Fazioli, Connell Tie for High Point Rider Honors, Gophers Extend Region Lead

NOKESVILLE, Va. - Junior Celeste Fazioli (Seabrook, Texas / Clear Falls) and sophomore Jacob Connell (Ellicott City, Md./Mt. Hebron) each took two first place finishes as the Goucher College equestrian team competed at the IHSA show hosted by George Washington and George Mason on Saturday.  Using a horsemanship quiz as the tiebreaker, Fazioli was named High Point Rider, while Connell was named Reserve High Point rider.

As a team, the Gophers extended their IHSA Zone 4, Region 1 lead to 38 points.

Fazioli and Connell each took first place in Limit Flat and Limit Fences.

Kellen Sullivan (Hampton, Va. / Donald Sullivan) placed first in Intermediate Flat and fifth in Intermediate Fences.  Flannery Supplee (Monkton, Md. / Hereford) was first in Novice Flat, while Nicholas Arrighetti (Alexandria, Va. / Edmund Burke School) was first in Intro.

Cole Jackson (Denver, Colo. / East) placed fifth overall in both Open Flat and Open Fences.  Makaylin Shoop (Davidsonville, Md./South River) finished sixth in Intermediate Fences.

Kaia Shula (Lafayette Hill, Pa. / Plymouth Whitemarsh) and Elise Simon (Washington, D.C.) each placed second in Novice Flat.  Quinn Kirkpatrick (Baltimore, Md.) and Kaitlin Honkofsky (Baltimore, Md. / Patapsco) were second in Pre-Novice Flat.

In Limit Flat, Ella Doerr (Wellsville, Pa.) and Juliette Colas (Paris, France / Ecole Planchat) each placed third.  Halle Taylor (Dakar, Senegal / International School of Dakar) and Elsa Sellmeyer (Silver Spring, Md./Home School) were fourth, while Claire Edwards (Kailua, Hawaii / Le Jardin Academy) and Cordelia Edwards (Los Angeles, Calif./Immaculate Heart) finished fifth.

Lexi Mason (Lothian, Md. / Southern) registered a fifth place finish in Novice Flat.

The Goucher equestrian team returns to action on Saturday, December 4 at the Tournament of Champions Holiday Classic.

Jacob Connell (L) and Celeste Fazioli