Minnesota Crookston:

WESTERN	JUMPING SEAT
Horsemanship	Fences
Shelby Cochran, Jr., Oxford, Iowa	Cali Karbler, Jr., Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Callyn Fox, Sr., Center Point, Iowa	Sophia Kregoski, Fr., Rescue, Calif.
Annika Hanson, Sr., Hugo, Minn.	Samantha Hunsecker, Sr., Lansing, Kan.
Paige Wellendorf, So., Kearney, Mo.	Ella Domenicone, So., Roswell, Ga.
Alternate: Cassandra Townsend, Sr., Andover, S.D.	Alternate: Julia Werkhoven, Jr., Tempe, Ariz.
Demo: Zuerker Merritt, Jr., Frisco, Texas	Flat
Reining	Rachel Darby, Sr. Rensselaer, N.Y.
Isabelle Riggs, Sr., Alexandria, S.D.	Hannah Steele, So., Woodstock, Ga.
Cassandra Townsend, Sr., Andover, S.D.	Mikaela Haskins, Sr., Minneapolis, Minn.
Lydia Loken, So., Gunnison, Colo.	Julia Werkhoven, Jr., Tempe, Ariz.
Paige Butterfield, Fr., Lapeer, Mich.	Alternate: Cali Karbler, Jr., Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Alternate: Adisyn Kuxhaus, Fr., Pierre, S.D.	Demo: Kate Koehl, Jr., Prescott Valley, Ariz.

SEASON PREVIEW: The Jackrabbits return a number of key contributors from last season, including three of their top riders in both reining and flat.

Jordan Gates is in her second season leading the Western squad, which consists of 15 riders competing in reining and horsemanship. Seniors Cassandra Townsend and Isabelle Riggs both return to the reining starting lineup, as does sophomore Lydia Loken.

Loken ranked second behind departed All-American Natalie Gydesen with a scoring average of 68.5 points last season and finished with a 5-4 record in head-to-head competition. Townsend tallied an average score of 68.4, while Riggs posted a 4-7 mark in head-to-head competition with an average score of 66.9.

Freshmen Paige Butterfield and Adisyn Kuxhaus also are expected to vie for starting assignments in reining in the early going.

In horsemanship, the trio of Shelby Cochran, Callyn Fox and Annika Hanson all bring starting experience to the Jackrabbit lineup. Hanson competed in six meets last season and recorded a team-best scoring average of 67.7 while posting a 3-3 record. Fox tallied four wins in head-to-head competition a season ago en route to an average of 66.0 points per ride, while Cochrane earned Most Outstanding Performer honors three times during the 2021-22 campaign and averaged 64.3 points.

Paige Wellendorf is penciled into the season-opening lineup after competing in two head-to-head competitions last fall. Zuerker Merritt also returns to the Western squad this season.

The jumping seat squad, is under new direction this season as Allie Kreindler was recently hired to coach that portion of the team.

Julia Werkhoven, an honorable mention All-America selection in flat last season, is the top returner for the Jackrabbits in the jumping seat events. She posted an 8-4 head-to-head record in flat with an average score of 72.8. A junior from Tempe, Arizona, Werkhoven also competed in fences, holding a 3-8-1 mark during the 2021-22 season.

Cali Karbler and Hannah Steele also saw action in both jumping seat events a year ago. Karbler compiled a 5-5 record in fences and 3-1 in flat, while Steele was 4-6 in both categories.

Other riders with jumping seat experience include Rachel Darby, Rachel Head, Samantha Hunsecker, Kate Koehl and Mikaela Haskins.

UP NEXT: The Jackrabbits will have a week off from competition before traveling to Davis, California, for a pair of head-to-head competitions Oct. 28-29. SDSU is scheduled to face host UC Davis in head-to-head competition on Oct. 28, while also squaring off against Georgia later in the day for two events. The remainder of the meet with Georgia is slated to be contested the following day.

-GoJacks.com-