No. 7 TCU Begins Quest Friday at DSU
10/1/2014 12:00:00 AM | Equestrian
FORT WORTH, Texas - The No. 7 ranked TCU equestrian program opens its season Friday at Delaware State, beginning at 8:00 a.m. CT.
"Our student-athletes and coaches are very excited about our first competition on Friday in Delaware," said TCU Director of Equestrian Haley Schoolfield. "Our riders have been practicing at a high level and are looking forward to taking that on the road."
Immediately following the Horned Frogs match against the Hornets, the Frogs' Western team will battle Ohio University, while the Hunt Seat discipline will take on Centenary College.
Follow The Frogs
A full recap and final results will be available following Friday's competition on GoFrogs.com. During the meet, live results will also be made available on the official TCU equestrian twitter page. Fans are encouraged to follow @TCUWEquestrian. Other outlets include TCU's official equestrian Instagram account.
The All-Time Series
The Horned Frogs and Hornets will battle for the eighth time in program history Friday. TCU has never lost to DSU, holding a 7-0 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, the Frogs dropped Delaware State by a final score of 15-3. In all, the Frogs swept MOP honors against the Hornets with Taylor Alexander, Kari Hancock, Shelby St. Hilaire and Calli Rouse all earning MOP accolades a year ago.
TCU Opens Season Ranked
The Horned Frogs opened the year ranked No. 7 in the Preseason NCEA National Rankings. The No. 7 spot is the highest preseason ranking since the Frogs begin No. 6 in 2011. The highest regular-season ranking in program history came last season when TCU jumped to No. 3 in the national rankings in November.
TCU In Season Openers
TCU bring an impressive resume in season-openers into Friday's competition as the Frogs have won four out of their last five season-opening meets, including two-straight. The last time TCU lost a season-opener came during the 2011 campaign in which the Purple and White fell to SMU, which happens to be the last time the Frogs opened their season on the road.
All-America Lineup Returns
Coming off a season in which TCU came within the final weekend of capturing the No. 1 seed in the 2014 Big 12 Championship, the Frogs lineup is littered with NCEA All-America honorees this season, including Alexi Child, Erin Gillette, Katelyn Gray, Shelby St. Hilaire and Kaitlin Perry.
Scouting TCU Hunt Seat
After boasting several key victories last season, the Hunt Seat program will lean heavily on Kaitlin Perry and junior Nicole Diamantis during the early portion of its schedule. Perry finished the 2013-14 campaign garnering 13 victories between on the Flat and over Fences, respectively, while Nicole Diamantis garnered two MOP's on the year en route to an impressive 17 overall victories. Look for sophomore Molly Peddicord to also have a huge impact on TCU's success this fall in Equitation over Fences after going 10-5-1 overall in her first year in the program. She was even more impressive during post-season action a year ago, recording a 3-1 mark.
Scouting TCU Western
The Purple and White Western team will look to duplicate and improve upon their recent success after returning their entire lineup that competed on the final day of nationals from a year ago.
"The team is excited to get the season started," said Western head coach Kindel Walter. "We have been practicing and preparing for this weekend since school started, and are looking forward to a great weekend."
Leading the way for TCU this season will once again be Alexi Child who is poised to put the finishing touches on one of the most decorated careers in program history. The Oregon native is a two-time All-America honoree and was also named the 2014 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She heads into her final season after being honored as one of the best riders in the country this past school year, going 12-4 overall with two MOP's in Reining.
Shelby St. Hilaire also returns after having one of the most successful debut campaigns in school history after transferring from Texas A&M. She rode to a 9-4-3 overall mark in Reining with one MOP last season, but more importantly went 3-1-2 during league play.
Look for senior Calli Rouse and Rylee Morgan to also play big factors on the outcome of the upcoming season for the Purple and White in Horsemanship. Rouse turned in a great junior campaign, scoring three MOP rides, while recording a 9-7 overall record in Horsemanship, including a 3-3 league mark. Morgan was just as impressive as she was honored as the Big 12 Horsemanship Rider of the Month after going undefeated in conference competition during the month of February. The Utah native was also named the Big 12 Championship Most Outstanding Performer in Horsemanship. In all, she went 8-3-0 during the course of the season, including an impressive 4-0 in post-season action.
Scouting Delaware State
Delaware State comes into this Friday's match fresh off a 7-2 exhibition victory over NCEA newcomer Alabama. Against the Tide, the Hornets claimed a 5-0 victory in Equitation on the Flat. Hayley Jeske led the way, scoring a 79, while claiming MOP honors. Sofia Zingale was just as successful in Fences, posting an MOP performance, scoring a 75.
Up Next
TCU will next be in competition on Friday, Oct. 24 at Baylor.
Players Mentioned
