Postel Overtakes Banfield in High Point Rider Standings

Gophers Place Second, Widen Lead in Region I to 17 Points

SPARKS, Md. — Goucher's Karli Postel (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Oaks Christian School) took over first place in the 2012-13 high point rider standings for Zone IV Region I with her performance at today's IHSA show conducted at Featherdown Farm.

The senior earned 12 points for placing first in open equitation over fences and second in open equitation on the flat, boosting her total for the season to 45 points, which is three more than Molly Banfield from Mary Washington has accumulated through the first five shows of the season.

Katrina Bess from Christopher Newport is a distant third in the standings with 38 points.

Competing in the intermediate division, Joey Fink (Baltimore, Md./The Park School) placed second in the flat phase.

In the novice division, Caroline Lurie (Los Angeles, Calif./Archer School) was awarded first place in the flat phase and Anna Carmichael (Colorado Springs, Colo./William J. Palmer) picked up a red ribbon in the jumping phase.

Gabrielle Weber (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Lutheran) placed second in walk-trot.

Goucher was the reserve champion at today's show. With a score of 35 points, the Gophers finished behind only Randolph-Macon (38 points) and were able widen their overall lead in the Zone IV Region I standings: 1. Goucher  192 points, 2. Christopher Newport  175, 3. Mary Washington  166, 4. William & Mary  143, 5. George Washington  135.

So far this season, the following riders from Goucher qualified to compete at the Zone IV Region I Championships in March at Featherdown Farm: Postel in open flat and open fences, Fink in novice flat and Madison Tidwell in walk-trot.