Horned Frogs Ready For Skyhawks On Saturday
9/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Equestrian
Sept. 29, 2010
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU equestrian program will continue its season this Saturday with an away match at Tennessee-Martin.
Start time for the game against the Skyhawks is set for 11 a.m. CT at the Ned McWherter Agricultural Complex.
"We are really looking forward to Tennessee-Martin this weekend," said head coach Gary Reynolds. "This will be our first time there, so we don't really know what to expect. On the Western side, UTM is in a rebuilding phase. They have a new coach that does an excellent job, so it should be a great game."
"They have a strong Hunt Seat program, which presents a great opportunity for our Hunt Seat team to step up and ride at an away game. They are riding with a great deal of confidence following their win over SMU and assistant coach Kindel Huffman has done an amazing job at getting them ready this season," said Reynolds.
Follow The Horned Frogs
A full recap and final results will be available following Saturday's competition on GoFrogs.com.
Scouting Tennessee-Martin
The Skyhawks, who are 0-1 on the year, opened their season hosting Texas A&M at home on Sept. 26. UTM dropped a 14-5 decision to the Aggies, falling on the Hunt Seat side, 7-3. Overall, junior Caroline Cramer had a solid day against Texas A&M, tallying points in both Equitation over Fences and Equitation on the Flat.
Individually, Michelle Chulock and Hannah Derks lead the Skyhawks on the Western side. Both were victorious against the Aggies, claiming victories in Horsemanship and Reining, respectively.
UTM is coming off a season in which it finished 8-7 overall and earned its third-straight trip to the Varsity Equestrian National Championships. The Skyhawks, who were ranked in the top 10 for the majority of last season, are coached by Meghan Cunningham. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native has been at UT Martin since 2005 and helped transition the Skyhawks into a varsity sport.
Scouting TCU
TCU comes into its Saturday match with a 1-0 overall record. The Horned Frogs, who have now won two-straight regular season matches dating back to last spring, opened their 2010-11 campaign downing SMU, 7-4.
Against the Mustangs, the Frogs captured both Equitation over Fences and Equitation on the Flat. The Purple and White won Equitation over Fences, 4-2. TCU also posted a 3-2 victory in Equitation on the Flat.
Individually, Milana Trimino claimed MVP accolades in Equitation on the Flat on Sept. 17. Trimino, who recorded her third MVP of her career, tallied a total score of 85 in Equitation on the Flat to earn MVP honors. On the day, Callie Selchau, Haley Jacobi and Tassie Munroe all went 2-0 in competition, respectively.
Horned Frogs Western Group Ready For Season
Despite the loss of former National Champion Carrie von Uhlit, TCU returns nearly every key component off a squad that closed the 2010 season finishing fifth overall at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships in Waco.
The Horned Frogs, who compiled victories over Baylor and Oklahoma State at nationals, will lean on Courtney Chown, Kelsey Huffman and Ashley Aikman during the early portion of the schedule, but also welcome the addition of several talented newcomers.
Chown had a banner sophomore season in which she recorded a 10-3-1 record in Horsemanship, while Huffman returns following a 13-2-0 overall mark in Reining. Both riders were national seeds at the 2010 Varsity Equestrian National Championships and helped the Purple and White rank in the nation's top 10 during the course of the spring.
Aikman, who finished the year with nine victories in Horsemanship, is poised for a breakout season this fall after leading TCU to victory last year over Texas A&M at the Fort Worth Stock Show.
Junior Lyndsi Hardin, who will be in competition on Saturday, returns to the Horned Frog lineup this season after going 5-1-0 last year, while sophomore Lexie Estrada should have an immediate impact this fall after recording a 4-2-1 record.
Look for senior Kelly Morris and sophomore Kolby Simonson to be major factors in TCU's success this year. Simonson will try and continue her winning ways this fall after posting a 6-1-0 record during her first year in Fort Worth, while Morris will look to close her career in style after posting two victories during the 2009-10 school year.
Finally, freshmen Taylor Prince and Devin Spencer could both have immediate impacts this season after solid high school careers. Prince will don the Purple and White this fall after garnering 2009 APHA World Champion accolades in three different events, while Spencer qualified for the USEF National Youth Reining Championships as an individual.
All-Time Series Breakdown
The Horned Frogs and Skyhawks will be facing each other for the fourth time in program history on Saturday. TCU leads the all-time series mark, 3-0. Overall, the Frogs and UT Martin squared off twice last fall with the Purple and White posting a 10-2 decision at the Best in the West Tournament in Fresno, Calif. Earlier in the year, TCU dominated UTM at home, collecting two MVP awards to down the Skyhawks, 13-7.
During the regular season, TCU has outscored UT Martin, 30-14, including 23-9 last season.
Up Next
The Horned Frogs will return home to take on Auburn on Nov. 6.
Players Mentioned
