TCU Upsets No. 3 SMU on Senior Day

Saturday, March 9

Springtown, Texas

10 AM

TCU

SMU

TCU Upsets No. 3 SMU on Senior Day

3/9/2019 5:38:00 PM | Equestrian

SMU Final Scoresheet

Frogs win Western 9-1 in victory

SPRINGTOWN, Texas – The eighth-ranked TCU equestrian program took down No. 3 SMU Saturday afternoon, 13-7. The Frogs took home two of the four Most Outstanding Performers awarded in the competition.

TCU also won nine of the 10 points awarded in the Western discipline. The Horned Frogs also honored seniors Olivia Cerino, Marah Huston, Kassi Jones and Jada Taylor after the meet.

Director of Equestrian Haley Schoolfield
"The ladies really came together as a team this morning and decided they were going to get this win. I need to give a big shout out to the Western group which took a great step forward from last week and rode better than it ever has, but as well as we have known it could. We knew we had to do this in order to advance in the postseason alignment. We needed this for our own confidence going into postseason. There isn't a better way to go into a break than this. We will enjoy the break, I'm sure the horses are going to enjoy the break. We will go right back to work when we get back, preparing for our trip to Stillwater."

The Rundown
The morning began with Equitation over Fences where TCU was able to nab two points, but was narrowly edged in the other three points by a margin of no more than three in each one. Grace Upshaw started the day with a 79-77 win on Phia. Raegan Rast came through with the second point for the Frogs, winning 80-79 on Fats. SMU's Nora Gray won the MOP.

Attention turned then to the Western ring, where TCU earned a 4-1 event victory. No Frog scored lower than a 72.5. Senior Kassi Jones rode an exhibition where she posted a career high 76.5 in an exhibition. Josie Mootz and Jamie Cook both won their points, scoring 72.5 and 76, respectively. Natalia DeVencenty was the only Frog to not earn a point, even though she tallied a 75. Senior Marah Huston posted a 78, earning a victory on Cupid to cap her senior day. Cydney Benes took home the MOP for the event, winning 79.5-76.5 on Flash. The 79.5 is a career best for Benes and the highest score in Horsemanship all year for the Frogs.

After the halftime intermission, action resumed in Equitation on the Flat. Janelle Henningsen kicked the event off by winning her point, 78-69, on Tony. The only other point for the Frogs was Wynne Weatherly who edged SMU's Nora Gray by one, 84-83 on Ozzie. Haley Zimmerman of SMU took home the MOP after scoring a 90 on Lina.

The day concluded with Reining where the Frogs swept the event. Elena Hurd took home the MOP award, earning a 73.5 on Scooby. Skylar Smith took the point with a 69-67.5 triumph on Diesel. Claire Dittrich continued her winning ways, posting a 72 on Cash. Bella Andrews bested SMU's Savannah Ostner, 71.5-70 on Smooch. It was Jamie Cook who was the standout for the Frogs. A consistent rider in Horsemanship saw action in Reining for the first time in her collegiate career, earning an impressive 73 on Bud.

Notes
- The Frogs swept the Mustangs in Reining, it was the second time all season the Frogs swept in that event.
- Jamie Cook rode in Reining for the first time in her collegiate career.
- Cydney Benes posted a career best 79.5 in Horsemanship. Her score of 79.5 is also the highest in Horsemanship for the Frogs all year.
- For the first time all season, the Frogs posted nine Western points, in the last two home meets against the Mustangs, TCU has earned 17 points to SMU's 2 in Western.
- Seniors Olivia Cerino, Marah Huston, Kassi Jones and Jada Taylor were honored for their contributions to the program in the last four years.

Up Next
TCU will have the week off as it enjoys spring break. The Frogs will be back in action at the end of the month when they travel to Stillwater for the Big 12 Championship, hosted by Oklahoma State, March 29-30.