Horned Frogs Travel To South Carolina And Auburn
9/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Equestrian
Sept. 28, 2011
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU equestrian program will be back in action this weekend when it travels east for back-to-back games against South Carolina and Auburn, respectively.
"This will be a great weekend of competition," said Hunt Seat head coach Logan Fiorentino. "The team has been practicing really well and we are ready to test ourselves against two great schools."
The Horned Frogs, who are 0-1 on the young season, will take on USC Friday at 1 p.m. CT before traveling to Alabama to battle defending National Champion Auburn Saturday at 10 a.m. CT.
"I am extremely excited about this weekends upcoming games because our team is riding great and ready to compete," said assistant coach Kindel Huffman. "The Western team has a lot of new faces and some really great talent. I am excited to see them in action."
Follow The Horned Frogs
A full recap and final results will be available following both days of competition on GoFrogs.com.
Scouting South Carolina
South Carolina comes into this Friday fresh off a 16-3 dismantling of Fresno State. In the game, USC swept all four MVP awards and outscored the visiting Bulldogs, 1,472-1,326.00.
The Gamecocks, who are 1-0 on the season, should be led this fall by Maggie Fortune and Colvin Hedgepeth. Fortune is coming off an Honorable Mention All-America selection last season after posting 10 victories in Horsemanship, while Hedgepeth tallied a career-high nine wins last year.
South Carolina should be extremely tough this season in Hunt Seat after claiming fifth-place accolades last season at nationals. The Gamecocks return nearly every rider off of that squad.
Scouting Auburn
Auburn opened up its fall campaign this past Sunday with a 13-5 win over Tennessee-Martin. The Tigers won all four events and also earned MVP honors in each discipline against the Skyhawks.
In all, Jennifer Delman, Maggie McAlary, Katsy Leeman and Indy Roper all claimed MVP titles against UT-Martin Sunday.
Auburn comes into this season with plenty of talent returning after claiming the Hunt Seat National Championship and the overall National Championship last spring. The Tigers should be led this fall by returning All-America honorees Maggie McAlary, Grace Socha, Indy Roper, Lindsay Portela and Christina Lin.
Scouting TCU
TCU comes into its Friday match with a 0-1 overall record. The Horned Frogs, who will be looking for their second-straight road win dating back to last spring, opened their 2011-12 campaign falling to SMU, 6-4.
Against the Mustangs, junior Callie Selchau garnered MVP accolades, while the Horned Frogs made quick work of SMU in Equitation on the Flat, outscoring them, 486-480, to capture a 3-2 victory in the event.
Individually, sophomore Courtney Motz scored the lone point for the Frogs in Equitation over Fences, defeating Emily Gardner, 82-78. Freshman Kaitlin Perry got the Frogs going early on the Flat, upending Courtney Line, 81-78. Junior Haley Jacobi and sophomore Caitlin Ader were also victorious in the event.
Horned Frog Western Group Ready For Season
Despite the losses of Honorable Mention All-America honoree Ashley Aikman and graduated senior Kelsey Huffman, the Frogs return plenty of talent to really make a splash come nationals this spring.
The Horned Frogs, who compiled a victory over Fresno State at nationals, will lean on senior's Courtney Chown and Lyndsi Hardin during the early portion of the schedule, but will also welcome the addition of several talented newcomers to go along with many key returnees.
Chown had one of the most successful junior campaigns in school history becoming the first ever student-athlete to be named a Varsity Equestrian All-American outright in Horsemanship. The senior from Pilot Point went 11-1-0 overall on the year and was ranked in the nation's top 5 for almost the entire 2010-11 season. Overall, she won 11-straight matches and headed to nationals with a perfect 9-0-0 record before falling in her final outing of the season. By going undefeated during the regular season, Chown became only the second student-athlete ever in program history to go through a regular season undefeated in Horsemanship, joining only assistant coach Kindel Huffman on the prestigious list.
Look for sophomore's Taylor Prince and Devin Spencer to play major roles on the team this fall after closing out the 2010-11 season on a high note. Prince garnered a point for the Frogs at nationals, while Spencer went 7-4-1 on the year with one MVP accolade.
Also back for the Horned Frogs are Lexie Estrada, Kirstie Frydenlund, Kolby Simonson and Carrie Schimpff. The quartet could be poised for a breakout season after solid sophomore campaigns.
The Series Breakdown
When TCU takes on South Carolina Friday it will look to even the series at three games apiece. USC currently holds a 3-2 advantage in the series and dropped the Frogs, 9-3, last spring at the Best of the West Tournament in Fresno, Calif. TCU has won two out of the last three against the Gamecocks in the series.
The Frogs and Tigers will battle for only the seventh time on Saturday. Auburn currently holds a 4-2 advantage in the series, but TCU defeated the Tigers, 11-7, last fall. In that match, TCU dominated the Western side at October Hill Farm, winning 8-1, while Lexie Estrada and Callie Selchau both collected MVP honors on the day.
Up Next
The Purple and White will have a few weeks off before taking on Kansas State on Saturday, Oct. 22 in Bishop, Ga.
Players Mentioned
