Equestrian Ends Fall Semester With Reserve Champion Finish at Holiday Tournament of Champions

FINDLAY, Ohio - The Goucher College equestrian team faced a strong field on the day Saturday at the Holiday Tournament of Champions held at Findlay University, but the Gophers once again posted a strong effort, taking the Reserve Championship title on the day to finish off the Fall 2017 portion of their schedule on a high note.

The field in the Tournament of Champions is invitation only, consisting of top squads who are either currently winning their region or in a close second. In all, 18 schools earned an invitation, and Goucher was better than 16 of those schools on Saturday.

Overall, the Gophers finished with 34 points as a team, narrowly falling short of the top spot, which was taken by SCAD - the three-time defending National Champions - who finished with 39 points.

Individually for the Gophers, senior Cary Hundley (Ellicott City, MD / Marriotts Ridge), finished off a strong first portion of the year with another first place finish in open flat. It marked the seventh straight show that Hundley finished first in open flat, as she also placed second in open fences on the day.

Elsewhere, senior Kyle Kihn (Boulder, Colo. / Fairview) was tops in Walk Trot, while junior Wren Wakeman (Addison, ME / Washington Academy) was a runner-up in the Novice Flat.

Three Goucher student-athletes had fourth-place finishes in various races: senior Clea Lerner (Los Angeles, CA / Renaissance Arts Academy) in Intermediate Flat, sophomore Rena DiPaula (Westminster, MD / Institute of Notre Dame) in Intermediate Fences, and fellow sophomore Annika Field (Clinton, WA / South Whidbey) in Novice Fences.

Rounding out the top finishes for the Gophers were senior Kate Matthews (Concord, MA / Concord-Carlisle), who was sixth in Walk Trot Canter, as Field ended the day fifth overall in the Low Medal Collegiate Class, as well.

The Goucher College equestrian team will now be idle through the Holiday season, returning to action on Jan. 20, when they travel to Coolevile, Ohio for the Winter Classic I Tournament of Champions.

--GOPHERS--