2008-2009 Texas A&M Equestrian Media Guide by Jonathan Lee

General Information

Media Information / Key Contacts / Equestrian Coaches / Quick Facts / Media Relations Ofﬁce

Aggie Terminology

AggieAthletics.com

12th Man Productions

Equestrian Q & A’s

Glossary

Judging Guide

Varsity Equestrian

2008-09 Opponents

2008-09 22 The Aggies 24

Roster

Team Analysis

Hunter Seat Preview

Western Preview

Adams / Bell / Bryson / Chafee

Christiansen / Coleman

Cushman / Dawe / Dirkse

Dodson / Dreyer / Earle

Fishgold / Goodwin / Grabein

Gratny / Greebon

Gunn

Staff and Administration

Hall / Harmon / Hartl / Heine

Hill / Ivy

Tana McKay, Head Coach

James / Lamb / Lisabeth / Lucas

Matz / McMullen / Mueller

Linzy Woolf, Hunter Seat Coach

O’Connell / Parsons

Beth Bass, Horsemanship Coach

Persinger / Pine / Pipoly / Plemmons

Katie Cahill, Director of Operations

Reiner / Ryan / Scholl

Dr. Elsa Murano, President

Smith / Snoey / Soibelman

19 20

Bill Byrne, Director of Athletics Support Staff

Solch / Standley

Waldal / Ward / Webb

Whaley / Wyble / Zealy

The Horses

Covers ______________________________________________ Front: Decade of Excellence Inside Front: 2008-09 Texas A&M Equestrian Schedule and Team Inside Back: Horsemanship National Champion Caroline Gunn and the Reserve National Champion Hunter Seat Team Back: The New Home of Texas A&M Equestrian: Brazos County Exposition Complex

Credits _____________________________________________ The 2008-09 Texas A&M Equestrian Guide is an ofﬁcial publication of the Texas A&M Athletic Department and was written, compiled, designed and edited by assistant media relations director Chris Harrell. Covers and graphic assistance by publications specialist Cyndi Mousner. The guide was printed by The Insite Group in Bryan, Texas. Photographs courtesy of Glen Johnson of Johnson Studio of Professional Photography in Bryan (g-johnson@ cox.net), Cristy Cumberworth, Willie Gomez, Chris Harrell, Melanie Levy, Mary Schwarz, Ellen Stutzenbaker and Lourie Zipf.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

48 2007-08 Review 50 58 62 63 64

Season Review Match-by-Match Results Central Championship Results VENC Results Season Statistics

GENERAL INFO

2008-09 TEXAS A&M EQUESTRIAN

66 Equestrian History 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 81

82 84 90 92 94 95 96 97 98 102 104 106 107 108 109 110 112 113 114 116

Series Records Year-by-Year Results Varsity Record Book Letterwinners English IHSA Records Western IHSA Records The IHSA Years: 1999-2006 VENC History

The University The University Rich Traditions Academic Services Academic Achievement Career Services Aggie Athletes Involved ChaTmps Women’s Athletics World Renowned Athletics Aggies of Inﬂuence NCAA Compliance Information Student Rec Center Netum A. Steed Physiology Research and Conditioning Laboratory Residence Halls Friendly Community George Bush Presidential Library and Museum Texas A&M Sports Museum Premier Sports Venues The 12th Man Foundation

GENERAL INFO

GENERAL INFORMATION Interviews

Credentials

To interview a coach or rider, please contact Chris Harrell in the Athletic Media Relations Office at (979) 862-2566 or (979) 587-0486 or by e-mail at charrell@athletics.tamu.edu.

At this time, there is no cost for entrance to home competitions, therefore there is no need for members of the media to be served with credentials. For access to off limits areas at the Expo Center (the pens, the holding area, the barn), requests should be forwarded to Chris Harrell the day of the show.

Media Services

Results

Programs are made available as soon as possible after each draw. For other more speciﬁc requests, contact Chris Harrell.

Results will be compiled at the Athletic Media Relations Ofﬁce at the conclusion of each show and released to all who request them. Results should normally be available within an hour of the end of the competition.

Key Texas A&M Contacts

Quick Facts

Area Code 979

Athletic Staff

Bill Byrne, Director of Athletics ................................................................845-5129 Penny King, Deputy Athletic Director.......................................................845-1063 John Thornton, Sr. Assoc. A.D./Student-Athlete Development................845-1159 Mona Osborne, Sr. Women’s Administrator.............................................845-1765 Ingrid Villar-Woods, Assistant A.D./Academics........................................845-3945 David Batson, Director of Compliance.....................................................845-1904 Contanya Robertson, Athletic Trainer ......................................................458-4527 Allen Kinley, Strength & Conditioning ......................................................845-7173

Location: College Station, Texas Enrollment: 48,126 Colors: Maroon and White Nickname: Aggies Mascot: Reveille VIII Conference: Big 12 President: Dr. Elsa A. Murano (Florida International, ‘81) Director of Athletics: Bill Byrne (Idaho State ’67) Faculty Representative: Dr. Thomas Adair Home Facility: Brazos County Expo Center (3,000)

Kevin Hurley Associate A.D. for Facilities/ Equestrian A.D. (979) 862-2575

Head Coach (Reining): Tana McKay (Colorado State ’96) Assistant Coach (Hunter Seat): Linzy Woolf (Texas A&M ’01) Assistant Coach (Horsemanship): Beth Bass (Texas A&M ’90) Director of Operations: Katie Cahill (Texas A&M ’04) 2008 Varsity Nationals Finish: Overall – 2nd; Hunter - 2nd; Western - 5th 2007-08 Overall Record: 10-4 2007-08 Hunter Seat Record: 12-5 2007-08 Western Record: 10-6

Equestrian Staff Head Coach (Reining): Tana McKay (Colorado State ’96) Equestrian Office Phone: (979) 845-1094 Rawson’s E-Mail Address: tmckay@athletics.tamu.edu Equestrian FAX Number: (979) 862-1791 English Coach: Linzy Woolf (Texas A&M ’01) Office Phone: (979) 458-2975 Woolf’s E-Mail Address: lwoolf@athletics.tamu.edu Assistant Coach (Western): Beth Bass (Texas A&M ’90) Office Phone: (979) 845-1191 Bass’ E-Mail Address: bbass@athletics.tamu.edu Director of Operations: Katie Cahill (Texas A&M ’04) Office Phone: (979) 845-5779 Cahill’s E-Mail Address: kcahill@athletics.tamu.edu Equestrian Office Mailing Address: Equestrian Coaches Texas A&M University P.O. Box 30017 College Station, TX 77842

Media Relations Office Asst. A.D./Media Relations: Alan Cannon (Texas A&M ’84) Asst. Media Relations Director (Equestrian): Chris Harrell (UTEP ’97) Harrell’s Ofﬁce Phone: (979) 862-2566 Harrell’s Home Phone: (979) 696-6773 Harrell’s Cell Phone: (979) 587-0486 Harrell’s E-Mail: charrell@athletics.tamu.edu Fax Number: (979) 845-0564 Media Relations Mailing Address: Athletic Media Relations P.O. Box 30017 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77842 Texas A&M Athletics Home Page: www.AggieAthletics.com

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

Each university has its own set of traditions which help to distinguish it from other institutions. Texas A&M University is no exception. Perhaps nowhere else are traditions as interwoven into the very fabric of the university than they are at Texas A&M. As a result, Aggies have a lingo that is all their own. The following list of terms helps to deﬁne what being an Aggie is all about. A&M Shortened form for Texas A&M University. Originally, the letters stood for Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas; now, the letters are retained merely as part of the University’s tradition and history.

GENERAL INFO

AGGIE TERMINOLOGY

Aggie A student, former student or supporter of Texas A&M University. Term is derived from A&M’s agricultural heritage. Aggies are sometimes also referred to as farmers.

Aggie Code of Honor For many years, Aggies have followed a Code of Honor, which is stated in this very simple verse: “Aggies do not lie, cheat, or steal, nor do they tolerate those who do.”

Aggieland Home of Texas A&M University.

All-U Night All-University Night—the ﬁrst Yell Practice of the semester. Event includes introductions of men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletic teams, coaching staff and yell leaders.

Association of Former Students There is no such thing at A&M as an alumni association or an Ex-Aggie; there are only former students. The Association of Former Students serves the same purpose as an alumni association, but an individual doesn’t have to graduate from A&M to be a member. Once an Aggie, always an Aggie.

Gig ’Em One of many Aggie yells.

Jollie Rollie

t.u. That “other school” in Austin is not the “University of Texas.” To an Aggie, it’s “t.u.,” without capital letters.

Corps of Cadets

Howdy!

G. Rollie White Coliseum—the place where the Aggies play volleyball and hold special events.

Military-oriented organization, which is the oldest student group on the A&M campus. Texas A&M annually commissions more ofﬁcers for the armed forces than any other ROTC source in the nation.

Traditional Aggie greeting; a derivative of “hello.” Sometimes garbled to sound like “hahdy”. Aggies pride themselves on their friendliness and greet each other and visitors with a “Howdy” as they walk across campus.

Memorial Student Center. No one steps on the grass surrounding the MSC, which was built in honor of Aggies who died in battle.

Elephant Walk Annual ceremony held the week of the last football game in which seniors gather at Kyle Field, form a single line and wander about the campus like old elephants seeking a secluded spot to end their days.

Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck! First words to the “Aggie War Hymn,” A&M’s ﬁght song, which was written by J.V. (Pinky) Wilson while standing guard on the Rhine during World War I.

Fish Humping It

A freshman.

Fish Camp Freshman orientation camp held just before classes begin in the fall. Provides an overall introduction to Texas A&M.

Position taken by Aggies when giving a yell. Bending forward from the waist with the hands placed just above the knees properly aligns the back, mouth and throat for maximum volume.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

MSC

Ol’ Army Like it “used to be” at A&M.

Redpots The students responsible for coordinating the building of Bonfire. There are 16 (8 seniors, 8 juniors), and they wear red hardhats or “pots.”

Sully Statue of Lawrence Sullivan Ross, former Governor of Texas and former President of Texas A&M. It stands in front of the Academic Building.

Tea-sip Student at t.u.

Two Percenters Students who do not display the true Aggie Spirit.

Whoop! Aggie expression of approval.

Yell Practice Spirit session which builds enthusiasm for an upcoming athletic contest. Under the direction of the Yell Leaders, Aggies show their support for the team by shouting the yells with spirit and singing the Aggie songs with pride. Held at midnight at Kyle Field before home football games.

GENERAL INFO

AGGIEATHLETICS.COM

ollow the Aggies 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the official website of Texas A&M athletics, AggieAthletics. com. From the latest news releases covering all 20 intercollegiate sports, to insightful Aggie extras, AggieAthletics.com is your one-stop shop for the latest information in A&M sports. In addition to news and features, AggieAthletics. com also offers fans live coverage of most Aggie events. With free live audio and video coverage and real-time statistical updates of over 200 Texas A&M events each year, Aggie fans from all over the globe can keep track of A&M sporting events as they happen. AggieAthletics.com is also the best source for player and coach bios, updated team and individual statistics, records, history, player blogs and much more. A new feature of AggieAthletics.com is the auction site, where fans can bid on special, one-of-a-kind items such as autographed helmets, game-worn jerseys and much more. Fans can also get the best and latest in Aggie merchandise online by logging on to AggieLocker.com and purchasing official A&M gear from the comfort of home. Your purchases directly benefit the Texas A&M Athletics Department.

AGGIEATHLETICS.COM STAFF DREW MARTIN Assistant Athletics Director, Branding and Creative Development

JON CARPENTER Senior Graphics Artist

Texas A&M enters its third year of a partnership with CBS College Sports that brings fans the wildly-popular AGGIES ALL-ACCESS broadband web channel, the most-watched channel on the network. Fans can access live streaming audio and video of many Texas A&M sporting events as well as press conferences, television and radio shows, highlights, features and much more--all free, and all at the click of a button. Free video of all non-televised Aggie home volleyball matches will be available again in 2008, as well as free live audio of most road contests. Log on to aggieathletics.com for more information.

BRIAN GARDNER Graphics Designer

JONATHAN LEE AggieAthletics.com Editor

ALYSSA POWELL AggieAthletics.com Webmaster

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

th Man Productions enters its third year as the award-winning, in-house video production group of Texas A&M Athletics. The department provides live-event big screen productions at Kyle Field, Reed Arena, Olsen Field, the Aggie Soccer Stadium, the Aggie Softball Complex and the Mitchell Tennis Center, along with pushing many of these productions worldwide via A&M’s ofﬁcial website, aggieathletics.com. Throughout the academic year, 12th Man Productions produces a weekly 30-minute sports magazine show called the “Aggie Sports Connection”. The ASC recaps football games in the fall through coach analysis and in-depth highlights, as well as spotlighting the other sports in action. In the spring, fans of baseball, basketball and all Aggie sports

Video entertainment is produced in the state-of-the-art control room at Kyle Field.

GENERAL INFO

12TH MAN PRODUCTIONS

will be able to follow their teams through features, highlights and more on the ASC. In addition, 12th Man Productions produces “The Aggie Basketball Show with Mark Turgeon”, which spotlights Aggie basketball and runs from December to March. The 12th Man Productions staff, which includes more than 40 current Texas A&M students, also produces a season highlight tape for every Aggie intercollegiate sport, facilitates satellite feeds for networks and their afﬁliates, produces tapes for the 12th Man Foundation video program and provides live web streaming and all video content on aggieathletics.com. In 2006, the department was awarded a Golden Matrix Award from the IDEA organization for “Best Special Occasion Video” in a competition including every college, minor league and professional sports organization.

eep up with the latest in Aggie equestrian and Aggie Athletics weekly throughout the fall through THE AGGIE SPORTS CONNECTION, a weekly sports magazine show highlighting the players, coaches and teams of Texas A&M. The 30-minute show provides a unique, entertaining and informative behind-the-scenes look at Aggie sports. Produced by 12th Man Productions, the ASC can be seen across the state of Texas on FSN Southwest, on several aﬃliates state-wide in Texas and Oklahoma, across most of the South on Cox Sports and locally in Bryan/College Station on KBTX-TV 3. Check aggieathletics.com or local listings for station and airtime nearest you.

COX S�� T��  Fridays, 6:30 p.m. CT 

KBTX-TV (B��/C�� S��) Fridays, 6:30 p.m. CT

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE



FSN S�� Fridays, 12:30 p.m. CT

(stations/airtimes subject to change)

W�� J��  ASC host

GENERAL INFO

EQUESTRIAN Q & A’S How do you tell the horse what to do?

Does the team offer scholarships?

Horses are asked by the rider to perform specific transitions and maneuvers. The rider controls the horse with specific cues. These include the rider’s seat, legs, hands and voice. Legs are used to encourage the horse to go forward and aid in directing the horse. Hands are used to also direct the horse and control the horse’s speed. The rider’s seat and voice are used in conjunction with both hands and legs. The rider is responsible for using the correct cue to maneuver the horse through a specific pattern and to control the different gaits of the horse as asked by the judge. This is what the judge is looking for and will then award points based on the effectiveness of the rider.

Yes. The team currently awards 15 scholarships, the full complement allowed by the NCAA. Those scholarships do not have to be, and almost always are not, full scholarships. The scholarships are divided up and awarded to team members based on a variety of circumstances.

Does the team do jumping? Yes. The English riders are required to jump fences, at heights of 3’ to 3’6” at each show.

What types of competition does the team do? There are four collegiate equestrian disciplines at the varsity level at the moment: equitation on the ﬂat, equitation over fences, horsemanship and reining. Both equitation categories are classiﬁed as hunter seat, while horsemanship and reining are the two disciplines that make up the western division.

Do you have to have a horse to be on the team? No. A large majority of the horses that are used for practice and shows are owned by the university and/or the athletic department. The Aggies have approximately 60 horses used by the team. Many show horses have generously been donated to the team as well.

How many judges are there? At all regular season shows, there is only one judge. At the Varsity Equestrian Championships there will be a pair of judges for each discipline.

How do you get the horses to the shows that are not at home? In almost all instances, the horses that are ridden at each show are provided by the host school. Horses are then drawn at random to determine what horse a competitor will ride.

Doesn’t the home team have an advantage if everyone is riding their horses? The home team might have a very small advantage when using their horses. However, since horse selection is done totally at random, no one knows who they will ride until approximately two hours before they actually get on. Also, if the horse chosen by a home rider has been donated for the day to the host school, the home rider would not have any advantage over any of the visiting riders. During practices, the Aggies usually rotate who is riding what horse therefore no one horse and no one rider are paired up consistently during the year. Also, A&M schedules

both home and away competitions with all three Big 12 schools so any home-ﬁeld advantage would be moot against Baylor, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State. One must also remember that when hosting a show, the home team has a much larger slate of responsibilities in hosting the competition than a visiting team does.

How do you score points for the team? Under varsity equestrian rules adopted in 2006, a rider from each school rides the same horse and is awarded a score from the judge(s). The rider with the highest score is awarded one point. The team with the most points at the end of the day wins the competition. Ties are broken by adding the cumulative judges’ scores and dropping the lowest hunter seat and western scores.

How do the judges come up with their score? In hunter seat competition, a rider is given a score from 0-100 based on the performance of the rider. Scores above 80 are well above average. It is extremely rare to see a score in the 90’s. Most scores are in the 70s and 60s. In western competition, the judge starts every rider out at 70 and raises or lowers their score based on how they execute their maneuvers. Unless awarded a 0 for doing the incorrect pattern, virtually all western scores are in the 60’s and 70’s.

What’s in that funny black box? Each western rider wears a cowboy hat and, when traveling, must keep it in a hat box specifically designed to protect it from being damaged. When looking at a hat box from the outside, most people have no idea what its contents are.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

COMPETITION: What is a typical competition like? A typical competition is usually a head-to-head competition between two schools. The host school provides everything from horses to the tack. One rider from the host school will draw the same horse as a rider from the opposing school. Whoever scores higher will receive one point for their team. At the end of the day, the points are tallied and whichever school has the most points is designated champion.

What is the typical show season? The show season usually begins in September and ends in April. December and January are usually slower months for competing. Our show schedule can be seen on our web page: http://www. aggieathletics.com.

What is Texas A&M looking for in a rider? We are currently looking for riders who not only have proper equitation and horsemanship but for those who are also functional on any type of horse. We are also looking for riders that are very comfortable in the events that we compete in. Riders need to have the ability to “read” unfamiliar horses and be conﬁdent in what they need for that particular horse in the competition arena.

PRACTICE: What is a typical practice? Practice is conducted daily by the coaches using horses owned by the TAMU team. Student-athletes are assigned different horses at each practice to get them more comfortable on unfamiliar horses. Student-athletes usually practice 3-5 times per week depending on their schedule.

On what types of horses do you practice?

What is a typical day in the life of a student-athlete? Depending on class schedule, an equestrian athlete will have practice, class, workouts, and study hall in one day. It is deﬁnitely a full day!

PREPARATION: What can a prospective student-athlete do to prepare for NCAA Equestrian? Make sure you are very comfortable with one of the four events we compete in. It is not necessary to have a number of wins in that event to be considered for NCAA Equestrian. Try to ride as many different horses as you can. You will learn something from each one you ride.

When should I think about visiting your campus and what do I need to bring? We do many of our recruiting visits in the fall of your senior year. This is a time when you can visit the campus and our facilities as well as visit with our Equestrian Academic Advisor. You should be prepared to have a DVD displaying your riding abilities (if you had not previously sent one) as well as a completed questionnaire with any supplemental information you would like for us to know. You are more than welcome to come and visit any time even if you would like to do an early visit during your junior year.

OTHER QUESTIONS: When can a prospective student-athlete contact the equestrian team? A prospective student-athlete can contact us by phone at any time. If a message is left, the coaches can only respond to the message if it is July 1 or later after the student has completed her junior year in high school. If a prospective student-athlete calls a coach and she is a junior or younger, the coach will only be able to explain the NCAA rules if they continue to speak to them. Prospective studentathletes can ﬁll out our questionnaire and send it to us at any time.

GENERAL INFO

EQUESTRIAN Q & A’S

When is it permissible for a Texas A&M equestrian coach to write or e-mail you? Beginning September 1 of your junior year in high school, it is permissible for a coach to write or e-mail you and send you NCAA-permissible recruiting materials (i.e. media guide).

When is it permissible for a Texas A&M equestrian coach to have off-campus contact with you? Starting July 1 after the completion of your junior year in high school.

If a prospective student-athlete is thinking of joining the Texas A&M equestrian team, when should she register with the NCAA Eligibility Center? Once the ACT/SAT tests are taken. Even if the PSA has not contacted any colleges about their Equestrian program, they still need to register. This will speed up the process of any ‘ofﬁcial visits’ that A&M may provide.

For English practice, the athletes usually practice on Thoroughbreds or Warmbloods. For western practice, the majority of the herd are Quarter Horses.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

GENERAL INFO

EQUESTRIAN GLOSSARY Equitation on the Flat

Horsemanship

Schooling

Flat patterns are performed in a dressage ring, but are ridden and judged based on USEF equitation standards. Manuevers that may be included in the ﬂat patterns include: working walk, working trot, collected trot, lengthened trot, working canter, collected canter, counter canter, lengthened canter, circles, half-turns, half-turns in reverse, simple and ﬂying changes, serpentines, lateral work and work without stirrups.

The western horsemanship class is designed to evaluate the rider’s ability to execute, in concert with their horse, a set of maneuvers prescribed by the judge with precision and smoothness while exhibiting poise and conﬁdence, and maintaining a balanced, functional and fundamentally correct body position.

Horses are schooled, or prepared for competition, using stretching and suppling exercises at various gaits, or practice jumps if necessary by riders who will not compete the day of the show.

Equitation/Horsemanship

The category equitation riders compete in, whose foundation lies in jumping and riding across country, such as foxhunting.

In riding competitions, these indicate that riders are being judged on their ability to control and show the horse while maintaining the correct riding position. Intercollegiate riders have the added challenge of riding an unfamiliar horse, one that is randomly drawn for them two hours prior to competing.

Equitation Over Fences An individual performance where each rider shows a horse over 8-10 jumps approximately three feet high. Riders are judged on their ability to position the horse correctly at the jumps and avoid interfering with horse’s balance, while maintaining the correct riding position and producing a smooth, polished performance.

Hunter Seat

Tack The equipment worn by the horse.

Walk, Jog, Lope Western riders show this way; the gaits, and extension of gaits, that the horse travels in.

Natural Aids

Walk, Trot, Canter

Body signals from the seat, legs, hands and voice to communicate commands to the horse, all the while appearing comfortable, relaxed and balanced. These signals should be subtle or imperceptible to the judge and spectators and exaggerated shifting of the rider’s weight is not desirable. The resulting performance shown by the horse is not to be considered more important than the methods used by the rider in obtaining them.

English riders show this way; the gaits that the horse travels in.

Reining

Warm-Up Each competitor gets four to ﬁve minutes to warmup a horse immediately before getting the opportunity to compete on that speciﬁc horse. Fence riders get the opportunity to jump four fences on their horse prior to competing.

In this form of competition, western riders perform an individual, pre-assigned AQHA reining pattern from memory, demonstrating a variety of stops, turns and circles at various speeds. The emphasis on this class is on precision, technical application of natural aids and the rider’s ability to show unfamiliar horses.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

General Rules _________________

Hunter Seat Rules _________________

Western Rules _________________

1. Riders are judged on their ability to get the best performance from their horse while maintaining proper equitation and horsemanship.

1. General — The rider should have a workmanlike appearance, seat and hands light and supple, conveying the impression of complete control should any emergency arise.

1. General — The rider will be judged on seat, hands, and the ability to control and show the horse.

2. Falling off a horse results in elimination. 3. Three refusals by a horse in equitation over fences as well as a rider going off course through their pattern or test results in elimination. 4. Riders must remain on the same mount throughout all phases of an equitation or horsemanship class until the judge requests a change. 5. All western judges are AQHA carded and all hunter seat judges are USEF-approved hunter seat judges. 6. No coaching is allowed once a rider has entered the competition ring 7. Stewards and/or judges may grant a rider a reride if they deem the horse unsafe or unfair to the competitor.

2. Mounting and Dismounting — To mount, a rider is to take up the reins in the left hand and place hand on withers. Grasp stirrup leather with right hand, insert foot in stirrup and mount. To dismount, rider may either step down or slide down. 3. Hands — Hands should be over and in front of horse’s withers, knuckles 30 degrees inside the vertical, hands slightly apart and making a straight line from the horse’s mouth to the rider’s elbow. The method of holding reins is optional, but all reins must be picked up at the same time. 4. Basic Position — The eyes should be up and the shoulders should be back. Toes should be at an angle best suited to the rider’s conformation, ankles ﬂexed, heels down, calf of leg in contact with the horse and slightly behind its girth. The iron, or stirrup, should be on the ball of the foot. 5. Position in Motion — At the walk and slow trot, a rider’s body should be vertical; posting trot should be inclined forward; canter should be half-way between the posting trot and the walk; galloping and jumping should be at the same inclination as the posting trot.

2. Arms & Hands — The upper arms are in a straight line with the body, both bent at the elbows. Both hands and arms should be held in a relaxed, easy manner, with the upper arm in a a straight line with the body. The arm holding the reins should be bent at the elbow forming a line from the elbow to the horse’s mouth. The free hand and arm should be carried bent at the elbow in a similar position as the holding the reins. Some movement of the arms is permissible, but excessive pumping will be penalized. The hand is to be around the reins at all times. Except as noted below, only one hand is used for reining and hands shall not be changed. No more than one ﬁnger is permitted between reins when split reins are used, but none with romal. The rider may hold romal in their free hand provided it is at least 16” from the rein hand. The rein hand is to be carried immediately above or slightly ahead of the horn of the saddle. Bracing against the horn will be penalized. Reins should be carried so as to have light contact with the horse’s mouth and at no time shall reins be carried more than a slight hand movement from the horse’s mouth. Two hands may be used only on horses designated by the show committee. It is recommended that these horses be shown in a snaffle bit or a hackamore. Changing hands on the reins from two to one or one to two during the class shall be considered a disqualiﬁcation.

GENERAL INFO

JUDGING GUIDE

3. Basic Position — The exhibitor should appear natural in the seat and ride with a balanced, functional and correct position regardless of the maneuver or gait being performed. The rider should sit in the center of the saddle and the horse’s back with the legs hanging to form a straight line from the ear, through the center of the shoulder and hip, touching the back of the heel or through the ankle. The heels should be lower than the toes, with a slight bend in the knee and the lower leg should be directly under the knee. The rider back should be ﬂat, relaxed and supple. An overly stiff and/of overly arched lower back will be penalized. The riders shoulders should be back, level and square. 4. Position in Motion — The rider should sit to jog and not post. At the lope, the rider should be close to the saddle. All movements of the horse should be governed by the use of imperceptible aids. Exaggerated shifting of the rider’s weight is not desirable.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

GENERAL INFO

VARSITY EQUESTRIAN Format _______________

Individual Scoring ______

Varsity equestrian competitions are broken down into four speciﬁc classes: Equitation on the ﬂat and equitation over fences fall under the hunter seat discipline while horsemanship and reining are under the western discipline.

In hunter seat competition, the highest possible individual score is 100 points. On the ﬂat, a rider must perform nine maneuvers under which they are graded on each on a a scale from 0-10 (0 being not executed to 10 being perfect). An extra overall impression score is added to the nine maneuvers to give a rider their ﬁnal total. Over fences, riders are asked to clear a minimum of eight/maximum of 12 jumps. Judges then evaluate riders based on their overall impression using the USEF scoring system.

Under normal circumstances, anywhere between four and eight riders from each team will face off in one of the four classes. One rider from each team rides the same horse for a judges’ score. The rider with the highest score earns one point for their team. The horse selection is determined by a random draw done by both coaching staffs, usually two hours prior to the start of the competition.

In western competition, competitors begin with a base score of 70. Riders are awarded up to 1.5 points or downgraded as many as 1.5 points based on their successfulness of each manuever. Failure to execute a maneuver results in a ﬁnal score of zero.

Team Scoring __________ The winner of each head-to-head match-up is awarded one point for their team. The team with the greater amount of those points at the end of the competition is declared the winner. Should the competition end in a tie, the judges’ raw scores are tallied. The lowest score from both the hunter seat and western disciplines are then dropped, resulting in a ﬁnal overall total which determines the winner of the competition.

National Championships ________ The Varsity Equestrian National Championships are formatted slightly different than regular season shows. Prior to the national championships, the VENC selection committee selects the top 12 hunter seat and western teams in the nation and seeds them into a 12-team double-elimination bracket. Both the hunter seat and western teams compete independently throughout the championships. At the conclusion of each bracket, a point total is awarded to each discipline based on their ﬁnish. The school with the highest point total accrued between the two championship brackets is declared the overall national champion while the winners of the hunter seat and western tournaments also earn national championship titles. An individual championship tournament was added in 2008. The top four riders in each of the four disciplines were chosen by the selection committee and put into a championship bracket based on an individual ranking system. The individual tournament will increase to eight riders in each discipline in 2009.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

Fresno State Location: Fresno, Calif. Enrollment: 22,000 Nickname: Bulldogs Colors: Red & Blue Conference: Western Athletic (WAC) Athletic Director: Thomas Bach Website: http://gobulldogs.cstv.com Head Coach: Becky Malmo (Cal Lutheran ‘78) Assistant Coaches: Stephanie Reeves, Julia Scrivani Facility (Capacity): Student Horse Center 2007-08 Record: 4-6 2007-08 Hunter Seat Record: N/A 2007-08 Western Record: N/A 2007-08 VENC Overall Finish: 9th 2007-08 VENC Hunter Seat Finish: DNS 2007-08 VENC Western Finish: 7/8 SID Contact: Steve Weakland SID Phone: 559-278-2509 SID E-Mail: sweaklan@csufresno.edu

Kansas State Location: Manhattan, Kan. Enrollment: 23,352 Nickname: Wildcats Colors: Purple and White Conference: Big 12 Athletic Director: Bob Krause Website: http://www.k-statesports.com Head Coach: Ashley Foster (Virginia Tech ‘05)

Casie Williamson (Texas A&M, ‘06)

Assistant Coach: Casey Finnell Facility (Capacity): Fox Creek Farm 2007-08 Record: 6-6 2007-08 Hunter Seat Record: 4-7-1 2007-08 Western Record: 7-2-3 2007-08 VENC Overall Finish: 5th 2007-08 VENC Hunter Seat Finish: DNP 2007-08 VENC Western Finish: 3rd SID Contact: Kenny Lannou SID Phone: 785-532-6735 SID E-Mail: klannou@ksu.edu

Oklahoma State

Location: Waco, Texas Enrollment: ??? Nickname: Bears Colors: Green & Gold Conference: Big 12 Athletic Director: Dr. Ian McMcCaw Website: http://www.baylorbears.cstv.com Head Coach: Ellen White (Baylor ‘81) Assistant Coach: Trista Armstrong, Beverly Manroe Facility: Willis Family Equestrian Center 2007-08 Record: 8-11 2007-08 Hunter Seat Record: 10-9 2007-08 Western Record: 6-12-1 2007-08 VENC Overall Finish: 8th 2007-08 VENC Hunter Seat Finish: 5th 2007-08 VENC Western Finish: 7/8th SID Contact: Julie Bennett SID Phone: (254) 709 -9657 SID E-Mail: julie_bennett@baylor.edu

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Location: Dallas, Texas Enrollment: 11,000 Nickname: Mustangs Colors: Bllue & Red Conference: Conference USA Athletic Director: Steve Orsini Website: http://www.smumustangs.cstv.com Head Coach: Ashley Schaeffer (Ashwood ‘05) Assistant Coach: Chelsea Chapman (SMU, ‘05) Facility (Capacity): Park Lane Equestrian Center 2007-08 Record: 2-5 2007-08 Hunter Seat Record: 2-5 2007-08 VENC Hunter Seat Finish: DNC SID Contact: Brad Sutton SID Phone: 214-768-2883 SID E-Mail: bsutton@mail.smu.edu

TCU Location: Fort Worth, Texas Enrollment: 8,749 Nickname: Horned Frogs Colors: Purple & White Conference: Independent Athletic Director: Dr. Daniel B. Morrison Website: http://www.GoFrogs.com Head Coach: Gary Reynolds (Texas Tech ‘81) Assistant Coach: Haley O’Neal (Texas A&M, ‘02) Facility (Capacity): Fieldstone Park 2007-08 Record: 7-9 2007-08 Hunter Seat Record: 4-10 2007-08 Western Record: 15-0 2007-08 VENC Overall Finish: 4th 2007-08 VENC Hunter Seat Finish: DNC 2007-08 VENC Western Finish: 1st SID Contact: Mary English SID Phone: (972) 839-2192 SID E-Mail: m.english@tcu.edu

Location: Stillwater, Okla. Enrollment: 31,800 Nickname: Cowgirls Colors: Orange & Black Conference: Big 12 Athletic Director: Mike Holder Website: http://www.okstate.com Head Coach: Larry Sanchez (Colorado State, ‘92) Associate Head Coach: Suzanne Flaig (Miami, OH, ‘93) Assistant Coach: Kayla Elmenhorst (OSU, ‘05) Facility (Capacity): Animal Science Arena (1,000) 2007-08 Record: 11-4 2007-08 Hunter Seat Record: N/A 2007-08 Western Record: N/A 2007-08 VENC Overall Finish: 5th 2007-08 VENC Hunter Seat Finish: 4th 2007-08 VENC Western Finish: 4th SID Contact: Kyle Fisher SID Phone: (316) 250-7475 SID E-Mail: kyle.ﬁsher@okstate.edu

Baylor

SMU

GENERAL INFO

2008-09 OPPONENTS

South Carolina Location: Columbia, S.C. Enrollment: 27,390 Nickname: Gamecocks Colors: Garnet and Black Conference: Southeastern (SEC) Athletic Director: Eric Hyman Website: http://www.GamecocksOnline.com Head Coach: Boo Duncan (South Carolina ‘81) Assistant Coach: Ruth Sorrel (South Carolina, ‘00)

Alixe Schwartz (St. Lawrence, ‘01)

Facility (Capacity): One Wood Farm 2007-08 Record: 8-5 2007-08 Hunter Seat Record: 11-6 2007-08 Western Record: 10-7 2007-08 VENC Overall Finish: 7th 2007-08 VENC Hunter Seat Finish: 5th 2007-08 VENC Western Finish: 6th SID Contact: Miquel Jacobs SID Phone: 803-777-1516 SID E-Mail: MiquelJacobs@aol.com

New Mexico State Location: Las Cruces, N.M. Enrollment: 16,158 Nickname: Bulldogs Colors: Crimson & White Conference: Western Athletic (WAC) Athletic Director: Dr. McKinley Boston Website: http://www.nmstatesports.com Head Coach: Andrea Hanson (Texas A&M, ‘04) Assistant Coaches: Ashley Thompson, Emily Eastman Facility (Capacity): Aggie Arena (500) 2007-08 Record: 9-9 2007-08 Hunter Seat Record: 4-5 2007-08 Western Record: 5-4 2007-08 VENC Overall Finish: DNP 2007-08 VENC Hunter Seat Finish: DNP 2007-08 VENC Western Finish: DNP SID Contact: Tyler Dunkel SID Phone: (505) 646-2927 SID E-Mail: tydunkel@nmsu.edu

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

S T A F F 14 16 17 18 19 19 20 DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Tana McKay, Head Coach Linzy Woolf, Hunter Seat Coach Beth Bass, Horsemanship Coach Katie Cahill, Director of Operations Dr. Elsa Murano, President Bill Byrne, Director of Athletics Support Staff

TANA M C KAY

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Equestrian Head Coach, 11th Year

exas A&M head equestrian coach Tana McKay is in her 11th year holding the reins of the A&M equestrian program.

uring her time at Texas A&M, she has taken the team from club sport status -- overseen by the animal science department -- as a graduate student to arguably the most decorated athletic-departmentsponsored equestrian program in the country. The Aggies have won five western riding team national championships in the last eight years in addition to capturing the first-ever overall Varsity Equestrian National Championship in 2002. McKay began coaching the Aggies as a graduate assistant during the 1998-99 season. A year later, the Texas A&M athletic department picked up the team as a fully-funded varsity athletic sport and McKay was named co-head coach along with current University of Georgia head coach Meghan (Nolan) Boenig. At the beginning of A&M's second varsity season, McKay was named the program's first full-time head coach after leading the western team to a fifth place finish at the 2000 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) national championships. Since then, the Aggies have earned a trio of top ten team finishes in the English discipline at the IHSA national show, 21 individual nationals wins and an IHSA-record three straight western team national championships. Coach McKay has been very active in the development of equestrian as a varsity sport. She was the chair of the competition committee from 2005-2007 and has had an active role in organizing the rules and format for NCAA competition. She has also been responsible for the hiring of her entire staff: Beth Bass, Katie Cahill and Linzy Woolf. McKay is a member of both the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) and the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and still competes in NRHA shows.

After graduating, she helped coach the Rams’ club team and worked for AQHA horse trainers in California and Colorado. McKay arrived in College Station in the fall of 1998 to begin work on a master’s degree in agriculture with an emphasis in equine behavior. At that point in time, she began coaching the Texas A&M equestrian club team. Though her collegiate eligibility had expired, McKay continued to ride at the alumni level while coaching the A&M team. She captured the 1999 Zone 7 championship in alumni reining while taking the national title in the alumni open horsemanship class. McKay was named the reserve national champion rider in alumni reining at nationals in 1999 as well.

n its first varsity year, 1999-2000, the A&M western team, under the direction of McKay, placed fifth at nationals and had two riders capture three individual national championships. Junior Robin Marshall became A&M's first varsity national champion by winning the intermediate horsemanship crown while sophomore Quincy Cahill won both the open reining and AQHA High Point titles. The latter honor acknowledged Cahill as the top western rider in the nation. In that first varsity season, McKay led the Aggies to a top five finish and helped them to capture three

of the six possible individual western championships at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) national show all while completing her course work as a graduate student. McKay served as an instructor for Equine Behavior and Training, an undergraduate equine science course, in 2000 as well. In 2000-01, the A&M English team won the yearly regional points race, the zone championship and ﬁnished seventh at nationals. Three additional English riders, along with Cahill, advanced to nationals as well. Cahill won two more national titles, making her the most decorated IHSA western rider in history.

he Aggies began their three-year IHSA national championship run in 2002 as Cahill earned a third-straight AQHA High Point title. Even today, Cahill is still the only western rider to ever win the award more than once. The Aggies tied Ohio State for their first equestrian title as a varsity sport to end the 2002 show. Also that year, the Aggies topped Georgia 43-28 to win the inaugural Varsity Equestrian National Championships in Gainesville, Fla. The following year, McKay's western squad looked to be on the ropes heading into the final class at IHSA nationals, but junior Ashley Shiffler (who is now the western coach at New Mexico State) grabbed a runner-up finish to push the Aggies into a tie for the national title with regional rival West Texas A&M.

native of Littleton, Colo., McKay began riding at a young age. She rode both English and western at Colorado State University where she qualiﬁed for nationals in both disciplines,

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

IHSA nationals, including half of the six individual western championships.

n 2007, McKay led the Aggies to a second-place finish in the overal standings at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships -- A&M's highest since winning the inaugural event in 2002. A&M's finish was boosted thanks to a second western national team title in three years. McKay's reiners broke a 2-2 tie with South Carolina in the championship match, sweeping the Gamecocks 4-0 to clinch the title by a 6-2 margin. McKay's western squad compiled an impressive 14-1 record, losing only a single road match at Kansas State, while her reiners finished with a 12-3 mark. Individually, her reiners grabbed eight of a possible 12 MVP awards on the season as well. Last season, the Aggie western squad rolled up a 10-6 record which included wins over all three Big 12 schools as well as SEC power South Carolina. After being upset by Kansas State in the quarterfinals at nationals, the top-seeded western group responded by beating both host Baylor and 2007 national runner-up South Carolina to earn fifth-place and help the overall team take second in the team standings for the second consecutive year. This past summer, McKay was married to Grant McKay of Wolfe City, Texas.

The McKay File COACHING CAREER 1996-98 Volunteer Asst. Coach Colorado State club team

1998-99 Head Coach, Texas A&M club team

1999-00 Co-Head Coach, Texas A&M varsity team

2000-Present Head Coach, Texas A&M varsity team

M C KAY’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 2000 Quincy Cahill ............................AQHA High Point Rider Quincy Cahill .................................... Individual Reining Robin Marshall.........................Ind. Adv. Horsemanship Jessica Rogers .......................Team Int. Horsemanship

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The 2004 IHSA National Championships proved to be the Aggies' best yet as four riders earned nationals titles in addition to the western squad winning the school's first-ever outright team championship. In 2005, the Aggies fell a mere three points short of an unprecedented fourth straight IHSA national championship but did win the school's first ever varsity national championship in the western division. McKay coached standout Debbie Ramirez to a second consecutive advanced horsemanship title which resulted in Ramirez appearing in Sports Illustrated in the summer of 2005. During the Aggies' final run through the IHSA in 2006, A&M recorded a awe-inspiring comeback to claim the western regional team championship after being down 12 points on the final day of the regular season. A&M's wesretrn riders earned a third-place finish at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships after being upset by long-time rival Oklahoma State in the semifinals. The Aggies responded by setting a new points record in the bronze medal match, defeating Georgia, 856.5-850. The Aggies went on to capture the Zone 7 championship for the second straight season before finishing in third place at the IHSA national championships. Just like in their first varsity season, the Aggies' won four classes at

2001 Quincy Cahill ............................AQHA High Point Rider Quincy Cahill .........................Ind. Open Horsemanship Bonner Wimberly ......................... Team Novice Fences

2002 IHSA Western Co-Champions VENC Overall Champions Quincy Cahill ............................AQHA High Point Rider Quincy Cahill .........................Ind. Open Horsemanship Jessica Tate .......................... Team Adv. Horsemanship

2003 IHSA Western Co-Champions

2004 IHSA Western Champions Meredith Houx ............................... Team Open Fences Debbie Ramirez .................... Team Adv. Horsemanship Katie Forest ...........................Ind. Open Horsemanship Jennifer Jones ........................ Ind. Beg. Horsemanship

2005

“

Texas A&M has laid the foundation for greatness in the sport of equestrian. I am very lucky to be a part of such a great program and to have such a wonderful group of athletes. I also feel fortunate to be a part of such a reputable institution. The state of Texas provides fantastic resources for those in the horse industry which can do nothing but benefit the university and our equestrian team as a whole. I think it's great that we can offer equestrian athletes an opportunity to pursue their love of horses along with helping to provide for their educations. — Tana McKay

”

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

VENC Western Champions Debbie Ramirez .......................Ind. Adv. Horsemanship Kate Toomey...........................Team Int. Horsemanship

2006 Katrina McLeod .................................English Walk-Trot Debbie Ramirez ....................Ind. Open. Horsemanship Christine Sceets ......................Ind. Adv. Horsemanship Kate Toomey..............................Ind. Int. Horsemanship

2007 VENC Western Champions

2008 Caroline Gunn ........................................Horsemanship

LINZY WOOLF

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Hunter Seat Coach, 5th Year

exas A&M hunter seat coach Linzy Woolf is in her ﬁfth year as a member of the Aggie equestrian staff.

oolf has led the Aggies to top six finishes at the Varsity Equestrian Championships during every single year of her tenure in addition to leading A&M to its best IHSA and Varsity Equestrian performances in school history. This past season, Woolf raised the hunter seat bar as high as its been, guiding the team to its first-ever Varsity Equestrian national championship match. In the Aggies' first-ever appearance in the national semifinals, Woolf beat multi-time hunter seat national champion Georgia, coached by her former college coach Meghan Boenig, by an impressive 6-2 margin.

The Aggies earned the No. 2 seed at the national championships after putting together their best varsity season yet. Woolf led the Aggies to a 12-5 overall record which included 11 most valuable rider awards and wins in nine of the first 10 competitions of the season. During her first season as English coach, Woolf led the A&M hunter seat riders to a fourth-place finish at IHSA nationals, the highest by any team west of the Mississippi in the 35-plus year history of the IHSA. Also in her first season as English coach, Woolf pushed senior Stephanie Glass to regional high point rider honors. Glass went on to finish eighth among 29 riders in the U.S. Equestrian Federation/ Cacchione Cup class reserved for the top English riders in the country. In 2005-06, the Aggies posted a 3-1 record at the Varsity Equestrian Championships which placed them fifth overall despite taking a primarily underclassman team to the national show. A&M entered the show as the No. 6 seed.

n 2007, the Aggie hunter seat team compiled a record of 10-7 in their very ﬁrst varsity season, culminating in a sixth-place ﬁnish at the VENC show. "We have had much success over the past four years and are continually improving," Woolf says. "We are becoming more and more experienced each year but yet I feel we are more talented as a group than ever. I always have great expecta-

tions for my team each and every season."

oolf is no stranger to the Texas A&M equestrian program. She was a member of Texas A&M’s ﬁrst varsity team back in 1999-2000 and served as the interim English coach during the fall of 2001 when Tana McKay was in the process of hiring nowdeparted Pamela Bruemmer. Bruemmer went on to establish a varsity program at New Mexico State University. "Linzy is a wonderful and very dedicated person," A&M head coach Tana McKay says. "She has valuable experience and a lot to offer our studentathletes both in the ring and out.” Woolf spent two years as both the equine center manager and assistant equestrian coach at Stephen F. Austin State University. Woolf was the hunter seat coach for the Lumberjacks as well as a student instructor in the animal science program.

uring her time as a student at A&M, Woolf lettered twice as an open division rider for Meghan (Nolan) Boenig, now the head coach at Georgia. Woolf was also involved in student government, serving as a subcommittee chair for the Board of Regents and was a member of Alpha Zeta, an agricultural honors fraternity. Woolf has a successful background in riding as well. She has shown extensively, including competing on the A circuit, in both hunters and jumpers in Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. She captured numerous championships in the Children's/Adult and High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Divisions in Texas from 1994 to 2002. She was the grand champion in the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) jumper division at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo in 1995. She also earned a 10th-place ﬁnish in the jumper division at the 1996 American Quarter Horse Youth Association (AQHYA) World Championship Show.

oolf has ridden with Karen Gay of Oaklawn Stables in Lufkin, Texas, for 24 years and served as an assistant trainer for Gay from 200204. She has also ridden with and attended clinics with such names as George Morris, Tony Font and Joe Fargis. She has spent many years training horses, teaching young riders and catch riding, of which she still does a lot of currently. Woolf graduated from Texas A&M in 2001 with a B.S. in animal science. She also earned a master’s degree in animal science with an equine emphasis from SFA in May of 2004.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

BETH BASS Horsemanship Coach, 4th Year

eth Bass is in her fourth season as the horsemanship coach for the six-time national champion Texas A&M equestrian team.

ass came to the Aggies after having served as associate head coach at the University of Georgia from 2002-05. Bass had been the Bulldogs’ western coach since they achieved varsity status in 2002. Prior to that, she spent five years teaching in the Texas A&M animal science department and was the manager of the A&M Horse Center. Bass had a lot of success in her first season as horsemanship coach as A&M won three of the five possible individual horsemanship titles at the IHSA National Championships, in addition to the team open horsemanship crown won by Debbie Ramirez. Bass' riders posted a 10-2 record in horsemanship at the 2006 VENC show as well en route to a bronze medal in the team division.

he is very active in the development of varsity equestrian as it proceeds towards its hopes of becoming an NCAA Championship sport. She was the 2006-07 committee chairman for the Varsity Equestrian National Championships and continues to serve as the vice-chair of the Championship Committee. "I enjoy taking part in the development of how we are evolving into an NCAA Championship sport," Bass said.

ass coached Georgia to runner-up ﬁnishes in the western division at the Varsity Equestrian Championships in 2003 and 2004. The Bulldogs claimed fourth place in 2005. Georgia won the overall team title at the Varsity Equestrian Championships in both 2003 and 2004.

Despite transferring from Georgia, Bass’ roots are strictly maroon and white. Bass graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas A&M in 1990 followed up by a master’s degree in agriculture/equine sciences in 1997.

ass was a co-founder of the ﬁrst equestrian club team at A&M back in the fall of 1989. She was also the ﬁrst person in the program’s history to compete for the Aggies, doing so in Maryville, Tenn., in September of 1989. “Because of my initial involvement with the club team, and then coaching it as a graduate student, it is extra special to be a part of the progress that has been made as a varsity sport,” Bass said. Bass has shown horses on the American Paint Horse Association, American Quarter Horse Association, and National Reining Horse Association circuits. In 2001, she was named the APHA world champion in novice hunt seat equitation. She has also been named to the APHA Top 20 amateur list and was named the APHA all-around novice amateur at the 2001 world show. She continues to compete at AQHA and NRHA shows as well as coaching local riders on the AQHA, APHA, ApHC, and 4-H circuits.

S TA F F

152, a feat she achieved three times on the ﬁnal day at nationals, including a VENC record score of 155 in the individual national title match. Bass's horsemanship group proved the most successful of the four disciplines in 2007-08, racking up a 13-3 record, with two of those losses coming in tiebreakers. The Aggies also earned seven most valuable riders awards in horsemanship during the season, including an MVP performance from Gunn at the Central Championships.

n 2006-07, Bass helped lead the Aggies to their second VENC western national team title in three seasons. Her horsemanship riders posted a 10-2 regular season mark while helping the western team to an impressive 14-1 record for the year. Her horsemanship riders won individual MVP honors in eight of 10 regular season shows as well. Bass also coached Tonna Brooks to a perfect 9-0 record during the regular season.

his past season, Bass coached Caroline Gunn to the ﬁrst-ever Varsity Equestrian individual national championship in horsemanship. Gunn was the only rider to compile a score of

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

KATIE CAHILL Director of Operations, 4th Year and is helping us get to new heights both as a sport and as a program. We are very excited about her being on our staff."

S TA F F

atie Cahill is in her fourth season as the director of operations for the Texas A&M equestrian program.

ahill is responsible for all travel, setting up contracts for shows, organizing and administrating recruiting weekends and serves as the team’s director of operations in addition to contributing to the maintenance and care of the Aggies' upcoming new faclities and its equine inhabitants. She also runs the Bit & Bridle Club and has taken an active role in the new facility planning for the team. “We’re excited that Katie has begun her professional career here with us at Texas A&M,” head coach Tana McKay said. “She is a very well-known and valuable resource in the equine world and has a great understanding of our sport from a collegiate standpoint. She is a great ambassador for our sport

s a rider for the Aggies, Cahill helped lead the western team to Intercollegiate Horse Show Association national championships in both 2003 and 2004 while clinching A&M’s ﬁrst-ever western team title at the Varsity Equestrian Championships in April of 2005. She is also the only open division rider in Texas A&M history to win a regional, zone and national title in the open division in the same season. “I am thrilled that Tana has given me this opportunity to begin my career here,” Cahill said. “I was fortunate enough to be on the team for several years and experience a lot of success as a team and as an athlete at A&M. I am enjoying helping our team reach new heights and meet new goals.”

ahill was the Aggies’ top western rider from 2003 to 2005, taking the baton from six-time national Quincy Cahill, now her sister-in-law, who graduated in December of 2002. She ﬁnished second, and was the top female ﬁnisher, in the American Quarter Horse Association High Point Rider class at the 2005 IHSA National Championships. Cahill graduated from Texas A&M in May of 2005 with a bachelor of science degree in agricultural development, one week after being named the top female collegiate western rider in the country.

She transferred to A&M in 2002 after spending her freshman year at the University of Texas. “I am excited about being involved in a career which involves my ﬁrst love – horses,” Cahill said. “I think I have a lot of things to offer the team and Texas A&M and am happy to do anything I can to help us be successful.”

ahill has been riding for more than 21 years and has extensive showing experience outside of the collegiate scene. She was the 2001 American Quarter Horse Youth Association world champion in reining and the runner-up in western riding. She was also the 1997 AQHYA world champion in horsemanship while ﬁnishing runner-up at the world show in horsemanship in 1999 and 2000. She also earned an AQHYA world championship in 1999 in western pleasure. Katie is married to Cannon Cahill of Madisonville, Texas. The two were married in the Cayman Islands on Jan. 5, 2007.

Aggie Equestrian

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

DR. ELSA MURANO President, 1st Year

She returned to Aggieland in January 2005 as Vice Chancellor and Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences, joint positions in which she served until being appointed President of Texas A&M. As Vice Chancellor and former Director of Texas AgriLife Research (formerly the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station), she led a transformation of agricultural programs and four state agencies within The Texas A&M University System to the beneﬁt of students, peers and the agricultural community represented in 254 counties across Texas. While serving as Dean, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences experienced signiﬁcant growth in enrollment and enhancement of its teaching, research and service endeavors. In conjunction with her deanship, Dr. Murano chaired a blue-ribbon task force to study ways for enhancing the undergraduate experience at the University, which has ultimately become known as “The Murano Report.” A noted expert on food safety, Dr. Murano was principal investigator or co-principal investigator in research projects totaling more than $8.7 million during her professorial career, initially at Iowa State University and continuing at Texas A&M. She has been widely published, as author or co-author of seven books, book chapters or monographs, and scores of scholarly papers, abstracts and related materials. Dr. Murano began her professorial career in 1990 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Preventative Medicine at Iowa State, the position she held prior to joining the Texas A&M faculty. She received a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Florida International University, and earned both a master’s degree in anaerobic microbiology and a doctorate in food science and technology from Virginia Tech. She is married to Dr. Peter S. Murano, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Food Science and Director of Texas A&M’s Institute for Obesity Research and Program Development.

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r. Elsa A. Murano is the 23rd President of Texas A&M University. Taking office on Jan. 3, 2008, at age 48, she is the first woman and first Hispanic-American to lead the oldest public institution of higher learning in Texas—now one of the largest teaching and research universities in the nation. Her association with the university dates back to 1995, when she joined the Texas A&M faculty as an Associate Professor in the Department of Animal Science and Associate Director of the Center for Food Safety within the Institute for Food Science and Engineering. Dr. Murano was named Director of the Center in 1997 and served in that position until 2001. Also, she rose to the rank of Professor and was named holder of the Sadie Hatfield Professorship in Agriculture. Dr. Murano interrupted her Texas A&M service in 2001 when President George W. Bush asked her to serve as Under Secretary for Food Safety for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, making her the highest-ranking food safety official in the U.S. government. In leading the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, she was responsible for an agency with a budget of approximately $1 billion and about 10,000 employees, with the mission of working to improve public health through the application of science in policy decisions.

BILL BYRNE B

Director of Athletics, 6th Year

ill Byrne arrived at Texas A&M as the Director of Athletics in January of 2003, sporting outstanding credentials and a proven track record of producing champions. In fact, during a distinguished and dynamic career that has spanned more than three decades in collegiate athletics, Byrne has collected enough hardware (championship rings, plaques, honors, etc.) to open his own home-improvement store. With 16 national championships and 122 conference titles under his direction, his teams have enjoyed success across the board. Since his arrival in Aggieland, A&M has earned four national championships and 23 Big 12 Conference titles with promises of more to come. Under his leadership, the Aggies have brought home more league crowns than any other school in each of the last two athletic seasons. Byrne’s dedication to the mission of Building Champions led A&M to its highest ranking ever in Directors’ Cup Division I-A finishes in 2008. Byrne has overseen the design and implementation of a facility master plan with the goal to expand and improve athletic facilities to be the finest in the nation. The McFerrin Athletic Center and Cox-McFerrin Center for Aggie Basketball are two steps in the process in attaining that vision. Along with the finest facilities, outstanding staff is crucial to Building Champions. Byrne has put into place an executive staff that is consulted by national programs for their expertise. On the playing field, eight of his nine head-coaching hires have achieved postseason competition within their first two years. Byrne’s ninth hire, Mike Sherman, has not yet completed his first season. Byrne came to College Station from Nebraska where his hard work put the Huskers’ financial books in the black and tripled the annual athletic budget. Byrne’s Nebraska teams also compiled an extremely impressive string of seven straight Top 25 finishes in the Directors’ Cup Division I-A standings, making him one of the most admired and respected athletic directors in the country. But what Texas A&M fans, former students, student-athletes, employees and school officials quickly discovered about Byrne, upon his arrival in Aggieland, is that this former offensive lineman would rather toil in the trenches than rest on his laurels. His success as an administrator is best defined by his unwavering work ethic, not the amount of gold he has placed in trophy cases throughout the years. Byrne’s passion and professional trademark is his relentless pursuit of excellence, and in an extremely short amount of time at Texas A&M, he infused the athletic department with a new vision for the future.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

The phrase “Building Champions” has become the mission statement of Texas A&M’s athletic department under Byrne’s guidance, and it encompasses both his short-term and long-term objectives. He expects excellence from those who work with him, and he also demands it from himself. Throughout his career, Byrne has been recognized with the highest awards that an athletics administrator can receive. Among other things, he was recognized by the U.S. Sports Academy with the 2007 Carl Maddox Sports Management Award, he was the 2002 winner of the John L. Toner Award; the 1999 Central Region National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Director of the Year; president of NACDA in 199192; and the National Athletic Fundraisers Association Fundraiser of the Year in 1985. Bill Byrne is a 1967 graduate of Idaho State, where he also earned an MBA in 1971. He began his collegiate career as the director of alumni relations at his alma mater and then served as the executive director of the New Mexico Lobo Club (1976-79). He was the assistant athletic director at San Diego State (1980-82) and was an associate athletic director at Oregon for 18 months before being named the Director of Athletics in May of 1984. Byrne’s wife of forty years is Dr. Marilyn Kent Byrne, who has expertise in leadership development, team building, and executive coaching. The Byrnes have two sons—Bill Jr. and Greg. Bill is a vice president of Visa USA in San Francisco. Greg is director of athletics at Mississippi State University. He and his wife Regina live in Starkville with their two sons, Nicholas and Davis.

B OA R D O F R E G E N T S

AT H L E T I C C O U N C I L

Bill Jones, Chairman ................................ Austin

Tom Adair .......................................... Physics

John D. White, Vice-Chairman ............... Houston

Faculty Representative to the NCAA and Big 12 Conference

Ida Clement Steen ........................ San Antonio Morris E. Foster ................................... Houston

Thomas E. Wehrly .......................... Statistics

Lupe Fraga ........................................... Houston

Richard L. Carlson.........Geology & Geosciences

J.L. Hufﬁnes ............................................ Dallas

Anne McGowan............................ Accounting

Erle Nye ................................................... Dallas

Elena Castell-Perez ................. Biological and

Gene Stallings..................................... Powderly

Agricultural Engineering

James P. Wilson ............................. Sugar Land

Robert Strawser ........................... Accounting

Anthony Cullins, Student Regent

Christine Townsend .............Recreation, Park

List as of June 18, 2008

and Tourism Sciences List as of June 19, 2008

SUPPORT STAFF Contanya Robertson

Allen Kinley

S TA F F

Athletic Trainer

ontanya Robertson is in her first year as the athletic trainer for the equestrian team. Robertson comes to the Aggies after spending the last two years earning a master's degree of education in health and kinesiology at the University of Texas at Tyler while working at Tyler Junior College as an assistant athletic trainer. Robertson earned a bachelor of science degree in athletic training from the University of Tulsa in 2005 while serving as a student trainer for the program's football, tennis, track & field, and volleyball teams. She has spent time working numerous events such as the 2005 NCAA Championships in men's tennis, the Jay Novacek Cowboys Camp, the Chandra Ruben Tennis Tournament, the And 1 Mix Tape Tour, as well as summer camps at Southern Methodist University. Robertson is a member of the East Texas Athletic Training Association, National Athletic Trainers Association, Southwest Athletic Training Association, and Delta Sigma Theta. She is certified by NATABOC and the state of Texas in addition to the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. She married Christopher Robertson, who currently is serving in the U.S. Army, this past July. She enjoys going to the movies, running, exercising and playing basketball.

llen Kinley is in his second year as the strength and conditioning coach for the Texas A&M equestrian team. His responsibilities include writing sport-specific strength and conditioning programs for the team, implementing those programs and instructing the team members in executing those plans. Kinley is entering his fifth year as Director of Strength and Conditioning for Olympic and Team Sports with the A&M Athletic Department. He also works directly with the baseball and men's and women's golf teams. Kinley is a 1980 graduate of Northwestern State University in Louisiana where he was a four year letterman on the football team. He earned a Master's degree in Kinesiology from Texas A&M in 1985. In addition, he has completed all course work for a Ph.D. degree plan in Kinesiology and all course work for a Ph.D. degree plan in Administration. In 2002, Kinley obtained the title of Master Strength & Conditioning Coach from the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association. He also has attained certifications from the National Strength & Conditioning Association and U.S. Weightlifting. Allen is married to the former Janyce Bruning of Natchitoches, La. The couple has a daughter, Kelsey, 16.

Chris Harrell

Nicole Melton

Athletic Media Relations hris Harrell is in his 10th year as Texas A&M’s equestrian athletic media relations contact. Harrell has served as the media and results coordinator for home equestrian events since the sport's inception into the athletic department in 1999. He also served as the regional statistician for Zone 7, Region 2 from 2000-06 while the Aggies were in the IHSA as well as helping to develop the team scoring method currently used in the varsity format. Harrell has won 'Best in the Nation' honors for the equestrian guide from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for each of the last seven years. Harrell is in his eighth year as Texas A&M's media relations contact for women's swimming & diving. He served as the media coordinator for the 2004 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships as well as the 2002, 2005, and 2007 Big 12 Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving Championships. He will serve in that role again this season as A&M hosts the 2009 NCAA Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving Championships. Since starting a sports information career as a freshman at the University of Texas-El Paso in 1993, the 33-year-old has served as the primary contact for more than 12 different sports.

Dr. Brett Scott

Public Address Announcer

r. Brett Scott is in his eighth year as the announcer for all home Texas A&M equestrian events. Dr. Scott joined the faculty of Texas A&M University in 2001, as an Extension Horse Specialist. Dr. Scott works in the Animal Science Department in the Equine Sciences Section. Brett’s primary responsibilities are working with horse producers and 4-H youth throughout the state that are involved with horses. Brett received his Bachelors degree from Oklahoma State University in 1985. He completed a Masters (1988) and Doctoral program (1992) at Texas A&M University. During graduate school, Brett coached the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association western team that ﬁnished third in the nation. Brett is married to Lorrie (Roberts) Scott of Lexington, Neb. and has two sons, Jeff (15) and Kyle (10). Lorrie, Jeff and Kyle are all active in horse showing as well.

Strength & Conditioning

Athletic Academic Supervisor icole Melton is in her first year as the academic supervisor for the equestrian team but is no stranger to Aggieland. Melton was the captain of the Texas A&M women's golf team each of her four years, competing at the NCAA Championships in 2003, 2004, and 2005. She was an excellent student, graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor of business administration in marketing degree. She was a two-time academic all-american, three-time Big 12 all-academic first team member and earned her way onto the Dean's List each year as a student. Melton was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2002 and made the all-Big 12 First Team in three of her four seasons as well as the NCAA All-Region Team twice. She was Texas A&M's female recipient of the prestigious Bill Erwin Scholar Athlete of the Year award in 2005 as well. Melton spent time playing professionally on the Duramed Futures Tour after graduation. She finished 35th on the money list during 2006-07, including two top 10 finishes. Melton also earned the right to play in the 2007 U.S. Women's Open.

Steve Canon

Facility Manager

teve Canon is in his ﬁrst year as the facility manager for the Texas A&M equestrian team. Canon is the equine facility manager for the new barn and practice arena that is being built adjacent to the Brazos County Expo Center. Canon earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation, parks, and tourism from Texas A&M in 2001. He recently ﬁnished up a master’s degree in agriculture in August of 2007 from A&M in equine reproduction. Following the completion of his undergraduate degree, Canon served as the horse program director at the Rockin C Ranch in Lindale from 2001 to 2004. He moved to Caldwell in 2004 to serve as a personal trainer and farrier, which he has done in six counties, until his recent hire onto Texas A&M equestrian staff. Steve is married to Maleigh Canon and they have two daughters, Kylan and Cayle Ryanne.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

SUPPORT STAFF Student Athletic Trainer

Volunteer Coach

Hilary Harvey

Viviana Cordero

Karissa Cryer

Katie Henion

S TA F F

Student Managers

Graduate Student Coach

Darby Sherrod

Nancy Sorrell

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

The 2008-09 Aggies 24 Outlook 24

Roster

Team Analysis

Hunter Seat Preview

Western Preview

28 Team Members

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Adams / Bell / Bryson / Chafee

Christiansen / Coleman

Cushman / Dawe / Dirkse

Dodson / Dreyer / Earle

Fishgold / Goodwin / Grabein

Gratny / Greebon

Gunn

Hall / Harmon / Hartl / Heine

Hill / Ivy

James / Lamb / Lisabeth / Lucas

Matz / McMullen / Mueller

Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connell / Parsons

Persinger / Pine / Pipoly / Plemmons

Reiner / Ryan / Scholl

Smith / Snoey / Soibelman

Solch / Standley

Waldal / Ward / Webb

Whaley / Wyble / Zealy

The Horses

T H E A G G I E S 23

PREVIEW

2008-09 ROSTER Name

Discipline

Ht.

Cl - Exp

Hometown (High School/College)

Kelsey Adams Kristin Bell Tyler Bryson Lia Chafee Tara Christiansen Brooke Coleman Amanda Cushman Courtney Dawe Reneé Dirkse Brittney Dodson Cailey Dreyer Maggie Earle Genna Fishgold Amber Goodwin Abigail Grabein Maggie Gratny Crissy Greebon Caroline Gunn Dana Hall Stephanie Harmon Brittany Hartl Christina Heine Morgan Hill Erin Ivy Megan James Bianca Lamb Katie Lisabeth Morgan Lucas Christina Matz Jess McMullen Ali Mueller Jackie O’Connell Sibyl Parsons Krista Persinger Jenna Pine Julianne Pipoly Claire Plemmons Taylor Reiner Amanda Ryan Jenn Scholl Lindsay Smith Ashley Snoey Hannah Soibelman Elizabeth Solch Randi Standley Kristi Waldal Leah Ward Megan Webb Erica Whaley Kelsey Wyble Tegan Zealy

Horsemanship Fences & Flat Reining Fences & Flat Reining Fences & Flat Horsemanship Reining Horsemanship Flat Horsemanship Fences & Flat Reining Flat Reining Reining Reining Horsemanship Horsemanship Flat Fences & Flat Fences & Flat Horsemanship Fences Horsemanship Horsemanship Horsemanship Fences & Flat Flat Horsemanship Fences & Flat Fences & Flat Horsemanship Reining Horsemanship Fences Reining Fences Reining Fences Fences & Flat Horsemanship Fences & Flat Fences & Flat Horsemanship & Reining Fences Reining Fences & Flat Fences & Flat Horsemanship Flat

5-4 6-0 5-7 5-9 5-2 5-5 5-9 5-4 5-0 5-8 5-4 5-8 5-6 5-9 5-3 5-11 5-4 5-9 5-0 5-7 5-7 5-10 5-8 5-4 5-7 5-7 5-5 5-6 5-7 5-6 5-4 5-7 5-8 5-6 5-7 5-8 5-6 5-7 5-3 5-10 5-8 5-4 5-5 5-4 5-1 5-7 5-6 5-10 5-8 5-10 5-9

Fr. Fr. Jr. Fr. So. So. Jr. Fr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Fr. Fr. So. Sr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Sr. Fr. So. So. Fr. Fr. Sr. So. Jr. So. Fr. Fr. So. Jr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Sr.

HS HS 2L HS 1L 1L 2L HS 3L 2L HS HS 2L RS HS 2L 1L 2L HS 2L HS 2L 3L 3L 3L RS HS 1L 3L HS 2L HS 2L HS 1L 1L RS RS 3L 1L 2L 1L HS RS 1L 2L 2L HS HS 2L 1L

Colleyville, Texas (Grapevine) Barrington, Ill. (William Fremd) Scottsdale, Ariz (Notre Dame Prep) Wakeﬁeldd, R.I. (Ethel Walker School) Snohomish, Wash. (Snohomish) Houston, Texas (UNL Ind. Study) Huntsville, Texas (Huntsville) Scottsdale, Ariz. (Pinnacle) Rockwall, Texas (Heritage Christian Academy) Amarillo, Texas (Randall) Merritt Island, Fla. (Bradenton Preparatory Academy) Fallbrook, Calif. (Cathedral Catholic) Scottsdale, Ariz. (Paradise Valley/Colorado State) West Newbury, Mass. (Pentucket) Houston, Texas (Westﬁeld) Leavenworth, Kan. (Tonganoxie) Richmond, Texas (Foster) Greensburg, Ind. (Home School) Kerrville, Texas (Tivy) Houston, Texas (Lamar) Plano, Texas (Lakehill Preparatory School) Toledo, Ohio (Southview) Ingleside, Texas (Ingleside) Cypress, Texas (Cypress Creek) New Braunfels, Texas (Canyon) Bottineau, N.D. (Bottineau) Canton, Ga. (Bradenton Preparatory Academy) San Antonio, Texas (Tom C. Clark) McKinney, Texas (McKinney North) Spring Run, Pa. (St. Maria Goretti) Long Beach, Miss. (Long Beach) Saunderstown, R.I. (The Lincoln School) Combine, Texas (Bishop Lynch) Round Rock, Texas (Round Rock) Alamo, Calif. (Monte Vista) Toledo, Ohio (Central Catholic) Salinas, Calif. (Salinas) Spring, Texas (Klein) Ramona, Calif. (Poway) Austin, Texas (St. Michael’s) West Friendship, Md. (Notre Dame Prep) Vancouver, Wash. (Skyview) Evergreen, Colo. (Evergreen) Cincinnati, Ohio (Home School) Madisonville, Texas (Madisonville) Battle Ground, Wash. (Portland Christian) Terrell, Texas (Heritage Christian Academy) Burlington, W.V. (Keyser) Cumming, Ga. (South Forsyth) Caldwell, Texas (Caldwell) Tampa, Fla. (Grace Christian)

5-10 5-6 5-3 5-2

So. So. Fr. Fr.

1L 1L HS HS

San Antonio, Texas (Reagan) Belton, Texas (Belton) Lufkin, Texas (Lufkin) Conroe, Texas (John Cooper School)

Managers Hilary Harvey Amy Heartﬁeld Nancy Sorrell Darby Sherrod

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

TEAM ANALYSIS Riders Returning: 35 Tyler Bryson Tara Christiansen Brooke Coleman Amanda Cushman Reneé Dirkse Brittney Dodson Genna Fishgold Amber Goodwin Maggie Gratny Crissy Greebon Caroline Gunn Stephanie Harmon

Christina Heine Morgan Hill Erin Ivy Megan James Bianca Lamb Morgan Lucas Christina Matz Ali Mueller Sibyl Parsons Jenna Pine Julianne Pipoly Claire Plemmons

Taylor Reiner Amanda Ryan Jenn Scholl Lindsay Smith Ashley Snoey Elizabeth Solch Randi Standley Kristi Waldal Leah Ward Kelsey Wyble Tegan Zealy

Abigail Grabein Dana Hall Brittany Hartl Katie Lisabeth Jess McMullen

Jackie O’Connell Krista Persinger Hannah Soibelman Megan Webb Erica Whaley

Newcomers: 16

PREVIEW

Kelsey Adams Kristin Bell Lia Chafee Courtney Dawe Cailey Dreyer Maggie Earle

Aggies By Classiﬁcation Seniors: 11 Dirkse Fishgold Greebon Hill Ivy James

Juniors: 12

Matz Parsons Ryan Wyble Zealy

Bryson Cushman Dodson Gratny Gunn Harmon

Heine Mueller Pine Smith Waldal Ward

Sophomores: 9 Christiansen Coleman Lucas Pipoly Plemmons

Freshmen: 19

Scholl Snoey Solch Standley

Adams Bell Chafee Dawe Dreyer Earle Goodwin

Grabein Hall Hartl Lamb Lisabeth McMullen

Hall Hill James Lamb Lisabeth McMullen

Parsons Persinger Pine Plemmons Ryan Snoey

O’Connell Persinger Reiner Soibelman Webb Whaley

Aggies By Discipline Hunter Seat: 24 Bell Chafee Coleman Dodson Earle Goodwin

Harmon Hartl Heine Ivy Lucas Matz

Western: 27 Mueller O’Connell Pipoly Reiner Scholl Smith

Soibelman Solch Waldal Webb Whaley Zealy

Hunter Seat DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Adams Bryson Christiansen Cushman Dawe Dirkse

Dreyer Fishgold Grabein Gratny Greebon Gunn

Standley Ward Wyble

W e st e r n 25

ENGLISH PREVIEW A Conversation with Hunter Seat Coach Linzy Woolf

ow proud were you and how exciting was it to see the big steps the hunter team took at nationals last year?

PREVIEW

“

Words can’t express how proud I was of the hunter seat team at nationals this past season. It was extremely rewarding to go into the competition seeded second, but to make it to the championship round for the ﬁrst time since I’ve been coaching was a really proud moment. The reserve champion ﬁnish was the result of true teamwork. The riders could not have performed with such intensity and success without the support of their teammates, all of the coaches/support staff, parents, grandparents, friends and all who support us day in and day out. I am always proud of my girls when they ride their best - win or lose - but, this outcome was especially sweet for all of us.

”

hat do you think was different about last year’s team that enabled it to make the strides it did?

“

Again, the answer is teamwork. I asked these girls to set individual and team goals at the beginning of the year. I set individual and team goals for them, as well. We combined our goals and worked diligently on them all year. Actually, I don’t really think there were glaring differences in this team compared to past teams, but the level of personal committment this last year was obvious everyday during practice, competitions and at the VENC. The entire team exhibited a “we”, not “me” mindset.

”

ou have brought in a pretty large recruiting class again this year. How pleased are you with your class, and in what areas do you think it helps strengthen the hunter seat half of the team?

“

I do have a large group of new riders joining the team this year. I am very pleased with the incoming class of recruits. I am especially impressed with their attitudes. They seem to understand that there will be adjustments to the concept of being a team member, as opposed to riding for themselves individually and they appear to be up for the challenge. They each have impressive personal riding credentials, but more importantly, they all seem ready to do whatever is needed to help us win a national championship. Each new rider will add to the team in a positive way. I’m expecting outstanding performances from these highly talented riders.

”

ou set high expectations for last season in the preview, and you met them all. Do you have similar expectations this season?

“

My expectations for the hunt seat team this year are basically the same as last season, with a few additional goals for the upcoming competition year. I want to see all returning riders top their best score from last year. I encourage my riders to strive to achieve as many 80+ point rides as possible. It would thrill me to see the team increase last year’s total number of 80 point rides by 10 or more. I also hope to see the hunter seat riders acquire more MVP awards than last year. But most of all, I want a national championship for this team, this university, and all of our avid fans. Another goal that I have created stems from the recent Olympic Games. I am challenging all of the team members to embrace and demonstrate the understanding that it isn’t the unexpected problems that determine a win or loss, but rather how one reacts AFTER the problem. Exciting wins occur because of an impressive strength to recover. Positive or negative reactions to an unexpected circumstance can “make or break” a competitive ride, so we must train to compete, and compete like we trained. My main goal for the team will be FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS! Teams that use optimistic thinking and follow up with focused skills have the proper foundation for unlimited success.

”

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

WESTERN PREVIEW A Conversation with Head Coach Tana Rawson

he team ﬁnally gets the opportunity to move into its new home. How excited are you about this opportunity?

the success that A&M has had for years. What can be done to maintain the level of excellence that your team has had?

“

Getting the new facility is a huge advantage for us. A lot of it comes down to recruiting. We need to stay on our game and continue to improve as far as recruiting goes. Each opposing school and their coaches are stepping up their game. This new facility really helps adds to what we are doing in that regard.

”

uch of A&M’s success at the national level has come from the western riders and teams. How excited were you for Linzy and the hunter seat girls to step up and take giant strides and really make their mark at nationals last year?

“

”

hat do you want to improve on the most this year with the western team?

“

Once you have been successful, you need to

”

alk a little bit about your incoming freshman class?

“

Linzy, Beth, and I are really excited after watching them in practice so far. It normally takes about six months to get comfortable with this program and with riding from a collegiate standpoint because it is so different from riding at home. There is a handful that already seem comfortable. We just need to make them more comfortable in the arena so they will be ready to contribute when called upon.

”

PREVIEW

We’re really excited about being out at the Expo Center. The staff there is great. We are still in limbo for a little while longer in certain respects but we’re deﬁnitely taking steps forward. One of the biggest thing for us is the attraction to the facility for the community. We want to try to get more people to come out there to out shows. We aso will have more amenities and access to staff. This new facility can offer us a lot more as far as practice goes as well as hosting competitions. We have a lot more time and hours in the arena; girls can ride more times during the week. The move has made it much easier to accommodate more riding time.

figure out what to tweak to stay at the top. There is a different mentality. I think it is harder to do when you are at the top -- trying to maintain being there as opposed to moving from the bottom up. There is pressure from everyone expecting us to be good. We have to figure out how to deal with that and stay on top. We have gone thru some learning and growing pains, what happens when things don’t go our way…not to dwell on it and move on, so the pressure does not backfire.

“

I’ve watched Linzy for four years. The fruits of her recruiting are paying off now. When we hired her, she dove right into recruiting. It is definitely paying off for our team. Everyone is more comfortable with the flat format, which is difficult for some because it is so different to what they are used to showing their own horses. She has changed up the program and her hard work has paid off. The big dogs in the English world have always been the east coast schools and we were right there with them. We were able to compete with them at that level and that says a lot on our part.

”

here are a few up and coming western teams on the horizon that look to wrest away some of

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Kelsey Adams

Tyler Bryson

Freshman - HS

Junior - 2L

Horsemanship

Reining

Colleyville, Texas

Scottsdale, Ariz.

(Grapevine)

(Notre Dame Prep)

Personal __________________________________

2007-08 (Sophomore) _______________________

Kelsey Leeann Adams is the daughter of Terry and Kathy Adams ... Born Nov. 16, 1989 in Grapevine ... Biomedical science major .... Plans to become an anesthesiologist ... Chose A&M for its traditions ... 2008 graduate of Grapevine High School ... Member of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society ... Lettered four years in band ... Has been riding for 13 years, primarily all-around ... Trainers are Michele Pearson & John and Jill Briggs ... Finished fourth in showmanship, seventh in trail, and ninth in horsemanship at the APHA world show in 2008 ... Has numerous APHA and NSBA top 10 ﬁnishes and has been listed on the APHA Honor Roll several times.

Earned a 68.5-68 exhibition reining victory over New Mexico State’s Caitlin Adams on Oct. 12 ... Won a 59.5-53.5 exhibition reining decision over Baylor’s Kim Marlowe on Oct. 21 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2006-07 (Freshman) _________________________ Beat Baylor’s Ashleigh Brown, 69-67, in a reining exhibition in College Station on Nov. 12 ... Fell to KSU’s Becky Abramovitz in a reining exhibition in Manhattan, Kan., on Mar. 4 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

THE AGGIES

Personal __________________________________

Kristin Bell Freshman - HS Fences & Flat

Tyler Jane Bryson is the daughter of Larry and the late Lynne Bryson ... Born Aug. 11, 1987 in Dallas ... Has one sister, Dallas ... Sociology major ... Enjoys reading and dancing ... Plans on attending graduate school ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team ... 2006 graduate of Notre Dame Preparatory School ... Has been riding 16 years, primarily western horsemanship, western riding and reining ... Personal trainer is Debbie Cooper ... Five time AQHYA world show qualiﬁer ... Top 10 ﬁnalist at both the AQHYA world show at the Quarter Horse Congress ... Multiple-time NRHA bronze trophy winner ... Multiple-time year-end champion in the Arizona Quarter Horse Association ... Finished sixth at the youth world show in 2005.

Barrington, Ill. (William Fremd) Personal __________________________________ Kristin Patricia Bell is the daughter of Ken Bell and Sarah Smigel ... Born July 2, 1990 in Barrington, Ill. ... Chemistry major ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team ... Enjoys snowboarding ... Plans on attending graduate school ... 2008 graduate of William Fremd High School in Palatine, Ill. ... A Honor Roll member .. Prairie State Scholar ... Has been riding for 10 years, primarily jumpers ... Trainer is Ashley Hill ... Has numerous hunter/jumpers wins in Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky ... Took ﬁrst at the 2008 Ledges Winter Classic in Jr. Jumper Classic and was the champion in Jr. Jumpers ... Placed second in Low Jr. Jumpers, fourth in Low Jr. Jumper Classic and was reserve champion in Low Jr. Jumpers at the 2007 Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show ... Placed third at the Low Jr. Jumper Classic at the Spring Spectacular II Horse Show.

Lia Chafee Freshman - HS Fences & Flat Wakefield, R.I. (Ethel Walker School) Personal __________________________________ Amelia Millikin Chafee is the daughter of Mark and Amy Chafee ... Born April 21, 1990 in Providence, R.I. ... Has one sibling, Walker ... General studies major ... Enjoys tennis, movies, going to the beach and hanging out with friends ... Plans on interning with horse trainers after graduation ... Has participated in Habitat for Humanity ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team, friendly campus, and rigorous academics ... 2008 graduate of the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Conn. ... Earned ‘Cups’ for excellence in academics & athletics and for positive representation of the school through athletics ... Lettered three years in equestrian and one year in tennis ... Co-captain and MVP in equestrian as a senior ... Trainer is Linda Langmeier ... Has primarily competed in equitation and jumping ... Earned three top 10 ﬁnishes at the 2008 Devon Horse Show in Devon, Pa. (7th in WIHS Jumper Phase, 9th in USET Hunt Seat Medal, and 10th in USEF Show Jumping Talent Search) ... Grabbed second in the ASPCA Maclay Class and third in Medium Jr. Jumper Classic at the 2008 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla. ... Placed eighth at the Zone 1 Medal Finals at the Grand Fall Classic in 2007 ... Was fourth at the 2006 HBO National Jr. Medal Finals at HITS Saugerties in 2006 ... Was sixth at the 2006 Kingston Trailer Jr. Medal Final at Fieldstone Farm.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

Tara Christiansen

Brooke Coleman

Sophomore - 1L

Reining

Flat & Fences

Snohomish, Wash.

Houston, Texas

(Snohomish)

(UNL Ind. Study)

2007-08 (Freshman) _________________________

Compiled a 2-3-1 overall record in reining ... Began her collegiate career with a 73.5-72 win over Baylor’s Katie Buss in College Station on Oct. 21 ... Rode to a 72-72 tie with Oklahoma State’s Jacque Roberts in Stillwater on Nov. 10 ... Beat Baylor’s Kim Marlowe, 70-69, in Waco on Feb. 8 ... NWRCHA Derby Pro-Am Champion ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Earned a 2-2 record on the flat and a 4-5 record over fences ... Opened her collegiate career with a 65-49 flat win over SFA’s Cat Brennan in College Station ... First collegiate fences triumph was an 84-72 victory over New Mexico State’s Beth Robinson, also at A&M ... Did double duty at home against Georgia on Oct. 20, winning her flat match over Daisy Whelan, 65-62 ... Broke a three-match losing streak over fences by beating Kansas State’s Bridget Doyle, 78-77, in Manhattan ... Grabbed a 76-74 win over fences against Baylor’s Mary Smitson on Feb. 8 in Waco ... Beat Kansas State’s Whitney Snyder, 75-72, over fences in College Station on Feb. 23 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Personal __________________________________

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Personal __________________________________ Brooke Elizabeth Coleman is the daughter of Brandon and Cindi Coleman ... Born April 27, 1989 in Houston ... Has two brothers, Brandon III and Brad ... Ag leadership major ... Enjoys doing adventurous things like swimming with marine animals ... Plans on riding in the Olympics ... Chose A&M for the family tradition, the school’s traditions and spirit, and the coaching staff ... Involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Aggie Athletes Involved ... 2007 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Independent Study High School ... Brother Brad, 20, is a professional race car driver in the Sprint Cup series for Hall Of Fame Racing owned by Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and the owners of the Arizona Diamondbacks ... Has been riding 11 years, primarily show jumping on the east coast ... Moved away from home at 14 to ride and train ... Personal trainer is Caitlin Venezia, a former IHSA Cacchione Cup bronze medalist at Boston U. ... Won the Cape Cod Junior Medal Final on Sept. 8, 2007 ... 2006 champion at Maclay Regionals and the Capital Challenge ... Was fourth at the 2006 Devon USET show ... In 2005, was sixth and Maclay Regionals and ﬁfth in Maclay Finals warm-up ... Finished second in national children’s medal ﬁnal at the Capital Challenge.

THE AGGIES

Tara Lynn Christiansen is the daughter of Terry and Annette Christiansen ... Born Sept. 23, 1988 in Monroe, Wash. ... Has one brother, Travis ... Agricultural communications major ... Agricultural economics minor ... Member of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, Aggie Athletes Involved, Student Athlete Academic Committee, and the Texas A&M Letterman’s Association ... Would like to write for the AQHA Journal after graduation ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team, Ag. Comm. dept., the friendly people and the Aggie Tradition ... 2007 graduate of Snohomish High School ... NHS member ... Earned the Washington State Principal’s Award as well as the Gus Fankhauser Journalism Award ... Has been riding 15 years, primarily working cowhorse, cutting, reining, and all-around ... 2006 AQHYA world champion and year-end national champion in working cowhorse ... 2006 Year End Top Five in NRCHA Youth Bridle and 2007 NRCHA Youth Bridle Reserve National Champion ... Finished eighth in working cowhorse at the 2007 AQHYA world show ... Was also 10th in reining at the 2007 AQHYA world show as well ... Was top ﬁve in working cowhorse in the AQHA youth division in the 2006 year-end standings ... Finished in the top 10 in working cowhorse at the 2005 AQHYA world show.

THE AGGIES

Amanda Cushman

Reneé Dirkse

Junior - 2L

Senior - 3L

Horsemanship

Huntsville, Texas

Rockwall, Texas

(Huntsville)

(Heritage Christian)

2007-08 (Sophomore) _______________________

2007-08 (Junior) ____________________________

Rode to a record of 3-3 in horsemanship ... Grabbed a win in the season opener against SFA’s Felicia Shartle, 71-70, on Sept. 30 in College Station ... Earned the highest horsemanship score of the day in a 77-76 win over Oklahoma State’s Courtney Whitacre in Stillwater on Nov. 10 ... Beat Auburn’s Kim Tidwell, 73.5-73, in Alabama on Feb. 2 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award as well as an Outstanding Athletics Scholar Award for achieving a 4.0.

Western Co-Captain ... Earned a 2-1 record as well as her ﬁrst MVP award in horsemanship ... Scored a 73.5-73 win over Oklahoma State’s Jordan Pickelman in Still water on Nov. 10 ... Won her ﬁrst career MVP honor with a 79.5-77.5 win over OSU’s Ashley Koch in College Station on Mar. 8 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2006-07 (Freshman) _________________________

Dropped a tight 73-71.5 horsemanship decision to Baylor’s Lindsey Tomko in College Station on Nov. 12 ... Won an exhibition match at Baylor on Feb. 3 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Earned a tie in horsemanship with OSU’s LeeAnna McNally at 70.5 points apiece in the Aggies’ 14-12 win in Stillwater on Mar. 3 ... Dropped a 71.5-69 decision to OSU’s Baily Nicholson in College Station on Nov. 5 ... Grabbed exhibition wins in trail vs. Baylor and OSU as well ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Personal __________________________________ Amanda Luann Cushman is the daughter of Chris and Diane Cushman ... Born July 20, 1988 in Houston ... Agricultural leadership and development major... Business minor ... Hobbies include riding horses, swimming, skiing and shopping ... 2004 Texas Quarter Horse Youth Association Vice-President ... Plans on making a lot of money, having her own business, and continuing to show after graduation ... Chose A&M because of the equestrian team and because she knows a lot of people that have come to A&M and loved it ... 2006 graduate of Huntsville High School ... Member of the National Society of High School Scholars ... Who’s Who Among American High School Students ... Has been riding 12 years, primarily horsemanship, trail, western riding ... Trainer is Nancy Cahill, mother of A&M legend Quincy ... Ranked among the top 10 in the world in the AQHYA in trail for two years and was a western riding finalist for two years ... Qualified for the AQHYA world show in both trail and western riding for five years ... Top 10 at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress in both trail and western riding ... Qualified for the AQHA world show in both trail and western riding for three seasons ... Ranked among the top 10 in the world in trail for two years ... TQHYA year-end high-point rider in trail for three years and western riding for two years ... All-around circuit champion at the Texas Classic ... 2006 AQHYA World Cup alternate.

2006-07 (Sophomore) _______________________

2005-06 (Freshman) _________________________ Scored three points in two horsemanship appearances during the IHSA regular season ... Took fifth place in her section of horsemanship during A&M’s record-setting-comeback western show on Mar. 5 ... Earned a sixth-place finish at Oklahoma State on Nov. 6 ... Qualified for the 2006 AQHA world show in western riding ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Personal __________________________________ Reneé Elizabeth Dirkse is the daughter of Rick and Tamara Dirkse ... Born Nov. 25, 1986 in Rockwall ... Has one sister, Mandy ... Accounting major ... Enjoys photography, shopping and napping ... Chose A&M for the academics, school spirit, traditions, and the equestrian team ... Plans on becoming a CPA after graduation ... Is in the PPA program that graduates students with a master’s degree after ﬁve years ... 2005 honors graduate of Heritage Christian Academy ... Class president ... Yearbook editor ... Member of the National Honor Society ... Has been riding 10 years, primarily western ... Trainer is Terry Cross ... Finalist at the 2005 AQHYA World Show in western riding ... Finalist at the 2004 AQHYA World Show in western pleasure ... Finalist in horsemanship and showmanship at the 2004 All-American Quarter Horse Congress ... Was High Point Youth at the 2005 Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio Stock Shows ... Was the circuit champ in western riding at the 2005 Arizona Sun Country Circuit ... Finished third in western pleasure at the 2002, 2003, and 2004 All-American Quarter Horse Congress... Finished 8th at the 2005 in the Novice Youth Western Riding All-American Quarter Horse Congress.

Courtney Dawe Freshman - HS Reining Scottsdale, Ariz. (Pinnacle) Personal __________________________________ Courtney E. Dawe is the daughter of Grady and Sarah Dawe ... Born Jan. 21, 1990 in Phoenix ... Has one sibling, R.J. ... General studies major ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team and the academics ... 2008 graduate of Pinnacle High School ... Has been riding for 13 years, primarily reining ... Trainer is Debbie Cooper ... Qualified for the AQHYA World Show from 2005-08, earning fourth and fifth place finishes in 2007 and 2006, respectively.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

Brittney Dodson Captain Junior - 2L Flat Amarillo, Texas (Randall) 2007-08 (Sophomore) _______________________

2006-07 (Freshman) _________________________ Earned an exhibition flat win over Baylor’s Jillian Anthony, 83-72 ... Also defeated the Bears’ Kelly Albury, 71.5-47.5, the following spring in Waco in exhibition action ... Beat KSU’s Lindsay Cook, 74-58, in a flat exhibition in College Station on Feb. 25 ... Beat KSU’s Jessica Hensley, 79.5-61 a week late in exhibition flat in Manhattan ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Personal __________________________________ Brittney Nicole Dodson is the daughter of Greg and Robin Dodson ... Born June 1, 1987 in Amarillo ... Animal science major ... Business minor ... Has one brother, J. Paul ... Enjoys dancing, racquetball and soccer ... Wants to get a master’s degree in equine reproduction and train horses and riders ... Chose A&M for the team and the academic programs ... Member of Aggie Athletes Involved ... 2006 graduate of Randall High School ... National Honor Society member ... Named outstanding student in chemistry and physics ... Has been riding 10 years, primarily English hunter/jumper and eventing ... Personal trainer is Roger Holmes ... All-around English champion at the 2003 4-H state horse show.

Freshman - HS Horsemanship Merritt Island, Fla. (Bradenton Prep) Personal __________________________________ Cailey Davidson Dreyer is the daughter of Michael and Julia Dreyer ... Born Dec. 15, 1989 in Melbourne ... Has two siblings, Kendall and Marshall ... Animal science major ... English minor ... Plans on attending vet school ... Hobbies include drawing, wakeboarding, dancing, and riding and showing quarter horses ... Chose A&M for the vet school, traditions, family, and the equestrian team ... 2008 valedictorian of Bradenton Preparatory Academy ... NHS and chemistry club member ... Lettered four years in track & field and two years in dance ... Ran on a state champion relay team while her dance team earned a second place finish at their national competition ... Has been riding 10 years, primarily English flat and western events ... Trainers are Robin Frid, Jenny Jordan, & Brett and Allison Clark ... Has won numerous circuit championships in hunter under saddle and equitation as well as individual wins in horsemanship and showmanship ... Made finals at the world show in equitation numerous times ... Achieved multiple top five placings at Congress in all-around events with her top finish a reserve Congress championship in equitation in 2006 ... Rode to wins at the Redbud Circuit (Oklahoma City) in hunter under saddle and qualified for the 2008 American Quarter Horse Youth Association (AQHYA) World Show in multiple events ... Was also the National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) reserve world champion this year in youth hunter under saddle.

Maggie Earle

THE AGGIES

Led the flat team with 10 victories on the season ... Compiled a record of 10-6-1 ... Opened the year with an MVP-winning 79-51 performance over SFA’s Kristin Landes at home on Sept. 30 ... Beat Georgia’s Melinda Drury, 80-77, to clinch the first of the Aggies’ two wins over the Bulldogs during the season on Oct. 20 ... The following day, beat Baylor’s Cara Wilson, 82-67, in College Station ... Rode to a 76-59 win over SMU’s Keeya Jones in Dallas on Nov. 2 ... Beat Kansas State’s Whitney Snyder 81-74 in Manhattan on Nov. 9 for her fourth consecutive victory ... Topped Auburn’s Rebecca Rifkin, 82-76, in Alabama on Feb. 2 ... Earned an 81-79 win over KSU’s Leslie Yates at home on Feb. 23 ... Beat Oklahoma State’s Sam Collingsworth, 77-69, in College Station on March 8 ... Won two of her three matches at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships ... Beat Kansas State senior Whitney Snyder for the second time during the season, 155-139, and matched that impressive score with an upset of Georgia star Haylie Jayne, 155-154, to help lead the Aggies into the the championship final ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Cailey Dreyer

Freshman - HS Fences & Flat Fallbrook, Calif. (Cathedral Catholic) Personal __________________________________ Margaret Louise Earle is the daughter of Ted and Kathy Earle ... Born April 19, 1990 in Fallbrook ... Has one sibling Drew ... History major ... Enjoys shopping, going to the movies, and hanging out with friends ... Plans on attending graduate school ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team ... 2008 graduate of Cathedral Catholic High School in Del Mar, Calif. ... Lettered one year in equestrian and was team captain ... Has been riding 10 years, primarily hunter/jumper and equitation ... Trainer is Emily Esau ... U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) Hunt Seat Medal regional ﬁnalist and ASPCA Maclay medal regional ﬁnalist while being both a USEF Talent Search medal winner and an ASPCA Maclay medal winner during week two of the Arizona HITS Circuit ... Won the ASPCA honor in back-to-back weeks on the circuit ... In weeks two and three of the Arizona HITS circuit, was a Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) medal winner and was the large junior hunter champion in week three of the HITS circuit ... Was also the West Coast Equestrian (WCE) medal winner at the Capital Challenge during HITS Thermal Championship Week and the hunter champion in the Maclay class at the Pebble Beach Summer Classic in 2008.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Genna Fishgold Captain

Senior - 2L Reining Scottsdale, Ariz. (Paradise Valley/CSU)

THE AGGIES

2007-08 (Junior) ____________________________ Was the Aggies’ top reiner and one of three riders to compete in all 16 western competitions, posting a 10-6 record ... Earned three MVP honors, including awards in back-to-back days (Oct. 20-21) against Georgia (72.5-66 win over Nichole Grant) and Baylor (72.5-70 win over Valtie Riddle) ... Opened the year with a 72-70.5 win over SFA’s Kayle Bernal on Sept. 30 ... Began a six-match win streak with a 66-0 beating of Riddle in Waco on Feb. 8 ... Followed that up with a 74-72 MVP-clinching victory over Danielle Pettera of Kansas State at home on Feb. 23 ... Closed out A&M’s 13-11 home win over Oklahoma State on March 8 with a 73.5-69.5 beating of Cowgirl Jacque Roberts ... Was one of only three Aggies to win both her matches at the Central Championships in Manhattan, Kan. on March 29-30 ... Moved to 3-0 on the year against Baylor wth a 68-66 win over Lindsey Tomko ... Topped Kansas State’s Alyssa Freeman, 69.5-69, the following day ... Closed out the regular season with a 67-66 road win over TCU’s Jennifer Neel on April 4 ... Grabbed a 141-134.5 win over South Carolina’s Kylie Thurlow in the ﬁfth-place match at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award as well as an Outstanding Athletics Scholar Award for achieving a 4.0.

Amber Goodwin Freshman - RS Flat West Newbury, Mass. (Pentucket) 2007-08 (Redshirted) ________________________ Beat teammate Christina Heine, 74-71, at the Maroon and White scrimmage on Oct. 5 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Personal __________________________________ Amber Elaine Goodwin is the daughter of Thomas and Carol Goodwin ... Born June 25, 1989 in Exeter, N.H. ... Has two siblings, Taylor and Tenley ... Animal science major ... Plans on attending vet school ... Enjoys reading, relaxing, and spending time with friends and family ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team and the animal science program ... 2007 graduate of Pentucket Regional High School ... NHS member ... Foreign Language Honor Society member ... Has been riding 12 years, primarily hunter/jumper equitation ... Trainer is Kathryn Borylo of Spring Tide Farm in Boxford, Mass. ... Competed in the MHC Finals in North Hampton from 2000-07 ... Competed at the NEHC Finals at The Big E from 2003-07.

2006-07 (Sophomore) _______________________ Posted a 3-1 record in reining during her ﬁrst year as an Aggie ... Scraped out a 71-70.5 win over OSU’s Molly Morrison on Nov. 5 ... Topped Baylor’s Madelyn Mooney 73.5-73 in Waco on Feb. 3 ... Beat KSU’s Becky Abramovitz, 69-64, in College Station on Feb. 25 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Personal __________________________________ Genna Alyssa Fishgold is the daughter of Marty and Valerie Fishgold ... Born Nov. 1, 1986 in Scottsdale ... Has two siblings, Kara and Asher ... Animal science major ... Biochemistry minor ... Transferred to A&M from Colorado State after they discontinued their IHSA team ... Enjoys hiking, running and scuba diving ... Member of the Pre-Vet Society ... Volunteers at an animal shelter ... Plans on being a vet after graduation ... Chose A&M for its vet school ... 2004 graduate of Paradise Valley High School ... National Honor Society member ... Historian in the Spanish Honor Society ... Earned marine academic honors ... Lettered one year in equestrian ... Has been riding 13 years, primarily reining, western pleasure, hunter on the ﬂat, trail, saddle seat and horsemanship ... Trainer is Crystal McNutt ... Earned a national title at 2004 Arabian nationals ... USEF National Medal Finlaist in reining ... Past president of the Arizona Arabian Horse Youth Association ... Named top 10 in stock seat equitation and horsemanship at 2004 Arabian Youth Nationals.

Abigail Grabein Freshman - HS Reining Houston, Texas (Westfield) Personal __________________________________ Abigail Minden Grabein is the daughter of Clyde and Deborah Grabein ... Born June 18, 1990 in Houston ... Has one sibling, Aaron ... Ag business major ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team and fun atmosphere ... Enjoys reading and watching movies ... 2007 magna cum laude graduate of Westﬁeld High School in Houston ... Graduated in the top 5% of her class and was a National Honor Society member ... Has been riding 10 years, primarily reining ... Trainer is Nathan Piper ... Finalist at the NRBC in 2008 ... Earned wins at the 2008 RMRHA Summer Slide and the 2007 Ariat Tulsa Futurity and Show ... Took second at Wimpy’s Little Step Derby in 2008.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

Maggie Gratny

Crissy Greebon

Junior - 2L

Senior - 1L

Reining

Leavenworth, Kan.

Richmond, Texas

(Tonganoxie)

(Foster)

2007-08 (Sophomore) _______________________

2007-08 (Junior) ____________________________

Was one of three western reiners to compete in all 16 western competitions, compiling a record of 8-7-1 ... Started the year off by winning MVP honors in the ﬁrst two shows ... Began the season with a 71.5-66.5 victory over SFA’s Jenny Martin at home on Sept. 30 ... Two weeks later, won the MVP award again with in a 73-68 home win over New Mexico State’s Rachel Krause ... Closed out the Aggies’ four match homestand with a 71.5-70.5 win over Baylor’s Maddie Mooney on Oct. 21 ... Beat Kansas State’s Alecia Zimbelman, 72.5-72, in Manhattan on Nov. 9 ... Topped Baylor’s Katie Buss, 73-70.5, in Waco on Feb. 8 ... Earned a second win over KSU’s Zimbelman, 73.5-71, in College Station on Feb. 23 ... Ran her win streak to three with a 71.5-66.5 triumph over Oklahoma State’s Leah Kuehn in College Station on March 8 ... Snapped a four-match losing streak by tying Baylor’s Buss at 142.5 points apiece in the second round at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships ... Closed the season out with a dominant 144.5-130 win over South Carolina’s Allison Bradley ... Earned a Texas A&M/ Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Earned a 60.5-0 win over SFA’s Lydia Roof in the season opener in College Station on Sept. 30 ... Ranked sixth on the team at the Maroon and White scrimmage with a score of 68.

Shared the team lead in reining wins with Tonna Brooks at 12 ... Team MVP in reining ... Posted a 12-3 record on the season in reining while going 1-1 in horsemanship ... Won each of her first nine reining rides as a collegian ... Clinched A&M’s western national championship with a 147-143.5 win over South Carolina’s Rachel Sternoff ... Won reining MVP awards in each of her first four collegiate rides (at SFA, vs. OSU, vs. Baylor, at Baylor) ... Won a fifth MVP award in a stirring, competition-clinching ride at Oklahoma State, defeating Cowgirl Rachell Shobe 76.5-75.5 ... That memorable ride was the finishing touch on erasing a 12-9 deficit with five rides to go and the tiebreaker already in OSU’s favor ... Season high score came in a 77-68.5 beating of Baylor’s Ashleigh Brown in Waco ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Earned her ﬁrst varsity win by defeating OSU’s Rachel Currat in reining, 67.5-65.5, in Stillwater on Mar. 3 ... Beat KSU’s Kaylee Stout, 74.5-0, in reining and the Wildcats’ Josie Kness, 70.5-65, in horsemanship in a pair of exhibitions in Manhattan, Kan., on Mar. 4 ... Defeated teammate Tyler Bryson, 69.5-66.5, in an exhibition reining match during the TCU show on Feb. 24.

2005-06 (Freshman) _________________________ Scored 12 points in two regular season appearance in the advanced horsemanship division ... Finished second in the ﬁrst collegiate show of her career, Mar. 4, in College Station ... Contributed seven team points in the Aggies’ comeback against Oklahoma State the following day to help the team clinch a spot to nationals ... Helped the Aggies defeat New Mexico State for the Zone 7 Championship by winning her head-to-head match in advanced horsemanship.

Personal __________________________________ Cristina Michelle Greebon is the daughter of Rex and Mayra Greebon ... Born March 3, 1988 in Houston ... Has one sister, Camille ... Animal science major ... Business minor ... Enjoy shopping and hanging out with friends ... Was a foreign exchange student to Spain ... 2005 graduate of Foster High School ... Graduated in Dec. 2005 ... Lettered in choir ... Has been riding 16 years, primarily reining and all-around ... Trainer is Steve Archer ... Earned three top 10 ﬁnishes at Congress in 1999 ... Qualiﬁed for the AQHA world show but did not compete.

THE AGGIES

2006-07 (Freshman) _________________________

2006-07 (Sophomore) _______________________

Personal __________________________________ Maggie Jo Gratny is the daughter of Mark and Linda Gratny ... Born Aug. 15, 1988 in Kansas City, Kan. ... Animal science major ... Business minor ... Has one sister, Kelly, who was one of the IHSA’s top western riders at Kansas State earlier in the decade ... Enjoys the outdoors and being with friends and family ... Plans on doing equine pharmaceutical sales after graduation ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team and the academics ... 2006 graduate of Tonganoxie High School ... Member of the National Honor Society ... Named to the Principal’s Honor Roll ... Kansas Honor Scholar ... Earned a Kansas High School Sportsmanship Award ... Has been riding 19 years, primarily reining ... Trainer is father Mark ... Reserve youth champion at the 2005 NRHA Derby ... Placed fourth in Limited Non-Pro and Youth 14-18 at the 2005 All-American Quarter Horse Congress ... Multiple top 10 placings in Non-Pro and Youth reining at the NRHA Futurity from 2002-05 ... Multiple Top 10 placings in Non-Pro and Youth reining from 2000-05 at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

NATIONAL CHAMPION Caroline Gunn Junior - 2L Horsemanship Greensburg, Ind. (Home School)

THE AGGIES

2007-08 (Sophomore) _______________________

First-ever Varsity Equestrian national champion in horsemanship ... Finished the season with a dominating 15-2-1 record, including wins in each of her last 12 competitions ... Captured a team-high five MVP awards .... Beat Laura Upton, 155-142, for the individual national title in horsemanship ... Dropped Tennessee-Martin’s Stephanie Sanders, 152.5-142, in the individual semifinals ... Was the only horsemanship rider at the VENC show to post a score of 152, yet did so three separate time on the championship’s final day ... Went 3-0 in the team rounds at the national championships, beating Kansas State’s Laura Browne (149-145), Baylor’s Lindsey Tomko (151.5-143), and South Carolina’s Katy Biffle (152-143.5) ... Opened the year with a 75-70.5 MVP-winning performance over SFA’s Jenny Martin on Sept. 30 ... Won her first road MVP award of the year in a 73-72 victory over Jana Lechtenberg on Nov. 9 ... Won MVP honors at Auburn after beating Tiger Amy Bohan, 75.5-73.5 ... Earned the second of three MVP awards against Kansas State during the season with a 74-71 decision over Mikaela Sundgren ... Final MVP award also came against Kansas State following a second win over Jana Lechtenberg, 79.5-77 ... Never turned in a score below 70 all season long ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2006-07 (Freshman) _________________________ Tied for the team lead with 12 horsemanship victories ... Posted a record of 12-2-1 on the season ... Won each of her first five collegiate rides, not dropping a match until the 10th competition of the season ... Earned five MVP awards ... Won back-to-back awards in a home-and-home series with Baylor (Nov. 12 & Feb. 3) ... Strung together three straight MVP rides beginning at home Feb. 25 at KSU, and continuing on the road at Oklahoma State (Mar. 3) and Kansas State (Mar. 4) ... Highest score of the season came in a 80-73.5 win over Baylor’s Lindsey Tomko in Waco on Feb. 3 ... Recorded the highest score of the entire Varsity Equestrian National Championships in a 149.5-146.5 win over South Carolina’s Rachel Sternoff in the team championship final ... With the exception of a single off-pattern run, Gunn impressively never scored lower than a 72.5 all season long.

Personal __________________________________ Caroline Rebecca Gunn is the daughter of Steve and Janet Gunn ... Born March 10, 1987 in Greensburg, Ind. ... Has one brother, Josh, and two sisters, Elizabeth and Jessica ... Ag business major ... Communication minor ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team and because she loves the state ... 2005 home school graduate ... Has been riding 17 years, primarily western and English on the ﬂat ... Trainers are Jason and Jessica Gilliam ... 2004 and 2006 AQHYA world champion in western horsemanship ... 2001 and 2005 AQHYA runner-up in western horsemanship ... 2001 and 2003 AQHYA runner-up in hunt seat equitation ... 2003 AQHYA runner-up in showmanship at halter ... 14-time Congress champion with multiple top ten placings ... Multiple other top 10 placings at the AQHYA world show as well.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

Dana Hall

Brittany Hartl

Freshman - HS

Horsemanship

Fences & Flat

Kerrville, Texas

Plano, Texas

(Tivy)

(Lakehill Prep)

Personal __________________________________

Dana Marie Hall is the daughter of Harlan and Lori Hall ... Born May 21, 1990 in Arlington, Texas ... Has one sister, Haley ... Business major ...Chose A&M for the equestrian team, proximity to home, and the atmosphere ... Enjoys swimming and singing ... 2008 graduate of Tivy High School ... Has been riding 12 years, primarily paints in all-around ... Trainer is Mike Massey ... Four-time APHA world champion including having won the 2007 world title in horsemanship and showmanship ... Ranked No. 1 youth in the nation on the 2007 APHA Top 20 list and led multiple 2007 APHA honor rolls.

Brittany Ann Hartl is the daughter of Douglas and Brenda Hartl ... Born Oct. 13, 1989 in Plano ... Has one brother, Michael, and one sister, Jennifer ... Biomedical science major ... Plans on attending vet school ... Chose A&M for the vet school and the equestrian team ... 2008 graduate of Lakehill Preparatory School ... Lettered three years in volleyball ... Has been riding 10 years, primarily hunter/ jumper and equitation ... Trainers are Jim and Joan Hensen ... Was the 2006 and 2007 reserve champion in the THJA in large juniors as well as the fifth-place finisher at the zone show both years ... Also finished fourth in junior equitation 14-17 in the THJA ... In both 2006 and 2007, qualified for the Junior Hunter Finals and Medal Finals at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show ... In the spring of 2008 won the adult jumper class at the Lone Star Round-Up “AA”.

Junior - 2L Flat Houston, Texas (Lamar) 2007-08 (Sophomore) _______________________ Dropped a 66.5-58 exhibition decision to Oklahoma State’s Jessie Brothers on Nov. 10 in Stillwater ... Lost to Kayla Potter of Kansas State, 70-40, in College Station on Feb. 23 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2006-07 (Freshman) _________________________ Earned an exhibition win in fences over Kansas State’s Kayle Potter, 62-0, in Manhattan, Kan., on Mar. 4 ... Fell 71-64 to KSU’s Lindsay Cook in a ﬂat exhibition later that same day ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Personal __________________________________ Stephanie Finnegan Harmon is the daughter of Gary and Joan Harmon ... Born Feb. 11, 1988 in Houston ... Petroleum engineering major ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team and petroleum engineering program ... Enjoys riding, volunteering, and working with children ... Member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and the Society of Petroleum Engineers ... 2006 graduate of Lamar High School in Houston ... 1B diploma recipient ... Graduated in top 10 perecnt of her class ... Arrowhead Honor Society member ... Has been riding 10 years, primarily hunter and equitation ... Trained by Stephanie Greevey.

Christina Heine Junior - 2L Flat Toledo, Ohio (Southview)

THE AGGIES

Stephanie Harmon

2007-08 (Sophomore) _______________________ Earned a 7-4 record on the flat and an 0-1 record over fences ... Claimed two MVP awards on the flat ... Began her year with a 76-75 home win over Georgia’s Lauren Kulwicki to help lead the Aggies to their first head-to-head win over the Bulldogs on Oct. 20 ... The following day beat Baylor’s Shelby White, 87-72, at home for the first of her two VP awards ... Was the Aggies’ only hunter rider to post a 2-0 record during a northern road trip to Kansas and Oklahoma .. Defeated KSU’s Katie Mellon, 80-75, on Nov. 9 for her second MVP award then OSU’s Charlotte Collingsworth, 71-66, in Stillwater the following day ... Beat Baylor’s Cara Wilson, 72-48, on Waco on Feb. 8 ... Earned her third win of the season against Baylor, and second against Wilson, at the Central Championships in Manhattan on Mar. 29 with a 64-59 decision ... Claimed a 149-134 win over KSU’s Leslie Yates in her lone appearance at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2006-07 (Freshman) _________________________ Was a perfect 2-0 over fences in her ﬁrst season of competition ... Earned a 75-70 win over OSU’s Misty Stutsman in College Station on Nov. 5 ... Beat TCU’s Caitlin Sewell, 76-74, over fences in College Station on Feb. 24 ... Won an exhibition ﬂat macth over KSU’s Megan Westberg, 80-0, in Manhattan, Kan. on Mar. 4.

2005-06 (Redshirted) ________________________ Personal __________________________________ Christina Lane Heine is the daughter of Charles and Michelle Heine ... Born March 19, 1987 in New Haven, Ind. ... Has one broher, Nathan, and one sister, Lindsey ... Biomedical science major ... Plans on going into medical technology or pharmaceutical sales after graduation ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team and the biomedical science program ... 2005 graduate of Southview High School in Sylvania, Ohio ... Has been riding 11 years, primarily hunter, jumpers and equitation ... Children’s Jumpers Champion at the 2005 Stoney Ridge Horse Show in Michigan ... Unrestricted Children’s Hunter Champion at the Traverse City A Show in 2005 ... Also was the reserve champion in children’s hunter (15-17) ... Earned fourth, ﬁfth and sixth place ﬁnishes in children’s jumpers at the 2005 HITS Ocala Show ... Was fourth in the children’s jumper classic division at the Kentucky Hunter/Jumper Show in 2004.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Morgan Hill

Erin Ivy

Senior - 3L

Horsemanship

Fences

Ingleside, Texas

Cypress, Texas

(Ingleside)

(Cypress Creek)

2007-08 (Junior) ____________________________

Dropped a 71.5-69 decision to teammate Tonna Brooks at the Maroon and White scrimmage on Oct. 5 ... Fell 68-67 in an exhibition run to New Mexico State’s Jo Walker at home on Oct. 12 ... Also competed in an exhibition against Baylor’s Anna Bowers on Feb. 8.

Posted a record of 5-10-2 over fences ... First win of the year came in a 85-79 victory over New Mexico State’s Krystal Mack at home on Oct. 12 ... First road win was a 79-76 triumph over SMU’s Kristen Collins on Nov. 2 ... Beat Ally Blais of Oklahoma State, 79-76, in Stillwater on Nov. 10 ... Defeated Kendall Marvin of Kansas State, 81-79, in the third place match at the Central Championships in Manhattan on March 30 ... Helped the Aggies defeat Georgia in the semiﬁnals at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships with a 161-147 win over Bulldog Kelly Bonau ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2006-07 (Sophomore) _______________________ Did not compete ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2005-06 (Freshman) _________________________ Did not compete.

THE AGGIES

Personal __________________________________ Melinda Morgan Hill is the daughter of Keith and Melissa Hill ... Born July 26, 1987 in Ingleside, Texas ... Has one sibling, Baylen ... Biomedical science major ... Communication minor ... Enjoys playing 42 and golfing ... Plans on doing pharmaceutical sales after graduation ... Has volunteered at elementary schools to help at-risk students ... Has raised and shown pigs ... Member of AAI, Pre-Pharmacy Society, TYRA, 4-H, AQHA, SAAC and APHA ... Chose A&M for its traditions, social atmosphere, and equestrian team ... 2005 distinguished honors graduate of Ingleside High School ... National Honor Society officer ... Class officer ... Student Council member ... Lettered three years in golf ... Team was a regional qualifier all three years ... Has been riding 15-17 years, mainly barrels and poles ... Has done some reining.

2006-07 (Sophomore) _______________________ Rode to a record of 9-7 over fences, missing only a single show (at SFA) al season ... Tied teammate Lindsay Smith for second-most number of fence wins on the team ... Strung together a pair of three-match win streaks during the season ... Named fences MVP in the Aggies’ 6-4 hunter seat win in Manhattan, Kan., on Mar. 4 ... Highest score of the season came in an 85-82 win over KSU’s Leslie Yates in Kansas ... Squeaked out a 150-149.5 win over Fresno State’s Jennifer Jory in the third round match at the Varsity Equestrian National Championips ... Swept both of her matches (75-0 & 76-74) en route to the Aggies’ championship win at the The Classic in College Station on Mar. 31-Apr. 1 ... Also earned regular season wins vs. SMU (75-72), OSU (79-76), NMSU (74-64), TCU (83-75) and KSU (83.5-75).

2005-06 (Freshman) _________________________ Regional champion in open fences ... Was fourth at the Zone 7 Championships in open fences ... Regional qualifier in open fences after hitting the qualifying standard of 28 points on the nose ... Earned a win in her first collegiate IHSA show at home on Nov. 12 ... Earned a second win at home on Feb. 18 ... Lone runner-up finish came Dec. 3 at Oklahoma State ... Was fifth a day later ... Finished third in the final IHSA regular season show to clinch a spot to regionals ... Was fourth at home on Nov. 13 ... Dropped an 85-77 decision to Fresno State’s Tasha Lodwig at the Big Eight English Tournament on Oct. 7 ... Followed that up with a tight loss to South Carolina’s Kristen Terebesi, 83-82, the next day ... Earned a tie with New Mexico State’s Meg Keeley in the bronze medal match on the last day ... Won her opening round match against SMU’s Lauren Hester at the VENC, 142-136, in fences ... Avenged her early season tie to Keeley of NMSU by earning a 85-65 win in the VENC second round ... Stayed on a roll with an impressive 150-105 win over Baylor’s Susie Foster in the next round ... Completed a prefect 4-0 VENC show over fences for herself by beating Whitney Snyder of Kansas State, 158-0 ... Dropped a 108-88 decision to Snyder on the flat ... Posted a varsity record of 4-3-1 for the season.

Personal __________________________________ Erin Leigh Ivy is the daughter of Dennis and Jill Ivy ... Born Sept. 7, 1986 in Uvalde, Texas ... Has one brother, Jeff ... Sports management major ... Business minor ... Enjoys reading and laying out ... Chose A&M for the traditions and friendly atmosphere ... 2005 graduate of Cypress Creek High School ... Has been riding approximately 16 years, primarily English hunter/jumper and equitation ... Trainers are Joan Waterman and Will Roberts ... Was in the ribbons at the 2005 Tunica High Rollers show in the low amateur jumper classrs ... Was also in the ribbons for two weeks during 2005 in Gulfport in the Low Jr./Amateur Owner jumper class ... Finished ﬁrst in the 2004 Biltmore Summer Classic in the Low Jr. Amateur Jumper division ... Has been second at the Final Chase in Houston, a USET event.

Aggie Equestrian 36

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

Megan James Captain Senior - 3L Horsemanship New Braunfels, Texas

Katie Lisabeth Freshman - HS Horsemanship Canton, Ga. (Bradenton Prep)

(Canyon) Personal __________________________________

Fell to teammate Reneé Dirkse, 72-68, in an exhibition match during the SFA show on Sept. 30 ... Beat teammate Jenna Pine 72-70 at the Maroon and White scrimmage on Oct. 5.

Kathryn Anne Lisabeth is the daughter of David and Debbie Lisabeth ... Born June 15, 1990 in Evansville, Ind. ... Has one sister, Casie, and two brothers, Kyle and Ryan ... Animal science major ... Enjoys showing, shopping, and hanging out with friends ... Plans on training and showing horses after graduation ... Sister Casie is a former team member who is now the western coach at Kansas State ... Chose A&M for the environment, school spirit and coaches ... 2008 graduate of Bradenton Preparatory Academy in Bradenton, Fla. ... Has been riding all her life, mostly western all-around ... Trainers are Robin Frid and Jenny Jordan ... Finished sixth in trail and eighth in horsemanship at the 2008 AQHYA world show ... Is the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Congress champion in western riding and has AQHA Superior ratings in horsemanship, showmanship, trail and western riding ... Won 2008 AQHA Circuit Championships at the Texas Classic, Gold Coast (Fla.), and Silver Dollar Circuit (Las Vegas).

2006-07 (Sophomore) _______________________ Dropped a 73.5-69.5 exhibition horsemanship decision to Lindsay Cook of Kansas State in College Station on Feb. 25.

2005-06 (Freshman) _________________________ Did not compete.

Personal __________________________________ Megan Frances James is the daughter of Eric and Teri James ... Born Jan. 26, 1987 in San Marcos, Texas ... Has two brothers, Matthew and Mac ... Agricultural leadership and agricultural science majors ... Involved in the Aggie Orientation Leader Program, A&M Christian Fellowship, SAAC and Aggie Athletes Involved ... Is also a teaching assistant ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team and the education ... Plans on teaching agricultural science after graduation ... 2005 graduate of Canyon High School ... National Honors Society member ... Lettered four years in rodeo ... Has been riding 12 years, primarily western pleasure, barrel racing, western horsemanship, and pole bending ... Trainers are mom, Teri, and dad, Eric ... 2005 National Barrel Horse Association world qualiﬁer ... Finished in the top 20 at the 2001 NBHA youth world show ... High point champion at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo from 1998-2000.

Bianca Lamb Freshman - RS Horsemanship Bottineau, N.D. (Bottineau) 2007-08 (Redshirted) ________________________ Beat teammate Maggie Gratny 70-67 in horsemanship at the Maroon and White scrimmage on Oct. 5 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Personal __________________________________ Bianca Irene Lamb is the daughter of Dean and Carmelita Lamb ... Born Oct. 7, 1988 in Rugby, N.D. ... Has one brother, Lauren, and one sister, Felicia ... Animal science major ... Plans on attending medical school ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team and the family tradition ... Member of the American Medical Student Association ... Hobbies include running, riding, and outside activities ... 2007 graduate of Bottineau High School ... North Dakota Cross Country Senior Athlete of the Year in 2006 ... Presidential Scholar ... NHS president ... Multiple band honors ... Lettered three years in basketball, four years in cross country, and five years in track & field ... Three-time all-state selection in cross country ... Member of two-time state champs in basketball ... Multi-time state qualifier in track ... Team won state track meet in 2006 ... Has been riding since the age of 5, primarily AQHA western riding ... 2005 Black Hills Circuit champion in hunter under saddle ... Earned third, sixth, and seventh place finishes on the Oregon Summer Circuit.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

THE AGGIES

2007-08 (Junior) ____________________________

Morgan Lucas Sophomore - 1L Fences & Flat San Antonio, Texas (Tom C. Clark) 2007-08 (Freshman) _________________________ Beat Baylor’s Lauren Purkey over fences, 68-44.5, in Waco on Feb. 8 ... Dropped a 76.5-75 decision over fences to teammate Brooke Coleman at the Maroon and White scrimmage on Oct. 5 ... Tied New Mexico State’s Sarah Suazo at 68 over fences at home on Oct. 12 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award as well as an Outstanding Athletics Scholar Award for achieving a 4.0.

2006-07 (Redshirted) ________________________ Personal __________________________________ Morgan Paige Lucas is the daughter of Rex Lucas and Lisa Worth ... Born Aug. 21, 1987 in San Antonio ... Has one brother, Garrett ... Business major ... Finance minor ... Chose A&M because of the family tradition ... 2006 graduate of Tom C. Clark High School ... Member of the English Honor Society ... Has been riding 10 years, primarily English ... Trainer is Peter Pletcher ... Has extensive experience in the Texas Hunter/ Jumper Association, earning multiple top 10 ﬁnishes over the past several years ... Has won several level 5 jumper championships and modiﬁed junior/amateur division top three placings over the past year.

THE AGGIES

Christina Matz

Jess McMullen

Senior - 3L

Freshman - HS

Flat

Horsemanship

McKinney, Texas

Spring Run, Pa.

(McKinney North)

(St. Maria Goretti)

2007-08 (Junior) ____________________________

Personal __________________________________

Posted an 8-6 record on the ﬂat ... Ended the year on a three-match win streak culminating in a 155-154 win over Auburn’s Alexandra Loprete at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships which kept the Aggies’ national title hopes alive ... Helped A&M ascend into the national title match with a 150-142 win over Georgia’s Kelly Bonau ... Highest score of the season came in an 82-72 road win over TCU’s Tassie Monroe on April 4 ... Opened the year with an 86-48 win over SFA’s Randi Spencer in College Station on Sept. 30 ... Defeated New Mexico State’s Meg Keeley, 76-73, at home two weeks later ... Put together a two-match road win streak by downing SMU’s Haley Hyland 79-50, in Dallas on Nov. 2 and followed that up with an 81-76 victory over KSU’s Leslie Yates a week later in Manhattan ... Earned a 77-72 win over KSU’s Kendall Marvin on Feb. 23 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award as well as an Outstanding Athletics Scholar Award for achieving a 4.0 ... One of two A&M ﬁnalists for a Rhodes Scholarship.

Jess McMullen is the daughter of Clyde and Rita McMullen ... Born April 7, 1990 in Chambersburg, Pa. ... Agribusiness major ... Enjoys swimming and horseback riding ... Chose A&M because it’s a great school and for the equestrian team ... 2008 graduate of St. Maria Goretti in Hagerstown, Md. ... Honor roll member .. Named Student of the Month ... Has been riding 16 years ... Trainer is Rhonda Replogle ... Has experience doing AQHA all-around, hunter under saddle and western pleasure ... Placed in the top 10 at the AQHA Congress in 2007 in three-year-old geldings (halter) ... Qualified for the 2008 AQHYA world show on two different horses, a show in which she has competed in for numerous years ... Is currently the national secretary for the AQHYA and is a past Region 5 Director ... Earned third, fifth and 10th place finishes at Congress in 2005 in varying hunter under saddle classes as well as a 10th-place finish in 2001 in 12-14 hunter under saddle.

2006-07 (Sophomore) _______________________ Was the Aggies’ No. 2 flat rider, posting a 10-5 record ... Won each of her first eight varsity rides to start the season ... Earned wins against SMU and OSU at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships .. Beat SMU’s Kathryn Garvie, 127-106, in the first round and OSU’s Allyson Blais, 150-136, in the fifth-place match ... Highest scoring performance of the season came in an 83-72 win over Casey Finnell of Kansas State in College Station on Feb. 25 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2005-06 (Freshman) _________________________ Scored 23 points in five intermediate flat appearances during the IHSA regular season ... Scored back-to-back wins in the Aggies’ only two English road shows of the IHSA season (at Oklahoma State, Dec. 3-4) ... Took third place in College Station on Nov. 13 ... Finished fifth a day earlier ... Earned a fourth-place finish in the regular season-ending show at home on Feb. 19 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Personal __________________________________ Christina Louise Matz is the daughter of Jack and Nancy Matz ... Born May 1, 1987 in McKinney, Texas ... Has one sister, Catherine ... Graduated with a degree in chemistry and is now pursuing a master’s in marketing ... Chose A&M for its traditions, spirit, chemistry dept., and equestrian team ... Member of the Master’s Marketing Association and Aggie Athletes Involved ... Enjoys reading and ultimate frisbee ... 2005 valedictorian of McKinney North High School ... Student of the Month May 2005 ... UIL Literary Criticism team ... Who’s Who Among American High School Students ... Earned academic excellence award three times ... Has been riding 13 years, primarily hunter/jumper, dressage, and American saddlebred ... Trainers are Dennis Callin and Jennifer Jones-Cavness ... Gold medalist at the 2004 Southwest Dressage Conference Championships 3rd level/Jr. year ... Region 9 champion in 1st level/Jr. year ... Bronze medalist at the 2003 Southwest Dressage Conference Championships 1st level/Jr. year.

Ali Mueller Junior - 2L Fences & Flat Long Beach, Miss. (Long Beach) 2007-08 (Redshirted) ________________________ Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award as well as an Outstanding Athletics Scholar Award for achieving a 4.0.

2006-07 (Sophomore) _______________________ Posted a 5-5 record on the flat in addition to earning a win over fences ... Ranked No. 4 on the team in flat wins ... Won four consecutive flat matches, starting with a 75.5-69 win over Baylor’s Nicole Brown in College Station on Nov. 12 ... Highest score of the season came in a 77-63.5 win over KSU’s Casey Finnell in Manhattan on Mar. 4 ... Also earned flat wins over Fresno State, New Mexico State, and TCU ... Rode to an 84-76 fences victory over SMU’s Kathryn Garvie on Oct. 15 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2005-06 (Freshman) _________________________ Scored 13 points in three open flat appearances during the IHSA regular season ... Earned a pair of runner-up finishes in open flat, at Oklahoma State on Dec. 3 and at home on Feb. 18 ... Finished fourth in College Station on Nov. 13 ... Dropped a 61-54 decision on the flat to Fresno State’s Katey Sellers during the first round of the Big Eight English Tournament ... Fell 69-63 to South Carolina’s Kelley Campbell during the semifinals of that same tournament ... Lost 79-63 to New Mexico State’s Meg Keeley in the bronze medal match at the Big Eight English Tournament.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

Personal __________________________________ Alison Nicole Mueller is the daughter of Glenn and Valerie Mueller ... Born March 15, 1987 in Gulfport, Miss. ... Has four siblings, Stephanie, Glenn, Merrin, and Rog ... Business management major ... Marketing minor ... Enjoys tennis, shopping, going to the beach, water sports and laying out ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team and the fun/safe environment ... Sister Merrin was on the equestrian team for two seasons ... 2005 honors graduate of Long Beach High School ... Named to the Principal’s List all four years ... Lettered six years in tennis ... Went to state all six years ... Won district four times ... Has been riding 13 years, primarily hunter/jumper and equitation ... Trainer is Janet McCarroll ... Has numerous wins in the USEF Hunt Seat Medal, ASPCA Maclay, National Classic Equitation, the Washington Equitation and USET classes ... Finished sixth at the 2004 National Junior Hunter Finals ... Qualiﬁed for the Medal Finals in both 2004 and 2005 ... Won the USEF Medal at the Gulf Coast Winter Classic ... Finished ﬁfth nationally for the 2004 Junior Hunter Silver Stirrup.

Sibyl Parsons Senior - 2L Western Combine, Texas (Bishop Lynch) 2007-08 (Junior) ____________________________

2006-07 (Sophomore) _______________________

Jackie O’Connell Freshman - HS Fences & Flat Saunderstown, R.I. (The Lincoln School) Personal __________________________________ Jacquelyn Claire O’Connell is the daughter of Michael and Judith O’Connell ... Born Aug. 16, 1989 in Westerly, R.I. ... Has one brother, Andrew ... General studies major ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team and campus atmosphere ... Enjoys basketball, making smores and hanging with friends ... Plans on interning with Grand Prix trainers after graduation ... Worked at the Animal Rescue League of R.I. ... 2008 graduate of The Lincoln School in Providence, R.I. ... Honor roll student ... Lettered in basketball as a freshman before deciding to focus in on equestrian ... Has been riding nine years, primarily hunt seat equitation and hunter/jumpers ... Trainer is Kathy Fletcher ... Qualified for the USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals as well as the ASPCA Maclay Medal Finals in both 2006 and 2007... Qualified for the U.S. Equestrian Team Show Jumping Talent Search and the New England Equitation finals in addition to being named Best Junior Rider at the Head of the Bay Classic two years in a row ... In 2006, was named among the top 25 riders in the nation in Small Junior Hunter 16-17 ... Champion and reserve in adult equitation atthe 2008 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla. ... Amateur/Jr. Low Jumper Classic winner at the Skidmore College Saratoga Horse Show in 2008 at Saratoga Spings, N.Y. ... Took second in the Maclay class and seventh in the Wasgington jumper phase at the 2007 Lake Placid Horse Show ... Was fifth in the Maclay regional warm-up at the 2006 Grand Fall Classic in Westbrooke Hunt Club, Conn. ... Took sixth in small junior hunter at the 2006 Washington International Horse Show in Washington D.C.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Seasonal record of 10-4-1 in horsemanship ... Posted a perfect 2-1 record in A&M’s run to the western national championship ... Swept both of her matches at the The Classic in College Station on Mar. 31-Apr. 1 ... Horsemanship MVP in the season opener at SFA on Sept. 30, thanks to a 74-69 defeat of Ladyjack Kyra Kruse ... Put together a pair of three match win streaks during the season ... Season-high score came in a 77-73 win over Baylor’s Amanda Graber in Waco on Feb. 3 ... Ranked No. 3 on the team in horsemanship with 10 victories ... Never scored less than a 69.5 all season long ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

THE AGGIES

Team Co-Captain ... Ranked second on the horsemanship squad with a 9-4-2 record ... Went undefeated during the fall, posting a 3-0-2 record ... Highest score of the season came in a 77-5.70 win over KSU’s Jana Lechtenberg on Feb. 23 in College Station ... Began the season on a two match home win streak, taking down SFA’s Kayla Krambeck, 73.5-71, and NMSU’s Bryn Wells, 75.5-70.5 ... Went 2-1 at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships, beating Kansas State’s Alyssa Freeman, 150.5-146, in the quarterﬁnals and South Carolina’s Amy Bifﬂe, 149-141.5 ... Beat Baylor’s Nicole McCoy, 74-73, at home on Oct. 21 ... Followed that up with a road win over KSU’s Laura Browne, 73-72.5, on Nov. 9 ... Began the spring with a 74.5-73 road victory over Auburn’s Ashley Milton on Feb. 2 ... Closed out her home schedule with a win over OSU’s Suzanne Randolph, 76-71.5, on Mar. 8 ... Earned a Texas A&M/ Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2005-06 (Freshman) _________________________ Posted a perfect 3-0 record in head-to-head varsity matches ... Defeated Kansas State’s Jana Lechtenberg, 141-140.5, in the quarterﬁnals of the VENC in horsemanship ... Beat Oklahoma State’s Brandi Thomas, 137.5-136.5, in horsemanship in the semiﬁnals ... Downed Georgia’s Ashley Slocumb, 143-141, in horsemanship in the bronze medal match at the VENC ... Scored 13 points in three open horsemanship appearances during the IHSA regular season ... Took runner-up honors both at Oklahoma State on Feb. 4 and at home on Mar. 4 ... Placed fourth in the season opener at OSU on Nov. 5.

Personal __________________________________ Sibyl Victoria Parsons is the daughter of Charles and Victoria Parsons ... Born Nov. 15, 1986 in Dallas ... Has two siblings, Cory and Cal ... Political science major ... History and business minors ... Plans on attending law school ... Enjoys shopping and reading ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team ... 2005 graduate of Bishop Lynch High School ... Honor roll member ...Graduated in top 25 percent ... Earned national science awards for chemistry and environmental science ... Has ridden all her life, primarily western ... Trainer is Robin Frid ... Took fourth at Congress in 2005 in equitation and ninth in horsemanship ... Finished ninth in horsemanship at the AQHYA youth world show in 2005 ... Was 10th at the same show in 2002 ... Took fourth at the All-American Congress in 2001 ... Was second at Congress in 2000.

THE AGGIES

Krista Persinger

Julianne Pipoly

Freshman - HS

Sophomore - 1L

Reining

Fences

Round Rock, Texas

Toledo, Ohio

(Round Rock)

(Central Catholic)

Personal __________________________________

2007-08 (Freshman) ________________________

Krista Persinger is the daughter of Jon and Beth Persinger ... Born April 16, 1990 in Round Rock ... Has one brother, Ryan ... General studies major ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team, academics and location ... 2008 graduate of Round Rock High School ... Has been riding 14 years, primarily reining ... Trainer is Steve Archer ... Finished third at the SWRHA afﬁlliate show in 2006 ... Placed eighth at the NRHA youth futurity in 2006.

Beat Auburn’s Mallory Kolpin, 81-70, in a road exhibition match on Feb. 2 ... Fell to OSU’s Bailey Mahoney, 85-84, in her lone non-exhibition appearance at home on Mar. 8 ... Tied Baylor’s Kelsey Ehlers at 75 in an exhibition in Waco on Feb. 8 ... Dropped a 78-75 exhibition decision to Kansas State’s Jennifer Rawle at home on Feb. 23 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award as well as an Outstanding Athletics Scholar Award for achieving a 4.0 ... Won the HJAM Adult Medal and Ariat Adult Medal at the Waterloo Hunter/Jumper Horse Show ... Won another HJAM Adult medal at the Waterloon Hunt Horse Show ... Won a second Ariat Adult Medal at the Country Heir Horse Show in Kentucky ... Placed in several amateur jumper and amateur hunter classes as well as in the USET at Waterloo Hunt Club, Horseshows-by-the-Bay, and Country Heir Shows.

Jenna Pine Sophomore - 1L Horsemanship Alamo, Calif. (Monte Vista)

Personal __________________________________ Julianne Jane Pipoly is the daughter of Daniel and Cynthia Pipoly ... Born April 18, 1989 in Poland, Ohio ... Has three brothers, Matt, George, and Joe, and one sister, Genna ... Political science major ... Psychology minor ... Plans on attending law school ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team ... Member of Aggie Athletes Involved ... 2007 honors graduate of Central Catholic High School ... Insigns and Regency Scholar ... Earned a Gold Monogram award ... Has been riding 15 years, primarily hunters, jumpers, and equitation ... Trainers are Meg & Polly Howard ... Took ﬁrst place in 2007 at the Waterloo Hunter Club children’s jumper classic ... 2007 Horseshows-by-the-Bay children’s jumper champion ... 2006 & 2007 Waterloo Hunter Club children’s jumper champion ... 2006 Horseshows-by-the-Bay children’s jumper champion ... Placed second at Waterloo Hunter Club children’s jumper classic ... Year-end MHJA children’s jumper champion and schooling jumper champion in 2005.

2007-08 (Redshirted) ________________________ Dropped a 72-70 decision to teammate Megan James at the Maroon and White scrimmage on Oct. 5.

2006-07 (Freshman) _________________________ Won a 74.5-73.5 trail exhibition over OSU’s Baily Nicholson in College Station on Nov. 5 ... Dropped a 74-71.5 horsemanship decision to the Cowgirls’ Suzanne Randolph earlier in the day ... Won a 68-59.5 exhibition trail match over Baylor’s Missy Gonzalez on Nov. 12.

Personal __________________________________ Jennifer Ashley Pine is the daughter of Mark and Becky Pine ... Born Feb. 25, 1987 in Alamo, Calif. ... Has two brothers, Matt and Connor ... Ag leadership major ... Enjoys palying Rock Band, swimming, and talking to friends ... Plans on getting a job in education after graduation ... Chose A&M for the academic opportunities ... 2006 graduate of Monte Vista High School in Danville, Calif. ... Multiple-time honor roll honoree ... Has been riding 13 years, primarily western ... Trainers are Robin Frid and Dave Dellin ... Earned a world championship title at the 2000 AQHYA world show ... Did likewise at Congress in 1999 ... Multiple top 10’s at Congress from 1997-2002 ... Multiple top 10 ﬁnishes at the AQHYA world show, including a recent placing of ninth this past summer.

Aggie Equestrian 40

Claire Plemmons Freshman - RS Reining Salinas, Calif. (Salinas) 2007-08 (Redshirted) ________________________ Earned a score of 67 on Happy at the Maroon and White scrimmage on Oct. 5.

Personal __________________________________ Claire Elizabeth Plemmons is the daughter of Brent and Julie Plemmons ... Born Oct. 24, 1988 in Sacramento, Calif. ... Has one brother, John ... Animal science major ... Plans on going into the Peace Corps ... Enjoys photography ... Member of the Hip Hop Society ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team and the vet school ... 2007 graduate of Salinas High School ... NHS member ... FFA Star Green Hand ...Has been riding 12 years, primarily western ... Trainer is Walter Wright ... Earned high point honors in green horse at the 2006 4-H State Classic ... Association circuit 14-17 all-around champion for the California State Horseman’s Association in 2006.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

Taylor Reiner Freshman - RS Fences Spring, Texas (Klein) 2007-08 (Redshirted) ________________________ Earned a spot on the team during open tryouts ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award as well as an Outstanding Athletics Scholar Award for achieving a 4.0.

Personal __________________________________

Personal __________________________________ Amanda Colleen Ryan is the daughter of Bill and Mindy Ryan ... Born Sept. 5, 1987 in Poway, Calif. ... Has one brother, Chris ... Agricultural leadership and development major ... Enjoys surfing, rock climbing, roping, playing the violin, Swing Cats, and reading ... Member of Aggie Athletes Involved and PRSSA ... Plays the fiddle for the Johnny Cash Cover Band ... Plans on attending graduate school ... Chose A&M for its ag program and the equestrian team ... Is a concert violinist and has been playing for 10 years ... 2005 graduate of Poway High School ... Has been riding 18 years, both western and English ... Trainers are Jerry and Shelley Lunde ... Earned first place finishes in 2005 at the APHA world show, Copper Country P.O.R., Tulsa March Mania, Pueblo Gold and Zone 1 Shows ... Named all-around champion (14-18) at the APHA world show ... Won the 14-18 western riding title and was reserve in 14-18 equitation ... Finished third in 14-18 hunter under saddle and western pleasure ... Placed fifth in both youth heading and steer stopping ... Won all-around competitions in both California and Utah in addition to multiple individual events in both states.

Jenn Scholl Sophomore - 1L Fences Austin, Texas

Amanda Ryan Senior - 3L Western Ramona, Calif. (Poway) 2007-08 (Junior) ____________________________ Tallied identical 2-3-1 records for the year in horsemanship and reining ... Began the year with a 72-69 reining win over SFA’s Kyra Cruse on Sept. 30 in College Station ... Rang up a 2-0 record in the Oct. 21 home show against Baylor, beating Nicole McCoy, 71.5-69, in reining and Lindsey Tomko, 73.5-71.5, in horsemanship ... Earned a 75.5-72.5 horsemanship win over Kansas State’s Courtney Watters at home on Feb. 23 ... Rode to ties in both horsemanship and reining in the Oct. 20 home show against Georgia ... Tied Alicia Shrum at 71.5 in horsemanship and VENC national runner-up Sarah Locker at 69 in reining ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2006-07 (Sophomore) _______________________ Rode to a record of 10-2-1 in reining ... Tallied a perfect 3-0 record to help lead the Aggies to the western national championship ... Went undefeated in her final 10 collegiate rides of the year ... Ranked No. 3 on the team in wins with 10 ... Won the final eight matches of the season ... Highest score of the year came in a 72-69 defeat of OSU’s Molly Tipton ... Finished third in trail, fourth in horsemanship, western pleasure, and hunter under saddle, fifth in equitation and goat tying, sixth in showmanship and 10th in western riding at the 2007 APHA world show ... Was the No. 5 overall amateur at the APHA world show ... Earned a Texas A&M/ Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

(St. Michael’s) 2007-08 (Freshman) _________________________

THE AGGIES

Taylor Merriman Reiner is the daughter of Charles and Edith Reiner ... Born Aug. 6, 1989 in Chicago ... Has one sibling, Hunter ... Biomedical science major ... Plans on attending professional school after graduation ... Chose A&M for the traditions and equestrian team ... Member of Aggie Guide and Service Dogs and the Biomedical Science Association ... Enjoys reading, watching movies, and working on cars ... 2007 Klein High School graduate ... Graduated in top 10% ... NHS member ... Has been riding 13 years, primarily hunter jumper ... Trainer is Sandy Strack ... Earned a first place finish at the 2007 Pin Oak Charity Horse Show ... Qualified for Show Circuit Magazine’s National Children’s Medal Finals ... Ribboned in children’s hunters at the 2007 Pin Oak Show.

... Compiled a 1-2 record in head-to-head varsity action ... Defeated Kansas State’s Lindsey Hicks, 135.5-131, in reining in the quarterﬁnals of the VENC ... Dropped a 131.5-128 decision to Oklahoma State’s Katie Bohr in the semiﬁnals ... Lost to Georgia’s Carly Veldman, 145.5142.5 in the bronze medal match ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Beat New Mexico State’s Maria Propsner, 79-78, in a home exhibition match on Oct. 12 ... Earned a win in JV fences at Kansas State on Nov. 9 ... Dropped a 78.5-76 decision to teammate Katie Henion at the Maroon and White scrmmiage on Oct. 5 ... Fell to Baylor’s Amanda Miller, 78-77, in Waco on Feb. 8 ... Spent the summer working at a jumper/dressage barn in Germany.

2006-07 (Redshirted) ________________________ Placed in 1.25 meters as well as 1.10 and 1.15’s at the 2007 Colorado Summer Circuit Opener & Rocky Mountain Classic where she also earned multiple top ﬁnishes ... Champion at Colorado Summer Circuit shows.

Personal __________________________________ Jennifer Lynn Scholl is the daughter of Peter and Mary Beth Scholl ... Born Nov. 8, 1987 in Austin ... Has one brother, Patrick, and one sister, Catherine ... University studies major ... German & business minors ... Hobbies include running and knitting ... Has volunteered with the Handicapped Equestrian Learning Center ... Member of Aggie Athletes Involved .. Plans on attending law school ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team ... 2006 graduate of St.Michael’s Catholic Academy ... Lettered two years in cross country and three years in track & field ... Qualified for state twice in cross country and three times in track ... Three-time district champion in the pole vault ...2003 district champ in the 100 hurdles ... 2004 track MVP ... Has been riding 17 years, primarily hunter/jumper ... Trainer is Janet Christie ... Earned a pair of first and second place finishes at the 2006 Go Show in adult jumper & mod. jr./am. jumper ... Was first twice and third once at the 2006 Alamo May Festival on level 5 jumpers ... Earned a trio of top five finishes at the 2006 Pin Oak Charity Horse Show ... Zone 7 finalist in 2006 in Children/Adult Jumpers ... Was second in THJA Junior Medal Finals in 2006 ... Former THJA junior equitation champion.

2005-06 (Freshman) _________________________ Scored 23 points in six reining appearances during the regular season ... Earned a reining victory in the final regular season IHSA show at home on Mar. 5 ... Was runner-up the day before ... Added one third, one fourth and two fifth-place reining finishes earlier in the year

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Lindsay Smith Captain

Junior - 2L Fences West Friendship, Md.

THE AGGIES

(Notre Dame Prep)

Ashley Snoey Sophomore - 1L Horsemanship Vancouver, Wash. (Skyview)

2007-08 (Sophomore) _______________________

2007-08 (Freshman) _________________________

Team Co-Captain ... Led the hunter seat team with 11 wins on the season ... Posted an 11-6 record over fences ... Won a hunter seat leading three MVP awards ... Posted a 2-1 record at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships, beating Kansas State’s Whitney Snyder, 167-163, and Georgia star Haylie Jayne, 166-165 ... Top scores of the season came in two home MVP wins over Baylor’s Beth Banister, 86-83, on Oct. 21 and Kansas State’s Kendall Marvin, 86-82, on Feb. 23 ... Also won the MVP award over fences at TCU on Apr. 4 in a 75-70 win over Carrie von Uhlit ... Opened the season on a four-match win streak starting with a 77-73 win over SFA’s Randi Spencer at home on Sept. 30 ... Two weeks later beat New Mexico State’s Jennifer Friend, 80-75, in College Station ... Topped Georgia’s Daisy Whelan, 79-70, on Oct. 20 at home ... Won the ﬁrst of two head-to-head’s with KSU’s Kendall Marvin, 79-72, in Manhattan on Nov. 9 ... Beat Auburn’s Jenny Reinhart, 81-70, in Alabama on Feb. 2 ... Topped Baylor’s Heather Healy 75-50 in Waco a week later.

Beat teammate Reneé Dirkse, 70-67.5, at the Maroon and White scrimmage on Oct. 5 ... Beat Oklahoma State’s Kilee Stewart, 74-72.5, in Stillwater in an exhibition run on Nov. 10 ... Fell to teammate Randi Standley, 72.5-68, in an exhibition match during the home SFA show on Sept. 30 ... Dropped exhibition decisions to Kansas State at home and in Manhattan.

2006-07 (Freshman) _________________________ Was the Aggies No. 2 fence rider (by percentage) ... Tied for second on the team with nine wins ... Posted a record of 9-4 ... Clinched A&M’s third-round victory at the Varsity Equestrian Championships against Fresno State by beating Bulldog Morgan McDonald, 158.5-132 ... Put together a four-match win streak during the middle of the season (vs. Baylor, at Baylor, at Fresno St., vs. NMSU) ... Won fence MVP honors at the Nov. 12 show against Baylor by beating Mary Smitson, 84-72 ... That ride was also her highest individual score of the season ... Posted a 1-1 record on the ﬂat, beating SFA’s Tara Solbrig, 73-70, in Nacogdoches on Sept. 30 ... Finished in the ribbons at the 2007 Lake Placid show ... Earned a Texas A&M/ Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2006-07 (Redshirted) ________________________ Personal __________________________________ Elizabeth Ashley Snoey is the daughter of Roger and Barbara Snoey ... Born Oct. 21, 1987 in Vancouver ... Has two half-sisters, Jennifer and Stephanie ... Communication major ... Enjoys golﬁng, shopping, laying out and traveling ... Wants to work for Disney ... Chose A&M for the weather, traditions, and the equestrian team ... 2006 graduate of Skyview High School ... Earned AP English honors ... Lettered four years in golf ... Two-time player of the year and all-league ... Two-time second team all-league selection ... Has been riding all her life, primarily western pleasure, showmanship, hunter under saddle, horsemanship and all-around ... Circuit winner in hunter under saddle at the 2006 Deep South Iowa show ... Earned APHA Superior honors in western pleasure, hunter under saddle showmanship, and horsemanship ... Circuit winner in horsemanship at the 2006 New Castle Indiana P.O.R.

Personal __________________________________ Lindsay Marie Smith is the daughter of Thomas and Sherri Smith ... Born Oct. 19, 1988 in West Friendship, Md. ... Sports management major ... Business minor ... Enjoys the beach, running, and cooking ... Was featured on a weekly national television show called ‘Horsepower: Road to Maclay’ which was broadcast on the Animal Planet network during the spring of 2006 ... Spent one summer in The Netherlands working and riding for a horse trader ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team ... Member of Aggie Athletes Involved ... Plans attending law school after graduation ... 2006 graduate of Notre Dame Preparatory School ... National Honor Society member ... Played volleyball and cross country ... Has been riding for 16 years, primarily equitation and jumpers ... Trainer is Kim Prince ... Qualified for the Maclay in 2005 ... 2005 Maryland hunter seat medal finals champion ... Earned multiple ribbons at the 2006 Winter Equestrian Festival in high jr. jumpers ... Finished 10th at the 2005 Devon Horse Show ... Competed at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in the U.S. hunt seat medal finals class from 2004-06 ... Has earned ribbons in Medal, Maclay, USET, Jr. Jumpers and Jr. Hunters from 2004-06 in numerous shows.

Hannah Soibelman Freshman - HS Fences & Flat Evergreen, Colo (Evergreen) Personal __________________________________ Hannah Janel Soibelman is the daughter of Evan and Stephanie Soibelman ... Born Aug. 13, 1990 in Thousand Oaks, Calif. ... Has one sister, Kayla ... Ag business major ... Chose A&M for its reputation and the equestrian team ... Enjoys skiing and water sports ... Plans on attending grdauate school ... 2008 graduate of Evergreen High School ... NHS member ... Gold and silver honor roll achievements ... Has been riding 11 years, primarily eventing and hunter/ jumper ... Trainer is Tracye Ferguson ... Spent the majority of her junior career working with and showing young hunter prospects ... 2008 children’s jumpers champion on the Colorado summer circuit ... Earned numerous high placings in junior equitation on the flat, including second at Show for Champions and fifth in her junior zone finals ... Also earned high placings in Children’s and Modified Hunters at High Prairie Circuit in Parker, Colo.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

Elizabeth Solch

Randi Standley

Freshman - RS

Sophomore - 1L

Flat & fences

Western

Cincinnati, Ohio

Madisonville, Texas

(Home School)

(Madisonville) 2007-08 (Freshman) _________________________

Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award as well as an Outstanding Athletics Scholar Award for achieving a 4.0.

Made a huge impact on the western team in her true freshman year ... Earned a 9-6 record in horsemanship and a 6-3 record in reining ... Won her ﬁrst collegiate MVP award with a 74.5-73.5 reining win over Oklahoma State’s Bri Parnell at home on Mar. 8 ... Went a perfect 3-0 in reining at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships, beating KSU’s Alecia Zimbelman (139.5-129.5), Baylor’s Madelyn Mooney (140-138), and South Carolina’s Rebekah Roof, (144-142) ... Also notched a 148.5-137.5 horsemanship win over Baylor’s Lindsay Douglas at the VENC ... After opening her collegiate career with a close loss against New Mexico State, she went on a seven-match win streak in horsemanship ... That streak started against Georgia on Oct. 20 where she racked up a 2-0 record beating Lana Wirsig, 74.5-72.5, in horsemanship and Christina Grant, 69.5-68.5, in reining ... Upped the streak to two with a 73-70 home victory over Baylor’s Allison Orosz the following day ... Was the only western rider to get wins over both opponents during the KSU/OSU road trip, beating KSU’s Courtney Watters, 73-72.5, and OSU’s Sam Davidson, 76-74, both in horsemanship ... Earned a road horsemanship win over Auburn’s Jessica Jones in horsemanship, 72.5-71.5, on Feb. 2 ... Earned her second single-day sweep of the season with road wins over Baylor’s Nicole McCoy (71-67.5 in reining) and Maggie Grifﬁn (71-68.5 in horsemanship) on Feb. 8 ... Increased her horsemanship win streak to seven with a 76-72 win over KSU’s Alyssa Freeman at home on Feb. 23 ... Earned her third of four yearly horsemanship wins over Baylor in a 69.5-67 victory over Ashley Carlson.

Personal __________________________________ Elizabeth Anne Solch is the daughter of Walter Solch and Joyce LaFontaine ... Born Aug. 25, 1989 in Cincinnati ... Has one brother, Joseph ... Majoring in politicial science and international studies with a focus on politics and diplomacy in Asia ... Minoring in history, economics and Asian studies ... Chose A&M for the atmosphere, weather and strong equestrian team ... Member of Phi Eta Sigma, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Aggie Athletes Involved and SAAC ... Enjoys running and reading ... 2007 home school graduate ... 4.0 GPA ... Has been riding 10 years, primarily equitation and jumpers ... Trainer is David Beisel ... Took third at the 2006 Brownland Fall Grand Prix ... Various placings and reserve champion in high junior amateur owner jumpers at the 2006 Horse Shows by the Bay, Kentucky Spring and Kentucky Summer ... Took ﬁrst at the 2004 OHJA Medal Finals ... Was also ﬁrst at the USEF National Pony Finals in 2002.

Personal __________________________________

THE AGGIES

2007-08 (Redshirted) ________________________

Randi Lynn Standley is the daughter of Duane and Mittye Standley ... Born Dec. 1, 1988 in Bryan ... Has two sisters, Raynie and Carlie ... Ag business major ... Chose A&M for the family tradition, strong reputation and the people ... Member of Aggie Athletes Involved ... 2007 graduate of Madisonville High School ... Student body president ... NHS member ... National Beta Club ... Class ofﬁcer ... FCA member ... Earned distinguished honors ... Lettered three years in golf ... Qualiﬁed for regionals and was a member of the district champions ... Has been riding 14 years, primarily western and English ... Trainers are Nathan Piper and Mark Dunham ... Finished ninth at the 2007 AQHYA world show in showmanship ... Was 10th at the 2006 AQHYA world show in hunt seat equitation ... Placed ninth in non-pro reining at the 2006 AQHA Congresss ... Seventh at the 2004 AQHYA world show in hunt seat equitation ... Ranked eighth in the national standings in hunt seat equitation for her age group in 2002.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

THE AGGIES

Kristi Waldal

Leah Ward

Junior - 2L

Fences

Reining

Battle Ground, Wash.

Terrell, Texas

(Portland Christian)

(Heritage Christian)

2007-08 (Sophomore) _______________________

Ranked third on the fences team with a 10-7 record ... Went 2-1 over fences at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships, beating Kansas State’s Kendall Marvin, 155-150, and was one of only two Aggies to earn wins in the national championship final against Auburn, taking down Tiger Anna Schierholz, 165-161 ... Cllinched the overall win over the Aggies in their final regular season show with a 84-80 road win over TCU’s Lauren Quiroz ... Won her first match of the year, an 80-74 home victory on Sept. 30 over SFA’s Alex Berry ... Began a three-match win streak with an 82-67 win over Georgia’s Melinda Drury at home on Oct. 20 ... Beat Baylor’s Shelby White, 86-79, the following day in her highest scoring show of the season ... Won an 80-70 decision over SMU’s Kate Wilson on Nov. 2 in Dallas ... Began a second three-match win streak with a 76-70 win over Baylor’s Beth Banister in Waco on Feb. 8 ... Ended her home season with wins over Kansas State’s Paige Sullivan (79-70 on Feb. 23) and Oklahoma State’s Jaclyn Osterstock (79-78 on Mar. 8) ... Earned a Texas A&M/ Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Beat teammate Hanna Lindskog, 70-62.5, in an exhibition during the season-opening show against SFA on Sept. 30 ... Scored a 71.5 on Gus at the Maroon and White scrimmage a week later ... Topped teammate Crissy Greebon, 66.5-65, in an exhibition during the Georgia show on Oct. 20 ... Earned a road win in JV reining over KSU’s Dana Johnson on Nov. 9 ... Beat Baylor’s Ashley Smith, 72-0, in an exhibition in Waco on Feb. 8 ... Beat teammate Lindskog for a second time during the season, 68-66.5, during the home KSU show on Feb. 23.

2006-07 (Freshman) _________________________ Ranked No. 4 on the team over fences with a record of 8-5 ... Went on a four-match winning streak starting with a 80-75 win over OSU’s Jaclyn Osterstock ... Won her ﬁrst round match at The Classic over Baylor’s Mary Smitson, 79-78 ... Beat SMU’s Megan Davenport,158-83, in the ﬁrst round at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships ... Earned a season-high score of 83 in a win over Baylor’s Susie Foster ... 2007 Reserve Champion in Adult Amateur Jumpers at Showpark Racing Festival ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Personal __________________________________ Kristi Jolene Waldal is the daughter of Art and Carol Waldal ... Born Jan. 17, 1988 in Vancouver, Wash. ... Has one sister, Michelle, and one brother, Joe ... History major ... English minor ... Enjoys reading, riding horses, wakeboarding, and skiing ... Plans on going to graduate school and getting a teacher’s certiﬁcation ... Was the junior representative for the Oregon Hunter/Jumper Association ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team, academic reputation and friendliness ... 2006 graduate of Portland Christian High Scool in Portland, Ore. ... National Honor Society member and secretary as a senior ... Earned a Scholar’s Diploma ... Earned highest academic honors each semester ...Has been riding 14 years, primarily hunter/jumper and equitation ... Trainers are Leslie Bierly, Megan Garcia, and Kaitlyn Kleck at Tile Valley Farm in Hillsboro, Ore. ... Finished among the top 20 at the 2006 USEF Talent Search West at the Los Angeles International Jumping Festival ... Was 13th at the 2005 Show Jumping Talent Search ... Grand Circuit Champion at HITS Tucson in 2006 for Equitation 16-17 ... 2005 HITS Tucson Circuit Champion in High Jr. Jumpers ... Won the Jumper Classic at the Early Summer Hunter/Jumper Classic in both 2004 & 2005 ... Received a USEF Bronze Medal for ﬁve wins in the talent search classes ...Is one win away for 10 wins and the USEF Silver Medal ... 2004 Oregon Hunter/Jumper Association Junior Sportsman of the Year.

2006-07 (Freshman) _________________________ Beat TCU’s Allie Royder, 69-67, in College Station on Feb. 24 in a reining exhibition ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Personal __________________________________ Leah Morgan Ward is the daughter of Steve Ward and Phyllis Vincent ... Born May 16, 1988 in Dallas ... Has one brother, Noah, two step-brothers, Brett and Scotty, and one stepsister, Shelley ... Animal science major ... Business minor ... Chose A&M for the family tradition ... 2006 graduate of Heritage Christian Academy in Rockwall, Texas ... National Honor Society member ... Has been showing for 15 years, primarily reining, team penning, cutting, working cowhorse, and all-around ... Trainer is Casey Deary ... Reining finalist at the 2006 Texas 4-H state horse show ... Finished seventh in reining at the 2006 Stampede Slide ... Took first place in novice youth western pleasure at the Ft. Worth Stock Show in 2003 ... Was runneer-up in novice youth trail at the Ft. Worth Stock Show in 2004 ... Ranked in the top five in the youth division for the 2002 Central Texas Quarter Horse Association Fall Circuit ... Earned a first and second place finish in youth reining at the 2005 San Antonio Stock Show ... Champion in working cowhorse at both the 2005 & 2006 Texas 4-H District 4 Horse Show ... Youth team penning champion at the 2005 East Texas Team Penning Association.

Megan Webb Freshman - HS Fences & Flat Burlington, W.V. (Keyser) Personal __________________________________ Megan Jean Webb is the daughter of Kenneth and Carol Webb ... Born Feb. 13, 1990 in Winchester, Va. ... Animal science major ... Ag journalism and communication minor ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team and animal science program ... Enjoys growing flowers, raising vegetables, fishing, showing cattle and participating on judging teams ... Plans on going to graduate school ... 2008 graduate of Keyser High School ... Lettered one year in cross country ... Has been riding 12 years, primarily hunter, equitation, jumpers, and eventing ... Trainer is Joe Fargis ... Scored numerous wins and top ribbons in the Children’s and Large Junior Hunters, Children’s Jumpers and Equitation Divisions at the Upperville Horse Show in Virginia, the Washington International Horse Show, HITS Culpepper in Culpepper, Va., the Lexington (Va.) Spring Premier and Encore, the Loundoun Benefit, the Showplace Spring Festival, and Kentucky Summer Horse Show series.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

Erica Whaley

Tegan Zealy

Freshman - HS

Senior - 1L

Fences & Flat

Flat

Cumming, Ga.

Tampa, Fla.

(South Forsyth)

(Grace Christian)

Personal __________________________________

2007 (Junior) ______________________________

Erica Annastacia Whaley is the daughter of Eric and Deborah Whaley ... Born Dec. 12, 1989 in Cleveland, Ohio ... Has one brother, Patrick ... Animal science major ... Equine minor ... Chose A&M because the people are so friendly ... Plans on doing hydrotherapy with horses after graduation ... 2008 graduate of South Forsyth High School ... Lettered three years in equestrian, earning high point awards two times ... Has been riding six years, primarily jumpers ... Earned four top 10 ﬁnishes at 2008 nationals ... Reserve champion in child adult jumpers for two years ... Took ﬁrst place in low junior amateur at HITS Ocala in 2007.

Earned ﬂat MVP honors with a score of 84 in the JV competition held at Kansas State on Nov. 9 ... Beat Kansas State’s Sommer Dresden, 67-61, in an exhibition on Feb. 23 ... Fell to SFA’s Kristine Rice, 61-60, at the season opener in College Station on Sept. 30 ... Dopped a 77-50 fences decision to teammate Erin Ivy at the Maroon and White scrimmage on Oct. 5 ... Lost an exhibition decision to NMSU’s Sarah Wallace, 78-76.5, at home on Oct. 12 ... Fell to Auburn’s Anna Schierholz, 80-73, in exhibition ﬂat in Alabama on Feb. 2 ... Lost an exhibition to Baylor’s Kelly Albury, 82.5-77, in Waco on Feb. 8 ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2006-07 (Sophomore) _______________________

Personal __________________________________

Kelsey Wyble Junior - 2L Horsemanship

Tegan Marie Zealy is the daughter of Jimmy and Susan Zealy ... Born April 4, 1986 in Tampa, Fla. ... Has two sisters, Becky and Debbie ... Animal science major ... Enjoys soccer and racquetball ... Chose A&M for the equestrian team, the academics, and the atmosphere ... 2004 graduate of Grace Christian School in Valrico/Brandon, Fla. ... Honor roll student ... Lettered one year in soccer ... Has been riding 16 years, primarily jumpers but some equitation and hunter ... Year End High Point Champion in the Central Florida Hunter Jumper Association in 2001 ... Finished fourth in year end jumpers in the CFHJA in 2002 ... Earned first place finishes in children’s medal and puissance at the TEC in 1998 and 1997, respectively ... Qualified for Marshall & Sterling Children’s Jumper Finals in 2001.

THE AGGIES

Beat Baylor’s Kat Harrison, 66.5-59 in exhibition flat at Baylor on Feb. 3 ... Tied teammate Brittney Dodson at 84 in a flat exhibition during the TCU show on Feb. 24 ... Topped Kansas State’s Christine Fosnacht, 68.5-61, in Manhattan, Kan. on Mar. 4 in a flat exhibition ... Earned a Texas A&M/Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

Caldwell, Texas (Caldwell)

2007-08 (Junior) ____________________________ Fell to teammate Amanda Cushman, 69.5-68, at the Maroon and White scrimmage on Oct. 5 ... Lost to Baylor’s Anna Bowers, 68.5-64.5, on Oct. 21 at home ... Earned a Texas A&M/ Verizon Athletics Scholar Award.

2006-07 (Sophomore) _______________________ Did not compete.

2005-06 (Freshman) _________________________ Earned a third-place ﬁnish in intermediate II horsemanship in her lone IHSA regular season appearance on Mar. 4 in College Station.

Personal __________________________________ Kelsey Rae Wyble is the daughter of John and Paula Wyble ... Has one brother, Quinten ... Born July 14, 1987 in Caldwell, Texas ... Agricultural leadership & development major ... Enjoys running, playing 42 and hanging out with friends ... Involved in Fish Camp, Leadership Living & Learning Community, Aggie Athletes Involved, and EUSA Study Abroad ... Chose A&M for the traditions and the atmosphere ... Plans on attending law school ... 2005 graduate of Caldwell High School ... National Honor Society member ... Lettered four years in cross country and two years in track ... Made it to regionals individually twice in cross country ... Has been riding 15 years, mainly western ranch riding and working cowhorse.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

THE AGGIES

THE HORSES

*Donated by: Debbie Ramirez

*Donated by: Kenneth Meyer

*Donated by: Larry Bryson

*Donated by: Paula Bramlett

*Donated by: Margaret L. Bifano

*Loaned by: Katie Davis

*Loaned by: Dr. Tommy Thomas

*Owned by Texas A&M Athletics

*Donated by: Kim Williams

*Donated by: Ruth Lindley

*Loaned by: Randi Standley

*Donated by: Dene Shaver

*Donated by: Marianne Martinez

*Donated by: John GifďŹ n

*Donated by: Nancy Sillwell

*Donated by: Steve Stevens

*Donated by: The Cooper Family

*Donated by: Sally Roberts

*Donated by: Julie McFarland

*Donated by: Chesley Russo

*Owned by Texas A&M Athletics

*Donated by: Michael Hickey

*Donated by: Kelly Graeter

*Donated by: Erin Gayer

*Loaned by: Dr. Michail Martin

*Donated by: Judith Brinkman

*Donated by: Chris Clark

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

THE HORSES

*Donated by: Francis Douet

*Donated by: Melanie Coghlan

*Loaned by: Dr. Brett Scott

*Donated by: Janie Cole

*Loaned by: Linzy Woolf

*Loaned by: Emily Davis

*Donated by: Jennifer M. Andrews

*Donated by: Kim Snyder

*Donated by: Tamara & Natalie Jenkins

*Donated by: Kathy Colleran

*Owned by Texas A&M Athletics

*Donated by: Carolyn Sequlia

*Donated by: The Alto-Renfro Family

*Owned by: Texas A&M Athletics

*Donated by: Becky Pine

*Donated by: Alexandra Hall

*Loaned by: Christina Matz

*Owned by Texas A&M Athletics

*Donated by: Richard Tribe

*Loaned by: Tana Rawson

*Donated by: Gail Chevrette

*Owned by: Texas A&M Athletics

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

THE AGGIES

*Donated by: Louise Thompson

Hunter Seat

W e st e r n

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

R E V I E W

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Season in Review

Match-by-Match Results

Central Championship Results

VENC Results

Season Statistics

SEASON IN REVIEW

REVIEW

TEXAS A&M 16, SFA 4 The Texas A&M equestrian team used an all-out team effort to open the 2007-08 season with a convincing 16-4 win over Stephen F. Austin State University on Sept. 30 at Freeman Arena. The Aggies (1-0) scored wins in all four disciplines, including 5-0 sweeps in both equitation on the flat (hunter seat) and reining (western), in cruising to the season’s first victory. Both the hunter seat and western teams produced a matching 8-2 record for the day to put the final tally at 16-4. A&M also earned a sweep of the four most valuable rider awards as well. “This is a great start to our season from both a competition and hosting standpoint,” A&M head coach Tana Rawson said. “I was very excited to see how they worked together as a team from start to finish.” A&M was led individually by its’ sophomore class which picked up three of the four MVP honors. Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.) and Maggie Gratny (Leavenworth, Kan.) combined to win 10 MVP awards last season as freshmen and are well on their way towards besting that total this year after beginning the year by grabbing the horsemanship (Gunn) and reining (Gratny) honors against SFA. Sophomore Brittney Dodson (Amarillo) not only earned the first win of her collegiate career against the Ladyjacks, but captured equitation on the flat MVP honors as well with a 79-51 victory over SFA’s Kristin Landes. Senior Katie Henion (Austin) won the fences MVP with a 79-72 win over Ladyjack sophomore Shannon Zelikoff. Sophomores Lindsay Smith (West Friendship, Md.) and Kristi Waldal (Battle Ground, Wash.) both scored fences wins to, along with Henion, put A&M up 3-2 in the early going. In addition to Dodson, seniors Lindsey Lawrence (College Station) and Ashlie Soderstrom (Lake Oswego, Ore.), junior Christina Matz (McKinney), and freshman Brooke Coleman (Houston) all produced victories to give A&M a perfect 5-0 sweep on the flat over SFA. On the western side, junior co-captain Sibyl Parsons (Combine) turned in a solid score of 73.5 to easily win her horsemanship match, while sophomore Amanda Cushman (Huntsville) earned the first win of her collegiate career in a 71-70 decision over SFA freshman Felicia Shartle. A&M’s reiners posted a clean sweep over the Ladyjacks as senior Genna Fishgold (Scottsdale, Ariz.), juniors Crissy Greebon (Richmond) and Amanda Ryan (Ramona, Calif.), and sophomore Maddi Williams (Valley View) teamed with Maggie Gratny to post a perfect 5-0 record for the day. In exhibition action, A&M won three of its four hunter seat matches over SFA. led by freshman Henrietta Armstrong (Palm Beach, Fla.) who posted the highest fence score of the entire day in a 81-70 victory. Junior Ali Mueller (Long Beach, Miss.) and freshman Amanda Goldman (Coto de Caza, Calif.) turned in exhibition wins over the Ladyjacks as well. TEXAS A&M 11, NMSU 9 The Texas A&M equestrian team won a hard-fought match over New Mexico State, 11-9, at Freeman Arena on Oct. 12. With the entire match in the balance, junior Tonna Brooks (Newberg, Ore.), who earlier in the day had dropped her horsemanship match, came through in the

clutch when the A&M team needed her most by defeating NMSU senior Bryn Wells, 73-66.5, to give the Texas Aggies the 11-9 win. A&M’s hunter seat riders kept the Aggies on top for much of the day thanks to 3-2 wins in equitation over fences and equitation on the ﬂat. The A&M reiners closed the door with a clutch 3-2 decision after starting out 0-2 to end the day’s competition. Over fences, junior Erin Ivy (Cypress) turned in the highest score of the day, beating NMSU’s Krystal Mack in an 85-79 shoot-out. Sophomore Lindsay Smith (West Friendship, Md.) and freshman Brooke Coleman (Houston) also turned in 80-plus point scores to seal the team fences win.

The Aggies dropped a 3-2 decision in horsemanship despite posting the two highest scores of the day in the discipline. Junior Sibyl Parsons (Combine) turned in the highest total in a 75-70.5 win over NMSU senior Bryn Wells. Sophomore Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.) was equally as impressive in a 74.5-71.5 win over another NMSU senior, Kelli Younker. A&M earned the hunter seat team victory by a count of 6-4 while the western team went to a tiebreaker to determine their winner. The Texas Aggies slid by the NMSU Aggies, 645.5-640.5, to keep both the hunter seat and western squads undefeated on the season. In hunter seat exhibition action, redshirt freshman Jenn Scholl (Austin) won her fences match over NMSU senior Marisa Propsner, 79-78, while fellow redshirt frosh Morgan Lucas (San Antonio) tied NMSU sophomore Sarah Suazo at 68. On the ﬂat, sophomore Christina Heine (Toledo) grabbed a 78.5-73 decision over Beth Robinson. In western exhibition play, senior Jordan Gardner (Lipan) topped NMSU’s Kate Goodwin, 72-69.5, in horsemanship while sophomore Tyler Bryson (Scottsdale) topped NMSU freshman Codi Binkerd, 68.5-68. TEXAS A&M 11, GEORGIA 9

On the flat, senior Lindsey Lawrence (College Station) came through with the highest score of the day in the discipline, winning the first MVP honor of her career in an 80.5-65 victory over NMSU sophomore Catie Helmuth. Fellow senior Ashlie Soderstrom (Lake Oswego, Ore.) pulled the Aggies even in the overall standings at 7-7 with a 75-73 win over NMSU Aggie senior Krystal Mack. Junior Christina Matz (McKinney) gave the Aggies their second lead of the day thanks to a 76-73 win over fences MVP Meg Keeley on the flat. NMSU took a 9-8 lead deep into the match after State’s Breanne Bertrand scored a 70-62.5 over A&M senior Genna Fishgold (Scottsdale, Ariz.). A&M sophomore Maggie Gratny (Leavenworth, Kan.) tied things back up with a 73-68 MVP-winning performance over NMSU’s Rachael Krause. Fellow soph Maddi Williams (Valley View) brought A&M to the cusp of victory by scraping out a 70-69 win over Kelli Younker while Tonna Brooks closed the day with the crucial win.

The Texas A&M equestrian team jumped on the back of its hunter seat riders and ran off with a suspenseful 11-9 victory in a battle of undefeated perennial national championship contenders at N.W. Dick Freeman Arena on Oct. 20. The hunter seat, western, and overall team winners were not decided until the final ride of each of the three sections in the Aggies’ most meaningful competition of the season to this point. A&M’s hunter seat team scored a 6-4 upset over Georgia, who competed for the hunter seat national championship against South Carolina just six months ago in Waco. With the hunter seat match in the balance, Aggie sophomore Brittney Dodson (Amarillo), who was riding in just the fifth competition of her collegiate career, hit one out of the park with an impressive 80-77 flat win over Georgia junior Melinda Drury. Dodson equaled the highest score of the day by the judge and nearly wrestled control of the day’s MVP honor away from Georgia superstar Haylie Jayne who won both the fences and flat honor. The win gave A&M hunter seat coach Linzy Woolf her first coaching victory over her former collegiate coach at A&M, Meghan (Nolan) Boenig. “This is the most meaningful win of my coaching career,” Woolf said. “Georgia has been at the top of the hunter seat division for several years and we have been fighting to get to where they’re at. For our girls to come in and do what they did today, especially this early in the season, makes me very proud not only of where we are at and how far we have come, but the potential that we have as the season goes on. This win really means a lot not only to me but to our whole team.” With the overall match in the balance, freshman Randi Standley (Madisonville), competing in reining for the first time in her collegiate career, came through with a huge 69.5-68.5 win in the final ride of the day over Georgia junior Christina Grant to secure the 11-9 win for A&M.

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SEASON IN REVIEW The reining group also got a big shot in the arm from freshman Tara Christiansen (Snohomish, Wash.) who made her Aggie debut on Sunday. Christiansen rode her way to the highest score of the day in a 73.5-72 win over Baylor freshman Katie Buss. All four reining members of the Aggies’ 2007 national championship team (Tonna Brooks, Maggie Gratny, Amanda Ryan, Maddi Williams) also earned wins against the Bears. A&M’s horsemanship riders rode to victory, taking a 4-2 win over Baylor. Freshman Randi Standley (Madisonville), one of the Aggies’ standouts against Georgia a day earlier, continued her hot streak by grabbing a 73-70 win over Baylor sophomore Allison Orosz. Senior Christine Sceets (Baytown) earned her first win of the season by taking down Baylor’s Missy Gonzalez, 72-69.5. Juniors Sibyl Parsons (Combine) and Amanda Ryan (Ramona, Calif.) came back from horsemanship ties against Georgia to put wins on the board against the Bears. Ryan earned her first horsemanship victory this season in a 73.5-71.5 win over Lindsey Tomko while Parsons beat Nicole McCoy, 74-73. A&M’s hunter seat riders followed up their impressive defeat of Georgia with a tiebreaker win over a tough Baylor squad. After tieing with the Bears at six wins apiece, the Aggies were awarded the win thanks to a 902-878 advantage in the tiebreaker. Both the flat and fences groups rode to 3-3 ties, however both did win their separate tiebreakers as well. Sophomore Christina Heine (Toledo, Ohio) followed up the first win of her collegiate career on Saturday with her first MVP award on Sunday. Heine topped BU’s Shelby White on the flat, 87-72. Senior Lindsey Lawrence (College Station) ran her seasonal record to 4-0 on the flat with an 82-79 win Baylor’s Beth Banister. Sophomore Brittney Dodson (Amarillo), one of Saturday’s clutch performers, finished off a memorable weekend with an 82-67 win over Cara Wilson to secure the hunter seat win for A&M for the second straight day. Over fences, sophomore Lindsay Smith (West Friendship, Md.) continued to lead the way for A&M as she ran her seasonal record to 4-0 with an 86-83 MVP-

winning performance over Beth Banister. Senior Katie Henion (Austin) and sophomore Kristi Waldal (Battle Ground, Wash.) improved on their winning records by adding wins over Baylor’s Analisa Muti and Shelby White, respectively. TEXAS A&M 8, SMU 3 The Texas A&M equestrian team improved to 5-0 on the season thanks to a 8-3 win by its hunter seat riders over SMU at Park Lane Equestrian Center on Nov. 2. The Aggies turned in yet another impressive performance in equitation on the flat to break a 3-3 deadlock after the fences competition. “I couldn’t be more proud of the progress the hunter seat team has made since last year,” A&M hunter seat coach Linzy Woolf said. “I feel like the flat riders are becoming more confident and comfortable with the varsity flat format. This was our first road show of the season, and I’m really pleased with how well all of the riders mentally approached riding a new group of horses none of us had ever seen before.” The flat riders, which proved to be the difference against Georgia two weeks earlier, were the difference again versus the Mustangs. A&M closed the show by winning five of the six equitation on the flat matches to cruise in for the 8-3 win. The Aggies were led by senior co-captain Viviana Cordero (Sunland, Calif.) who turned in the highest score of her collegiate career on Friday. Cordero was awarded flat MVP honors for her 86-75 win over SMU sophomore Maia Van Dyke. Junior Christina Matz (McKinney) produced the biggest win from a point spread standpoint, topping SMU junior Haley Hyland on the flat, 79-50. Senior Lindsey Lawrence (College Station) was also a big winner, earning a 67-46 flat win over Laura Ratliff, to run her seasonal record to an impressive 5-0. Sophomore Brittney Dodson (Amarillo) continued her strong second year by improving to 4-1 on the flat with a 76-59 win over SMU freshman Keeya Jones. Senior Ashlie Soderstrom (Lake Oswego, Ore.) squeezed out a 62-61 flat win over the Mustangs’ Amanda Vining to run her record to 3-2 on the year.

REVIEW

“I knew what the situation was before I went in and I knew what score I needed to get,” Standley said. “I just went in and tried to stay in control, do what I needed to do and avoid mistakes. It was very exciting to have the chance to come through for the team.” Despite Saturday being only Standley’s second time to compete for the Aggies in any discipline, she carried the banner for a western squad that dropped their match, 791-788.5, after the two schools tied at four wins apiece. Standley was responsible for half the Aggies’ western win victories, though four individual match-ups did end in ties. Standley defeated Georgia freshman Lana Wirsig, 74.5-72.5, in horsemanship in addition to her clutch reining debut. The Aggies earned the majority of their days’ victories from their equitation on the flat riders. The flat riders 4-2 victory ended up providing the final margin in the overall win. Redshirt sophomore Christina Heine (Toledo, Ohio) earned the first win of her collegiate career, and the first flat win of the day for A&M, with a 76-75 triumph over Georgia junior Lauren Kulwicki. Freshman Brooke Coleman (Houston) rebounded from the first loss of her collegiate career over fences to grab a 65-62 flat win over Georgia sophomore Daisy Whelan. Senior Lindsey Lawrence (College Station) continued her undefeated streak with a 68-0 win over Bulldog senior Michelle Blair. The Aggies won three of their six matches over fences against the Bulldogs. Sophomore Kristi Waldal (Battle Ground, Wash.) came away with the most convincing win, an 82-67 effort over Melinda Drury. Sophomore Lindsay Smith (West Friendship, Md.) kept her seasonal record spotless at 3-0 with a 79-70 win over Bulldog sophomore Daisy Whelan. Senior co-captain Katie Henion (Austin) secured A&M’s third fences win, an 81-72 triumph over Georgia junior Kelley Cowperthwait. Senior Genna Fishgold (Scottsdale, Ariz.) was named reining MVP after a solid 72.5-66 win over Georgia junior Nichole Grant. Fishgold ran her seasonal record to 2-1 after going 3-1 last year following spending two years at Colorado State. Junior Tonna Brooks (Newberg, Ore.) got back on the winning track in horsemanship with the highest western score of the day in a 75-74.5 shoot-out over Georgia freshman Laura Upton. Junior Amanda Ryan (Ramona, Calif.) won MVP honors after impressing the judge in a 71.5-71.5 tie with Georgia sophomore Alicia Shrum. TEXAS A&M 16, BAYLOR 8 The Texas A&M equestrian team earned its second win in as many days thanks to a big rebound from its reining group at N.W. ‘Dick’ Freeman Arena on Oct. 21. One day after dropping a surprise 3-2 decision to Georgia, A&M’s reining riders responded in full force, sweeping Baylor 6-0 to put a stamp on A&M’s 16-8 overall win. “I’m really proud of the way our reiners came out ready to ride today,” A&M head coach Tana Rawson said. “They had a tough day yesterday and bounced back just like we knew they were capable of. We have a young but experienced group that let their resiliency show in the ring today.” Senior Genna Fishgold (Scottsdale, Ariz.) led the way for the second straight day for the reining group, earning her second most valuable rider honor in as many days thanks to a 72.5-70 win over Baylor sophomore Valtie Riddle.

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SEASON IN REVIEW The Aggies rode their way to a 3-3 split over fences. Senior Katie Henion (Austin) and sophomore Kristi Waldal (Battle Ground, Wash.) both improved to 4-1 this season with fences wins. Henion beat SMU sophomore Melissa Kowalchik, 75-70, while Waldal defeated freshman Katherine Wilson, 80-70. Junior Erin Ivy (Cypress) got back on the winning track over fences with a 79-76 win over Mustang sophomore Kristen Collins. The Mustangs were also penalized a single point due to a rulebook violation a week earlier. SMU failed to provide Texas A&M with the rider test patterns by the mandatory rulebook-enforced deadline last week. The rule states that the host team shall be penalized one point for each day the patterns were late. Though the Aggies’ did not receive the patterns until several days after the deadline, the A&M staff elected to only penalize SMU a single point.

REVIEW

TEXAS A&M 12, KANSAS STATE 8

The Texas A&M equestrian team continued its undefeated season with a 12-8 win over Kansas State at Fox Creek Farm on Nov. 9. The Aggies (6-0) earned team victories in both western disciplines as well as a very strong win in equitation on the flat after the team found itself in a 3-2 deficit after fences. A&M also won three of the four MVP awards doled out in the varsity show. “I was very proud of the way our girls handled themselves in our first road competition of the season,” A&M head coach Tana Rawson said. “It is always a big challenge to be the away team, especially in the first one of the season and especially against an opponent like Kansas State. Our girls rode smart and it paid off. I’m proud of how everyone rose up and responded to the challenge today.” The loss by the Wildcats was only their second at home since going to a full varsity schedule last season. The Aggies have now beaten each team in the Big 12 both at home and on the road since going to varsity only showing last year. They are also the only school in the Big 12 to have accomplished the impressive feat. A&M’s equitation on the flat riders led the charge, as they have all season, turning a 5-5 tie into a 9-6 Aggie advantage. Their 4-1 win over KSU brings their overall individual record to 24-9 this fall, making them the winningest group of the Aggies’ four riding disciplines. Sophomore Christina Heine (Toledo, Ohio) earned her second MVP award of the fall with an 80-75 flat win over KSU’s Katie Mellon. Heine’s ride was preceded by impressive 81 point winning performances by junior Christina Matz (McKinney) and Brittney Dodson (Amarillo). Senior Ashlie Soderstrom also earned a win on the flat, defeating KSU’s Kendall Marvin, 75-67. With the overall score 9-6, the Aggies leaned on their reiners to close the door on the Wildcats. After KSU closed the gap to 9-7, junior Tonna Brooks (Newberg, Ore.) secured no less than a tie for the Aggies with a much deserved MVP-award winning performance. Brooks put up the highest western score of the entire day in a 74-72.5 win over Wildcat Dani Pattera. After Brooks secured the tie, KSU came right back with a second reining win to close the gap to 10-8, however that would prove to be their final victory of the day. Sophomore nationals veteran Maddi Williams (Valley View) put together a solid run to clinch one of the Aggies’ most important individual wins of the season. Williams

topped KSU’s Kaylee Stout, 71-69.5. Maggie Gratny (Leavenworth, Kan.) set the final margin of victory at 128, earning her first collegiate win in her home state for the Aggies, 72.5-72. A&M’s horsemanship riders dodged a few early bullets, responding from being down 2-0 early to come back and earn a 3-2 win. Sophomore Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.), who is the only Aggie to ever win an MVP award despite losing in Manhattan a year ago, won the award for a win this time around, defeating Jana Lectenburg, 73-72. Junior co-captain Sibyl Parsons (Combine) continued her undefeated romp through the season with a 73-72.5 win over KSU’s Laura Browne. Freshman Randi Standley (Madisonville) continued to establish her reputation for being dependable in the clutch despite her youthful age, winning the horsemanship discipline for the Aggies in the final ride, 73-72.5. Over fences, freshman Brooke Coleman (Houston) found her way back into the win column, with a 78-77 victory over Wildcat Bridget Doyle. Sophomore Lindsay Smith (West Friendship, Md.) ran her seasonal record to 5-1 with a 79-72 win over Kendall Marvin in the first match of the day. A JV competition was also held in conjunction with the varsity show. The Aggies earned the win in it also, downing KSU, 8-6, while winning all four MVP awards. Freshman Amanda Goldman (Coto de Caza, Calif.) equaled the highest fence score of the entire day in an 83-74 MVP win over Juliann Todd. Senior Viviana Cordero (Sunland, Calif.) and redshirt freshman Jenn Scholl (Austin) also earned wins to give A&M a 3-1 edge in JV fences. Senior Tegan Zealy (Tampa, Fla.) grabbed MVP honors on the flat, scoring a show-best 84 points, while Cordero added a flat win to the fences one she snagged a few hours earlier. KSU grabbed a 3-1 win in JV horsemanship, however sophomore Amanda Cushman (Huntsville) grabbed the judges’ attention most, thanks to a 71.5-70.5 win over Wildcat Mikaela Sundgren. The Aggies ended the entire day of showing by sweeping both JV reining matches. Senior Hanna Lindskog (Boerne) and sophomore Leah Ward (Terrell) both beat KSU’s Dana Johnson. Lindskog earned the MVP honors with a 68-67 win. OSU 17, TEXAS A&M 9 The Texas A&M equestrian team ended its fall campaign with a 17-9 loss to Oklahoma State at Animal Science Arena on Nov. 10. The Cowgirls (4-0) managed to stay one step ahead of the Aggies all day long in earning their fourth home win in four fall competitions. A&M fought valiantly but dropped 13 of their 17 head-to-head losses by five points or less. “Today was a character building day for our team,” A&M head coach Tana Rawson said. “We had a couple of mistakes out here today, but overall I felt like our girls had great, correct rides. After they ride to the best of their ability, it often comes down to one person’s opinion and sometimes that opinion doesn’t always go your way.” A&M kept things close early on dropping a tight 4-3 decision over fences while tying at three points apiece in horsemanship. One bright spot for the Aggies was their source of points in the horsemanship competition. With national

championship riders Tonna Brooks, Caroline Gunn, and Sibyl Parsons all coming up short of the win column, several new talents stepped up to the plate in their stead. Junior co-captain Renee Dirkse (Rockwall) earned the first win of her collegiate career over OSU’s Jordan Pickelman, 73.5-73. Sophomore Amanda Cushman (Huntsville) earned the second win of her college showing career, scoring a day best 77 points in an MVP-worthy defeat of Cowgirl freshman Courtney Whitacre. Freshman Randi Standley (Madisonville) moved her seasonal record to 4-1 with a 76-74 win over Sam Davidson. Over fences, junior Erin Ivy (Cypress) was the Aggies’ top rider, scoring a 79-74 win over OSU sophomore Ally Blais. Senior co-captain Katie Henion (Austin) earned A&M’s biggest win of the day from a margin of victory standpoint with a 73-50 defeat of Natalie Chappell. Freshman Amanda Goldman (Coto de Caza, Calif.) earned the first win of her collegiate career, a 50-46 victory over OSU freshman Erin Prutow. After suffering her first loss of the season on the flat against Kansas State on Friday, senior Lindsey Lawrence got back on the right track against Oklahoma State. Lawrence moved her seasonal record to 6-1 with a 67-63.5 win over Cowgirl Brittany Myers. Sophomore Christina Heine (Toledo, Ohio) was the only Aggie flat rider to escape the two-day road trip unscathed, taking down OSU’s Charlotte Collingsworth, 71-66. Junior Tonna Brooks (Newberg, Ore.) rebounded from a puzzling loss in horsemanship to win her reining match, 73.5-0 over Cowgirl LeeAnna MacNally. Brooks was the only Aggie rider to chalk up a reining win as A&M was tripped up in the discipline, 5-1. AUBURN 11, TEXAS A&M 9 The Texas A&M equestrian team dropped a tight 11-9 road decision to Auburn University on Feb. 2 at the Auburn Equestrian Center. The Aggies (6-2) produced several standout individual performances and grabbed team victories in both equitation the flat (hunter seat) and horsemanship (western) but fell just short in the overall win column to the Tigers (6-1). The Aggies did manage to up their hunter seat record to 7-1 after winning the tiebreaker, making it their best start in school history. “Auburn put on a great competition and were wonderful hosts,” A&M head coach Tana Rawson said. “We had some nice triumphs out there today while others gained some learning experiences that they will hopefully use in the future.” A&M’s horsemanship riders shined the brightest against the Tigers as they rode their way to a 4-1 win in the discipline. Sophomore Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.) led the way, earning her third most valuable rider honor of the season in a 75.5-73.5 win over Amy Bohan. Junior co-captain Sibyl Parsons (Combine) kept her seasonal undefeated streak going with a 74.5-73 win over Auburn’s Ashley Milton. Freshman Randi Standley (Madisonville) continued her very impressive freshman campaign with a 72.5-71.5 win over Jessica Jones. Sophomore Amanda Cushman (Huntsville) upped her seasonal record to 3-1 with a 73.5-73 win over Kim Tidwell. “I felt like we turned out our best performance of the season out there today,” A&M horsemanship coach Beth Bass said. “They were the most consistent that they’ve been all year. We made a lot of early season mistakes

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SEASON IN REVIEW but I feel that things are really on the upswing for us as a group.” The Aggie hunter seat flat riders continued their stellar season by earning their seventh team victory in eight chances. Senior Ashlie Soderstrom (Lake Oswego, Ore.) turned in the highest score of her career in an 87-75 win over Auburn’s Katie Breedlove. “Ashlie drew a great horse that fit her riding style and she executed her game plan very, very well once she got on him,” A&M hunter seat coach Linzy Woolf said. Senior Lindsey Lawrence (College Station) upped her team-leading individual win total to seven over fences with a 77-69 flat win over Tiger Coburn Park. Sophomore Brittney Dodson (Amarillo) moved her record to 6-2 with an 82-76 win over Rebecca Rifkin. Despite losing a tight 3-2 battle over fences, A&M did have a few bright spots in the competition. Senior Katie Henion (Austin) earned her second most valuable rider award of the season in an 80-73 win over Auburn’s Dotty Grubb. Sophomore teammate Lindsay Smith (West Friendship, Md.) held onto a share of the team lead in fences with Henion by grabbing her fifth victory of the season, an 81-70 triumph over Jenny Reinhart. “We’ve had some trouble early on this year in fences but I’m really happy I saw the team that I’ve been looking for most of the season out there today,” Woolf said. “Everyone had real solid rides and no big mistakes. We took a big step in the right direction.” TEXAS A&M 12, BAYLOR 8

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

(Baytown) earned her second horsemanship win of the season with a 71-70.5 over Lindsey Douglas. Sophomore Christina Heine (Toledo, Ohio) was the lone Aggie to scratch the win column in equitation on the ﬂat. Heine earned a 72-48 win over Baylor’s Cara Wilson in what has been the Aggies’ most dominant discipline this season. In exhibition action, the Aggie western riders won three of their four matches. Junior Amanda Ryan (Ramona, Calif.) and sophomore Leah Ward (Terrell) earned dominating wins in reining while freshman Haley Cooper (Southlake) was victorious in her horsemanship match against the Bears’ Morgan Williams. Redshirt freshman Morgan Lucas (San Antonio) and freshman Henny Armstrong (Palm Beach, Fla.) earned hunter seat exhibitions wins with Lucas winning on the ﬂat and Armstrong doing likewise over fences. Redshirt freshman Merrin Mueller (Long Beach, Miss.) and freshman Julie Pipoly (Toledo, Ohio) earned ties in their exhibition fence rides as well.

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The Texas A&M equestrian team got back on the winning track with a 12-8 win over Baylor on Feb. 8 at the Willis Family Equestrian Center. The Aggie western riders grabbed a 7-3 win in the indoor pen while the hunter seat squad squeaked out a big come-from-behind tiebreaker victory in the outdoor ring after riding to a 5-5 draw. The reining and fences groups rebounded from tough losses last Saturday at Auburn to lead the way for the overall team against Baylor. One week after coming out on the wrong end of a 5-0 decision, A&M’s reining riders set the tone for the day against Baylor with a 4-1 win in the ﬁrst of the four disciplines to be decided. “It was nice to get on the road, have some successful rides and get back on the winning track,” A&M head

coach Tana Rawson said. “It was a little bit of a change of pace starting the show off with reining today. The reining girls did a great job of making the changes we talked about after a having a tough time last week. They really got the team off to a good start today.” Freshman Randi Standley (Madisonville) led the way individually for the Aggies, earning wins in both reining and horsemanship. Standley’s 71-68.5 horsemanship win over Maggie Griffin pushed her record in the discipline to an impressive 6-1 mark while her 7-67.5 reining win over Nicole McCoy evened her seasonal reining record to 2-2. Sophomore Maggie Gratny (Leavenworth, Kan.) equaled the highest score of the day for the western team with a 73-70.5 reining win over Baylor’s Katie Buss. Senior Genna Fishgold (Scottsdale, Ariz.) evened her seasonal reining record to 4-4 with a 66-0 blanking of the Bears’ Valtie Riddle. Freshman Tara Christiansen (Snohomish, Wash.) improved to 2-1-1 in the reining division with a 70-69 win over Baylor’s Kim Marlowe. A&M fence riders brought the hunter seat squad back from the brink of defeat by winning four of their five matches. The fence riders were the model of consistency as all five athletes earned scores between 75 and 79. Senior co-captain Katie Henion (Austin) posted the Aggies’ highest fence score in a 79-65 win over Shelby White. Three underclassmen earned wins over fences against the Bears as well. Co-captain Lindsay Smith (West Friendship, Md.) locked up the hunter seat team victory for the Aggies with a 75-50 win in the final match of the day. Sophomore Kristi Waldal (Battle Ground, Wash.) broke a three-match losing streak with a solid 7670 win over Beth Bannister. Freshman Brooke Coleman (Houston) earned her second fences win in her last three rides with a 76-74 win over Mary Smitson. “The fence girls had a lot of pressure on them today,” A&M hunter seat coach Linzy Woolf said. “We knew we were going into a tough situation and we had to ride almost perfect to achieve a win. I couldn’t have asked anything more of any of our five fence girls today. They were amazing.” In horsemanship, sophomore sensation Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.) equaled the Aggies’ highest western score of the day in a 73-69.5 horsemanship win over the Bears’ Allison Orosz. Senior Christine Sceets

SEASON IN REVIEW

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TEXAS A&M 14, KSU 8

The Texas A&M equestrian team earned its second consecutive win with a 14-8 victory over Kansas State at N.W. ‘Dick’ Freeman Arena on Feb. 23. A&M’s hunter seat group led the way for the team against the Wildcats (4-5) with a convincing 8-2 win. The English squad scored 4-1 margins of victory in both equitation on the flat and equitation over fences. The Aggies (8-2) also swept all four most valuable rider honors. “Kansas State is a traditionally strong team and I knew we’d have our work cut out for us,” A&M hunter seat coach Linzy Woolf said. “We enjoy competing against them because our teams are always pretty evenly matched. I thought we were prepared and put a lot of good rides in all week during practice. We came in very mentally focused and ready to pull out a win today.” A&M’s hunter seat captains did their share of the heavy lifting against KSU, raising both their seasonal records over fences to an impressive 8-2 mark. Sophomore Lindsay Smith earned her second most valuable rider of the season in an 86-82 shootout with KSU’s Kendall Marvin. Senior Katie Henion also produced a big score from the judge in an 84-78 win over Wildcat Bridget Doyle. “Both Katie and Lindsay have been wonderful leaders this year both in and out of the show ring,” Woolf said. “I feel like in any situation that I can put a little more pressure on them — and they have been in tough situations for us before — and they’ve been able to come through for us both in a team leadership standpoint and a performance aspect as well.” Sophomore Kristi Waldal rebounded from an early season fences loss to KSU’s Paige Sullivan to win over the Wildcat sophomore this time, 79-70. Freshman Brooke Coleman evened her yearly fences record at 4-4 with a 75-72 win over KSU senior Whitney Snyder. Senior Ashlie Soderstrom produced the highest score of her collegiate career in a 91-78 win over Wildcat Julie Wolfert. Soderstrom’s most valuable rider performance raised her record to 6-4. Both senior Viviana Cordero and junior Christina Matz snapped two-match losing streaks with wins over Kansas State. Cordero earned her second flat win of the year with an 81-72 win over Jenny Giraldin while Matz topped Kendall Marvin, 77-72. Sophomore Brittney Dodson equaled a team-high seventh win on the flat this season with an 81-79 victory over Leslie Yates. The Aggie horsemanship riders had another outstanding day, grabbing a 4-2 win over the Wildcats. Sophomore Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.) earned a team-high fourth most valuable rider honor of the season in a 74-71 win over Mikaela Sundgren. Junior co-captain Sibyl Parsons was awarded a collegiate career best score of 77.5 in a win over KSU’s Jana Lechtenberg (70). Freshman standout Randi Standley continued her torrid pace in the horsemanship division with her team-leading seventh victory of the season, a 76-72 win over Alyssa Freeman. Junior Amanda Ryan earned her second horsemanship victory of the year, a 75.5-72.5 win over Courtney Watters. In reining, senior Genna Fishgold grabbed her third most valuable rider award of the year in a 74-72 win over KSU’s Danielle Pettera. Sophomore Maggie Gratny added on to her team lead in reining victories with a 73.5-71 win over Wildcat Alecia Zimbelman.

TEXAS A&M 13, OSU 11 The Texas A&M equestrian team ended its home schedule with a big comeback over rival Oklahoma State in the final discipline in front of more than a thousand onlookers on Senior Day at N.W. ‘Dick’ Freeman Arena on Mar. 8. The Aggies entered the reining competition needing to win five of the six remaining matches to eke out a victory over the Cowgirls after OSU had fought its way to a 10-8 lead. The A&M reiners proved up to the task, winning exactly five of its six match-ups to earn the outright win. “(The reiners) were just trying to be more focused but yet not overanalyze everything,” A&M head coach Tana Rawson said. “We’ve learned a lot this semester from each other and learned how to work together, like a team should, really well. They put it all together at this show and the entire team got a huge benefit from it at just the right time.” The Aggie reiners completed an exact reversal of their 5-1 loss at Oklahoma State on Nov. 8 by first winning each of their first four match-ups on Saturday. Junior Genna Fishgold (Scottsdale, Ariz.) finished off the role reversal with a 73.5 to 69.5 victory over OSU’s Jacque Roberts in the final match of the day to secure the win in her competition-deciding ride. “Obviously, because of the nature of the way our sport is set up, when it does have a close finish there are those times it comes down to the last rider, be it a blessing or curse,” Rawson said. “Genna was extremely mentally prepared and went out and did her job.” Freshman standout Randi Standley (Madisonville) earned reining MVP honors with a 74.5-73.5 win over Cowgirl Bri Parnell. Sophomore Maggie Gratny (Leavenworth, Kan.) upped her reiner-leading season win total to seven with a 71.5-66.5 win over Leah Kuehn. Junior Tonna Brooks (Newberg, Ore.) and sophomore Maddi Williams (Valley View) both upped their sea-

sonal win totals to five each with wins over Courtney Whitacre (73.5-72) and Molly Tipton (73-72.5), respectively, to help seal the deal for the Aggies in the reining division. The Aggie horsemanship riders also had a splendid day, taking victories in four of their six matches. Junior co-captain Reneé Dirkse (Rockwall) turned in the highest score of her collegiate career in an MVP-winning 79.5 to 77.5 win over OSU’s Ashley Koch. The highest western score of the day was turned in by sophomore Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.) who posted an impressive margin of victory in an 80.5-71.5 win over Cowgirl Sam Davidson. Junior co-captain Sibyl Parsons (Combine) captured her seventh win of the season, tying the horsemanship team-high, with a 76-71.5 win over Suzanne Randolph. Christine Sceets (Baytown) made her Senior Day memorable with a 76.5-75 win over Margaux Tucker. On the hunter seat side, senior co-captain Katie Henion (Austin) won her team-leading ninth fences match of the season by taking home a high-scoring 85-82 victory over OSU freshman Hannah Beresford. Sophomore Kristi Waldal (Battle Ground, Wash.) squeaked out a 79-78 win over Cowgirl Jaclyn Osterstock to grab her seventh fences win of the year. Senior Ashlie Soderstrom (Lake Oswego, Ore.) closed out her home career in style with a victory over OSU senior Michelle Woolschlager on the flat, 66-61. Sophomore Brittney Dodson (Amarillo) won a flat-leading eighth win of the season thanks to a 77-69 victory over Sam Collingsworth. The Aggies honored their eight seniors during the team’s final home show of the 2007-08 season. Those honored were Viviana Cordero (Sunland, Calif.), Katie Henion, Lindsey Lawrence (College Station), Hanna Lindskog (Boerne), Christine Sceets, Erin Sharp (Elgin), Ashlie Soderstrom, and Megan Von Tungeln (Sugar Land).

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

SEASON IN REVIEW KSU 11, TEXAS A&M 5

TEXAS A&M 8, TCU 7

The top-seeded Texas A&M equestrian team dropped a 10-6 decision to fourth-seeded Baylor in the semifinal round of the Central Championships at Fox Creek Farm on Mar. 29. The Aggies fell behind 4-0 after the fences competition and spent the rest of the day trying to play catch-up. A&M did squeak out the tightest of wins in western riding, a 489.5-488.5 tiebreaker win after locking up with the Bears at four wins each. The hunter seat squad earned a split on the flat but fell over all 6-2. “We had a tough day today,” A&M head coach Tana Rawson. “We’re a lot better than we showed today and we look forward to getting things turned around tomorrow. That said, we did have some individuals make good things happen and we’re proud of what they contributed to us today.” Sophomore Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.) turned in the top individual performance of the day, scoring a day-high 77 points in a five-point horsemanship win over the Bears’ Allison Orosz. Freshman Randi Standley (Madisonville) earned the Aggies’ other horsemanship win, a 69.5-67 victory over Ashleigh Carlson. Junior Tonna Brooks (Newberg, Ore.) turned in a team-best reining score of 71 in a three-point win over Katrina Buss. Junior Genna Fishgold (Scottsdale, Ariz.) claimed the Aggie’ fourth and final western win, a 68-66 win over Lindsey Tomko. Senior Lindsey Lawrence (College Station) turned in A&M’s top hunter seat performance, defeating one of the top four seeds in next month’s individual national championship tournament. Lawrence turned back the Bears’ Nicole Brown, 68-65, in equitation on the flat. Sophomore Christina Heine (Toledo, Ohio) earned the Aggies’ second and final hunter seat win, a 64-59 victory over Cara Wilson.

The Texas A&M equestrian team dropped an 11-5 decision to host Kansas State in the consolation final of the Central Championships at Fox Creek Farm on Sunday. Oklahoma State (11-4) won its’ first-ever Central Championship team title after finishing second to the Aggies (9-4) a year ago. The Cowgirls defeated Baylor (8-11) for the team championship by a score of 10-6 while the Wildcats (7-7) finished third for the second straight season. One of the bright spots for A&M on Sunday came in the horsemanship division. Sophomore Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.) earned most valuable rider honors after turning in the highest horsemanship score of any rider on any team all weekend long. Gunn defeated Kansas State’s Jana Lechtenberg, 79.5-77, for her fourth MVP honor of the season. Gunn was so dominant in her forte’ that she turned in two of the three highest scores out of the 32 total horsemanship rides by all four teams for the weekend. Senior Christine Sceets (Baytown) earned her fourth horsemanship victory of the season, allowing the Aggies to take a split with the KSU in the discipline. Senior Lindsey Lawrence (College Station) completed a perfect weekend for herself by claiming a 72-67 victory over Kansas State’s Jenny Giraldin in equitation on the flat. Junior Genna Fishgold (Scottsdale, Ariz.) also won her second match in as many days, scoring a 69.5-69 reining win over KSU’s Alyssa Freeman. Junior Erin Ivy (Cypress) put to rest a four-match winless drought over fences by grabbing an 81-79 victory over Wildcat Kendall Marvin.

Sophomore Kristi Waldal (Battle Ground, Wash.) put the Texas A&M equestrian team on her shoulders in the day’s final ride and carried them to a team victory against Texas Christian University on Friday afternoon. With the entire match in the balance and needing no less than the third best fences score of the entire day to capture victory, Waldal came through with her second best ride of the year to push the Aggies (10-4) back into the win column as a team with an 84-80 win. The victory also ended a personal two-match losing streak and upped her seasonal record to 8-6. “I had been watching the scores and I knew things weren’t going as good as they could have for us,” Waldal said. “I also knew my girl had an 80 which is a pretty good score. It’s tough to go second and try to beat a high score like that. The other thing is that the fence riders almost never are the last group to go so we’ve never really been in a position to win or lose the show for the entire team before. I was really happy overall with my ride but I was worried about my last fence and how that would play into my score. However I was still happy with how consistent I was and how I kept everything under control and smooth.” The hunter seat squad also pulled out a 4-3 win thanks to Waldal’s close-out victory. A&M earned a 2-1 win on the flat while earning a tiebreaker win over fences after locking up with TCU at two wins apiece. “The hunter seat team really came together this weekend and found a new game plan,” A&M hunter seat coach Linzy Woolf said. “Their hard work, determination, and dedication really paid off. Even with a few individual losses, the team was solid today. I was really proud of the way they all — including Kristi — knowing that it was coming down to her, were able to help her keep her composure and focus to get the job done.” Lindsay Smith (West Friendship, Md.) earned MVP honors over fences with a 75-70 win over TCU’s Carrie von Uhlit. Waldal beat Horned Frog Lauren Quiroz, 8480, over fences as well. Junior Christina Matz (McKinney) turned in the best flat score of the day in an 82-72 win over Tassie Munroe. Senior Lindsey Lawrence (College Station) earned her 10th win of the season with a 70-63 flat win over Kat Rhode. Sophomore Brittney Dodson (Amarillo) earned a tie with Kindel Huffman on the flat at 75 points apiece. The western match-up between the Aggies and Horned Frogs ended up as advertised. TCU, the No. 1 seed for this year’s Varsity Equestrian National Championships (VENC), squeaked out the closest of possible tiebreaker wins after the two teams tied at four wins each. TCU beat the Aggies, 494.5-494, in cumulative judges’ scores after the dust settled. Sophomore Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.) earned her seventh straight horsemanship win with a 76.5-70.5 triumph over Jessica Bailey. Junior Tonna Brooks (Newberg, Ore.) also earned a horsemanship win, taking down TCU’s Carrie von Uhlit, 73-70.5. In reining, junior Genna Fishgold (Scottsdale, Ariz.) captured her sixth straight win, taking a 67-66 win over Jennifer Neel. Sophomore Maddi Williams (Valley View) also claimed victory with a 73-68 win over Ashton Mickunas.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

REVIEW

BAYLOR 10, TEXAS A&M 6

SEASON IN REVIEW

REVIEW

VENC DAY ONE

The Texas A&M equestrian team waited more than 12 hours to begin competing but, once given the chance, proved the wait more than worth it on the first of three days of action at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships. The A&M western team started the day off by jumping out to a 3-1 lead following horsemanship over a Kansas State team that dropped the Aggies 5-3 just three weeks ago in Manhattan, Kan. Junior co-captain Sibyl Parsons (Combine) led both in and out of the ring on Thursday, cruising to the best two-judge score of her career in a 150.5-146 victory over KSU’s Alyssa Freeman. Sophomore Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.) won her team leading 11th victory of the season with a workmanlike 149-145 win over Wildcat Laura Browne. Senior Christine Sceets (Baytown) began the final collegiate show of her career with a huge 149-148 win over KSU’s Lindsey Salsbury to secure the 3-1 lead for the Aggies. Kansas State’s western team earned the right to face A&M after spanking Tennessee-Martin, 8-0, in the first round of the tournament. A&M’s hunter seat team also began their national show by facing Kansas State after receiving a bye in the first round. The hunter team, like the western squad, is also looking to avenge a loss, 6-2, three weeks ago to the Wildcats. The Aggies wasted no time in trying to do so by throwing up large numbers in the fence rounds. Sophomore co-captain Lindsay Smith (West Friendship, Md.) turned in one of the better rides of her collegiate career, winning a 167-163 shootout with Kansas State senior Whitney Snyder. Smith’s score was thirdhighest among 48 fence rides on Thursday. Fellow hunter seat co-captain and senior Katie Henion (Austin) was equally as impressive, winning another high-scoring affair over Kansas State. Henion squeaked out a 161-159 win over Wildcat Ashley Collett to snap a three-match winless streak and continue A&M’s burst of momentum after Smith’s strong ride. Sophomore Kristi Waldal (Battle Ground, Wash.) won a 155-150 match-up over KSU’s Kendall Marvin to secure the second of the Aggies’ three fence triumphs on Thursday night. The win is Waldal’s third straight at the VENC show over the last two years. Kansas State’s hunter seat team got the chance to face the Aggies after coming out on top of No. 10 Delaware State thanks to the raw score tiebreaker after the two teams locked up at 4-4.

VENC DAY TWO The Texas A&M equestrian team’s hunter seat half grabbed the spotlight and ran with it on the second of three days of competition at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships at the Heart O’ Texas Fair Complex on Apr. 18. The hunter seat, or English, group qualified for its first-ever national championship final with an impressive defeat of three-time national champion Georgia, 6-2. The Aggies were consistent in their success, earning 3-1 wins over the Bulldogs in both flat and fences. “This whole year has been wonderful,” A&M hunter seat coach Linzy Woolf said. “This has been one fabulous ride to this point. It’s been so much fun to see this team come together. We’ve had some really, really high times and a few lows but I think all the experiences we’ve had this year have taught us a lot and helped us use that to do what we’ve been able to do here at nationals. We are not only physically prepared, but mentally prepared to put in the best runs we are capable of tomorrow.” The win marks the second of the season for the Aggies over Georgia as well as hunter coach Linzy Woolf’s first ever in championship competition over her collegiate mentor Meghan Boenig, who coached A&M’s English riders from 1999-2001. “To do something like this is very satisfying, but in my mind anything is possible if you work hard enough,” Woolf said. “Meghan has done great things with the Georgia program and for the collegiate sport as a whole. To be able to go toe-to-toe with a team like theirs that is a national championship contender every year and have the kind of success we did makes today’s experience very special.” Junior Erin Ivy (Cypress) used her fifth fences win of the season to clinch victory over the Bulldogs and a spot in the championship match for the Aggies. Ivy out-pointed Georgia senior Kelly Bonau, 161-147, to give the A&M hunter seat squad its first palpable chance at a team championship in the program’s nine year history.

Sophomore Lindsay Smith (West Friendship, Md.) turned in her second dominant fences run in as many days to set the final team score at 6-2. Smith out-pointed Georgia star sophomore Haylie Jayne, 166-165, in the highest scoring match in any discipline of the entire week. Senior co-captain Katie Henion (Austin) got the ball rolling over fences for A&M with a 153-149 win over Bulldog freshman Kitt Ritter. Henion’s and Smith’s victories give them each 11 for the season, ranking them as the most prolific riders on the hunter seat team. On the flat, sophomore Brittney Dodson (Amarillo) edged past Haylie Jayne of Georgia, 155-154, to give the Aggies a 3-1 advantage heading into fences. Junior Christina Matz (McKinney), riding for the first time this week, made the most of her opportunity by cranking out a 150-142 flat win over Kelly Bonau. Senior co-captain Ashlie Soderstrom (Lake Oswego, Ore.) earned her first flat win of the week by beating Georgia sophomore Daisy Whalen, 135-123. The hunter seat team qualified for the semifinals for the first time ever by handling Kansas State, 5-2, in the quarterfinal round. The Aggies carried a 3-1 lead into Friday morning over the Wildcats after a very successful fence run as a group on Thursday night. The flat crew took the lead and ran with it, beating KSU 2-1. The win avenged a 6-2 beating by the Wildcats three weeks ago at the Central Championships in Manhattan, Kan. A pair of sophomores put the Aggies over the top with flat wins. Brittney Dodson posted her ninth victory of the season with a team high score in a 155-139 win over KSU’s senior Whitney Snyder. Christina Heine (Toledo, Ohio) won her second straight competition with a 149134 triumph over Wildcat Leslie Yates. Senior Lindsey Lawrence (College Station) earned a 149-149 tie with KSU’s Jenny Giraldin as well. The Aggie western riders were not as fortunate as the hunter riders in taking a 3-1 quarterfinal lead into Friday against Kansas State. The Wildcats beat A&M 3-1 in

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

reining, locking the match up at 4 wins apiece. However, Kansas State’s reiners not only grabbed A&M’s momentum, but also their advantage in the tiebreaker, giving them the overall win by the smallest margin possible, 1,013.5 to 1,013, and ending A&M’s chance to repeat as national champions. Following the loss, the Aggies dropped into the consolation bracket to face No. 9 Baylor. A&M used its disappointment as motivation to end the Bears’ chance at a second upset in as many days by a 4-2 margin. Sophomore Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.) won her 10th straight horsemanship match by throwing up the highest score of the week in a 151.5-143 win over Baylor sophomore Lindsey Tomko. Freshman Randi Standley (Madisonville) also came up big for the Aggies by winning both her horsemanship and reining competitions against Baylor. Standley earned a 140-138 win over Bear sophomore Madelyn Mooney while turning in an impressive horsemanship run in a 148.5-137.5 win over Lindsay Douglas. Standley also earned A&M’s only reining win over Kansas State, a 139129 win over Alecia Zimbelman. Sophomore Maddi Williams (Valley View) earned a 146-145.5 win over Bear sophomore Valtie Riddle to get the Aggies’ in the win column ﬁrst for the western team in their battle with Baylor. VENC DAY THREE

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

and final match. Matz squeaked past talented Auburn freshman Alexandra Loprete, 155-154, to keep the Aggies’ team chances alive. After Auburn scored a win in the first fences match, sophomore Kristi Waldal (Battle Ground, Wash.) cut Auburn’s lead to 4-2 with a 165-161 win over Tiger Anna Schierholz. The Tigers mathematically clinched the team win after junior Erin Ivy (Cypress) rode to a 157-157 tie with Auburn’s Dotty Grubb but also added a win in the final match-up to make the final score 5-2. “It’s been an awesome year,” A&M hunter seat coach Linzy Woolf said. “Sure we would have loved to have won today but I still couldn’t be more proud of the tremendous progress we’ve made as a group and all the things we accomplished this year.” A&M’s second place hunter finish is easily the highest in school history as this marked the first year the Aggies made it as far as the semifinal round. The A&M western riders earned a 6-2 win over South Carolina in a fifth-place contest that matched up the two championship finalists from a season ago. The Aggie reiners swept the Gamecocks for the second straight season on championship Saturday. Junior Genna Fishgold (Scottsdale, Ariz.) ended her season as the Aggies’ top reiner with a 10-6 record thanks to a 141-134.5 win over Kylie Thurlow. Sophomore Maggie Gratny (Leveanworth, Kan.) won her reining match by an impressive 144.5-130.5 margin to close the season with an 8-7-1 mark. Fellow soph Maddi Williams (Valley View) squeaked out a 141-140 victory over to finish the season with eight victories as well. Freshman Randi Standley (Madisonville) also won her reining match by a 144-142 margin over Rebekah Roof. In addition to Caroline Gunn’s 152-143.5 win over Katy Biffle in horsemanship, junior Sibyl Parsons (Combine) scored a 149-141.5 win over Biffle’s sister, Amy. Parsons ends the year with a stellar record of 9-4-2. The A&M equestrian team’s second place overall finish equals its second best effort in the seven year history of the Varsity Equestrian National Championship.

REVIEW

The Texas A&M equestrian team earned a second place overall finish for the second consecutive season at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships which finished up at the Heart O’ Texas Fair Complex on Apr. 19. The University of Georgia won its first overall national title since 2004 thanks to a second place finish in western riding and a third place finish in hunter seat competition. Georgia out-pointed A&M, 49-38, for the top spot. Auburn finished an eyelash behind the Aggies for third with 37.5 points. “We’re extremely happy with finishing as reserve national champions in the overall race for the second

year in a row,” A&M head coach Tana Rawson said. “The quality and talent of the riders at this event has increased tenfold just in the past year. With the expansion of this sport, more and more talented riders are coming in and the coaching is just getting better and better. We are really thrilled at how much our hunter seat team has leaped forward just in the last year as well.” Texas A&M sophomore Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.) capped a sensational year by earning the first-ever VENC individual horsemanship national title. Gunn got better every time she stepped into the ring on Saturday, scoring a championship record total of 152 in the fifthplace team match against South Carolina. She upped it to 152.5 in defeating Stephanie Sanders of TennesseeMartin (142) in the individual semifinals. In the championship match, Gunn laid out arguably the best run of her entire season scoring a 155, three-and-a-half points higher than any other rider all week long and setting a new championship record for the third time in one day. Gunn’s championship opponent, Laura Upton of Georgia, could only muster a score of 142 on the same horse to give Gunn her 12th consecutive, and historically most important, win of the season. Gunn ends the year with a sparkling horsemanship record of 15-2-1 and the VENC’s first ever national title in the discipline. “Riding in the individual rounds in a way reminded me of showing on my own like we do when we’re not riding for our schools,” Gunn said. “I’m very happy with all of my rides and excited to have been able to represent the team and win this for them as well.” The Aggie hunter team’s best run ever at a national championship show ended with a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Auburn. Auburn defeated A&M 3-1 on the flat and 2-1 over fences to earn its first ever hunter seat national championship. Auburn jumped on the Aggies from the get-go on the flat, 3-0, however junior Christina Matz (McKinney) stemmed the orange and blue tide by throwing up the highest flat score of the championship round in the fourth

MATCH-BY-MATCH RESULTS TEXAS A &M 16, STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 4

TEXAS A &M 11, GEORGIA 9

Sunday, Sept. 30, 2007 N.W. ‘Dick’ Freeman Arena • College Station, Texas

Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007 N.W. ‘Dick’ Freeman Arena • College Station, Texas

HUNTER SEAT: A & M 8, SFA 2

HUNTER SEAT: A & M 7, GEORGIA 5

FENCES: A & M 3, SFA 2 Liz Landes .................................... SFA Kristi Waldal .................................. A&M Lindsay Smith ............................... A&M Katie Henion................................ A&M Kristin Landes ............................... SFA

def. def. def. def. def.

Viviana Cordero ...............A&M...................78-76 Alex Berry ........................SFA....................80-74 Randi Spencer .................SFA....................77-73 Shannon Zelikoff..............SFA....................79-72 Erin Ivy.............................A&M................78.5-75

FLAT: A & M 5, SFA 0 Brooke Coleman ........................... A&M Brittney Dodson.......................... A&M Ashlie Soderstrom ........................ A&M Lindsey Lawrence......................... A&M Christina Matz............................... A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Cat Brennan ....................SFA....................65-49 Kristin Landes ..................SFA....................79-51 Shannon Zelikoff..............SFA....................77-47 Andrea Routzon...............SFA....................80-67 Randi Spencer .................SFA....................68-46

WESTERN: A & M 8, SFA 2 HORSEMANSHIP: A & M 3, SFA 2 Amanda Cushman ........................ A&M Caroline Gunn ............................. A&M Lydia Roof..................................... SFA Kyra Cruse.................................... SFA Sibyl Parsons................................ A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Felicia Shartle ..................SFA....................71-70 Jenny Martin ....................SFA.................75-70.5 Christine Sceets ..............A&M................69.5-69 Tonna Brooks...................A&M.....................62-0 Kayla Krambeck ..............SFA.................73.5-71

REINING: SFA 5, A & M 0

REVIEW

Genna Fishgold ............................ A&M Maddi Williams ............................. A&M Maggie Gratny............................. A&M Crissy Greebon............................. A&M Amanda Ryan ............................... A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Kayle Bernal ....................SFA.................72-70.5 Felicia Shartle ..................SFA....................72-63 Jenny Martin ....................SFA..............71.5-66.5 Lydia Roof........................SFA...................60.5-0 Kyra Cruse.......................SFA....................72-69

TEXAS A &M 11, NEW MEXICO STATE 9 Friday, Oct. 12, 2007 N.W. ‘Dick’ Freeman Arena • College Station, Texas

FENCES: A & M 3, GEORGIA 3 Mary Fulp...................................... UGA Kristi Waldal .................................. A&M Kelly Bonau .................................. UGA Lindsay Smith ............................... A&M Katie Henion ................................. A&M Haylie Jayne ................................ UGA

def. def. def. def. def. def.

Erin Ivy.............................A&M...................78-76 Melinda Drury ..................UGA...................82-67 Brooke Coleman ..............A&M...................76-73 Daisy Whelan ..................UGA...................79-70 Kelley Cowperthwait ........UGA...................81-72 Viviana Cordero ...............A&M...................84-74

FLAT: A & M 4, GEORGIA 2 Christina Heine ............................. A&M Brooke Coleman ........................... A&M Kelly Bonau .................................. UGA Lindsey Lawrence......................... A&M Haylie Jayne ................................ UGA Brittney Dodson ............................ A&M

def. def. def. def. def. def.

Lauren Kulwicki ...............UGA...................76-75 Daisy Whelan ..................UGA...................65-62 Christina Matz..................A&M...................70-64 Michelle Blair ...................UGA.....................68-0 Ashlie Soderstrom ...........A&M...................80-74 Melinda Drury ..................UGA...................80-77

WESTERN: GEORGIA 4, A & M 4 HORSEMANSHIP: A & M 2, GEORGIA 1 Randi Standley ............................. A&M Caroline Gunn .............................. A&M Amanda Ryan.............................. A&M Tonna Brooks................................ A&M Kelley Mundrick ............................ UGA Sibyl Parsons................................ A&M

def. tied tied def. def. tied

Lana Wirsig......................UGA.............74.5-72.5 Catherine Pennington ......UGA...................70-70 Alicia Shrum ....................UGA.............71.5-71.5 Laura Upton .....................UGA................75-74.5 Christine Sceets ..............A&M................73.5-73 Andrea Turnbull ...............UGA.............74.5-74.5

REINING: GEORGIA 3, A & M 2 Genna Fishgold .......................... A&M Lindsey Stier ................................. UGA Kate Stewart ................................. UGA Amanda Ryan ............................... A&M Diandra St. Hilaire ........................ UGA Randi Standley ............................. A&M

def. def. def. tied def. def.

Nichole Grant...................UGA................72.5-66 Maggie Gratny .................A&M...................72-70 Tonna Brooks...................A&M...................70-67 Sarah Locker ...................UGA...................69-69 Maddi Williams ................A&M...................72-69 Christina Grant ................UGA UGA............. 69.5-68.5 .............69.5-68.5

HUNTER SEAT: A & M 6, NMSU 4 FENCES: A & M 3, NMSU 2 Kristin Engle ................................. NMSU Brooke Coleman ........................... A&M Lindsay Smith ............................... A&M Meg Keeley .................................. NMSU Erin Ivy.......................................... A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Kristi Waldal .....................A&M...................85-60 Beth Robinson .................NMSU ................84-72 Jennifer Friend.................NMSU ................80-75 Katie Henion ....................A&M...................84-72 Krystal Mack ....................NMSU ................85-79

FLAT: A & M 3, NMSU 2 Jennifer Friend.............................. NMSU Kristin Engle ................................. NMSU Lindsey Lawrence ...................... A&M Ashlie Soderstrom ........................ A&M Christina Matz............................... A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Brittney Dodson ...............A&M................78-74.5 Viviana Cordero ...............A&M.............80.5-76.5 Catie Helmuth ..................NMSU .............80.5-65 Krystal Mack ....................NMSU ................75-73 Meg Keeley......................NMSU ................76-73

WESTERN: A & M 5, NMSU 5 HORSEMANSHIP: NMSU 3, A & M 2 Kate Chesley ............................... NMSU Caroline Gunn .............................. A&M Codi Binkerd ................................. NMSU Sibyl Parsons................................ A&M Rachael Krause ............................ NMSU

def. def. def. def. def.

Tonna Brooks...................A&M................73-71.5 Kelli Younker ....................NMSU ..........74.5-71.5 Amanda Cushman ..........A&M................72.5-71 Bryn Wells .......................NMSU ..........75.5-70.5 Randi Standley ................A&M.............73.5-72.5

REINING: A & M 3, NMSU 2 Kate Chesley ................................ NMSU Breanne Bertrand ......................... NMSU Maggie Gratny............................. A&M Maddi Williams ............................. A&M Tonna Brooks................................ A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Amanda Ryan ..................A&M................72.5-65 Genna Fishgold ...............A&M................70-62.5 Rachael Krause ...............NMSU ................73-68 Kelli Younker ....................NMSU ................70-69 Bryn Wells .......................NMSU .............73-66.5

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

MATCH-BY-MATCH RESULTS TEXAS A &M 16, BAYLOR 8

TEXAS A &M 12, KANSAS STATE 8

Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007 N.W. ‘Dick’ Freeman Arena • College Station, Texas

Friday, Nov. 9, 2007 Fox Creek Farm • Manhattan, Kan.

HUNTER SEAT: A & M 6, BAYLOR 6

HUNTER SEAT: A & M 6, KSU 4

FENCES: A & M 3, BAYLOR 3 Kendra Vicary ............................... BU Kristi Waldal .................................. A&M Katie Henion ................................. A&M Mary Smitson................................ BU Lindsay Smith ............................. A&M Nicole Brown ................................ BU

def. def. def. def. def. def.

Brooke Coleman ..............A&M...................89-85 Shelby White ...................BU .....................86-79 Analisa Muti .....................BU .....................87-78 Henrietta Armstrong.........A&M...................88-84 Beth Banister ...................BU .....................86-83 Erin Ivy.............................A&M...................83-82

FLAT: A & M 3, BAYLOR 3 Kendra Vicary ............................... BU Lindsey Lawrence......................... A&M Mary Smitson................................ BU Christina Heine ........................... A&M Brittney Dodson ............................ A&M Nicole Brown ................................ BU

def. def. def. def. def. def.

Brooke Coleman ..............A&M...................76-68 Beth Banister ...................BU .....................82-79 Christina Matz..................A&M...................77-73 Shelby White ...................BU .....................87-72 Cara Wilson .....................BU .....................82-67 Ashlie Soderstrom ...........A&M...................74-64

WESTERN: A & M 10, BAYLOR 2 HORSEMANSHIP: A & M 4, BAYLOR 2 Randi Standley ............................. A&M Amanda Ryan ............................... A&M Morgan Williams ......................... BU Christine Sceets ........................... A&M Lindsay Douglas ........................... BU Sibyl Parsons................................ A&M

def. def. def. def. def. def.

Allison Orosz ...................BU .....................73-70 Lindsey Tomko.................BU ...............73.5-71.5 Caroline Gunn .................A&M...................74-72 Missy Gonzalez ...............BU ..................72-69.5 Tonna Brooks...................A&M................75.5-70 Nicole McCoy ..................BU .....................74-73

REINING: A & M 6, BAYLOR 0 def. def. def. def. def. def.

Katie Buss .......................BU ..................73.5-72 Madelyn Mooney .............BU ...............71.5-70.5 Nicole McCoy ..................BU ..................71.5-69 Valtie Riddle.....................BU ..................72.5-70 Lindsey Tomko.................BU ...............70.5-67.5 Morgan Williams ..............BU ..................67.5-64

TEXAS A &M 8, SMU 3 Friday, Nov. 2, 2007 Park Lane Equestrian Center • Dallas, Texas

def. def. def. def. def.

Kendall Marvin .................KSU ...................79-72 Bridget Doyle ...................KSU ...................78-77 Kristi Waldal .....................A&M...................74-50 Erin Ivy.............................A&M...................83-76 Katie Henion ....................A&M...................82-55

FLAT: A & M 4, KSU 1 Christina Matz............................... A&M Ashlie Soderstrom ........................ A&M Brittney Dodson ............................ A&M Jenny Giraldin............................... KSU Christina Heine ........................... A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Leslie Yates .....................KSU ...................81-76 Kendall Marvin .................KSU ...................75-67 Whitney Snyder ...............KSU ...................81-74 Lindsey Lawrence............A&M...................70-67 Katie Mellon .....................KSU ...................80-75

WESTERN: A & M 6, KSU 4 HORSEMANSHIP: A & M 3, KSU 2 Lindsey Salsbury .......................... KSU Alyssa Freeman............................ KSU Sibyl Parsons................................ A&M Caroline Gunn ............................. A&M Randi Standley ............................. A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Tonna Brooks...................A&M................72-63.5 Amanda Ryan ..................A&M...................73-71 Laura Browne ..................KSU ................73-72.5 Jana Lechtenberg ............KSU ...................73-72 Courtney Watters .............KSU ................73-72.5

REINING: A & M 3, KSU 2 Morgan Campbell ......................... KSU Tonna Brooks ............................. A&M Alyssa Freeman............................ KSU Maddi Williams ............................. A&M Maggie Gratny .............................. KSU

def. def. def. def. def.

Genna Fishgold ...............A&M................72.5-72 Dani Pettera.....................KSU ................74-72.5 Amanda Ryan ..................A&M................69-60.5 Kaylee Stout ....................KSU ................71-69.5 Alecia Zimbelman ............KSU ................72.5-72

REVIEW

Tara Christiansen.......................... A&M Maggie Gratny .............................. A&M Amanda Ryan ............................... A&M Genna Fishgold .......................... A&M Tonna Brooks................................ A&M Maddi Williams ............................. A&M

FENCES: KSU 3, A & M 2 Lindsay Smith ............................... A&M Brooke Coleman ........................... A&M Paige Sullivan ............................... KSU Leslie Yates .................................. KSU Whitney Snyder .......................... KSU

HUNTER SEAT: A & M 8, SMU 3* FENCES: SMU 3, A & M 3 Erica Buie ..................................... SMU Kathryn Garvie.............................. SMU Katie Henion ................................. A&M Kristi Waldal .................................. A&M Erin Ivy.......................................... A&M Lauren Lieberman ...................... SMU

def. def. def. def. def. def.

Henrietta Armstrong.........A&M...................77-75 Brooke Coleman ..............A&M...................82-73 Melissa Kowlachik ...........SMU ..................75-70 Kate Wilson .....................SMU ..................80-70 Kristen Collins..................SMU ..................79-76 Lindsay Smith ..................A&M...................77-60

FLAT: A & M 5, SMU 1 Viviana Cordero .......................... A&M def. Maia Van Dyke ................SMU ..................86-75 Renee Delisse .............................. SMU def. Christina Heine ................A&M...................72-68 Lindsey Lawrence......................... A&M def. Laura Ratliff .....................SMU ..................67-46 Christina Matz............................... A&M def. Haley Hyland ...................SMU ..................79-50 Ashlie Soderstrom ........................ A&M def. Amanda Vining ................SMU ..................62-61 Brittney Dodson ........................... A&M def. Keeya Jones ....................SMU ..................76-59 * - one point deduction for pre-show rulebook violation

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

MATCH-BY-MATCH RESULTS OKLAHOMA STATE 17, TEXAS A &M 9

AUBURN 11, TEXAS A &M 9

Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007 Animal Science Arena • Stillwater, Okla.

Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008 Auburn Equestrian Center • Auburn, Ala.

HUNTER SEAT: OSU 9, A & M 5

HUNTER SEAT: OSU 5, A & M 5

FENCES: OSU 4, A & M 3 Amanda Goldman......................... A&M Erin Ivy.......................................... A&M Devon Smithburg .......................... OSU Katie Henion ................................. A&M Bailey Mahoney .......................... OSU Hannah Beresford ........................ OSU Jaclyn Osterstock ......................... OSU

def. def. def. def. def. def. def.

Erin Prutow ......................OSU...................50-45 Ally Blais ..........................OSU...................79-74 Kristi Waldal .....................A&M...................78-76 Natalie Chappell ..............OSU...................73-50 Brooke Coleman ..............A&M...................80-73 Henrietta Armstrong.........A&M...................81-63 Lindsay Smith ..................A&M...................72-67

FLAT: OSU 5, A & M 2 Ally Blais ....................................... OSU Sarah Summers............................ OSU Lindsey Lawrence......................... A&M Michelle Woolschlager.................. OSU Bailey Mahoney .......................... OSU Sam Collingsworth........................ OSU Christina Heine ............................. A&M

def. def. def. def. def. def. def.

Viviana Cordero ...............A&M.............71.5-66.5 Christina Matz..................A&M...................68-63 Brittany Myers..................OSU................67-63.5 Brittney Dodson ...............OSU................66.5-65 Ashlie Soderstrom ...........A&M.............73.5-70.5 Brooke Coleman ..............A&M................73.5-58 Charlotte Collingsworth ...OSU...................71-66

WESTERN: OSU 8, A & M 4 HORSEMANSHIP: OSU 3, A & M 3 Randi Standley ............................. A&M Ashley Koch ................................ OSU Reneé Dirkse ................................ A&M Sibyl Parsons................................ A&M Amanda Cushman ........................ A&M Margaux Tucker ............................ OSU Suzanne Randolph ....................... OSU

def. def. def. tied def. def. def.

Sam Davidson .................OSU...................76-74 Amanda Ryan ..................A&M................76-72.5 Jordan Pickleman ............OSU................73.5-73 LeAnna McNally ..............OSU.............73.5-73.5 Courtney Whitacre ...........OSU...................77-76 Caroline Gunn .................A&M................74.5-74 Tonna Brooks...................A&M.............71.5-68.5

REVIEW

REINING: OSU 5, A & M 1 Molly Tipton ................................ OSU Tara Christiansen.......................... A&M Rachel Currat ............................... OSU Leah Kuehn .................................. OSU Tonna Brooks................................ A&M Rachell Shobe .............................. OSU Brianne Parnell ............................. OSU

def. tied def. def. def. def. def.

Genna Fishgold ...............A&M................73-72.5 Jacque Roberts ...............OSU...................72-72 Randi Standley ................A&M...................75-74 Maggie Gratny .................A&M................72-71.5 LeeAnna McNally ............OSU..................73.5-0 Amanda Ryan ..................A&M.............71.5-60.5 Maddi Williams ................A&M................76-74.5

FENCES: AUBURN 3, A & M 2 Anna Schierholz ........................... AUB Jessica Braswell ........................... AUB Katie Henion................................ A&M Ali Loprete .................................... AUB Lindsay Smith ............................... A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Christina Heine ................A&M...................78-75 Kristi Waldal .....................A&M...................82-75 Dottie Grubb ....................AUB ...................80-73 Erin Ivy.............................A&M...................80-78 Jenny Reinhart ................AUB ...................81-70

FLAT: A & M 3, AUBURN 2 Jenny Reinhart............................ AUB Ali Loprete .................................... AUB Lindsey Lawrence......................... A&M Brittney Dodson ............................ A&M Ashlie Soderstrom ........................ A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Viviana Cordero ...............A&M...................80-71 Christina Heine ................A&M...................82-81 Coburn Park ....................AUB ...................77-69 Rebecca Rifkin ................AUB ...................82-76 Katie Breedlove ...............AUB ...................87-75

WESTERN: AUBURN 6, A & M 4 HORSEMANSHIP: A & M 4, AUBURN 1 Kylie Miller .................................... AUB Amanda Cushman ........................ A&M Sibyl Parsons................................ A&M Caroline Gunn ............................. A&M Randi Standley ............................. A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Christine Sceets ..............A&M................73.5-72 Kim Tidwell ......................AUB ................73.5-73 Ashley Milton ...................AUB ................74.5-73 Amy Bohan ......................AUB .............75.5-73.5 Jessica Jones ..................AUB .............72.5-71.5

REINING: AUBURN 5, A & M 0 Paige Monfore ............................. AUB Julie Gibbes .................................. AUB Kim Tidwell ................................... AUB Lyndsey Jordan ............................ AUB Ashton Fairy ................................. AUB

def. def. def. def. def.

Tara Christiansen.............A&M...................76-74 Randi Standley ................A&M................73.5-73 Maddi Williams ................A&M................73-70.5 Maggie Gratny .................A&M.............74.5-72.5 Genna Fishgold ...............A&M................72.5-67

TEXAS A &M 12, BAYLOR 8 Friday, Feb. 8, 2008 Willis Family Equestrian Center • Waco, Texas

HUNTER SEAT: A & M 5, BAYLOR 5 FENCES: A & M 4, BAYLOR 1 Katie Henion ................................. A&M Kristi Waldal .................................. A&M Brooke Coleman ........................... A&M Nicole Brown............................... BU Lindsay Smith ............................... A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Shelby White ...................BU .....................79-65 Beth Banister ...................BU .....................76-70 Mary Smitson...................BU .....................76-74 Erin Ivy.............................A&M...................81-78 Heather Healy..................BU .....................75-50

FLAT: BAYLOR 4, A & M 1 Shelby White ................................ BU Mary Smitson................................ BU Christina Heine ............................. A&M Heather Healy............................... BU Nicole Brown............................... BU

def. def. def. def. def.

Lindsey Lawrence............A&M................80-77.5 Ashlie Soderstrom ...........A&M.............77.5-76.5 Cara Wilson .....................BU .....................72-48 Brittney Dodson ...............A&M.............78.5-73.5 Christina Matz..................A&M...................80-77

WESTERN: A & M 7, BAYLOR 3 HORSEMANSHIP: A & M 3, BAYLOR 2 Ashleigh Carlson .......................... BU Randi Standley ............................. A&M Nicole McCoy .............................. BU Christine Sceets ........................... A&M Caroline Gunn .............................. A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Sibyl Parsons...................A&M................72.5-71 Maggie Grifﬁn ..................BU ..................71-68.5 Amanda Cushman ...........A&M.............74.5-71.5 Lindsay Douglas ..............BU ..................71-70.5 Allison Orosz ...................BU .....................73-69

REINING: A & M 4, BAYLOR 1 Tara Christiansen.......................... A&M Madelyn Mooney......................... BU Genna Fishgold ............................ A&M Randi Standley ............................. A&M Maggie Gratny .............................. A&M

def. def. def. def. def.

Kim Marlowe ....................BU .....................70-69 Maddi Williams ................A&M.............73.5-71.5 Valtie Riddle.....................BU .......................66-0 Nicole McCoy ..................BU ..................71-67.5 Katie Buss .......................BU ..................73-70.5

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

MATCH-BY-MATCH RESULTS TEXAS A &M 14, KANSAS STATE 8

TEXAS A &M 13, OKLAHOMA STATE 11

Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008 N.W. ‘Dick’ Freeman Arena • College Station, Texas

Saturday, Mar. 8, 2008 N.W. ‘Dick’ Freeman Arena • College Station, Texas

HUNTER SEAT: A & M 8, KSU 2

HUNTER SEAT: OSU 8, A & M 4

FENCES: A & M 4, KSU 1 Brooke Coleman ........................... A&M Kristi Waldal .................................. A&M Lindsay Smith ............................. A&M Ashley Collett................................ KSU Erin Ivy.......................................... A&M Katie Henion ................................. A&M

def. def. def. def. tied def.

Whitney Snyder ...............KSU ...................75-72 Paige Sullivan ..................KSU ...................79-70 Kendall Marvin .................KSU ...................86-82 Henrietta Armstrong.........A&M...................76-71 Leslie Yates .....................KSU ...................73-73 Bridget Doyle ...................KSU ...................84-78

FLAT: A & M 4, KSU 2 Ashlie Soderstrom...................... A&M Viviana Cordero ............................ A&M Brittney Dodson ............................ A&M Katie Mellon .................................. KSU Christina Matz............................... A&M Lindsey Lawrence......................... A&M

def. def. def. def. def. tied

Julie Wolfert .....................KSU ...................91-78 Jenny Giraldin..................KSU ...................81-72 Leslie Yates .....................KSU ...................81-79 Christina Heine ................A&M...................70-68 Kendall Marvin .................KSU ...................77-72 Whitney Snyder ...............KSU ...................81-81

WESTERN: A & M 6, KSU 6 HORSEMANSHIP: A & M 4, KSU 2 Randi Standley ............................. A&M Sibyl Parsons................................ A&M Laura Browne ............................... KSU Caroline Gunn ............................. A&M Amanda Ryan ............................... A&M Lindsey Salsbury .......................... KSU

def. def. def. def. def. def.

Alyssa Freeman...............KSU ...................76-72 Jana Lechtenberg ............KSU ................77.5-70 Amanda Cushman ...........A&M...................72-71 Mikaela Sundgren............KSU ...................74-71 Courtney Watters .............KSU .............75.5-72.5 Reneé Dirkse ...................A&M................74-73.5

REINING: KSU 4, A & M 2 def. def. def. def. def. def.

Tonna Brooks...................A&M................73-72.5 Maddi Williams ................A&M................71-69.5 Danielle Pettera ...............KSU ...................74-72 Randi Standley ................A&M................73.5-71 Alecia Zimbelman ............KSU ................73.5-71 Tara Christiansen.............A&M.............74.5-72.5

def. def. def. def. def. def.

Brooke Coleman ..............A&M...................76-72 Erin Ivy.............................A&M...................80-73 Jaclyn Osterstock ............OSU...................79-78 Julianne Pipoly ................A&M...................85-84 Lindsay Smith ..................A&M...................77-74 Hannah Beresford ...........OSU...................85-82

FLAT: OSU 4, A & M 2 Ashlie Soderstrom ........................ A&M Sarah Summers............................ OSU Bailey Mahoney .......................... OSU Brittney Dodson ............................ A&M Ally Blais ....................................... OSU Charlotte Collingsworth ................ OSU

def. def. def. def. def. def.

Michelle Woolschlager.....OSU...................66-61 Christina Heine ................A&M...................63-58 Viviana Cordero ...............A&M...................75-58 Sam Collingsworth...........OSU...................77-69 Lindsey Lawrence............A&M...................77-76 Christina Matz..................A&M...................75-63

WESTERN: A & M 9, OSU 3 HORSEMANSHIP: A & M 4, OSU 2 Caroline Gunn .............................. A&M Courtney Whitacre ........................ OSU Jordan Pickelman ......................... OSU Sibyl Parsons................................ A&M Christine Sceets ........................... A&M Reneé Dirkse ............................... A&M

def. def. def. def. def. def.

Sam Davidson .................OSU.............80.5-71.5 Amanda Ryan ..................A&M...................77-71 Randi Standley ................A&M..................71.5-0 Suzanne Randolph ..........OSU................76-71.5 Margaux Tucker ...............OSU................76.5-75 Ashley Koch.....................OSU.............79.5-77.5

REINING: A & M 5, OSU 1 Maddi Williams ............................. A&M Maggie Gratny .............................. A&M Randi Standley ............................. A&M Tonna Brooks................................ A&M Rachell Shobe .............................. OSU Genna Fishgold ............................ A&M

def. def. def. def. def. def.

Molly Tipton .....................OSU................73-72.5 Leah Kuehn .....................OSU.............71.5-66.5 Bri Parnell ........................OSU.............74.5-73.5 Courtney Whitacre ...........OSU................73.5-72 Tara Christiansen.............A&M...................74-72 Jacque Roberts ...............OSU.............73.5-69.5

TEXAS A &M 8, TCU 7 Friday, Apr. 4, 2008 Fieldstone Park • Mansﬁeld, Texas

REVIEW

Morgan Campbell ......................... KSU Kaylee Stout ................................. KSU Genna Fishgold .......................... A&M Tara Hallan ................................... KSU Maggie Gratny .............................. A&M Alyssa Freeman............................ KSU

FENCES: OSU 4, A & M 2 Erin Prutow ................................... OSU Ally Blais ....................................... OSU Kristi Waldal .................................. A&M Bailey Mahoney .......................... OSU Natalie Chappell ........................... OSU Katie Henion ................................. A&M

HUNTER SEAT: A & M 4, TCU 3 FENCES: A & M 2, TCU 2 Kristi Waldal .................................. A&M Kindel Huffman ............................. TCU Tassie Munroe .............................. TCU Lindsay Smith ............................. A&M

def. def. def. def.

Lauren Quiroz ..................TCU ...................84-80 Katie Henion ....................A&M...................78-72 Erin Ivy.............................A&M...................83-81 Carrie von Uhlit ................TCU ...................75-70

FLAT: A & M 2, TCU 1 Jessica Hagen............................. TCU Brittney Dodson ............................ A&M Lindsey Lawrence......................... A&M Christina Matz............................... A&M

def. tied def. def.

Ashlie Soderstrom ...........A&M...................82-81 Kindel Huffman ................TCU ...................75-75 Kat Rhode........................TCU ...................70-63 Tassie Munroe .................TCU ...................82-72

WESTERN: TCU 4, A & M 4 HORSEMANSHIP: TCU 2, A & M 2 Kindel Huffman ........................... TCU Caroline Gunn .............................. A&M Chloe Baker .................................. TCU Tonna Brooks................................ A&M

def. def. def. def.

Randi Standley ................A&M................77-68.5 Jessica Bailey ..................TCU .............76.5-70.5 Christine Sceets ..............A&M................73-70.5 Carrie von Uhlit ................TCU ................73-70.5

REINING: TCU 2, A & M 2 Kindel Huffman ........................... TCU Maddi Williams ............................. A&M Genna Fishgold ............................ A&M Carrie von Uhlit ............................. TCU

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

def. def. def. def.

Tonna Brooks...................A&M...................66-61 Ashton Mickunas .............TCU ...................73-68 Jennifer Neel ...................TCU ...................67-66 Maggie Gratny .................A&M.............69.5-65.5

CENTRAL CHAMPIONSHIPS BAYLOR 10, TEXAS A &M 6

KANSAS STATE 11, TEXAS A &M 5

Saturday, Mar. 29, 2008 Fox Creek Farm • Manhattan, Kan.

Sunday, Mar. 30, 2008 Fox Creek Farm • Manhattan, Kan.

HUNTER SEAT: BAYLOR 6, A & M 2

HUNTER SEAT: KSU 6, A & M 2

FENCES: BAYLOR 4, A & M 0 Nicole Brown ................................ BU Kendra Vicary ............................... BU Mary Smitson................................ BU Beth Banister ................................ BU

def. def. def. def.

Katie Henion ....................A&M.....................77-0 Erin Ivy.............................A&M...................80-68 Lindsay Smith ..................A&M...................76-75 Kristi Waldal .....................A&M.....................68-0

FLAT: A & M 2, BAYLOR 2 Lindsey Lawrence......................... A&M Christina Heine ............................. A&M Heather Healy............................... BU Shelby White ................................ BU

def. def. def. def.

Nicole Brown ...................BU .....................68-65 Cara Wilson .....................BU .....................64-59 Brittney Dodson ...............A&M...................69-66 Ashlie Soderstrom ...........A&M...................68-67

WESTERN: A & M 4, BAYLOR 4 HORSEMANSHIP: A & M 2, BAYLOR 2 Caroline Gunn .............................. A&M Nicole McCoy ............................... BU Randi Standley ............................. A&M Lindsey Douglas ........................... BU

def. def. def. def.

Allison Orosz ...................BU .....................77-72 Sibyl Parsons...................A&M.............73.5-69.5 Ashleigh Carlson .............BU ..................69.5-67 Christine Sceets ..............A&M.............72.5-67.5

REINING: BAYLOR 2, A & M 2 def. def. def. def.

Maggie Gratny .................A&M...................59-56 Katrina Buss ....................BU .....................71-68 Lindsey Tomko.................BU .....................68-66 Maddi Williams ................A&M...................70-67

def. def. def. def.

Kendall Marvin .................KSU ...................81-79 Kristi Waldal .....................A&M...................80-78 Lindsay Smith ..................A&M...................84-76 Katie Henion ....................A&M...................86-70

FLAT: KSU 3, KSU 1 Leslie Yates .................................. KSU Julie Wolfert .................................. KSU Lindsey Lawrence......................... A&M Whitney Snyder ............................ KSU

def. def. def. def.

Ashlie Soderstrom ...........A&M...................72-65 Christina Matz..................A&M...................71-70 Jenny Giraldin..................KSU ...................72-67 Brittney Dodson ...............A&M...................76-66

WESTERN: KSU 5, A & M 3 HORSEMANSHIP: A & M 2, KSU 2 Caroline Gunn ............................. A&M Laura Browne ............................... KSU Christine Sceets ........................... A&M Alyssa Freeman............................ KSU

def. def. def. def.

Jana Lechtenberg ............KSU .............79.5-77.5 Randi Standley ................A&M................73.5-73 Lindsey Salsbury .............KSU ................77-76.5 Sibyl Parsons...................A&M.............77.5-69.5

REINING: KSU 2, A & M 2 Morgan Campbell ......................... KSU Alecia Zimbelman ......................... KSU Alyssa Freeman............................ KSU Tara Hallan ................................... KSU

def. def. def. def.

Tonna Brooks...................A&M.............71.5-68.5 Maddi Williams ................A&M.............69.5-67.5 Genna Fishgold ...............A&M.............71.5-69.5 Maggie Gratny .................A&M................69.5-67

REVIEW

Madelyn Mooney .......................... BU Tonna Brooks................................ A&M Genna Fishgold ............................ A&M Valtie Riddle.................................. BU

FENCES: KSU 3, A & M 1 Erin Ivy.......................................... A&M Ashley Collett................................ KSU Leslie Yates .................................. KSU Whitney Snyder .......................... KSU

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

VARSITY EQUESTRIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Western

Hunter Seat Quarterfinals: TEXAS A &M 5, KSU 2 FENCES: A & M 3, KSU 1 Leslie Yates .................................. KSU Katie Henion ................................. A&M Lindsay Smith ............................... A&M Kristi Waldal .................................. A&M

def. def. def. def.

HORSEMANSHIP: A & M 3, KSU 1

Erin Ivy.............................A&M...............161-140 Ashley Collett...................KSU ...............161-159 Whitney Snyder ...............KSU ...............167-163 Kendall Marvin .................KSU ...............155-150

FLAT: A & M 2, KSU 1 Christina Heine ............................. A&M Julie Wolfert .................................. KSU Lindsey Lawrence......................... A&M Brittney Dodson ............................ A&M

def. def. tied def.

Kelly Bonau .....................UGA...............161-147 Kitt Ritter ..........................UGA...............153-149 Haylie Jayne ....................UGA...............166-165 Kristi Waldal .....................A&M...............166-144

Lindsey Lawrence............A&M...............151-131 Daisy Whelan ..................UGA...............135-123 Haylie Jayne ....................UGA...............155-154 Kelly Bonau .....................UGA...............150-142

Championship: AUBURN 5, TEXAS A &M 2 def. def. def. tied

Anna Schierholz ..............AUB ...............165-161 Lindsay Smith ..................A&M...............162-146 Katie Henion ....................A&M...............166-162 Dotty Grubb .....................AUB ...............157-157

def. def. def. def.

Ashlie Soderstrom ...........A&M...............144-125 Brittney Dodson ...............A&M...............152-144 Alexandra Loprete ...........AUB ...............155-154 Lindsey Lawrence............A&M...............143-133

Final Overall Team Standings Place

School

Points

Place

School

Points

1st

Georgia ..................... 49

6th

Kansas State ...........22.5

2nd

Texas A&M ............38

7th

South Carolina .......... 16

3rd

Auburn .....................37.5

8th

Baylor .......................7.5

4th

TCU .......................... 36

9th

Fresno State .............1.5

5th

Oklahoma State ........ 30

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Alecia Zimbelman ............KSU .........139.5-129.5 Maggie Gratny .................A&M............147-145.5 Maddi Williams ................A&M............141.5-141 Genna Fishgold ...............A&M.........142.5-138.5

Consolation Rd.: TEXAS A &M 4, BAYLOR 2 Christine Sceets ........................... A&M Caroline Gunn .............................. A&M Allison Orosz ................................ BU Randi Standley ............................. A&M

tied def. def. def.

Nicole McCoy ..................BU .................144-144 Lindsey Tomko.................BU ..............151.5-143 Sibyl Parsons...................A&M............149-148.5 Lindsay Douglas ..............BU ..............148.5-137

Maddi Williams ............................. A&M Randi Standley ............................. A&M Maggie Gratny .............................. A&M Kim Marlowe ................................. BU

def. def. tied def.

Valtie Riddle.....................BU ..............146-145.5 Madelyn Mooney .............BU .................140-138 Katrina Buss ....................BU ...........142.5-142.5 Genna Fishgold ...............A&M...................140-0

5th Place Match: TEXAS A &M 6, S. CARO. 2 Allison Bradley .............................. USC Caroline Gunn .............................. A&M Katie Grossnickle.......................... USC Sibyl Parsons................................ A&M

def. def. def. def.

Christine Sceets ..............A&M............147.5-146 Katy Bifﬂe ........................USC ............152-143.5 Randi Standley ................A&M............147.5-145 Amy Bifﬂe ........................USC ............149-141.5

REINING: A & M 4, USC 0

FLAT: AUBURN 3, A & M 1 Chelsea Anheuser ........................ AUB Coburn Park ................................. AUB Christina Matz............................... A&M Katie Breedlove ............................ AUB

def. def. def. def.

HORSEMANSHIP: A & M 2, USC 2

FENCES: AUBURN 2, A & M 1 Kristi Waldal .................................. A&M Jessica Brasswell ......................... AUB Alexandra Loprete ........................ AUB Erin Ivy.......................................... A&M

Randi Standley ............................. A&M Morgan Campbell ......................... KSU Tara Hallan ................................... KSU Alyssa Freeman............................ KSU

REVIEW

def. def. def. def.

Randi Standley ................A&M............143.5-136 Alyssa Freeman...............KSU ............150.5-146 Laura Browne ..................KSU ...............149-145 Lindsey Salsbury .............KSU ...............149-148

REINING: A & M 2, BAYLOR 1

FLAT: A & M 3, GEORGIA 1 Michelle Blair ................................ UGA Ashlie Soderstrom ........................ A&M Brittney Dodson ............................ A&M Christina Matz............................... A&M

def. def. def. def.

HORSEMANSHIP: A & M 2, BAYLOR 1

FENCES: A & M 3, GEORGIA 1 def. def. def. def.

Jana Lechtenberg ......................... KSU Sibyl Parsons................................ A&M Caroline Gunn .............................. A&M Christine Sceets ........................... A&M

REINING: KSU 3, A & M 1

Leslie Yates .....................KSU ...............149-134 Ashlie Soderstrom ...........A&M...............154-140 Jenny Giraldin..................KSU ...............149-149 Whitney Snyder ...............KSU ...............155-136

Semifinals: TEXAS A &M 6, GEORGIA 2 Erin Ivy.......................................... A&M Katie Henion ................................. A&M Lindsay Smith ............................... A&M Kelley Cowperthwait ..................... UGA

Quarterfinals: KSU 4, TEXAS A &M 4

Maddi Williams ............................. A&M Genna Fishgold ............................ A&M Randi Standley ............................. A&M Maggie Gratny .............................. A&M

def. def. def. def.

Chloe Gray ......................USC ............141-139.5 Kyla Thurlow ....................USC ............141-134.5 Rebekah Roof..................USC ...............144-142 Allison Bradley .................USC .........144.5-130.5

IND. HORSEMANSHIP TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS Caroline Gunn .............................. A&M Laura Upton .................................. UGA

def. def.

Stephanie Sanders ..........UTM............152.5-142 Kindel Huffman ................TCU ................149.5-0

CHAMPIONSHIP Caroline Gunn .............................. A&M

def.

Laura Upton .....................UGA...............155-142

SEASON STATISTICS

REVIEW

Name

Discipline

Armstrong, Henrietta Brooks, Tonna Brooks, Tonna Christiansen, Tara Coleman, Brooke Coleman, Brooke Cordero, Viviana Cordero, Viviana Cushman, Amanda Dirkse, Reneé Dodson, Brittney Fishgold, Genna Goldman, Amanda Gratny, Maggie Greebon, Crissy Gunn, Caroline Heine, Christina Heine, Christina Henion, Katie Ivy, Erin Lawrence, Lindsey Matz, Christina Parsons, Sibyl Pipoly, Julianne Ryan, Amanda Ryan, Amanda Sceets, Christine Smith, Lindsay Soderstrom, Ashlie Standley, Randi Standley, Randi Waldal, Kristi Williams, Maddi

Fences Horsemanship Reining Reining Fences Flat Fences Flat Horsemanship Horsemanship Flat Reining Fences Reining Reining Horsemanship Fences Flat Fences Fences Flat Flat Horsemanship Fences Horsemanship Reining Horsemanship Fences Flat Horsemanship Reining Fences Reining

Flat Flat Fences Flat Flat Fences

91 87 87 87 86 86

Brooke Coleman Katie Henion Erin Ivy

Fences Fences Fences

85 85 85

2/23/08 10/21/07 10/21/07 2/2/08 11/2/07 10/21/07 2/23/08 10/21/07 3/8/08 10/12/07

High Scores - Western Caroline Gunn Reneé Dirkse Caroline Gunn Caroline Gunn Sibyl Parsons Amanda Cushman Caroline Gunn Christine Sceets Caroline Gunn Christine Sceets

H’ship H’ship H’ship H’ship H’ship H’ship H’ship H’ship H’ship H’ship

80.5 79.5 79.5 77.5 (avg) 77.5 77 77 77 76.5 76.5

Wins

Losses

Ties

Win %

0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 3 0 2 0 5 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 1 0 1 0 0

0 2 6 2 4 2 0 2 3 2 10 10 1 8 1 15 0 7 11 5 10 8 9 0 2 2 5 11 8 9 6 10 8

4 5 4 3 5 2 2 4 3 1 6 6 0 7 0 2 1 4 6 10 5 6 4 1 3 3 6 6 9 6 3 7 8

0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

.000 .285 .600 .416 .444 .500 .000 .333 .500 .666 .617 .625 1.000 .531 1.000 .833 .000 .636 .647 .352 .647 .571 .600 .000 .416 .416 .458 .647 .470 .600 .666 .588 .500

High Scores - Flat

High Scores - Hunter Seat Ashlie Soderstrom Christina Heine Katie Henion Ashlie Soderstrom Viviana Cordero Lindsay Smith

MVP’s

3/8/08 3/8/08 3/30/08 4/19/08 2/23/08 11/10/07 3/29/08 3/30/08 4/4/08 3/8/08

Ashlie Soderstrom Christina Heine Ashlie Soderstrom Viviana Cordero Brittney Dodson Lindsey Lawrence Christina Matz Viviana Cordero Brittney Dodson Christina Heine Lindsey Lawrence Christina Matz Ashlie Soderstrom

Longest Average Score Win Streak 0’s/DQ’s (0’s Dropped) 0 1 3 1 2 2 0 1 2 1 4 6 1 3 1 12 0 2 5 1 5 3 2 0 1 1 2 4 2 7 4 3 2

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0

73.25 70.25 70.45 72.33 76.55 64.00 75.00 73.16 72.50 75.50 75.60 69.91 50.00 70.68 60.50 75.41 75.00 72.83 77.26 77.10 72.30 77.87 73.88 84.00 72.50 66.41 72.50 77.45 72.25 72.29 71.37 76.26 70.73

High Scores - Fences 91 87 87 86 82 82 82 81 81 81 81 81 81

2/23/08 10/21/07 2/2/08 11/2/07 10/21/07, 2/2/08 10/21/07 4/4/08 2/23/08 11/9/07, 2/23/08 2/2/08 2/23/08 11/9/07 4/4/08

Katie Henion Lindsay Smith Kristi Waldal Brooke Coleman Katie Henion Erin Ivy Henrietta Armstrong Brooke Coleman Katie Henion Julianne Pipoly Kristi Waldal

87 86 86 85 85 85 84 84 84 84 84

High Scores - Horsemanship

High Scores - Reining

Caroline Gunn Reneé Dirkse Caroline Gunn Caroline Gunn Sibyl Parsons Amanda Cushman Caroline Gunn Christine Sceets Caroline Gunn Christine Sceets

Randi Standley Maddi Williams Tonna Brooks Tara Christiansen Genna Fishgold Randi Standley Tonna Brooks Tara Christiansen Genna Fishgold Maggie Gratny

80.5 79.5 79.5 77.5 (avg) 77.5 77 77 77 76.5 76.5

3/8/08 3/8/08 3/30/08 4/19/08 2/23/08 11/10/07 3/29/08 3/30/08 4/4/08 3/8/08

74.5 74.5 74 74 74 74 73.5 73.5 73.5 73.5

10/21/07 10/21/07, 2/23/08 10/21/07 10/21/07 3/8/08 10/12/07 10/21/07 10/12/07 2/23/08 3/8/08 4/4/08

3/8/08 11/10/07 11/9/07 2/2/08 2/23/08 11/10/07 11/10/07, 3/8/08 10/21/07 3/8/08 2/23/08

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

SEASON STATISTICS Hunter Seat Wins

Winning %

Western Wins

Winning %

1. Katie Henion ...................... 11

1. Amanda Goldman ......... 1.000

1. Caroline Gunn ................... 15

1. Crissy Greebon ............. 1.000

Lindsay Smith .................... 11

2. Katie Henion ................... .647

Randi Standley .................. 15

2. Caroline Gunn ................ .833

3. Brittney Dodson ................. 10

Lindsey Lawrence ........... .647

3. Genna Fishgold ................. 10

3. Reneé Dirkse .................. .666

Lindsey Lawrence .............. 10

Lindsay Smith ................. .647

4. Sibyl Parsons ....................... 9

4. Genna Fishgold .............. .625

Kristi Waldal ....................... 10

5. Brittney Dodson .............. .617

5. Tonna Brooks ....................... 8

Randi Standley ............... .625

6. Christina Matz ...................... 8

6. Kristi Waldal .................... .588

Maggie Gratny ..................... 8

6. Sibyl Parsons .................. .600

Ashlie Soderstrom ............... 8

7. Christina Heine ............... .583

Maddi Williams..................... 8

7. Maggie Gratny ................ .531

8. Christina Heine .................... 7

8. Christina Matz ................. .571

8. Christine Sceets................... 5

8. Amanda Cushman .......... .500

9. Brooke Coleman .................. 6

9. Ashlie Soderstrom .......... .470

9. Amanda Ryan ...................... 4

Maddi Williams................ .500

10. Erin Ivy ................................. 5

10. Brooke Coleman ............. .461

10. Amanda Cushman ............... 3

10. Tonna Brooks .................. .470

Fences Wins 1. Katie Henion ...................... 11

Flat Wins

Horsemanship Wins

Reining Wins

1. Caroline Gunn ................... 15

1. Genna Fishgold ................. 10

Lindsay Smith .................... 11

Lindsey Lawrence .............. 10

2. Sibyl Parsons ....................... 9

2. Maggie Gratny ..................... 8

3. Kristi Waldal ....................... 10

3. Christina Matz ...................... 8

Randi Standley .................... 9

Maddi Williams..................... 8

4. Erin Ivy ................................. 5

Ashlie Soderstrom ............... 8

4. Christine Sceets................... 5

4. Tonna Brooks ....................... 6

5. Brooke Coleman .................. 4

5. Christina Heine .................... 7

5. Amanda Cushman ............... 3

Randi Standley .................... 6

6. Amanda Goldman ................ 1

6. Brooke Coleman .................. 2

6. Tonna Brooks ....................... 2

6. Tara Christiansen ................. 2

Viviana Cordero ................... 2

Reneé Dirkse ....................... 2

Amanda Ryan ...................... 2

8. Crissy Greebon .................... 1

Fences Win %

Flat Win %

Horsemanship Win %

Reining Win %

1. Amanda Goldman ......... 1.000

1. Lindsey Lawrence.............. .647

1. Caroline Gunn ................ .833

1. Crissy Greebon ............. 1.000

2. Katie Henion ................... .647

2. Christina Heine .................. .636

2. Reneé Dirkse .................. .666

2. Randi Standley ............... .666

Lindsay Smith ................. .647

3. Brittney Dodson ................. .617

3. Sibyl Parsons .................. .600

3. Genna Fishgold .............. .625

4. Kristi Waldal .................... .588

4. Christina Matz .................... .571

Randi Standley ............... .600

4. Tonna Brooks .................. .600

5. Brooke Coleman ............. .444

5. Brooke Coleman................ .500

5. Amanda Cushman .......... .500

5. Maggie Gratny ................ .531

6. Erin Ivy ............................ .352

6. Ashlie Soderstrom ............. .470

6. Christine Sceets.............. .458

6. Maddi Williams................ .500

7. Henrietta Armstrong ........ .000

7. Viviana Cordero ................. .333

7. Amanda Ryan ................. .416

7. Tara Christiansen ............ .416

8. Tonna Brooks .................. .285

Amanda Ryan ................. .416

Viviana Cordero .............. .000

REVIEW

1. Brittney Dodson ................. 10

Christina Heine ............... .000 Julie Pipoly ..................... .000

Hunter Seat DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

W e st e r n 65

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

Series Records

Year-by-Year Results

Varsity Record Book

Letterwinners

English IHSA Records

Western IHSA Records

74 81

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

The IHSA Years: 1999-2006 VENC History

SERIES RECORDS Overall

Hunter Seat

Western

Auburn .......................................................... 0-1

Auburn .......................................................... 1-2

Auburn .......................................................... 0-1

Baylor ........................................................... 5-1

Baylor ........................................................... 5-2

Baylor ........................................................... 9-0

Fresno State ................................................. 1-0

Fresno State ................................................. 3-0

Fresno State ................................................. 1-0

Georgia ......................................................... 1-0

Georgia ......................................................... 2-0

Georgia ......................................................... 2-1

Kansas State ................................................ 3-2

Kansas State ................................................ 5-2

Kansas State ................................................ 4-3

New Mexico State......................................... 2-0

New Mexico State......................................... 2-2

New Mexico State......................................... 4-0

Oklahoma State ............................................ 3-2

Oklahoma State ............................................ 0-6

Oklahoma State ............................................ 4-2

SMU.............................................................. 2-0

South Carolina .............................................. 0-1

South Carolina .............................................. 2-0

Stephen F. Austin.......................................... 2-0

SMU.............................................................. 4-0

Stephen F. Austin.......................................... 2-0

TCU .............................................................. 2-0

Stephen F. Austin.......................................... 2-0

TCU .............................................................. 1-1

H I S T O RY

TCU .............................................................. 2-0

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

YEAR-BY-YEAR RESULTS A 20

Overall

VENC (@ Florida)

1st

Hunter Seat

43 pts.

A 20

VENC (@ Florida)

2nd

24 pts.

F 27 Auburn (Exhibition) W 1,102-1,042 A 23-24 VENC (@ Conyers, Ga.) 4th 37 pts. F 26 Georgia (Exhibition) L 1,202-1,164 A 15-16 VENC (@ Santa Fe) 3rd46 pts.A 20-22 VENC (@ Albuquerque) 5th 13 pts. S 30 @ SFA W 11-5 O 15 SMU W 6-6 N5 Oklahoma State L 16-16 N 12 Baylor W 12-8 F3 @ Baylor W 14-6 F 17-18 @ Fresno State W 14-6 F 17-18 NMSU @ Fresno W 12-4 F 24 TCU W 14-2 F 25 Kansas State W 14-8 M3 @ Oklahoma State W 14-12 M4 @ Kansas State L 10-9 M 31-A 1 Central Championship (@ A&M) 1st M 31 Baylor W 12-4 A1 Oklahoma State W 9-6 A18-20 VENC (Waco) 2nd 42

2002-03 A 18

VENC (@ A&M)

3rd

16 pts.

2003-04 F 27 A 23-24

Auburn (Exhibition) W VENC (@ Conyers, Ga.) 4th T

526-502 18 pts.

2004-05 F 26 A 15-16

Georgia (Exhibition) VENC (@ Santa Fe)

606-557 16 pts.

2005-06 O 7-8 O7 O8 O8 A 20-22 A 20 A 21 A 21 A 22

Big Eight Tournament (@ Georgia) 4th Fresno State W 365-343 South Carolina L 396-336 New Mexico State L 388-371 VENC (@ Albuquerque) 5th SMU W 803-779 New Mexico State L 734-640 Baylor W 735-692 Kansas State W 742-638

S 30 O 12 O 20 O 21 N2 N9 N 10 F2 F8 F 23 M8 M 29-30 M 29 M 30 A4 A 17-19

2006-07 (10-7)) S 30 @ SFA W O 15 SMU W N5 Oklahoma State L N 12 Baylor W F3 @ Baylor L F 17-18 @ Fresno State W F 17-18 NMSU @ Fresno W F 24 TCU W F 25 Kansas State L M3 @ Oklahoma State L M4 @ Kansas State W M 31-A 1 Central Championship (@ A&M) M 31 Baylor W A1 Oklahoma State L A 19-21 VENC (@ Waco) A19 SMU W A20 Auburn L A 20 Fresno State W A 21 Oklahoma State L

A 18

VENC (@ A&M)

3rd

SFA W New Mexico State W Georgia W Baylor W @ SMU W @ Kansas State W @ Oklahoma State L @ Auburn L @ Baylor W Kansas State W Oklahoma State W Central Championship (@ KSU) Baylor L Kansas State L @ TCU W VENC 2nd

36 pts.

16-4 11-9 11-9 16-8 8-3 12-8 17-9 11-9 12-8 14-8 13-11 4th 10-6 11-5 8-7 38

L 5th

2007-08 (12-5) S 30 SFA W O 12 New Mexico State W O 20 Georgia W O 21 Baylor W N2 @ SMU W N9 @ Kansas State W N 10 @ Oklahoma State L F2 @ Auburn W F8 @ Baylor W F 23 Kansas State W M8 Oklahoma State L M 29-30 Central Championship (@ KSU) M 29 Baylor L M 30 Kansas State L A4 @ TCU W A 17-19 VENC (@ Waco) A 18 Kansas State W A 18 Georgia W A19 Auburn L

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

7-1 6-6 10-6 6-4 6-4 5-5 9-1 8-0 6-5 8-6 6-4 6-2 6-2 6-2 5-3 4-3 5-3 8-2 6-4 6-4 6-6 8-3 6-4 9-5 5-5 5-5 8-2 8-4

2nd

19 pts.

A 18 VENC (@ A&M) 4th 20 pts. F 27 Auburn (Exhibition) W 576-540 A 23-24 VENC (@ Conyers, Ga.) 4th 19 pts. F 26 Georgia (Exhibition) W 607.15-595.71 A 15-16 VENC (@ Santa Fe) 1st 30 pts.J 27-28 Big Eight Tournament (@ A&M) 1st J 27 Baylor W 717.5-699 J 28 Georgia W 724.5-717.5 J 28 New Mexico State W 728.5-691.5 A 20-22 VENC (@ Albuquerque) 3rd A 21 Kansas State W 850-836 A 21 Oklahoma State L 840.5-838 A 22 Georgia W 856.5-850.5 S 30 @ SFA W 4-4 N5 Oklahoma State W 10-6 N 12 Baylor W 6-4 F3 @ Baylor W 10-0 F 17-18 @ Fresno State W 9-1 F 17-18 NMSU @ Fresno W 3-3 F 24 TCU W 6-2 F 25 Kansas State W 9-2 M3 @ Oklahoma State W 8-4 M4 @ Kansas State L 6-3 M 31-A 1 Central Championship (@ A&M) M 31 Baylor W 6-2 A1 Oklahoma State W 7-0 A 19-21 VENC (@ Waco) A 20 Baylor W 5-3 A 20 New Mexico State W 4-4 A 21 South Carolina W 6-2 S 30 O 12 O 20 O 21 N9 N 10 F2 F8 F 23 M8 M 29-30 M 29 M 30 A4 A 17-19 A 18 A 18 A 19

SFA W New Mexico State W Georgia L Baylor W @ Kansas State W @ Oklahoma State L @ Auburn L @ Baylor W Kansas State W Oklahoma State W Central Championship (@ KSU) Baylor W Kansas State L @ TCU L VENC (@ Waco) Kansas State L Baylor W South Carolina W

8-2 5-5 4-4 10-2 6-4 8-4 6-4 7-3 6-6 9-3 4-4 5-3 4-4 4-4 4-2 6-2

H I S T O RY

2001-02 A 20

Western

VENC (@ Florida)

6-2 6-2 4-3 5-2 6-2 5-2

VARSITY RECORD BOOK Hunter Seat

Western

1. Katie Henion ...................... 23

1. Katie Henion ................. .676

2. Lindsay Smith .................... 21

2. Lindsay Smith ................. .656

3. Ashlie Soderstrom ............. 19

3. Christina Matz ................. .620

1. Tonna Brooks ..................... 47

1. Caroline Gunn ................ .848

4. Erin Ivy ............................... 18

4. Lindsey Lawrence ........... .613

2. Caroline Gunn ................... 27

2. Tonna Brooks .................. .758

Christina Matz .................... 18

5. Kristi Waldal .................... .600

3. Sibyl Parsons ..................... 22

3. Sibyl Parsons .................. .712

Kristi Waldal ....................... 18

6. Ashlie Soderstrom .......... .573

4. Maggie Gratny ................... 21

4. Debbie Ramirez .............. .708

7. Courtney Brooks ................ 14

7. Brittney Dodson .............. .552

5. Amanda Ryan .................... 19

5. Maggie Gratny ................ .651

8. Lindsey Lawrence .............. 12

8. Courtney Brooks ............. .538

6. Maddi Williams................... 17

6. Genna Fishgold .............. .650

9. Viviana Cordero ............... 11

8. Christina Heine ............... .529

7. Randi Standley .................. 15

7. Amanda Ryan ................. .636

10. Erin Ivy ............................ .464

8. Genna Fishgold ................. 13

8. Randi Standley ............... .625

10. Brittney Dodson ................. 10

Wins

Winning % (Min. 5 App.)

9. Sassie Broaddus ............... 12

9. Maddi Willliams ............... .620

10. Debbie Ramirez ................... 8

10. Sassie Broaddus ............ .500

1. Katie Henion ...................... 23

1. Ashlie Soderstrom ............. 19

2. Lindsay Smith .................... 20

2. Christina Matz .................... 18

3. Erin Ivy ............................... 18

3. Lindsey Lawrence .............. 12

1. Caroline Gunn ................... 27

1. Tonna Brooks ..................... 25

Kristi Waldal ....................... 18

4. Brittney Dodson ................. 10

2. Tonna Brooks ..................... 22

2. Maggie Gratny ................... 20

5. Courtney Brooks .................. 7

5. Viviana Cordero ................... 9

Sibyl Parsons ..................... 22

3. Maddi Williams................... 17

6. Brooke Coleman .................. 4

6. Courtney Brooks .................. 7

4. Randi Standley .................... 9

4. Amanda Ryan .................... 15

7. Erica Palomo ....................... 3

7. Christina Heine .................... 7

5. Sassie Broaddus ................. 8

5. Genna Fishgold ................. 13

8. Viviana Cordero ................... 2

8. Ali Mueller ............................ 5

6. Christine Sceets................... 7

6. Randi Standley .................... 6

Christine Heine .................... 2

9. Erica Palomo ....................... 4

7. Debbie Ramirez ................... 5

7. Sassie Broaddus ................. 4

10. Colleen O’Neill ..................... 3

8. Amanda Ryan ...................... 4

8. Debbie Ramirez ................... 3

Amanda Goldman ................ 1

9. Amanda Cushman ............... 3

Tara Christiansen ................. 2

Ali Mueller ............................ 1

10. Reneé Dirkse ....................... 2

Crissy Greebon .................... 2

10. Lauren Chihal ...................... 1

Horsemanship Wins

Reining Wins

H I S T O RY

Colleen O’Neill ..................... 1

1. Katie Henion ................... .676

1. Colleen O’Neill .............. 1.000

2. Christina Heine ............... .666

2. Christina Matz .................... .620

Lindsay Smith ................. .666

3. Lindsey Lawrence.............. .613

Horsemanship % (Min. 3 App.)

Reining % (Min. 3 App.) 1. Tonna Brooks ................ .757

4. Courtney Brooks ............. .636

4. Ashlie Soderstrom ............. .573

1. Caroline Gunn ................ .848

5. Kristi Waldal .................... .600

5. Brittney Dodson ................. .552

2. Debbie Ramirez .............. .833

3. Maggie Gratny ................ .661

6. Erin Ivy ............................ .487

6. Brooke Coleman................ .500

3. Tonna Brooks .................. .758

4. Amanda Ryan ................. .660

7. Brooke Coleman ............. .444

Christina Heine .................. .500

4. Sibyl Parsons .................. .712

5. Genna Fishgold .............. .650

8. Lauren Chihal ................. .333

Erica Palomo ..................... .500

5. Randi Standley ............... .600

6. Maddi Williams................ .620

Ali Mueller ....................... .333

9. Courtney Brooks ................ .466

6. Amanda Ryan ................. .562

7. Debbie Ramirez .............. .583

10. Viviana Cordero ................. .409

7. Sassie Broaddus ............ .529

8. Sassie Broaddus ............ .450

Colleen O’Neill ................ .333

2. Randi Standley ............... .666

8. Reneé Dirkse .................. .500

9. Tara Christiansen ............ .416

9. Amanda Cushman .......... .437

10. Crissy Greebon ............... .400

10. Christine Sceets.............. .357

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

LETTERWINNERS A

Llana Abernathy.......................’02, ’03 Claire Adian ...................... ’03, ’04, ’05 Danielle Aeck .................................’01 Windy Arnold ...........................’02, ’03

Lesli Bailey ...................... ’01, ’02, ’03 Terri Beaudoin ................................’04 Brooke Benson ...............................’05 Jana Bittlebrun .......... ’01, ’02, ’03, ’04 Jaime Bodiford................................’01 Christy Bormann ............................’00 Kelly Brademan .......................’05, ’06 Kate Bradley ...................................’03 Sassie Broaddus ....... ’04, ’05, ’06, ’07 Courtney Brooks ......................’06, ’07 Tonna Brooks...........................’06, ’07 Bethany Broyles ........ ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06 Bess Bryan .....................................’05 Tyler Bryson.......................... ’07, ‘08 Joan Burns ....................................’00

Quincy Cahill ................... ’00, ’01, ’02 Lauren Chihal .................................’06 Tara Christiansen ........................ ‘08 Brooke Coleman .......................... ‘08 Stephanie Collins ............. ’01, ’02, ’03 Kim Colvin ......................................’03 Haley Cooper..................................‘08 Viviana Cordero ......... ’05, ’06, ’07, ‘08 Catherine Crisp................. ’02, ’03, ’04 Jacqueline Curtis .....................’02, ’03 Amanda Cushman ................ ’07, ‘08

Emily Eastman........... ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06 Katie Edstrom .................................’06 Noni Ellis (mgr) ............................ ‘08

Brenda Farias ................................’00 Natalie Farkas .................. ’02, ’03, ’04 Ashley Ferguson............... ’02, ’03, ’04 Kristin Ferreira ...............................’00 Sarah Fietsam .........................’02, ’03 Genna Fishgold .................... ’07, ‘08 Meg Ford .................................’02, ’03 Katie Forest ...................... ’03, ’04, ’05 Christine Fowler..............................‘08

Jordan Gardner ..............................’06 Kari Geistweidt ...............................’06 Stephanie Glass ......................’04, ’05 Amanda Goldman...........................‘08 Jamie Gormanson ..................’00, ’02 Sicilia Grady (mgr) ..........................‘08 Maggie Gratny....................... ’07, ‘08 Crissy Greebon ............................ ’07 Courtney Gregory ............. ’02, ’03, ’04 Caroline Gunn ....................... ’07, ‘08

Emily Hahn .....................................’05 Katie Hamlin ...................................’03 Brittany Handy ................................’05 Laura Hansen ................... ’05, ’06, ’07 Andrea Hanson................. ’02, ’03, ’04 Stephanie Harmon ................ ’07, ‘08 Samantha Harris.............................’00 Alana Harrison ........................’00, ’01 Jessica Harrison .............................’02 Hilary Harvey (mgr) ..................... ‘08 Christina Hatley .............................’00 Amy Heartﬁeld (mgr) ................... ‘08 Christina Heine ..................... ’07, ‘08 Katie Henion .............. ’05, ’06, ’07, ‘08 Shaleah Hester ..............................’01 Suzi Hickey .....................................’02 Jessie Highﬁll ..........................’00, ’02 Morgan Hill ..................... ’06, ’07, ‘08 Natalie Hill ......................................’02 Katy House .....................................’02 Meredith Houx .......... ’01, ’02, ’03, ’04 Susanna Howe ................. ’02, ’03, ’04

Kate Ingenloff ................................’02 Erin Ivy............................ ’06, ’07, ‘08

Megan James ................. ’06, ’07, ‘08 Becky Jenniges ......... ’01, ’02, ’03, ’04 Holly (Johanson) Dittmar.’04, ’05, ’06, ’07 Kelly Johnson ................... ’02, ’03, ’04 Jennifer Jones .........................’03, ’04 Lani Jurena ....................... ’03, ’04, ’05

Laura King ...............................’06, ’07 Jennifer Knickel .............................’00 Melynda Knowles ...........................’02 Morgen Kobza ................. ’01, ’02, ’03 Stefanie Kunze ........................’02, ’03

Lindsey Lawrence...... ’05, ’06, ’07, ‘08 Hanna Lindskog................ ’06, ’07, ‘08 Casie Lisabeth ................................’03 Sorell Long .....................................’02 Melissa Loontjer ........ ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Morgan Lucas .............................. ‘08 Jessica Lucia ............. ’04, ’05, ’06, ’07

Brooke Maddux .............. ’01, ’02, ’03 Nicole Magnelia ..............................’04 Angie Mahar .................... ’01, ’02, ’03 Kathrine Mancuso...........................’02 Robin Marshall ...............................’00 Jessica Mattingly ............. ’00, ’01, ’02 Christina Matz ................ ’06, ’07, ‘08 Tannetjé Mayeux .....................’02, ’03 Jayme McCarthy.............................’01 Ashlean McKenna ...................’04, ’05 Katrina McLeod .......................’05, ’06 Jamie Mishler .................. ’01, ’02, ’03 Darah Mitchell................... ’02, ’03, ’04 Vanessa Mitchell......................’06, ’07 Lyndsey Mortimer ...........................’06 Sayer Moser ...................................’05 Ali Mueller ............................. ’06, ’07 Merrin Mueller.................................‘08 Missy Murphy ..........................’06, ’07

Christine Nelson ......................’05, ’06 Catrina Neslage ..............................’02 Mary Newell ...................... ’02, ’03, ’04

Haley O’Neal ..........................’01, ’02

Melissa Paczkowski........................’02 Erica Palomo ............. ’04, ’05, ’06, ’07 Sibyl Parsons ........................ ’07, ‘08 Tiffany Pate ....................................’01 Kelly Patton ....................................’02 Alyson Pennington............ ’04, ’05, ’06 Erin Peterson ..................................’00 Joelle Petrosky ........................’06, ’07 Jenna Pine.................................... ’07 Ashley Pinney ............ ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06 Julianne Pipoly ............................ ‘08 Calle Poindexter ......................’05, ’06 Heather Powell ........................’03, ’04 Tressa Poynter .......... ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05

Jessica Rachor ...............................’02 Kajay Rainey (trainer) .....................‘08 Debbie Ramirez ................ ’03, ’04, ’05 Amber Ratliff ...........................’01, ’02 Robin Ray ................................’02, ’03 Sophia Razzaque ...................’01, ’02 Ann Marie Reubin ...... ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06 Marka Richardson ..................’01, ’02 Mandy Richter .................. ’02, ’03, ’04 Alyssa Rosenbloom .... ’03, ’04, ’05,’06 Jessica Rogers .......................’00, ’01 Krys Ruppert ..................................’01 Amanda Ryan................. ’06, ’07, ‘08

Christine Sceets ......................’05, ’06 Jenn Scholl .................................. ‘08 Sasha Schroeder ...........................’00 Candie Scott ............................’02, ’03 Morgan Senac .........................’03, ’05 Mary (Shaver) Schwarz .... ’04, ’05, ’06 Erin Sharp................... ’05,’06, ’07, ‘08 Ashley Shifﬂer..........................’03, ’04 Celeste Slaughter ...... ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05 Lindsay Smith ....................... ’07, ‘08 Paige Smith .............................’02, ’03 Katie Smyre .............................’03, ’04 Ashley Snoey..................................‘08 Ashlie Soderstrom ..... ’05, ’06, ’07, ‘08 Randi Standley............................. ‘08 Bekki Stapleton................. ’02, ’03, ’04 Courtney Stinson .....................’02, ’03 Christa Stout ..................................’00 Suzanne Summers .......... ’00, ’02, ’03

Jessica Tate ............... ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05 Kate Toomey.............. ’04, ’05, ’06, ’07 Tiffany Tucker ................... ’03, ’04, ’05

Jo Vendl ...................................’03, ’04 Beth von Brecht ................ ’02, ’03, ’04 Megan Von Tungeln... ’05, ’06, ’07, ‘08

Kristi Waldal .......................... ’07, ‘08 Leah Ward ............................. ’07, ‘08 Lindsay Ward ..................................’05 Keyea Webster ................ ’00, ’01, ’02 Jamie Wells ...................................’00 Misty Wharton................... ’02, ’03, ’04 Abby Wilder .............................’04, ’05 Natalie Wilhite.................................’03 Lauren Wilkerson.............. ’03, ’04, ’05 Cori Willett ......................................’03 Maddi Williams ........................’07, ‘08 Audrey Williamson ...................’04, ’05 Kristen Wilson.................................‘08 Bonner Wimberly ....................’01, ’02 Devony Wingo .........................’05, ’06 Alex Wisniewski ..............................‘08 Casey Wong-Buehler ..............’05, ’06 Linzy Woolf .............................’00, ’01 Lauren Wyatt ................... ’00, ’01, ’02 Kelsey Wyble ................. ’06, ’07, ‘08

H I S T O RY

Jenny D’Abadie ................ ’03, ’04, ’05 Kathryn Dickson ......................’04, ’05 Reneé Dirkse .................. ’06, ’07, ‘08 Brittney Dodson.................... ’07, ‘08 Germaine Dougherty ....... ’00, ’01, ’02 Audra Dryden ................................’00 Lauren Duge ............................’04, ’05

Kristy Young...................... ’03, ’04, ’05

Tegan Zealy ........................... ’07, ‘08

ENGLISH IHSA RECORDS Open Flat Points - Single Season

Open Fences Points - Single Season

1. Germaine Dougherty ................. 55................. ’99-00 Germaine Dougherty ................. 55................. ’00-01 3. Meredith Houx ........................... 42................. ’01-02 Meredith Houx ........................... 42................. ’03-04 5. Stephanie Glass ........................ 21................. ’04-05 6. Meredith Houx ........................... 38................. ’00-01 7. Meredith Houx ........................... 33................. ’02-03 Courtney Brooks........................ 33................. ’05-06 9. Haley O’Neal ............................. 31................. ’99-00 10. Stacy Kaber ............................... 29................. ’00-01 Beth von Brecht ......................... 29................. ’03-04

1. Stephanie Glass ........................ 48................. ’04-05 2. Colleen O’Neill........................... 39................. ’04-05 3. Germaine Dougherty ................. 38................. ’99-00 Meredith Houx ........................... 38................. ’00-01 5. Meredith Houx ........................... 37................. ’03-04 6. Meredith Houx ........................... 36................. ’02-03 Amanda Dougherty ................... 36................. ’03-04 8. Amanda Dougherty ................... 35................. ’02-03 9. Meredith Houx ........................... 34................. ’01-02 10. Stephanie Glass ........................ 34................. ’03-04

Total Points - Single Season 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Germaine Dougherty ................. 93................. ’99-00 Stephanie Glass ........................ 89................. ’04-05 Germaine Dougherty ................. 83................. ’00-01 Meredith Houx ........................... 79................. ’03-04 Meredith Houx ........................... 76................. ’00-01 Meredith Houx ........................... 76................. ’01-02 Meredith Houx ........................... 69................. ’02-03 Bonner Wimberly ....................... 68................. ’00-01 Katie Smyre ............................... 65................. ’03-04 Ann Marie Reubin...................... 64................. ’02-03 Melissa Loontjer ........................ 64................. ’03-04

Germaine Dougherty

Meredith Houx Open Flat Points - Career

H I S T O RY

Total Points - Career 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Meredith Houx ......................... 300................. ’01-04 Germaine Dougherty ............... 223................. ’00-02 Erica Palomo ........................... 166................. ’04-06 Ann Marie Reubin.................... 161................. ’03-06 Bekki Stapleton ....................... 160................. ’01-04 Melissa Loontjer ...................... 146................. ’02-05 Andrea Hanson ....................... 133................. ’02-04 Stephanie Glass ...................... 128................. ’04-05 Beth von Brecht ....................... 126................. ’01-04 Amanda Dougherty ................. 125................. ’02-04

Erica Palomo

Stephanie Glass

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Meredith Houx ......................... 155................. ’01-04 Germaine Dougherty ............... 126................. ’00-02 Brooke Maddux ......................... 60................. ’01-03 Haley O’Neal ............................. 53................. ’00-02 Erica Palomo ............................. 51................. ’04-06 Amanda Dougherty ................... 50................. ’02-04 Viviana Cordero......................... 50................. ’05-06 8. Stephanie Glass ........................ 46................. ’04-05 Natalie Hill ................................. 46................. ’02-05 10. Stacy Kaber ............................... 37................. ’00-01

Amanda Dougherty

Open Fences Points - Career 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Meredith Houx ......................... 145................. ’01-04 Germaine Dougherty ................. 97................. ’00-02 Stephanie Glass ........................ 82................. ’04-05 Amanda Dougherty ................... 75................. ’02-04 Colleen O’Neill........................... 61................. ’05-06 Erica Palomo ............................. 43................. ’04-06 Haley O’Neal ............................. 36................. ’00-02 Brooke Maddux ......................... 30................. ’01-03 Andrea Hanson ......................... 29................. ’02-04 Erin Ivy .......................................................28 ............................’06

Colleen O’Neill 2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

WESTERN IHSA RECORDS Total Points - Single Season 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Quincy Cahill ........................... 102................. ‘99-00 Quincy Cahill ............................. 98................. ‘00-01 Katie Forest ............................... 97................. ‘04-05 Quincy Cahill ............................. 85................. ‘01-02 Casie Lisabeth........................... 81................. ‘04-05 Katie Forest ............................... 76................. ‘02-03 Katie Forest ............................... 68................. ‘03-04 Jamie Wells ............................... 67................. ‘99-00 Jaime Bodiford .......................... 59................. ‘00-01 Debbie Ramirez......................... 58................. ‘05-06

Reining Points - Single Season 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Quincy Cahill

Casie Lisabeth DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

1. Katie Forest ............................... 47................. ‘04-05 2. Quincy Cahill ............................. 45................. ‘01-02 Casie Lisabeth........................... 45................. ‘04-05 4. Quincy Cahill ............................. 44................. ‘00-01 5. Jamie Wells ............................... 41................. ‘99-00 6. Katie Forest ............................... 39................. ‘02-03 7. Quincy Cahill ............................. 35................. ‘99-00 8. Jaime Bodiford .......................... 32................. ‘00-01 9. Shelby Fritsch............................ 29................. ‘01-02 Sassie Broaddus ....................... 29................. ‘05-06 Debbie Ramirez......................... 29................. ‘05-06

Jamie Wells

Reining Points - Career 1. 2. 3. 4. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Quincy Cahill ........................... 184................. ‘00-03 Katie Forest ............................. 127................. ‘03-05 Casie Lisabeth........................... 96................. ‘02-05 Jessie Highﬁll ............................ 49................. ‘00-02 Tannetjé Mayeux ....................... 49................. ‘01-03 Catrina Neslage......................... 42................. ‘00-02 Celeste Slaughter ...................... 41................. ‘02-05 Jessica Tate............................... 39................. ‘02-05 Debbie Ramirez......................... 32................. ‘03-06 Aimee Boschma ........................ 29................. ‘04-05

Jessie Highfill

Open Horsemanship Points - Career 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Quincy Cahill ........................... 148................. ‘00-03 Katie Forest ..............................114................. ‘03-05 Jessie Highﬁll ............................ 68................. ‘00-02 Celeste Slaughter ...................... 62................. ‘02-05 Tressa Poynter .......................... 56................. ‘02-05 Ashley Shifﬂer ........................... 55................. ‘03-04 Casie Lisabeth........................... 52................. ‘02-05 Jamie Wells ............................... 41....................‘00 Jaime Bodiford .......................... 32....................‘01 Sassie Broaddus ....................... 32................. ‘04-06

H I S T O RY

Quincy Cahill ........................... 332................. ‘00-03 Katie Forest ............................. 241................. ‘03-05 Casie Lisabeth......................... 148................. ‘02-05 Jessie Highﬁll ...........................117................. ‘00-02 Celeste Slaughter .................... 103................. ‘02-05 Jessica Tate............................... 88................. ‘02-05 Debbie Ramirez......................... 86................. ‘03-06 Amber Ratliff .............................. 76................. ‘01-04 Tannetjé Mayeux ....................... 75................. ‘01-03 Lani Jurena................................ 74................. ‘03-05

Open Horsemanship Points - Single Season

Katie Forest

Total Points - Career 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Quincy Cahill ............................. 67................. ‘99-00 Quincy Cahill ............................. 54................. ‘00-01 Katie Forest ............................... 50................. ‘04-05 Quincy Cahill ............................. 40................. ‘01-02 Katie Forest ............................... 40................. ‘03-04 Katie Forest ............................... 37................. ‘02-03 Jessica Tate............................... 37................. ‘04-05 Casie Lisabeth........................... 36................. ‘04-05 Casie Lisabeth........................... 33................. ‘03-04 Tannetjé Mayeux ....................... 30................. ‘02-03

Ashley Shiffler

THE IHSA YEARS: 1999-2000 National Champions

Quincy Cahill

Quincy Cahill, Reining Quincy Cahill, AQHA High Point Rider Robin Marshall, Individual Intermediate Horsemanship Jessica Rogers, Team Intermediate Horsemanship

Zone 7 Champions Quincy Cahill, Reining Germaine Dougherty, Open Fences Germaine Dougherty, Open Flat Cinnamon Farquhar, Intermediate Fences Jamie Wells, Open Horsemanship

Quincy Cahill

Region 2 Champions Quincy Cahill, Reining Cinnamon Farquhar, Intermediate Flat Christa Stout, Novice Fences Jessica Rogers, Walk-Trot-Canter Cari Eggenberger, Walk-Trot

Robin Marshall

Meghan Nolan Tana Buckner

Quincy Cahill

H I S T O RY

Germaine Dougherty

Jessica Rogers Regional English Team Standings 1. Oklahoma State 2. Texas A&M 3. Texas 4. West Texas A&M 5. Trinity

279 268 192 121 85

1. Oklahoma State 2. Texas A&M 3. West Texas A&M 4. Kansas State 5. Sul Ross State

200 182 129 64 44

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

THE IHSA YEARS: 2000-01 National Champions

Quincy Cahill

Quincy Cahill, AQHA High Point Rider Quincy Cahill, Individual Open Horsemanship Bonner Wimberly, Team Novice Fences

Zone 7 Champions Germaine Dougherty, Open Fences Meredith Houx, Open Flat Melynda Knowles, Walk-Trot

Region 2 Champions

Quincy Cahill

Quincy Cahill, Open Horsemanship Quincy Cahill, Reining Stacy Kaber, Open Flat Jessica Mattingly, Novice Flat Keyea Webster, Intermediate Flat

Head Coach: Tana Rawson

Bonner Wimberly

English Coach: Meghan Nolan

H I S T O RY

Regional Western High Point Rider: Quincy Cahill

Regional English High Point Rider: Germaine Dougherty

1. Texas A&M 2. Oklahoma State 3. Kansas State 4. West Texas A&M 5. Louisiana State

266 264 235 200 187

Regional Western Team Standings 1. West Texas A&M 2. Texas A&M 3. Kansas State 4. Oklahoma State 5. Sul Ross State Texas Tech

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

206 193 186 178 29 29

THE IHSA YEARS: 2001-02 National Champions Quincy Cahill, Open Horsemanship & Reining Courtney Gregory, Intermediate Horsemanship Susanna Howe, Beginner Horsemanship Jessica Tate, Advanced Horsemanship Quincy Cahill, AQHA High Point Rider Quincy Cahill, Individual Open Horsemanship Jessica Tate, Team Advanced Horsemanship

Western National Champions

Zone 7 Champions Quincy Cahill, Open Horsemanship Germaine Dougherty, Open Fences Melynda Knowles, Walk-Trot-Canter

Region 2 Champions Catherine Crisp, Intermediate Flat Shelby Fritsch, Open Horsemanship Melynda Knowles, Walk-Trot-Canter Jessica Mattingly, Novice Fences Mandy Richter, Intermediate Fences

Quincy Quincy Cahill Cahill

Head Coach:

H I S T O RY

Tana Rawson

English Coach: Pamela Bruemmer

Regional Western High Point Rider:

Quincy Cahill

Regional English High Point Rider: Meredith Houx 1. Oklahoma State 2. Texas A&M 3. Kansas State 4. West Texas A&M 5. Louisiana State

245 229 228 152 113

Regional Western Team Standings 1. Texas A&M 2. Oklahoma State 3. Kansas State 4. West Texas A&M 5. Sul Ross State

173 172 148 135 46

Jessica Tate 2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

THE IHSA YEARS: 2002-03 National Champions Claire Adian, Intermediate Horsemanship Katie Forest, Reining Jennifer Jones, Beginner Horsemanship Ashley ShifďŹ&#x201A;er, Open Horsemanship Jessica Tate, Advanced Horsemanship

Zone 7 Champions

Western National Champions

Katie Forest, Reining Andrea Hanson, Intermediate Fences Meredith Houx, Open Flat Melissa Loontjer, Walk-Trot-Canter

Region 2 Champions Amanda Dougherty, Open Fences Katie Forest, Open Horsemanship Katie Forest, Reining Andrea Hanson, Intermediate Fences Meredith Houx, Open Flat Melissa Loontjer, Walk-Trot-Canter Jamie Mishler, Advanced Horsemanship

Meredith Houx

Head Coach: Tana Rawson Pamela Bruemmer

Katie Forest

Director of Operations: Darla Neisemier

Regional Western High Point Rider:

H I S T O RY

English Coach:

Katie Forest

Regional English High Point Rider: Meredith Houx 1. Oklahoma State 2. Texas A&M 3. Louisiana State 4. West Texas A&M 5. Texas Tech

232 227 165 158 155

Regional Western Team Standings 1. Texas A&M 2. West Texas A&M 3. Oklahoma State 4. Sul Ross State 5. Texas Tech

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

141 138 133 66 64

THE IHSA YEARS: 2003-04 National Champions

Claire Adian, Intermediate Horsemanship Terri Beaudion, Beginner Horsemanship Katie Forest, Reining Debbie Ramirez, Advanced Horsemanship Morgan Senac, Novice Horsemanship Ashley Shifﬂer, Open Horsemanship Katie Forest, Individual Open Horsemanship Meredith Houx, Team Open Fences Jennifer Jones, Individual Beginner Horsemanship Debbie Ramirez, Team Advanced Horsemanship

Zone 7 Champions

Region 2 Champions

Jenny D’Abadie, Walk-Trot

Katie Forest, Open Horsemanship

Katie Forest, Reining Meredith Houx, Open Fences Jennifer Jones, Beginner Horsemanship

Katie Forest, Reining Andrea Hanson, Intermediate Fences Meredith Houx, Open Flat Kelly Johnson, Novice Horsemanship

Head Coach: Tana Rawson

Katie Forest

Jennifer Jones, Beginner Horsemanship

English Coach: Pamela Bruemmer

Melissa Loontjer, Novice Flat

Director of Operations:

Ann Marie Reubin, Novice Fences

Darla Neisemier

Regional English High Point Rider:

H I S T O RY

Western National Champions

Meredith Houx

1. Texas A&M 2. Oklahoma State 3. Louisiana State West Texas A&M 5. Southern Methodist

289 255 158 158 122

Katie Smyre, Walk-Trot-Canter Bekki Stapleton, Intermediate Fences Jessica Tate, Advanced Horsemanship

Regional Western Team Standings 1. Oklahoma State 2. Texas A&M 3. West Texas A&M 4. Stephen F. Austin 5. Texas Tech

215 196 160 68 57

Meredith Houx

Debbie Ramirez

Jennifer Jones

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

THE IHSA YEARS: 2004-05 National Champions Debbie Ramirez, Individual Advanced Horsemanship Kate Toomey, Team Intermediate Horsemanship

Zone 7 Champions Katie Forest, Reining Stephanie Glass, Open Fences Stephanie Glass, Open Flat Lani Jurena, Intermediate Horsemanship Erica Palomo, Intermediate Flat Debbie Ramirez, Advanced Horsemanship

Debbie Ramirez

Region 2 Champions Stephanie Glass, Open Flat Ashlean McKenna, Advanced Walk-Trot-Canter Erica Palomo, Intermediate Flat Alyson Pennington, Novice Fences Mary Shaver, Walk-Trot

Kate Toomey Tana Rawson Linzy Woolf

Darla Neisemier Katie ForestStephanie Glass

Regional English Team Standings 1. Texas A&M 2. Oklahoma State 3. Southern Methodist 4. West Texas A&M 5. Texas Tech

298 291 177 166 122

1. Texas A&M 2. Oklahoma State 3. West Texas A&M 4. Stephen F. Austin 5. Texas Tech

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

H I S T O RY

Katie Forest

234 227 194 155 133

Stephanie Glass

THE IHSA YEARS: 2005-06 National Champions Katrina McLeod, Individual Beginner Horsemanship Debbie Ramirez, Team Open Horsemanship Christine Sceets, Individual Advanced Horsemanship Kate Toomey, Team Intermediate Horsemanship

Zone 7 Champions

Katrina McLeod

Katie Henion, Intermediate Flat Katrina McLeod, Walk-Trot

Region 2 Champions Erin Ivy, Open Fences Katie Henion, Intermediate Fences Katrina McLeod, Walk-Trot Erica Palomo, Open Flat Debbie Ramirez, Open Horsemanship Christine Sceets, Advanced Horsemanship Erin Sharp, Advanced Walk-Trot-Canter Kate Toomey, Intermediate Horsemanship Abby Wilder, Novice Horsemanship

Debbie Ramirez

Head Coach: Tana Rawson

H I S T O RY

English Coach: Linzy Woolf

Horsemanship Coach: Beth Bass

Christine Sceets

Director of Operations: Katie Forest

1. Oklahoma State 2. Texas A&M 3. Louisiana State 4. Southern Methodist 5. Baylor

236 213 167 149 123

Regional Western Team Standings 1. Texas A&M 2. Oklahoma State 3. Stephen F. Austin 4. So. Nazarene 5. N. Central Texas

183 179 89 75 60

Kate Toomey 2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

VENC HISTORY 2001-02

Gainesville, Fla. Overall Standings 1. Texas A&M 2. Georgia 3. West Texas A&M 4. Kansas State 5. Oklahoma State 6. Stonehill College 7. Auburn 8. Fresno State 9. College of Charleston 10. South Carolina 11. Cornell Findlay 13. Pace College

43 28 26 22 19 16 15 14 11 10 6 6 2

English Standings 1. Georgia 2. Texas A&M 3. Stonehill College 4. College of Charleston 5. Kansas State 6. Oklahoma State 7. Fresno State South Carolina 9. Cornell Findlay West Texas A&M 12. Auburn 13. Pace College

26 24 16 11 9 8 7 7 6 6 6 4 2

Western Standings 1. West Texas A&M 2. Texas A&M 3. Kansas State 4. Auburn Oklahoma State 6. Fresno State 7. South Carolina 8. Georgia

20 19 13 11 11 7 3 2

Overall Standings 1. Georgia 2. Oklahoma State 3. Texas A&M 4. Kansas State 5. West Texas A&M 6. Fresno State 7. Stonehill College 8. Auburn 9. Sacred Heart 10. South Carolina 11. Pace Univ. 12. Brown Univ. English Standings 1. Georgia 2. Stonehill College 3. Texas A&M 4. Oklahoma State 5. Sacred Heart

42 39 36 29 26 21 19 15 12 11 5 1 *19 19 16 13 12

Western Standings 1. Oklahoma State 2. Georgia 3. Kansas State 4. Texas A&M 5. West Texas A&M 6. Fresno State 7. Auburn 8. South Carolina

11 10 9 8 7 5 1

26 23 22 20 17 11 7 0

2003-04

Conyers, Ga.

Overall Standings 1. Georgia 2. Auburn 3. Oklahoma State 4. Texas A&M 5. Fresno State 6. South Carolina 7. Kansas State 8. Sacred Heart 9. West Texas A&M 10. Stonehill College 11. SMU 12. Pace College

60 49 47 37 30 27 20 19 18 14 4 2

English Standings 1. Georgia 2. Auburn 3. Sacred Heart 4. Oklahoma State Texas A&M 6. South Carolina 7. Stonehill 8. Fresno State 9. Kansas State 10. West Texas A&M 11. SMU 12. Pace

32 23 19 18 18 17 14 12 9 8 4 2

Western Standings 1. Oklahoma State 2. Georgia 3. Auburn 4. Texas A&M 5. Fresno State 6. Kansas State 7. South Carolina West Texas A&M

29 28 26 19 18 11 10 10

2004-05

Santa Fe, N.M. Overall Standings 1. South Carolina 2. Georgia

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

60 51

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Texas A&M Oklahoma State Fresno State Kansas State Auburn Sacred Heart New Mexico State West Texas A&M SMU Pace College

46 42 33 31 28 27 18 15 1 0

English Standings 1. South Carolina 2. Georgia 3. Sacred Heart 4. Oklahoma State 5. Texas A&M 6. Kansas State 7. Auburn 8. Fresno State 9. West Texas A&M 10. New Mexico State 11. SMU 12. Pace College

40 29 27 17 16 15 10 8 7 6 1 0

Western Standings 1. Texas A&M 2. Fresno State Oklahoma State 4. Georgia 5. South Carolina 6. Auburn 7. Kansas State 8. New Mexico State 9. West Texas A&M

30 25 25 22 20 18 16 12 8

2006-07 Waco, Texas

Overall Standings 1. South Carolina 2. Texas A&M 3. Georgia 4. Kansas State 5. Oklahoma State 6. New Mexico State 7. Auburn 8. Baylor

64 42 31 27 25 21 16 11

Hunter Seat Results 1. South Carolina 2. Georgia 3. Kansas State 4. Auburn 5. Oklahoma State 6. Texas A&M 7. Fresno State 8. Baylor Western Results 1. Texas A&M 2. South Carolina 3. New Mexico State 4. Oklahoma State 5. Baylor 6. Kansas State 7. Georgia 8. Auburn

2007-08 Waco, Texas

2005-06

Albuqerque, N.M. Overall Standings 1. Auburn 2. Oklahoma State South Carolina 4. Georgia 5. Texas A&M 6. New Mexico State English Results 1. South Carolina 2. Auburn 3. Georgia 4. New Mexico State 5. Texas A&M 6. Kansas State 7. Oklahoma State 8. Baylor Western Results 1. Oklahoma State 2. Auburn 3. Texas A&M 4. Georgia 5. New Mexico State 6. Kansas State

30 21 21 16 13 9

Overall Standings 1. Georgia 2. Texas A&M 3. Auburn 4. TCU 5. Oklahoma State 6. Kansas State 7. South Carolina 8. Baylor 9. Fresno State Hunter Seat Results 1. Auburn 2. Texas A&M 3. Georgia 4. Oklahoma State 5. South Carolina 6. Baylor 7/8. Fresno State 7/8. Kansas State

49 38 37.5 36 30 22.5 16 7.5 1.5

H I S T O RY

2002-03

College Station, Texas

6. South Carolina 7. Fresno State 8. West Texas A&M 9. Auburn 10. Kansas State 11. Pace Univ. 12. Brown Univ. * - Won on tiebreaker

Western Results 1. TCU 2. Georgia 3. Kansas State 4. Oklahoma State 5. Texas A&M 6. South Carolina 7/8. Auburn 7/8. Baylor

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

90 92 94 95 96

World Class Institution

International Highlights / National Highlights

The Student Body / Courses & Degrees / Faculty / Research

Budgets & Funding / The University System

The Colleges

Aggie Traditions Academic Services Academic Achievement Athletic Career Services Aggie Athletes Involved

96 97

98 102 104 106 107 108 109 110 112 113 114 116

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

AAI Events ChaTmps

Women’s Athletics World Renowned Athletes Aggies of Inﬂuence NCAA Compliance Student Rec Center Netum Steed Laboratory Residence Halls Friendly Community George Bush Presidential Library and Museum Aggie Sports Museum Premier Sports Venues The 12th Man Foundation

A World Class Institution exas A & M is known internationally for excellence in academics and athletics, as well as the tremendous Aggie spirit and proud traditions that create a learning and living experience unlike any other. From world-class research, residential and recreational facilities to a broad range of academic and extracurricular programs, Texas A & M offers myriad opportunities for intellectual and personal development in an environment that fosters achievement at the highest level.

T E X A S A &M

And, rich traditions – from “Howdy,” the official campus greeting, to events and commemorations such as The Big Event, Yell Practice and Aggie Muster – create a bond that unites Aggies across the generations.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

ESTABLISHED IN 1876

NATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

ince its Oct. 4, 1876 opening as the state’s first public institute of higher learning, the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now known as Texas A &M University, has grown into a leader in teaching, research and service, with an international reputation for excellence in academics and athletics. Located in the heart of Texas, less than 160 miles from four of the nation’s 20 largest cities (Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin) and home to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, Texas A &M is a popular and convenient destination for visitors from throughout the state.

nrollment: Texas A &M is the nation’s sixth-largest university (46,542 students in fall 2007). Students represent every state and 133 other nations. 3,483 (55 percent) of the first-time-in-college students enrolled in fall 2007 graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class. The average SAT for freshmen is 1208 (national average is 1017). The university received a record 21,000+ applications and a record 8,085 entering freshmen for fall 2007. Fall 2008 freshman enrollment is also expected to top 8,000. It enrolls more than 4,100 international students from 128 countries (ranked 13th) and sends more than 1,200 students on Study Abroad programs each year.

INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS exas A &M is a worldwide leader a wide array of international programs, partnerships and exchanges. Faculty and research staff have participated in more than 300 research projects in more than 50 countries and on all seven continents in recent years; the university enjoys formal cooperative agreements with about 100 institutions in more than 40 nations in Europe, Asia and throughout the Americas. As of the April 2008, Texas A &M enrolled approximately 4,100 international students from 128 countries (ranked 13th) and sends more than 1,200 students on Study Abroad programs each year. Texas A &M University at Qatar was established in 2003 in Education City, a 2,400-acre campus that also houses branch campuses of Virginia Commonwealth University, Weill Cornell Medical College, Carnegie Mellon University and Georgetown University in the city of Doha. A comprehensive Study Abroad program offers students a range of opportunities to study overseas-independently, as part of faculty-led excursions, through student exchanges or at Texas A &M centers such as The Santa Chiara Study Center in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy; The James Earl Rudder Scholar Program in Caen, Normandy, France; and The Texas A &M University Center in Mexico City, Mexico.

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS: Texas A &M is ranked No. 10 in the nation in the enrollment of National Merit Scholars and had the second-largest increase among all schools according to the 2007 National Merit Scholarship Corp. annual report.

✯

VALUE OF RESEARCH: With nearly $570 million invested in research, Texas A &M ranks among the top 20 research universities nationwide. Texas A &M has been identified by Business Week magazine as one of the top 12 academically elite schools in the amount of research received from industry.

✯

ENDOWMENT: Texas A &M’s endowment (including some parts of The Texas A &M University System) for FY 2007 was valued at about $6.5 billion, ranking 10th nationally and fourth among public universities.

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ADDITIONAL POINTS OF INTEREST: • Among 62 invited members of the prestigious American Association of Universities. • One of a select few institution to hold triple federal designation: Land Grant, Sea Grant and Space Grant. • U.S. News & World Report has ranked Texas A &M among the best public universities in the country in recent years—21st overall in 2007—and eighth among graduate schools. Sixteen graduate specialties are in the top 20 among public universities in the United States, and agriculture is ranked first. • Texas A &M tied for ninth place among public institutions in a new Forbes Magazine survey that ranks earnings of alumni from around the country with 10 to 20 years of experience. Texas A &M was the only Texas institution ranked among the top 10 public schools in a list dominated by University of California schools. • Princeton Review, a college guidebook for prospective students, listed Texas A &M as one of the country’s “top 10 best value public colleges” in 2007.

• Kiplinger’s ranked Texas A &M first in Texas and the Southwest among its best values in public colleges in 2006. • The Washington Monthly ranked Texas A&M seventh in the nation last year in its inaugural guide for prospective students. • Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education ranked Texas A &M 25th in the country in 2006 in the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanic students. The university ranked first in agriculture, fourth in biological and biomedical sciences, fourth in engineering and seventh in interdisciplinary studies. • Established a chapter of the academic honors society Phi Beta Kappa in spring 2004. • The Memorial Student Center is the nation’s largest student-union program. The university has more than 700 university-recognized clubs and organizations to satisfy a myriad of social, personal-development and recreational interests. • The university’s 5,200-acre physical plant, one of the largest in the nation, is valued at more than $1 billion. • Texas A &M University at Galveston, the state’s marine and maritime branch campus, has been in operation since 1962 and enrolls about 1,700 students in undergraduate and graduate degrees in science, engineering, business and transportation.

T E X A S A &M

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

✯

more officers into the U.S. military than any school other than the academies. Approximately 200 students participate in a separate corps at the Galveston campus, producing more Merchant Marine and U.S. Coast Guard officers than any institution except those academies. The student body continues to become more diverse. While total enrollment has grown by about 15 percent since 1988, minority enrollment has increased at an even faster pace. Women now represent approximately 48 percent of all students. More than 25 percent of the incoming freshman classes in recent years have been firstgeneration college students. More than 10,000 students have the opportunity to live on campus, placing Texas A &M among the top five universities in the nation in its capability for housing students.

FACULTY exas A &M has more than 2,600 faculty and is in the final year of a five-year effort— unprecedented in all of American higher education—to add nearly 450 new faculty members. The student-to-faculty ratio is less than 20:1. Included on the faculty are Nobel laureate, Dr. Norman Borlaug (1970 Peace Prize); National Medal of Science winner Dr. George F. Bass (Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Archaeology, 2001); a Pulitzer Prize Winner (Dr. Douglas Starr, Professor of Journalism); 21 members of the National

COURSES & DEGREES THE STUDENT BODY exas A &M is as committed to developing students’ character as well as their intellect, through a wide array of extracurricular activities collectively referred to as “The Other Education.” More than 75 percent of Texas A &M students belong to at least one of the 700-plus recognized student organizations, the nation’s largest student-union program. Membership in these organizations and participation in their activities help build important teamwork and leadership skills, while encouraging students to give of themselves in service to others. With about 1,800 members, Texas A &M’s Corps of Cadets is the largest uniformed student body apart from the national service academies. Although membership carries no military obligation, the Corps is responsible for commissioning

hrough its 10 colleges, Texas A &M offers undergraduate degrees in more than 150 fields of study, plus concentrations within majors (such as engineering geology within geology), almost 250 master’s and doctoral degrees, and one professional degree, the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. A new University Studies degree program, available in fall 2007, gives students greater flexibility to tailor their degrees while still meeting all core curriculum standards. Through the summer of 2007, Texas A &M had awarded more than 330,000 academic degrees, including more than 70,000 graduate and professional degrees. More than half of the advanced degrees have been awarded in the past 15 years.

Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Science (6), and many others who have received such high honors as the Wolf Prize, MacArthur Foundation “genius” Grants and the Welch Foundation Prize.

T E X A S A &M

RESEARCH

exas A &M’s faculty conduct nearly $570 million in research each year. Researchers at Texas A &M and affiliated A &M System agencies disclosed 141 inventions and filed 106 patent applications in FY 2007. In 2004, Texas A &M was selected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as the lead institution for the National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense, a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary research facility that aims to enhance the security of our nation’s food and agricultural systems. The center is part of Texas A &M’s Integrative Center for Homeland Security, which was established in May 2002. Since 2003, Texas A &M has served as a major participant in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), a large-scale, multinational earth science research project for which Texas

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

A&M also serves as the operator of one of three scientific drilling ships. At $450 million over 10 years, IODP represents the largest research contract in Texas A &M’s 128-year history. Texas A &M previously served as science operator for the Ocean Drilling Program, IODP’s predecessor, which ended in 2003 after 20 years. The 350-acre Texas A &M University Research Park opened in 1982. Tenants include the local headquarters of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, the headquarters and model basin for the Offshore Technology Research Center funded by the National Science Foundation, the Reta and Bill Haynes Coastal Engineering Laboratory and Centeq Research Plaza. The oilfield services company Schlumberger and HewlettPackard also have offices on site. Texas A &M Libraries are ranked first in scholarly publishing among U.S. academic libraries.

BUDGETS & FUNDING exas A &M University’s FY 2007 operating budget was $1 billion. In the 2005 calendar year, the university and other components of the Texas A &M University System located in the Bryan-College Station area had an economic impact of more than $2.7 billion. That includes institutional spending, as well as spending by more than 21,700 employees, nearly 45,000 students and tens of thousands of visitors. Texas A &M’s endowment (including some parts of The Texas A &M University System) for FY 2007 was valued at about $6.5 billion, ranking 10th nationally and fourth among public universities.

THE T E X A S A &M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM exas A &M University is part of the Texas A &M University System, which includes nine other academic institutions: Prairie View A &M (Prairie View), Tarleton State (Stephenville), Texas A &M International (Laredo), Texas A &M-Commerce, Texas A &M-Corpus Christi, Texas A &M Kingsville, Texas A&M-Texarkana, West Texas A &M (Canyon) and the Texas A &M University System Health Science Center. The System also includes the following state agencies: •

Texas Agricultural Experiment Station

•

Texas Cooperative Extension

•

Texas Animal Damage Control Service

•

Texas Engineering Experiment Station

•

Texas Engineering Extension Service

•

Texas Forest Service

•

Texas Transportation Institute

•

Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

T E X A S A &M

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

The Colleges

t the scientific core of Texas A &M, the College of Science has a three-part mission: educating new generations of scientists, conducting cutting-edge research to produce tomorrow’s technologies and providing the required mathematics, statistics and science foundation for all Texas A &M students. The college boasts world-renowned distinguished faculty, including three National Academy of Sciences members and a Nobel laureate. Two of the college’s five departments are ranked nationally at or near the top 10. The college’s Cyclotron Institute operates one of the world’s only K500 superconducting cyclotrons.

COLLEGE OF GEOSCIENCES he College of Geosciences is home to one of the most comprehensive concentrations of geosciences students, faculty and research scientists in the country. Our unique blend of disciplines includes atmospheric Sciences, geography, geology & geophysics, and oceanography. The College is also home to three major research centers – the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, and the Texas Sea Grant College Program – making Geosciences the largest college research program in the Texas A &M system. In addition to the degree programs in our four academic departments, we also offer interdisciplinary degrees in Environmental Studies, Environmental Geosciences and Spatial Science, and a master of Geoscience degree. With a total of approximately 755 students and about 110 faculty, the College offers an educational atmosphere characterized by smaller classes with tenured or tenure-track faculty, interactive learning, research opportunities in the laboratory and the field, and state-of-the-art facilities.

DWIGHT LOOK COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING he Dwight Look College of Engineering graduates about 2,000 engineers a year, third highest in the nation. Its program consistently ranks in the top 10 public engineering programs and its students are the some of most highly recruited engineers in the United States. To learn more about the fascinating and rewarding field of engineering, visit thinkbig.tamu.edu

THE BUSH SCHOOL

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

T E X A S A &M

ffers curricula designed to develop critical reading and thinking skills, to broaden and enrich the quality of life, and to produce informed and responsible citizens. The College offers an array of majors in 12 departments focusing on social and behavioral sciences, humanities, and the performing arts, as well as serving as a major source of international education.

MAYS BUSINESS SCHOOL ationally recognized through annual rankings among the top 10 public business schools for its undergraduate and MBA programs, Mays provides its students unique learning experiences that stress critical and innovative thinking, character development and ethical leadership. Visit mays.tamu.edu for more information.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT re you looking for a career that provides the opportunity to help others? If so, then there is a home for you in the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A &M University. Besides offering one of the best teacher education programs in the nation and being the leading producer of school teachers in high need areas, the college offers opportunities in human resource development, sport management, community health, technology management and exercise physiology. The 2009 U.S. News and World Report ranked its graduate school as 40th in the nation, and three new master’s degrees are offered in special education and Hispanic bilingual education. The college incorporates new technologies into all its programs and offers online and distance experiences at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. For more information about the college, visit cehd.tamu.edu.

he Bush School of Government and Public Service Administration was named after George Bush, 41st President of the United States, who once said “Public service is a noble calling.” Ranked 23nd among public universities for public affairs programs, the school educates principled leaders in public service and international affairs, conducts research, and performs service. The Master of Public Service and Administration and the Master’s Program of International Affairs are the two academic cornerstones of the college, with 195 graduate students enrolled. The school also offers online or in residence graduate certificate programs in Nonprofit Management, Advanced International Affairs, and Homeland Security. Distinguished, multidisciplinary faculty members are national and international leaders in their fields, and the college is home to the Institute for Science, Technology & Public Policy and the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs. To learn more, visit us online at bush.tamu.edu.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

mental management, biotechnology, veterinary and human medicine, and nutrition and food science. The College’s faculty members are internationally respected for their innovative improvements in production technology, natural resource management, genetics, human health, and disease prevention and for enhancing the quality of life in both rural and urban communities. They also place a high priority on teaching and working with students. For more information, visit coals.tamu.edu.

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE & BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES he College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, the only veterinary college in Texas, consistently ranks in the Top Five colleges of veterinary medicine in the nation and has produced approximately 10 percent of all the practicing veterinarians in the United States. The Texas Veterinary Medical Center, which includes the college, the large and small animal hospitals, and several specialized centers and institutes, offers patient care for all animal species through its’ community and referral practice. The undergraduate Biomedical Science (BIMS) Program at Texas A &M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences graduates the highest percentage of students admitted to professional schools in the State of Texas including veterinary, dental, medical, optometry, and nursing. In the Biomedical Science program, students rise to the expectation of the program’s rigorous curriculum. The average GPA of Biomedical Science students consistently exceeds the campus average.

GENERAL STUDIES PROGRAM llows students to explore several academic areas before declaring a major. This exploration helps students identify a major as well as clarify career goals. Students receive academic advising and career counseling while completing general courses that will apply to their degree programs.

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE & LIFE SCIENCES s one of the nation’s largest colleges of agriculture and life sciences and ranks among the top producers of future leaders for the multibillion-dollar U.S. food and fiber industry. With 29 major undergraduate programs in 15 departments, the College offers world-class education and research programs in food systems, natural resources and the environment, and life sciences technology, incorporating practical learning through internships in industry and government and study-abroad programs in countries throughout the world. The College’s diverse and motivated graduates successfully pursue careers in such fields as marketing and sales, law, government, business management, wildlife and environ-

he College of Architecture is one of the largest of its kind in the United States. It offers a comprehensive catalog of prominently ranked graduate and undergraduate programs in the design, visualization, planning, construction, and land development professions. The three departments in the college – architecture, construction science, and landscape architecture and urban planning – are each fully accredited at the highest possible level and together offer 12 degree programs including doctorates in architecture and urban and regional sciences. Additionally the college sustains six formally organized research centers and laboratories dedicated to improving the knowledge base of the professions it serves and supporting five graduate certificate programs in sustainable urbanism, facility management, health systems and design, historic preservation, and environmental hazard management.

T E X A S A &M

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

AGGIE TRADITIONS T

radition and history are important parts of life on any college

campus but especially at Texas A & M University. The “Spirit of Aggieland” is unmatched by any other college or university in the United States. Most traditions at Texas A & M are filled with the rich background of its Corps of Cadets, which for many years made up the entire student body at the College Station campus. Texas A & M opened in 1876 as a land grant college. At that point, the student body adopted a military structure, and the traditions of Aggieland took their roots. The school remained essentially the same until 1963 when the first

T E X A S A &M

women were admitted. But the school still has the Corps of Cadets — only one of a few universities in the country to maintain a strong commitment to military training. Today participation in the Corps is strictly voluntary, but about 2,000 students — men and women — choose to be part of the proud organization that helps personify

THE STORY OF O F T H E 1 2 TH M A N One of the most well-known traditions at Texas A&M is the Twelfth Man...

he story of this colorful tradition has been told and retold to generations of Aggie students and is part of the cohesive substance that binds A&M students together forever. The Twelfth Man is the reason A&M students stand for each entire football game. When Aggie students stand during games, it is this spirit and loyalty they are remembering. They stand in readiness in case they are needed to go into the game like the original Twelfth Man, E. King Gill. The late Dr. Gill of Corpus Christi related this story some years ago: “It was in January, 1922, following the 1921 football season. The Aggies were SWC champions and had been invited to play Centre College in what was then called the Dixie Classic in Dallas. I had played on the football team, but was on the basketball team at that time and those in charge felt I was more valuable to the basketball team (Gill was an All-SWC basketball player in 1923). I was in Dallas, however, and even rode to the stadium in the same taxi with Coach Dana X. Bible. I was in civilian clothes and was not to be in uniform. Coach Bible asked me to assist in spotting players for the late Jinx Tucker (sports editor of the Waco News-Tribune) in the press box. So, I was up in the press box, helping Jinx Tucker when, near the end of the first half, I was called down to the Texas A &M bench. There had been a number of injuries but it was not until I arrived on the field that I learned that Coach Bible wanted me to put on a football uniform and be ready to play if he needed me. There were no dressing rooms at the stadium in those days. The team had dressed downtown at the hotel and traveled to the stadium in taxi cabs. Anyway, I put on the uniform of one of the injured players. We got under the stands, and he put on my clothes and I put on his uniform. I was

the “Spirit of Aggieland.”

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

ready to play but never was sent into the game.”

SILVER TAPS One of the most emotional of all Aggie traditions …

he solemn ceremony is the final tribute and honor to an Aggie who has died. The ceremony is held in front of the Academic Building on the first Tuesday of every month at 10:30 p.m., if a student died during the preceding month. Students gather around the area, the campus lights are dimmed (cars included), chimes play from Albritton Tower, a detachment from the Ross Volunteers fires three volleys and buglers from the Aggie Band play Silver Taps three times. The ceremony is quite moving because the only sense one witnesses it with is sound. The family members of the deceased Aggie are invited as special guests at the ceremony.

REVEILLE The ﬁrst lady of Aggieland …

s the official mascot of Texas A &M University. She is the highest ranking member of the Corps of Cadets, and is a Five-Star General. A full-bred American Collie, Reveille’s history dates back to 1931. At that time, some cadets accidentally ran over a black and white dog in their Model T on the way back to Reveille VIII campus, so they at her debut

MUSTER First held in 1883 when Aggies met June 26 to ‘live over their college days’...

he early meetings were parties and banquets held during the commencement exercises. Soon, a permanent date was set — April 21 — and it became a time to pay homage to students and former students who died during the past year. At today’s Muster, living comrades answer “here” to the roll call at the largest ceremony in the 12,500-seat Reed Arena, for their friends who

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

BONFIRE

REPLANT

The Aggie Bonﬁre signals the annual football game between Texas A&M and University of Texas …

n the night before the game — or two nights before if it is played in Austin — the Corps of Cadets stands at attention to the music of “The Spirit of Aggieland” while the bonfire sends its flames and sparks spiraling into the sky. Bonfire is entirely financed and organized by the Corps of Cadets and traditionally belongs to the freshman class, but the entire student body helps build the world’s largest bonfire. The building and burning of Bonfire, which takes two weeks of nonstop work to complete after months of gathering wood, symbolizes the burning desire to beat t.u. and the undying love Aggies everywhere carry for Texas A&M. Bonfire formerly took place on the intramural field south of Duncan Dining Hall on the southern edge of campus, but moved to the polo fields at the northeast corner of campus in the early ’90s. Bonfire has not burned since the stack collapsed in 1999 and 12 Aggies were killed. The Bonfire will not burn for the foreseeable future. Extensive studies have been conducted concerning the future design and conducting of Bonfire. Replant is a one-day environmental service project which strives to improve the Bryan/College Station community, bring students together through tradition, provide an avenue for environmental service and action, through a yearly tree planting event. The Replant Committee is a group of Fightin’ Texas Aggie students which organizes and puts on the annual environmental service project. The diverse bunch of students comes from varied fields of study, as well as from across the country. While the group does a lot of the behind-thescenes organizational work, it could not succeed without the elbow grease of the dedicated volunteers who attend Replant each year.

YELL PRACTICE A favorite of Aggies is Yell Practice … n 1932, two freshmen asked the senior yell leaders to hold a Midnight Yell Practice to motivate students for the upcoming football game. The seniors said they could not authorize a Yell Practice, but could manage to “be” at the YMCA Building at midnight. Flares were planted, the Corps woke up, even the band showed up, and the

first Midnight Yell Practice was held. Today, Midnight Yell Practice is held at Kyle Field on Friday night before a home football game. The Aggie Band starts the parade at the Quadrangle near the Corps dorms and marches to Kyle Field led by the Yell Leaders carrying torches. Then, as many as 20,000 students line the route and fall in behind the band. Yells are then practiced, the Aggie War Hymn and the Spirit of Aggieland are sung, and at “lights out” the after-touchdown kiss is practiced. After an Aggie victory, the Yell Leaders are carried across campus and tossed into the Fish Pond, then a Yell Practice is held. After being “outscored,” students remain in the stands, and Yell Practice is held in preparation for the next game.

YELLS & HUMPING IT Instead of cheerleaders leading cheers, there are yell leaders leading yells …

oday yell leaders are selected by a vote of the student body. There are five Yell Leaders (three seniors and two juniors) who are donned in white. These five motivated Aggies use hand signals to indicate what yell will occur next. They tell the “Twelfth Man” what yell is coming, and the students on the bottom row pick up the signal and repeat it, passing it upward until the entire student body knows what is coming. Once the “Twelfth Man” assumes the “humping it” position (bending over with the hands placed just above the knees, properly aligning the back, mouth and throat for maximum volume) the yell begins.

BIG EVENT The largest student-led service project in the nation …

n the spirit of giving, Aggies help serve the community every year in Big Event. Started in 1982, the Big Event promotes campus unity as students come together each spring to express their gratitude for the support from the surrounding communities of Bryan/College Station. More than 8,000 Aggies participate in more than 800 jobs such as painting houses, mowing lawns, and raking leaves. Dorms, Greek organizations, Corps outfits and individuals work together to help serve the community.

T E X A S A &M

gathered up the Aug. 30, 2008 injured dog and took it back to the dormitory. In the morning, when the bugler sounded reveille, the dog started barking and promptly received her nickname. Reveille was soon adopted by the Corps and especially the band. She followed them to all formations and led them when they marched. At the first football game, she took the field with the band and made her first appearance as the official mascot of Texas A &M. Reveille died in 1944 and was buried at the north entrance of Kyle Field facing the scoreboard so that she can always watch the Aggies outscore their opponent. Reveille II, Reveille III, Reveille IV, Reveille V and Reveille VI are now buried alongside Reveille I. Reveille VII retired at the end of the 2007-08 school year. Reveille VIII made her formal debut at the debut at the football season opener on August 30, 2008.

have passed on. During World War I, groups of Aggies held Muster in trenches in Europe. In 1923, former students began holding Muster throughout Texas, the nation and numerous other parts of the world — to let Aggies remember old days and meet old friends.

ACADEMIC S E RV I C E S T

he mission of the Center for Student-

Athlete Services is to help each student-athlete achieve his or her maximum potential through academic, personal, and career enhancement while upholding the standards of honor, integrity, and professionalism at Texas A & M University. Through the combination of one of the nation’s premier facilities and a highly qualified staff, Texas A & M has strengthened its commitment to “Building Champions” off the field, as well as on.

T E X A S A &M

he Center for Student-Athlete Services is located on the second floor of the Bright Football Complex. The Center is a 24,550-square foot state-of-the-art facility equipped with the latest teaching technology and capable of accommodating over 600 students at any given time. The academic staff was highly involved in the design of the Center to ensure a convenient and user-friendly layout to meet the student-athletes’ needs. Designed with the student-athlete in mind, the academic center is one of the most comprehensive academic support facilities in college athletics.

CHAMPS 101: WINNING AT LIFE

HAMPS 101 is a comprehensive course created to assist our student-athletes in coping with the many transitions and challenges of college, athletic life, and beyond. The course creates opportunities for student-athletes to explore and be involved in campus life, services, and programs while encouraging personal growth and responsible decision-making.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

ACADEMIC CENTER FACTS  47-station Computer Center with

all new Dell Pentium IV desktop computers  25 Dell laptop computers to check out  access to all of the software available

in any open access computer lab on campus  13 Tutor Rooms for small group tutoring  10 Tutor Rooms for individual

All new freshman student-athletes are required to complete the course for academic credit within their first year. The CHAMPS 101 course serves to enhance Texas A &M’s commitment to the total development of our student-athletes by addressing the issues and topics to better prepare them academically, athletically, and personally.

tutoring  five walk-in tutor labs (agriculture,

business, science, math/liberal arts, , social sciences, writing)  two study lounges for students to find

a quiet, comfortable place to study independently or in small groups  four large classrooms available for

Champs 101, supplemental instruction  student-athlete lounge with

comfortable chairs, big screen TV. full kitchenl and vending machines nearby  office area for Student-Athlete

Advisory Committee and Aggie Athletes Involved  career services staff and

resource center  full-time nutritionist  career services staff

THE ANNUAL CHAMPS BANQUET

ach year a CHAMPS banquet is hosted in the spring to honor the student-athletes, trainers and managers who have excelled in academics, athletics, leadership, and community service. Each year we have over 320 students that are recognized for their achievements. One of the primary goals is to have the student-athlete graduation rate equal or exceed the all university graduation rate at Texas A &M. This is a significant challenge because the university graduation rate is consistently very high. However, the staff, coaches, and student-athletes are up to the challenge.

ACADEMIC SUPERVISING

nsuring that our student-athletes are on the correct path to success each athlete is assigned an academic advisor in their academic college and an athletic advisor. The Center for Student-Athlete Services employs 10 full-time Academic Supervisors and 3 Learning Specialists. They are assisted by 40 part-time Learning Assistants, numerous subject tutors, and the front office staff. Together, the staff monitors the student-athletes’ academic performance to ensure the continued fulfillment of progress toward degree requirements. This process includes academic progress reports during the semester and individualized academic planning for each student. All student-athletes are also required to submit pre-registration forms prior to registering for classes to ensure a class schedule that meets degree requirements and meshes with practice times. Additionally, every student-athlete must meet with his or her academic advisor in the college in which they are enrolled. Each student-athlete meets regularly with the athletic supervisor. The meetings help solve problems concerning class work and overall academic performance. The emphasis of the program centers on the idea of a “pro-active” approach rather than a “reactive” approach. Coaches and athletic supervisors try to set the academic tone early and to be as thorough as possible in planning for each student-athlete’s academic success.

T E X A S A &M

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

exas A & M men’s golfer

50-yard freestyle, breaking one of the most long-standing MEGHAN NEBERA (Brentwood, Tenn.). Nebera, who and most sought after marks in the A &M swimming record completed her eligibility in 2007, ranks second in A &M books. Gardner led the Aggies to a 13th-place finish, history in the 200-yard butterfly and is one of only three A&M’s 13th top 25 finish in a row, at the Aggies to ever score in NCAA Championships in Federal Way, the event at the NCAA Wash. Championships. Soccer player ASHLEE PISTORIUS Sophomore vol(Bloomington, Ill.) was named the female leyball player MARY Distinguished Letterman Award winner. BATIS (San Antonio) Pistorius is the A &M school record holder was named the for goals in a career and a four-time Big Outstanding Committee 12 All-Tournament selection in addition to Chair for her work with being named the 2007 Big 12 Offensive Aggie Athletes Involved Player of the Year. She was named the and The Big Event. Honda Sports Award winner in January Batis has started every 2007, an honor given to nation’s top colmatch and played in all legiate soccer player following a ballot of but one game during 1,000 NCAA member schools her two-year A&M caas part of the Collegiate reer. This past season, odd is a three-time first-team Women Sports Program. the outside hitter from Academic All-Big 12 pick The men’s tennis and San Antonio earned and received Academic Trey Todd (men’s golf) and Jen Moore Allen women’s golf teams earned MVP accolades at two All-America honors as a junior (volleyball) were named Bill Erwin the Highest Team GPA Award of three tournaments Bill Erwin Scholarand senior. He played in 28 Scholar-Athletes of the Year at the 18thfor the spring of 2007 while and went on to be Athletes of the Year career tournaments and tied for annual CHAMPS Awards Banquet. the women’s swimming & div Jen Moore, volleyball named the team’s coeighth at the 2007 Morris Williams  Trey Todd, men’s golf ing team won the Highest Team GPA Award MVP after leading the team in digs per game and ranking Intercollegiate in Austin. His for the 2007 fall semester. Other teams second in kills, points and aces per game. career-best round was a 67 at the Distinguished Letterwinners earning High Team GPA Awards (for having Student Athlete Advisory Committee President, 2006 PING/Arizona State  Ashlee Pistorius, soccer a team GPA over 3.0) were equestrian (Fall and men’s golfer, MATT VAN ZANDT (Houston)  Ozzie Gardner, men’s swimming Intercollegiate. Todd has received 2007), women’s swimming & diving (Spring was honored for his work as well. his masters in accounting from Prentice Gautt 2007), and women’s tennis (Spring 2007). The Award of Excellence, given to an athletic Texas A &M and has accepted a Scholarship Recipients Track and field athletes supporter within the department, was presented to job with Price Waterhouse in  Terry Dike, track and field TERRY DIKE (Houston) and Associate Athletic Director for Academics STEVE  Jessica Wingfield, track and field Dallas. JESSICA WINGFIELD (Richardson) M C DONNELL. McDonnell has worked in the position Moore was a three-time Award of Excellence earned a sweep of the Prentice Gautt Big for the Aggies since coming over from a similar role member of the Academic All-Big  Steve McDonnell 12 Postgraduate Scholarship Awards. at Iowa State in 1999. He also oversaw the transition 12 Volleyball Team during her Cleo Whitlock Award A two-time NCAA All-American in the of the academic center from Cain Hall to the Bright four-year career, and as a senior,  Rush Hannigan javelin, Wingfield placed 10th at the NCAA Complex in 2003. the libero was named to the Championship in 2005 and 2007. Her The Cleo Whitlock Award, given to an athletic Community Service MVP ESPN The Magazine Academic career best mark of 164 feet ranks No. 7 on supporter outside the department, was presented to  Meghan Nebera, women’s swimming All-District VI Women’s Volleyball the Texas A &M all-time list. She is a fourRUSH HANNIGAN. Hannigan often shows up for Second Team by the College Outstanding Committee Chair time Texas A &M / Verizon Scholar-Athlete volleyball games before warm-ups start and is often Sports Information Directors Mary Batis, volleyball  Award Winner, having earned the 4.0 GPA the first person in the stands. He attends many A &M of America. In 2007, the team Student Athlete Advisory award three times. sports, shows up early, stays late and was submitted captain played in every game Committee President She is also a three-time Big 12 Allfor the honor by multiple A &M teams for his outand ranked second on the squad  Matt Van Zandt, men’s golf Academic Team member and a McFadden standing spirit. in digs per game while leading Endowed Scholarship Recipient. Wingfield Athletes honored for being CHAMPS 101 the Aggies to a 21-10 record. An honor student, Moore has been accepted into medical school at the University Teaching Assistants were men’s swimmer graduated in May 2008 with a degree in communications of Texas at Houston. ALEJANDRO JACOBO (León, Gto., Mexico), and will pursue a master’s degree in sports management Dike improved his career best mark in the triple softball player MEGAN GIBSON (Spring), track at A &M in the fall. jump to 49-6 in 2008, placing third at the Texas Invita& field athletes ASHLEY M C CARTY (Sanger) and A total of 401 student-athletes and student support tional and qualifying for the NCAA Midwest Regional. He CHAD STOERMER (San Antonio), women’s basstaff were honored for posting a grade point average of is a Craig C. Brown Senior Engineer semifinalist, a threeketball player LATOYA GULLEY (Fayetteville, Ark.) 3.0 or higher during the 2007 calendar year. Of those, 89 time Verizon Scholar-Athlete Award winner, a two-time and women’s swimmer SALLY RANZAU (Alpharetta, earned Verizon Outstanding Athletics Scholar Awards for member of the Big 12 All-Academic Team and recipient of Ga.). CHAMPS 101 is a required course for all firstposting a 4.0 GPA for one or both semesters. the Ernst H. & Eva C. Gras Memorial Endowment. Dike, year student-athletes. Men’s swimmer OZZIE GARDNER (Kearns, Utah) a former student body president candidate, is planning to Ms. Gaye Zinn accepted an award posthumously was named the male Distinguished Letterman Award winattend law school following graduation. for her recently deceased husband BENNIE ZINN, ner. After red-shirting his true senior season due to injury, In the community service award categories, the who made significant contributions to the department Gardner became only the second swimmer in school Community Service MVP went to women’s swimmer as a tutor in the Academic Center. history to qualify for the NCAA Championship final in the

TREY TODD (Abilene) and

volleyball player JEN MOORE (Allen) were named the Bill

Erwin Scholar-Athletes of the Year at the 18th-annual

CHAMPS Awards Banquet held

at The Zone Club in Kyle Field.

T E X A S A &M

2007-08 HONOREES

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

CAREER S E RV I C E S

hen established, it was one of the first programs of its kind in the nation and was recognized by the D-1A Athletic Director’s Asso-

ciation in 2003 with the Program of Excellence Award. The program was created to assist student-athletes with all aspects of their professional development. Only two percent of college athletes will successfully compete at the professional level the other 98 percent will enter the workforce. With this in mind the Athletic Career Services Center prepares them for their transition out of college sports and into the workforce.

DESIGNED WITH THE STUDENT-ATHLETE IN MIND

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

n addition to the above services, Athletic Career Services also offers many unique programs such as “Backpack to Briefcase” the junior and senior seminar preparing student- athletes for graduate school, internships or full-time employment. The Athletic Career Services staff advises student-athletes on career-related issues such as on-campus interviewing, employment trends and job search strategies and also provides workshops, mock interviews, and resume and career planning seminars. Along with the opportunity to attend various employer fairs the Athletic Career Services Center also brings in employers for our very own career fair. Student-athletes are also encouraged to utilize the extensive resources and services offered by the University Career Center.

COMPLETING THE CYCLE

exas A &M strives to recruit quality student-athletes who excel academically and athletically, and the university hopes to complete the cycle by enhancing the future employment opportunities of these athletes. For more information about Athletic Career Services, please visit the web page of AggieAthletics.com/academics.

T E X A S A &M

he program was created to assist student-athletes with all aspects of their professional development. Only two percent of college athletes will successfully compete at the professional level; the other 98 percent will enter the workforce. With this in mind, the Athletic Career Services Center prepares them for their transition out of college sports and into the workforce. Athletic Career Services is introduced during the student-athletes freshman year with the acknowledgement that with their hectic athletic schedules becoming involved with campus organizations is challenging. Therefore during their winter, spring and summer break, internships and part-time positions related to their major are available. This provides the student-athlete with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience while also building their resume. Upon graduation our student-athletes are the most prepared and experienced candidates one could hire.

MANY UNIQUE PROGRAMS

AGGIE ATHLETES INVOLVED Committed to Service

ggie Athletes Involved

began its 18 th year of community service in the fall of 2008. The AAI EVENTS

organization has continued with the motto of “Building

FALL 2007

Champions

 HOSTS – Help One Student to Succeed

through the Community.” More than 400 Aggie athletes participated in at least one AAI event throughout the 2007-08 school year, making it one of the most highly involved student-athlete organizations in the nation.

 Children’s Museum Fall Fest  American Heart Association Heart Walk  Red Ribbon Milam Elementary  Aggies CAN Food Drive  Family Reading Night – Johnson Elementary School  Family Support Network Holiday Party  Coat Drive  Toys for Tots  Jr. Aggie Kids Club  Red Ribbon Carnival - Sue Haswell Park  Night of Nations  Worldfest - International Festival  NCAA Habitat Build

SPRING 2008

T E X A S A &M

 Physics & Chemistry Open House  TAKS - Navarro Elementary School  Big Event  Juvenile Detention Center / The Academy  Governor Rick Perry Texas Round-Up – Promotion of Healthy Family Lifestyles  Sports for Kids  Carnival - St. Thomas Early Learning Center  Youth Summit  Children Mean the World to Me  Sports Day - South Knoll Elementary  Still Creek Boys & Girls Ranch/School

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

CHAMPS T he athletic

department is

dedicated to the

welfare and future of its student-ath“Our Red Ribbon Week was a great success thanks to your help! Your motivation and inspiration were greatly appreciated. We appreciate that you took time out of your busy schedule to come and spend time with us at Milam Elementary!

letes. This commitment is guided by

Thanks again for helping to make our Red Ribbon Week the wonderful success that it was!’”

skills programming associated with

Milam Mustangs , Ben Milam Elementary School

the department’s sponsorship of life its CHAMPS program. CHAMPS provides a well-rounded program for student-athletes to develop the individual skills necessary to lead successful and productive lives. Programming on campus relates to the following five commitments: ✯ Academic Excellence is promoted through a full range of services that include orientation, advising, tutoring, academic skills training and the celebration of academic excellence.

✯ Athletic Excellence

AAI IS DIVERSE IN ITS ACTIVITIES

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

✯ Career Development Texas A &M Career Center and athletic department have developed the Athletic Services Program to prepare student-athletes for their transition out of sports and into the career development process. Career development components of the program include special workshops and programs for student-athletes, career shadowing, mock-interviews and a senior resume brochure.

✯ Personal Development components are promoted through life skills and personal development seminars/classes and sponsorship of Student Athlete Advisory and Advocate Committees.

✯ Commitment to Service

T E X A S A &M

he wide range of activities is provided to allow the student-athlete the ability to choose the venue he or she feels most comfortable interacting with the community which supports them. Support and funding for these selfless volunteers and their organization is provided by the athletic department. It has been and will continue to be the goal of AAI to create an opportunity for young people to spend time and interact on a personal level with student-athletes of different ethnicity and gender. Through this interaction, it is hoped that student-athletes will appreciate the importance of service and take this appreciation with them as they leave the university environment.

is fostered by the department’s sponsorship of nine men’s and 11 women’s intercollegiate sports. This sponsorship is based on equity and compliance to all University, NCAA and Big 12 rules and regulations.

is promoted by the variety of efforts supported by Aggie Athletes Involved, a community outreach group composed of student-athletes.

WOMEN’S AT H L E T I C S Aggie Women Captured School Record Championships

uilding champions is the mission of the Texas A & M athletic department, and

with the overwhelming support from the administration, Aggie women’s sports are carrying out the game plan. Under the leadership of highly regarded coaches who continue to recruit superior student-athletes, all 11 A & M women’s programs have proven to be perennial predominant forces on the conference, regional and national scales, and they continue to add to the school’s ever-expanding trophy display. 2007-08 RECORD ACCOMPLISHMENTS

T E X A S A &M

ggie women’s teams captured a school-record and league-leading six Big 12 Conference regular season and tournament championships in six different sports in 2006-07. In 2006-07, they went one step further by capturing seven Big 12 crowns. A &M was so dominant in league play on the women’s side that they captured exactly half the Big 12 titles available in the sports that the Aggies sponsor. Baylor, which swept the women’s tennis regular season and tournament crowns, and Texas, which split the volleyball title with Nebraska and won the conference soccer tournament, were the only schools in the Big 12 to win more than a single title with A &M grabbing the lion’s share of the hardware. For the second straight year, nine of A &M’s 11 women’s sports advanced to postseason competition. Eight teams ranked in the final Top 15 national rankings in 2007-08, with seven in the

Texas A & M women’s teams captured a league-leading six Big 12 Conference championship trophies in six different sports, as well as a national championship trophy in equestrian in 2006-07.

top 10 and four amongst the top five. The practically acrossthe-board success experienced by the Aggie women’s teams helped catapult Texas A&M to a school-record 1,031 points in the prestigious 2007 United States Sports Academy Directors’ Cup, presented annually by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), up from the previous record of 881 set the year before. In addition, A &M finished in 12th place in the Cup standings, the best finish in school history and the second-most points tallied by a school in the Big 12.

2 0 0 7 - 0 8 T E X A S A &M BIG 12 CHAMPIONS Soccer (regular season) Swimming and Diving Indoor Track and Field Basketball (tournament) Softball (regular season and tournament) Outdoor Track and Field

T E X A S A &M I N 2007-08 FINAL NATIONAL RANKINGS Sport

omen have been admitted on a general basis as students to Texas A&M only since the fall of 1971. Once they gained admission, though, it didn’t take them long to begin organizing teams to represent

* * * *

* Indicates highest finish in team history

2007-08 BIG 12 TITLE LEADERS

HISTORICAL REVIEW

Rank

Equestrian (combined) ............................ 2 Softball ................................................... 2 Women’s Track and Field - Outdoor ......... 3 Women’s Swimming and Diving ............... 4 Women’s Golf ......................................... 6 Women’s Track and Field - Indoor ........... 7 Women’s Basketball ................................ 8 Women’s Soccer ................................... 13

School

Texas A&M Texas Baylor Colorado Kansas State Oklahoma Nebraska

No. of championship titles

No. of sports to win a championship*

7 2 2 1 1 1 1

6 2 1 1 1 1 1

*Includes co-championship regular-season trophies and tournament championship trophies

A&M in intercollegiate athletic competition. And whether some Aggie women’s teams date their beginnings to 1973 or if they became a scholarship sport as recently as 1999, Texas A &M women’s athletics has surpassed countless milestones and continues to foster its commendable national reputation both in the competition arena and in the classroom. Most of A &M’s women’s athletic teams date their beginnings as far back as 1973, with the Athletic Department’s Lettermen’s Association formally awarding the first female letterwinners their A &M monograms at the conclusion of the 1975-76 academic year. From those origins, women’s athletics at the once all-male institution has grown significantly. With 13 team national championship titles and numerous conference titles over the last 33 years, A &M

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

women’s sports have been or are becoming consistent national contenders in all 11 sponsored sports — basketball, cross country, equestrian, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball. In 1993 the university expanded to 10 women’s sponsored sports with the addition of soccer as a scholarship sport, and as a unit the Aggie athletic program ranked among the best in the nation. In 1997 A &M was ranked first in the Big 12 and fifth in the nation in the Gender Equity Report Card, published by the Women’s Sports Foundation. And in 1999, Texas A &M bolstered its commitment to women’s athletics with the addition of NCAA emerging sports archery and equestrian. Although the A &M archery team won six national team titles in six years, the sport did not grow as rapidly as expected at the collegiate level and was downgraded back to a club sport at A &M following the 2004-05 academic year.

EQUESTRIAN

he list of accomplishments compiled by A &M teams and athletes is impressive. After establishing a solid foundation as a nationally elite club team, the equestrian team has spent the last nine years riding high as a varsity athletic sport. The Aggie riders have won six national team titles with the most recent coming in western riding in 2007. This past season, the hunter seat, or English, half of the team stepped to the fore making it to the national championship match while the western team finished fifth, allowing A &M to earn a second straight runner-up overall finish at the national championships.

The Texas A & M softball team captured both the 2008 Big 12 regular season and tournament titles while earning its second consecutive berth into the Women's College World Series and reaching the championship series for the first time since 1987.

silver-medal effort in the 4 x 400, along with a bronze-medal finish from freshman Jessica Beard in the 400 led to a program best seventh-place team finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships.

SOCCER

he women’s soccer team quickly developed into a perennial powerhouse once soccer became an intercollegiate scholarship sport at A &M 15 years ago. It only took two seasons before the surging Aggies burst into the national limelight. The A &M soccer team finished ranked

No. 13 in the nation in 2007. The Aggies won the Big 12 regular season title and made their 13th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. A&M, which has captured a total of 10 Big 12 regular season and tournament championships since the league formed in 1996, has hosted NCAA first-and second-round matches each of the past 13 years, and in 2005 and 2007 A &M had the prestigious privilege of hosting the Women’s College Cup. The Aggies will also serve as hosts of the national championship in 2009.

The women's soccer team celebrates after capturing its fourth consecutive Big 12 regular season title.

SOFTBALL The A & M hunter seat riders led the Aggies to their second consecutive second-place finish at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships.

FIELD

nother superlative season in Aggie track and field resulted in a program best finish on the NCAA level while Texas A &M successfully defended Big 12 titles during the indoor and outdoor seasons. In placing third outdoors at the NCAA Championships, the Aggies defended their 4 x 100 national title by running a school-record and collegiate-leading time of 42.59 seconds while senior Simone Facey and sophomore Porscha Lucas achieved a rare 1-2 finish in the 200. A

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Porscha Lucas and Simone Facey team up to lead A & M to its second consecutive NCAA Championship in the 4 x 100 meter relay.

he Aggie softball team has won three national titles — an AIAW crown in 1982 and NCAA championships in 1983 and 1987. The team has played in seven NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS), including back-to-back trips in 2007 and 2008, and has earned a berth in the NCAA playoffs 19 of the last 26 years. Under the direction of All-American pitcher Megan Gibson and fellow seniors Jamie Hinshaw and Jami Lobpries, A &M finished the 2008 season ranked No. 2 in the nation after reaching the WCWS championship series. The Aggies set a record for wins in a season after finishing the year at 57-10, while capturing their second Big 12 regular season title and first ever Big 12 Tournament title.

T E X A S A &M

TRACK

Ashley Freeman tied for eighth at the 2008 NCAA Championships.

Texas A & M’s first-ever Elite Eight women’s basketball team.

BASKETBALL

he Aggie women’s basketball team turned in one of the most memorable runs in school history which included the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight with a Sweet 16 victory over perennial power Duke and a close loss to eventual national champion Tennessee in the Oklahoma City Regional Final during the 2007-08 season. A &M earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning its first-ever postseason Big 12 Conference Championship in Kansas City to go next to the previous year’s regular-season championship. Led by head coach Gary Blair, the Aggies compiled the most victories in school history with a The Aggie seniors celebrate winning the 2008 Big 12 Tournament. 29-8 overall record that included a program-best 12-game winning streak. By year’s end, A &M finished a school-best No. 8 in the final Associated Press and USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 Polls to put the Aggies among the nation’s elite in women’s college basketball for the second-straight season. Seniors Morenike Atunrase and A’Quonesia Franklin closed out their storied four-year A &M careers by being selected in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the San Antonio Silver Stars and Sacramento Monarchs respectively. The Aggie swimming & diving team celebrates its second-straight Big 12 Championship

WORLD-WIDE RECOGNITION SWIMMING

DIVING

T E X A S A &M

he A&M swimming and diving program earned a program-best fourth place finish at the 2008 NCAA Championships, improving four spots from a school-best eighth-place finish the year before. The Aggies also won their second-ever and second straight Big 12 Championship title with a resounding defeat of eight-time champion Texas at their home pool in Austin. A &M, which served as host of the 2004 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, will host both the men’s and women’s NCAA Championships this coming March.

GOLF

omen’s golf finished sixth at the NCAA Championships, its best finish since 1982. Freshman Sarah Zwartynski and sophomores Danielle McVeigh and Ashley Freeman earned All-America honors.

100

ndividually, Aggie athletes have been recognized not only at the conference, regional and national levels, but at the international level as well. In 2008, former Aggie volleyball standout Stacy Sykora became the first A &M athlete to be named to three straight United States Olympic Teams. Jennifer McFalls represented A &M at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, as a member of the USA Softball team. An alternate on the 1996 Olympic team, McFalls scored the winning run in extra innings of the championship game in Sydney to secure the gold medal for the USA. Aggie trackster Anjanette Kirkland was the 2001 world champion in both the indoor 60-meter hurdles and the outdoor 100-meter hurdles. The Aggie women’s basketball team has had four players picked in the WNBA Draft in the past eight years, including two in 2008. Aggie

Jaynetta Saunders was the first A &M woman drafted, in 2001 by the Cleveland Rockers. In 2004, Toccara Williams, one of three players in NCAA history to record more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 700 assists and 450 steals, was a third round pick by the San Antonio Silver Stars. This past season, Morenike Atunrase was drafted by the Atlanta Dream in the second round of the 2008 WNBA Draft (and traded to San Antonio shortly thereafter) while point guard A’Quonesia Franklin was selected in the third round by the Sacramento Monarchs. The A &M women’s swimming team placed four athletes into the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Christine Marshall became A &M’s first U.S. Olympian in swimming while Canadian Julia Wilkinson swam in more Olympic races than any athlete in Canadian history. Triin Aljand and Alia Atkinson both competed in their second straight Olympic Games as well.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

GREAT COACHES

hile Aggie athletes have distinguished themselves as athletic and academic All-Americans and all-conference performers and have gone on to compete at the international level as well as the professional level, the Aggie coaching staff also has brought notoriety to the women's athletic program at Texas A &M. Women’s swimming coach Steve Bultman and women’s track & field coach Pat Henry each won their second consecutive Big 12 Coach of the Year awards in their respective sports after leading their teams to back-to-back Big 12 Championships. Women’s basketball coach Gary Blair was tabbed as the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2007 after leading the Aggies to their first-ever conference championship in the sport. Softball coach Jo Evans earned Big 12 Coach of the year accolades three times, including this past year after sweeping both the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles. Evans and her staff were also honored as National Fastpitch Coaches Association Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year. Soccer coach G. Guerrieri was voted the 1997 and 2002 Big 12 Co-Coach of the Year and in 2005, diving coach Kevin Wright was named the Women's Big 12 Diving Coach of the Year for the fifth time in six years. Women’s tennis coach Bobby Kleinecke, who garnered Intercollegiate Tennis Association Region Coach of the Year honors in 2002, was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year in 2004. Two-time SWC Volleyball Coach of the Year Laurie Corbelli, a member of the 1984 USA silver

medal Olympic team, was named the District VI Coach of the Year in 1995, and in 2002 she received USA Volleyball's George L. Fisher “Leader in Volleyball” award. In addition to his collegiate coaching duties, Bultman has international coaching experience as well, having served as an assistant coach for the United States at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea and for Estonia in 2008. Gary Blair, a two-time national finalist for the prestigious Naismith Coach of the Year Award, brought instant respect to the Texas A &M women’s basketball program when he was first hired in 2003. One of the winningest active Division I coaches in the women’s game today, Blair previously led Arkansas to the 1998 NCAA Final Four and Stephen F. Austin to four NCAA Sweet 16 appearances. He followed that path of success by elevating A &M into one of the nation’s elite programs after just five seasons in Aggieland. The 2007 Big 12 Coach of the Year went on to lead the Aggies to a schoolrecord 29-8 record and also claimed his 500th career victory against Iowa State on Feb. 20, 2008, to become the 36th all-time D-I coach to reach the milestone in NCAA history. Blair also holds the distinction of being one of only five coaches in NCAA history to take three schools to the NCAA Tournament and is the winningest women’s basketball coach in school history by percentage (.623). The 2004 hiring of track and field coach Pat Henry, one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history, continued to confirm A&M’s commitment to building champions. Henry came to Aggieland after accumulating 27 NCAA team cham-

pionships in his 17 seasons as head coach of the LSU men’s and women’s teams, and in 2005 he was named the Outstanding Women’s Track and Field Coach on the Silver Anniversary Team by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). On the international level, Henry was the head coach for Team USA at the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan. In 2006, Henry coached the United States team during the World Cup in Athens, Greece. In 2007, Henry was chosen as the Midwest Region Women’s Coach of the Year by the USTFCCCA after leading A&M to a pair of Big 12 Championships along with the Midwest Region title. He also was selected as the South Central Region Women’s Coach of the Year during the indoor season. In addition, A&M’s Vince Anderson earned the Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year honor for the Midwest Region in the sprints/hurdles category. For the 2006 season, Anderson claimed the same coaching honor and was chosen as the national winner in the women’s sprints/hurdles category. Most recently, A&M athletics director Bill Byrne hired accomplished player and coach Trelle McCombs to take over the women's head golf coaching duties after long-time coach Jeanne Sutherland announced her retirement following consecutive Big 12 championships in 2007. McCombs led the Aggies to a Big 12 runner-up finish and an eight-place finish at the NCAA Championships in her first season at the helm of the program.

TENNIS

upported by a loyal and enthusiastic home crowd that bolstered Texas A &M to a No. 1 national ranking in the ITA Attendance Race, the Aggie women’s tennis team made its ninth consecutive appearance in the NCAA team championship and advanced to the second round for the sixth straight year. In addition, the Aggies, who play host to the 2009 NCAA Tennis Championships, earned three Big 12 individual titles en route to a third-place finish in the

32 YEARS OF DRAMATIC SUCCESS

The women's athletics program has made dramatic strides at Texas A &M during the last 33 years. And with A &M student-athletes continuing to compile team and individual awards at the international, national, regional and conference levels, Aggie teams are proudly carrying on the A &M winning tradition and the "Spirit of Aggieland" while steadfastly following the mission of building champions.

Anna Blagodarova defeated Stanford’s Celia Durkin in the 2008 NCAA Second Round to become the third player in A & M history to reach 100 career wins in singles matches.

league.

VOLLEYBALL

he A&M volleyball team has appeared in the NCAA tournament 13 of the last 15 years, advancing to at least the second round 12 times during that stretch including two Elite Eight appearances. The Aggies, who have never lost a home NCAA postseason match, have garnered eight All-American citations in the last 11 years.

CROSS COUNTRY

hile the Texas A &M cross country team placed fourth in the NCAA South Central Region meet, Christina Munoz became the third consecutive Aggie female to qualify for the NCAA Championship field when she finished fifth at the regional to earn her place in the national race. An eighth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships by A &M earned a key point in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown as Munoz and Sarah Balfour earned All-Big 12 honors.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Sarah Ammerman, who ranked in the top five in the Big 12 in kills, aces and points per game as a sophomore in 2007, was named to USA Volleyball’s A2 Team and captured a bronze medal at the 2008 U.S. Open Championships.

T E X A S A &M

&M women's athletics competed under the umbrella of the former Southwest Conference for 14 seasons (1982-96) and then became a charter member of the Big 12 Conference in 1996. The newly formed league immediately forged into the national limelight and continues to be one of the most highly competitive and prestigious leagues in the nation.

101

AGGIE NOTABLES

ATHLETES

On the World Stage

exas A & M has captured 121

 CASEY FOSSUM is a relief pitcher for the Detroit Tigers.  ANJANETTE KIRKLAND was the indoor and outdoor World Champion in the high hurdles in 2001.  FABRICE LAPIERRE won the Bronze Medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games while at Texas A&M.  ACIE LAW IV is in his second season with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks after earning consensus All-America honors at A&M in 2007. He received the 2007 Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard.  JEFF MAGGERT pocketed the largest purse in the history of professional golf when he received a check for $1,000,000 after winning the 1999 World Match Play Championship. Won the 2006 FedEx St. Jude Classic ...Three-time member of the USA Ryder Cup team.

conference team championships.

Aggie athletes have collected nearly

 JENNIFER MCFALLS scored the winning run in USA’s 2-1 win over Japan in the gold medal game of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

1,000 All-America citations.

 RYAN PALMER won the PGA’s 2004 FUNAI Classic at Walt Disney World Resort as a rookie.

Ryan

 STACY SYKORA was the starting libero for the Women’s Olympic Volleyball Team at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.

Anjanette

PALMER

KIRKLAND

 TY WARREN has won a pair of Super Bowls since joining the New England Patriots in 2003.  A’QUONESIA FRANKLIN and MORENIKE ATUNRASE led the Aggies to two Big 12 Championships and into the NCAA Elite Eight. They were drafted into the WNBA by the Sacramento Monarchs and the San Antonio Silver Stars.  ANTOINE WRIGHT was the first round pick of the New Jersey Nets in 2005 and helped the Nets to the NBA Atlantic Division Championship in 2005-06. He has since been traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

Morenike

ATUNRASE

 JULIA WILKINSON was a World Championship finalist in the 200 IM in 2007 and swam multiple races in the 2008 Olympics for Canada.

AGGIES AT THE 2008 OLYMPICS A’Quonesia

T E X A S A &M

FRANKLIN

102

LAPIERRE

RICHARD ADU-BOBIE TRIIN ALJAND ALIA ATKINSON ERICA (BOREN) BARTOLINA STEVE BULTMAN* TYRONE EDGAR SIMONE FACEY ALLEYNE FRANCIQUE** ALLISON GEORGE DAVEY JOHNSON FABRICE LAPIERRE MUNA LEE** BALAZS MAKANY CHRISTINE MARSHALL FRANCISCO PICASSO STACY SYKORA JULIA WILKINSON

Canada Estonia Jamaica USA Estonia Great Britain Jamaica Grenada Grenada USA Australia USA Hungary USA Uruguay USA Canada

Men’s Track & Field Women’s Swimming & Diving Women’s Swimming & Diving Women’s Track & Field Asst. Coach, Women's S&D Men’s Track & Field Women’s Track & Field Men’s Track & Field Women’s Track & Field Head Coach, Baseball Men’s Track & Field Women’s Track & Field Men’s Swimming & Diving Women’s Swimming & Diving Men’s Swimming & Diving Women’s Volleyball Women’s Swimming & Diving

VIC WUNDERLE

USA

* head women's swimming coach

** volunteer assistant coach

Archery

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

Casey

FOSSUM

Jef f

Jennifer

MAGGERT

McFALLS

Julia

WILKINSON Ty

WARREN

T E X A S A &M

Stacy

SYKORA

Acie

LAW IV

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

Antoine

WRIGHT

103

AGGIES OF INFLUENCE S

ome of the world’s most influential people attended Texas A & M. They are the movers and shakers on and off the planet, and they are also Aggies.

STEVEN R. SWANSON ’98 NASA Astronaut (Mission Specialist) Crew Member, Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-117, June 8-22, 2007

“As a graduate of the University (along with a brother, ’91, and sister, ’93) I have always cherished meeting Aggies across the nation, regardless of race, creed, sex or religion. I am a living witness that the university is an open and inviting place for anyone.”

— ROLAND S. MARTIN ’91 Author; nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate; radio host, commentator for TV One Cable Network and host of the Roland S. Martin Show

MICHAEL E. FOSSUM ’80 NASA Astronaut (Mission Specialist) Crew Member, Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-121, July 4-17, 2006 and STS-124, May 31June 14, 2008

“I miss the atmosphere. Texas A & M taught me so much and it was the best time of my life. I’m dreaming to get back there. Just being able to walk on campus and being able to say hi to pretty much everyone. Getting to know so many people from so many different walks of life and the camaraderie is hard to explain.”

— FERNANDO PALOMO ’96 SportsCenter anchor, ESPN Deportes

CHRIS TOMLIN ’94

T E X A S A &M

2007 Gospel Music Association (GMA) Artist and Male Vocalist of the Year

RICK PERRY ’72 Texas Governor and former A & M track and field athlete

104

MARTIN TORRIJOS ’87 President of Panama with President George W. Bush

“The best thing about A & M and Bryan-College Station for me was the people. The community really accepted me and got behind me when I was a novice TV weathercaster. They made me think I could do anything!”

— ORELON SIDNEY ’92 Former CNN Weather Anchor

“I was born and raised in BryanCollege Station so my blood was maroon from day one. That blood, along with the bonding spirit of being an Aggie will be with me for the rest of my life. As a kid, student and an adult, the sounds of Kyle Field, G. Rollie, Olsen Field, or just simply walking across campus ... are memories that will last forever. If only the rest of the world could truly appreciate what it means to be an Aggie."

— SCOT CHASTAIN ’89 Vice President, Affiliate Advertising & Promotion Services, NBC

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

E N T E R TA I N M E N T & SPORTS Tony Barone, Jr. ’94 - Director of Scouting, Memphis Grizzlies R.C. Buford ’80 - Senior Vice President/General Manager, San Antonio Spurs Donyale Canada ’97 - Director of Sports Services, Conference USA Kel Devlin ’81- Global Marketing Director for Golf, Nike Inc. Dr. Red Duke ’50 - trauma surgeon, TV personality Dean Goldfine ’87 - professional tennis coach Marcus Heard ’97 - Director of Player Development, Houston Texans David Heath ’76 - Vice President U.S. Sales, Nike Inc. Robert Earl Keen ’78 - musician Kelly Krauskopf ’83 - Chief Operating Officer and General Manager WNBA’s Indiana Fever Kandace Krueger ’02 - Miss USA 2001 Gary Kubiak ’83 - Head Coach, Houston Texans Rita LeBlanc ’01 - Owner/Executive, New Orleans Saints and AFL New Orleans VooDoo Lyle Lovett ’79 - four-time GRAMMY Award winning musician Robert McBurnett ’78 - Vice President/Finance and CFO, Tennessee Titans Ashton Smith ’84 - Movie trailer/promo voice over specialist Kimberly Tomes ’77- Miss USA 1977 Chris Tomlin ’94, 2007 Gospel Music Association (GMA) Artist and Male Vocalist of the Year Andrea Williams ’97 - Associate Commissioner, Big Ten Conference

GARY KUBIAK ’83

ROD RICHARDSON ’85

Head Coach, NFL Houston Texans

Managing Editor, Shreveport Times

“My education at Texas A & M was one of the most meaningful periods of my life. I traveled the country and the world through university academic programs, I felt the camaraderie at celebrations and tragedies of being a part of the Aggie family and I built lasting relationships with outstanding individuals. Becoming an Aggie broadened my horizons, taught me sound values and gave me the skills necessary to succeed in business.”

— RITA LEBLANC ’01 Owner / Executive Vice President, New Orleans Saints

G OV E R N M E N T Rep. Joe Barton ’72 - Member, U.S. House of Representatives Henry Cisneros ’68- Former US Secy. Housing & Urban Development, Former Mayor of San Antonio, Former President of Univison Communications, Chairman American CityVista Rep. Chet Edwards ’74 - Member, U.S. House of Representatives Michael E. Fossum ’80 - NASA Astronaut (Mission Specialist) Ed Garza ’92- Former Mayor of San Antonio (2001-05) Rep. Louie Gohmert ’75 - Member, U.S. House of Representatives Rep. Jeb Hensarling ’79 - Member, U.S. House of Representatives Fred McClure ’76 - Lawyer; Legislative Affairs Asst. for two U.S. Presidents; Former Chairman of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association; A&M student body president in 1976. Jerry Patterson ’69 - Land Commissioner, State of Texas Gov. Rick Perry ’72 - Governor of Texas President Jorge Quiroga Ramirez ’81 - Former President of Bolivia: He was the first Aggie head of state. Steven R. Swanson ’98 - NASA Astronaut (Mission Specialist) President Martin Torrijos ’87 - President of Panama Will Wynn ’84 - Mayor of Austin Alberto Aleman Zubieta ’73 - CEO of the Panama Canal Authority

KELLY KRAUSKOPF ’83 Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, WNBA Indiana Fever

ROBERT EARL KEEN ’78 Musician

BUSINESS & MEDIA

NOTE: This list of influential Aggies is not complete and we welcome any additions that are similar in prominence.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

JON HEIDTKE ’81 VP/General Manager, Fox Sports Net

Musician

“I was a member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. My lasting memory centers around football games at Kyle Field. Two things will go with me to my grave — the sound of the drums reverberating off the tunnel walls as we entered Kyle Field — our chest pounded from the sound — our hearts raced, we stood taller, we marched with more pride. To this day I get goose bumps every time I think about it. The second thing is how 300 men became one unit, thinking as a single entity for 8 and half minutes every halftime. As everyone knows the Figthin’ Texas Aggie band never lost a half time.”

— ROLANDO H. SANTOS ’78 Senior Vice President / International Relations CNN International

T E X A S A &M

Kurt S. Abraham ’80 - Managing/International Editor, World Oil Magazine Neal Boortz ’67 - Nationally Syndicated Radio Talk Show Host Jeff Brady ’86- News Anchor, WFAA-TV Scot Chastain ’89 - Vice President, NBC Affiliate Advertising & Promotion Services Tom DeFrank ‘67, New York Daily News (Washington Bureau Chief) David Finfrock, ’75 - Chief Meteorologist, KXAS-TV Jon Heidtke ’81 - Senior Vice President, Fox Sports Net Debby Krenek ’78 - Managing Editor, Newsday Bryan Lilley ’91 - Producer/Director, CBS Sports John Lopez ’84 - Houston Radio Personality Patricia Lowry ’87 - Coordinating Producer-Remote Production, ESPN Roland S. Martin ’91 - Author; Nationally Syndicated Columnist; Radio Host, TV Commentator and Host L. Lowry Mays ’57 - Chairman/CEO of Clear Channel Communications; Member Texas A&M Board of Regents Kathleen McElroy ’81 - Dining Editor, New York Times Richard Oliver ’81 - Sports Columnist, San Antonio Express-News Fernando Palomo ’96 - SportsCenter anchor, ESPNDeportes Rod Richardson ’85 - Managing Editor, Shreveport Times Rolando H. Santos ’78 - Senior Vice President/ International Relations, CNN International Kristi Scales ’89 - Sideline Reporter, Dallas Cowboys Radio Network Orelon Sidney ’92 - Former CNN Weather Anchor Loren Steffy ’86- Business Columnist, Houston Chronicle Charean Williams, ’86 - Columnist, Fort Worth Star-Telegram S. Shariq Yosufzai, ’74 - President, Chevron Global Marketing

LYLE LOVETT ’79

NEAL BOORTZ ’67 Nationally Syndicated Radio Talk Show Host

105

NCAA COMPLIANCE DEAR PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETE

s a prospective student-athlete, you may have the athletic ability to play at the Division I level. If so, you may be exposed to a large amount of recruitment from various universities across the nation. Throughout the recruitment process, coaches may reference various NCAA rules and regulations. The rules are designed for various reasons, but the two primary reasons are to ease the pressures on the prospective student-athlete and to level the playing ﬁeld from one university to another. During the recruiting process you may have some of the following questions: When and how often may I visit a university’s campus? How many times may a coach observe me in practice or a competition? When, where and how often may a coach telephone me? What academic credentials do I need to be eligible to play collegiate sports? All of these answers and more may be obtained from Texas A&M University or the NCAA by requesting the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete. This guide may be provided to a prospective student-athlete at any time. The guide will discuss issues related to Division I, II and III, academic eligibility, ﬁnancial aid, recruitment and many more. To receive the guide, simply request it

COMPLIANCE STAFF (from left) Matt Callaway, Administrative Assistant Brad Barnes, Education Coordinator Susan Tatum, Monitoring Coordinator David Batson, Director of Compliance

from the Texas A&M coach who is recruiting you or call the NCAA Hotline at 1-800-638-3731 or go online at www.ncaa.org. Select the Academics and Athletes link, and then select the Eligibility and Recruiting link and then click on the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete. Violations of NCAA rules during your recruitment may jeopardize your collegiate eligibility; therefore, you and your parents need to learn as much as possible about the recruitment process.

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU AND DON’T FORGET, GIG ’EM AGGIES

Texas A&M University Intercollegiate Athletic Compliance Office

NCAA FYI FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETES with you or your family, no, you may not accept such benefits. NCAA member institutions have decided that prospective student-athletes should be able to choose the university they attend without being influenced by gifts or other perks given by a university or its boosters. You (or your family) may not receive any benefit, inducement or arrangement such as cash, clothing, cars, improper expenses, transportation, gifts or loans to encourage you to sign a National Letter of Intent or to attend an NCAA school.

When do you become a prospective student-athlete? When you start classes for the 9th grade. Before the 9th grade, you become a prospective student-athlete if the university provides you (or your relatives or friends) any ﬁnancial aid or other beneﬁts that the university does not provide to prospective students generally.

When do you become a recruited prospective student-athlete? There are four ways: 1. A university provides you with an ofﬁcial (i.e., expense-paid) visit; 2. A university coach or booster* has an in-person, off-campus encounter with you or your parent(s) or legal guardian; 3. A university coach telephones you, your family or guardian for the purpose of recruitment on more than one occasion; or 4. A university issues you a National Letter of Intent or written offer of athletically related ﬁnancial aid.

T E X A S A &M

*NOTE: At the Division I level, a representative of athletic interests (booster) may not solicit your enrollment in any manner (e.g., no phone calls, letters or in-person encounters).

Does the NCAA require you to achieve certain academic minimum standards to be initially eligible? Yes, it does. To be immediately eligible at a Division I university, you must be a qualifier. To be a qualifier means that you graduated from high school with at least 16 core courses (i.e., college preparatory courses that your high school will maintain on a form called a 48-H), and a minimum GPA in those core courses as well as a corresponding ACT or SAT score on a national testing date. You must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse to learn if you are a qualifier. You will find information on the Clearinghouse if you visit the internet website described above.

Does the NCAA require you to have your amateur status certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse? For students initially enrolling on or after Aug. 1, 2008, yes, the NCAA will require you to have your amateur status certiﬁed.

106

Would you violate NCAA amateur rules if you enter into an agreement with an agent or a person who calls him/ herself something other than an agent (e.g., advisor) who is marketing your athletic ability? Yes, you would. It’s not permissible for a student-athlete to agree (orally or in writing) to be represented by or take beneﬁts from an agent without jeopardizing NCAA eligibility. Please note that it does not matter what this person calls him/herself; if he or she is marketing your athletic ability, he or she is an agent.

When may university coaches begin corresponding (including text messaging) with you? Telephoning you? Personally contacting you? Provide you with an official visit to the university? The answers to these questions vary from sport to sport, but you may ﬁnd them all in the NCAA’s Guide for the College Bound Student at www.ncaa.org or by calling the NCAA at 1-800-638-3731.

When may you telephone a university coach or visit a university campus at your own expense? You may telephone a university coach at your own expense or visit a university at your own expense (i.e., unofﬁcial visit) at any age and as often as you choose.

May you and your family accept benefits from a university or its boosters? Unless the university staffer or booster is a member of your family or has a “pre-existing relationship” (call us to ﬁnd out what this means)

May a booster contact you, telephone you or write you? Unless the university staffer or booster is a member of your family, no, athletic representatives (boosters) may not contact, telephone you or write you for the purpose of recruiting.

May you ask Texas A&M former students about Texas A&M athletics? About non-athletic aspects of Texas A&M? You should not ask Texas A&M former students about Texas A&M athletics because NCAA rules prohibit former students or A&M boosters from discussing Texas A&M athletics with you or your parents/ relatives. However, if you telephone or write former students about non-athletics aspects of Texas A&M (e.g., the business college), they may answer your questions.

May you attend an A&M Club luncheon or meeting? Yes, but only under certain conditions. If the luncheon/meeting is open to the general public, you may attend. Furthermore, you must pay for your own meal and transportation unless the A&M Club provides complimentary meals and transportation to all other guests on a basis unrelated to athletics (e.g., all high school seniors from the local community). An A&M Club may even invite you to attend a function, but the invitation may not be limited only to athletes; the invitation must be made available for non-athletic reasons (e.g., senior night, incoming A&M freshmen night, etc.) and must be sent in the same manner as for all other participating students. This same restriction will continue to apply after you sign a National Letter of Intent with Texas A&M. A Texas A&M signee must be treated the same as any other high school student. For example, you or any other prospects in attendance may not be singled out to be introduced, as this would be a violation of NCAA publicity legislation related to prospects.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

STUDENT REC CENTER Facility Ranks Among Best University Recreation Centers

n 1985, Texas A & M opened the $36.4 million Student Recreational Center, a premier facility among university recreation and fitness complexes. The building consists of 286,000 square feet, roughly the equivalent to the space of five football fields. Features include multipurpose gyms with badminton, basketball and volleyball courts, indoor soccer courts with dasher boards, 14 racquetball / handball and two squash courts with glass back walls.

THE REC CENTER IS HOME TO A 14,000-SQUARE FOOT WEIGHT ROOM

he weight room includes machine weights, free weights, cardiovascular equipment, a cardio-theater, five activity rooms for aerobics, dance and martial arts and a quarter-mile four-lane walking/ jogging track. It also features a 42-foot indoor rock climbing facility with interchangeable hand and footholds, an outdoor activity area with a six-lane lap and a free form pool with a cool water spa. The impressive building also houses a natatorium that seats 2,500 with a 50-meter, eight-lane Olympic-size pool, a five-lane instructional pool, a diving well with one and three meter springboards and competitive platforms and hot tubs.

T E X A S A &M

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

107

NETUM STEED T

exas A & M operates what many consider to be the nation’s top

strength and conditioning facility — the Netum A. Steed Physiology Research and Conditioning Laboratory. The 23,736-square-foot facility houses one of the country’s largest weight rooms and provides ample space for training athletes for collegiate competition.

NETUM STEED MISSION STATEMENT

o give every Texas A &M athletic team a competitive edge by empowering each athlete to achieve personal and athletic success through exceptional speed, strength and conditioning training.

STAFF TRUTHS  Every athlete is important.  Provide a successful environment for athletes every day.  Never give up on an athlete.  Treat every staff member with respect, trust and loyalty, and support each other with open communication.

T E X A S A &M

he weight room has 85 separate training stations, 45,000 pounds of free weights and an additional 10,000 pounds of dumbbells. It has a marked 40-yard dash area and provides space and equipment for physical performance assessment, including measurement of body composition, strength, endurance, power, speed, agility, range of motion and cardio-respiratory function.

108

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

RESIDENCE HALLS M

any of Texas A&Mâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s student

athletes reside at The Tradition at Northgate. This state-of-the-art private dorm is located one block from campus in the historic Northgate area.

ach room is fully furnished and includes an entertainment console, microwave and refrigerator. All rooms are prewired for cable television, telephone and high speed internet. There is also an on-site dining hall, computer lab, theater, multimedia center, gated swimming pool and a fitness center. The Tradition staff uses state-of-the-art security equipment with a 24-hour monitored security station, surveillance cameras, uniformed guard and card access entries.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

T E X A S A &M

THE TRADITION AT NORTHGATE

109

F R I E N D LY COMMUNITY T

exas A & M University is located in Bryan/College

Station, which has gained national acclaim as one of the most livable metropolitan

EDUCATION

ublic education is provided by the Bryan Independent School District and the College Station Independent School District. Several private schools also serve Bryan/ College Station. Higher education is offered by Blinn College, a two-year institution, and Texas A &M University, a world-class university.

areas in the United States. ARTS & CULTURE LOCATION

ryan/College Station is located in Brazos County in east central Texas, about 140 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico. The nearest interstate is Interstate Highway 45 (38 miles). Bryan serves as the county seat for Brazos County. Bordered by the Brazos and Navasota Rivers, it occupies 583 square feet at an average elevation of 367 feet above sea level. The community is just 95 miles north of Houston, 166 miles northeast of San Antonio, 104 miles east of Austin, 172 miles south of Fort Worth and 169 miles south of Dallas.

POPULATION

ryan/College Station has a total population of 133,550. Bryan has a population of 65,660 and College Station, 67,890, with the total Brazos County population at 152,415.

hrough Texas A &M University’s Opera and Performing Arts Society (OPAS), the Arts Council of Brazos Valley and several other organizations, quality entertainment is brought frequently to Bryan/College Station. Presentations include ballet and modern dance companies, symphonies, Broadway road shows, operas, and classical jazz and pop musicians. For further information contact: Arts Council of Brazos Valley at (979) 696-ARTS (2787). Cultural programs often feature world-renowned speakers and political figures. There are also local theater productions, exhibits of artists and craftsmen, and a season of quality music from the area’s own symphony orchestra and chorus. Texas A &M and several galleries regularly feature art and exhibits. The Brazos Valley Museum offers exhibits, lectures and demonstrations for all ages. For more information, call (979) 776-2195.

ATTRACTIONS

T E X A S A &M

110

n addition to Texas A &M University and the world-renowned George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, Bryan/College Station takes pride in its numerous sights of interest, including the Brazos County Arboretum, Bryan’s Historical District, Carnegie Library and Messina Hof Wine Cellars. For more information on these and other sights, call the Bryan/College Station Convention & Visitor Bureau at (979) 260-9898.

RECREATION

ryan and College Station both have fine park systems providing basketball, swimming, soccer, softball, tennis, jogging, nature trails and bike paths. Many programs and special events are scheduled throughout the year. Texas A &M University also offers many sporting events including Aggie football, basketball, baseball and a host of other collegiate sports.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

WEATHER AVERAGES Temp.

Rainfall Days

January February March

49 53 60

5 5 5

April May June

68 75 81

5 5 4

July August September

85 84 79

4 4 6

October November December

70 59 52

4 5 5

Month

Average Annual Rainfall 39.1 inches Average Days above 90Âş 102

Bryan/College Station is conveniently located near many outdoor recreation areas making boating, sailing, swimming, fishing, camping and hunting easily accessible. Parks, golf courses and A &Mâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facilities provide Bryan/College Station with a diversity of recreational opportunities.

HEALTH

ith a wide range of available medical specialists and facilities, Bryan/College Station is considered a regional medical center. This community is home to three medical-surgical hospitals. Together, these facilities provide more than 400 beds. In addition, there is a major medical clinic

that is growing steadily. Also, 11 nursing-assisted living homes and retirement homes are located in Bryan/College Station. Texas A &M University also contributes to the medical community with its fine medical school.

Avg. January High Temperature ..... 59 degrees Avg. January Low Temperature ...... 39 degrees Avg. July High Temperature ........... 95 degrees Avg. July Low Temperature ............ 74 degrees

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

T E X A S A &M

B/CS WEATHER HIGHS / LOWS

111

GEORGE BUSH L

ocated on a ninety-acre site on the West Campus

of Texas A&M University, the

Library has a National Security vault holding 3,500 cubic feet of Presidential Records. In addition to memoranda, speeches, and reports found in the textual collection, there is an extensive audiovisual and photographic archive which includes approximately one million photographs and thousands of hours of audio and video tape.

Library and Museum is situated on a plaza adjoining the Presidential Conference Center and the Texas A&M Aca-

RESEARCH

he Library maintains a manuscript and audiovisual research room on the second floor. The archival collections are utilized by students, scholars, authors and journalists. Research facilities can host 20 researchers at one time.

MUSEUM

he museum collection contains approximately 60,000 historical objects ranging from Head of State Gifts, gifts from the American people, and personally used items. The museum wing has 17,000 square feet of permanent exhibit space and 3,000 square feet of changing exhibit space. Permanent exhibits draw on the best of the museum collection to visually convey the essence of George Bush’s life and public service career and to illustrate historical events of this period in American history. Changing exhibits will explore topics on the Bush Administration, American history, American Presidents, etc.

demic Center. It operates under the administration of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the provisions of the Presi-

T E X A S A &M

dential Libraries Act of 1955. THE ARCHIVES

he archives contain over 38 million pages of personal papers and official documents from the Vice Presidency and Presidency as well as personal records from associates connected with President Bush’s public career. Records are housed in acid-free storage (Hollinger) boxes in a balanced humidity and temperature atmosphere. The archival storage area houses 13,000 cubic feet of records and the

112

Presidential Library and Museum

CLASSROOM

f special significance is a classroom, the first of its kind in the Presidential Libraries network. The classroom may be used by student groups as a computer learning lab or as a traditional classroom. Like the other Presidential Libraries, the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum is also a research institution, totally integrated into the academic environment of Texas A&M University.

COLLECTIONS

he Bush Library’s collections include 38,000,000 pages of official and personal papers, 1,000,000 photographs, 2,500 hours of video-tape, and 70,000 museum objects. These rich primary sources document George Bush’s distinguished public career as congressman, Ambassador to the United Nations, Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in China, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Vice President and President. Included in the Museum’s exhibits are items ranging from a 1925 film of George Bush’s first steps in Kennebunkport, Maine, to records and

memorabilia from his tenure as the 41st President of the United States. The Museum also contains a special section dedicated to former First Lady Barbara Bush and a classroom designed specifically for students from kindergarten through high school. Operated by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum is the 10th Presidential Library in the United States.

GEORGE BUSH

he story of George Bush is a fascinating one of adventure, courage, dedication and service. Our museum exhibits reveal the unique influences and challenges which shaped George Bush’s life and presidency. On a larger scale, this museum encompasses much of U.S. history since 1941. Through original artifacts, film, photographs, documents, music, sound effects and interactive video and computerization, this special museum experience is both educational and entertaining. Some of the larger museum features include a World War II Avenger Torpedo Bomber, a 1947 Studebaker, a slab of the Berlin Wall, and precise replicas of President Bush’s Camp David and Air Force One offices. The presidential exhibits document George Bush’s exceptional leadership during times of crisis — the reunification of Germany, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Gulf War. The importance of family, friends and politics also are part of the museum’s colorful story. Yet, the overall theme of the museum is the nobility of public service as exemplified by the lives of George and Barbara Bush.

2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

S P O RT S MUSEUM N

o school can match the

TIMEWALL

athletic traditions of

he timewall occupies a corridor at the north end of the museum space. Black and white pictures of the earliest days of the university remind visitors of the founders’ efforts, while bright forms of life and color celebrate a prosperous present and foretell an unbridled future. Large panel-size graphics are punctuated by significant artifacts and highlighted by a sequence of programmed light and audio.

Texas A & M University. The superior athletes together with the famous Aggie Spirit combine to tell a story that is one of the most exciting and compelling in the nation. THE TRADITION OF THE 12TH MAN

he excitement of Kyle Field, the revelry of the historic Aggie Bonfire, and the resounding yells of the student body will come to life in a sports museum unlike any other in the nation. It is fitting, too, that the museum is located in the Bernard C. Richardson Zone at Kyle Field. The story of A&M’s men’s and women’s varsity sports is presented using photos, film, artifacts and computer databases for interactive displays for all visitors to the campus to enjoy free of charge. The Texas A&M Sports Museum has the distinction of being the nation’s only all-sports museum funded primarily by former athletes. “This is a wonderful opportunity for all Lettermen to honor their teammates who deserve special recognition in a space such as the Sports Museum of Texas A&M University,” said Jim Singleton, Museum Committee Chairman.

hen visitors enter the “Zone” they will step into a large lobby area, shared by both the museum and the 12th Man Foundation, that will feature rotating exhibits focusing on sports at Texas A &M University. From the lobby, visitors will enter the museum. First, they are greeted with the Spirit of Aggieland including a donor wall and introductory exhibits to the Sports Museum. Visitors will experience several different exhibits in the Museum including the Timewall, Legends Gallery, Sport-by-Sport Perimeter Displays, and Interactive Computers.

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

DONOR WALL

he Sports Museum project was several years in the planning stages and is now a reality. The museum opened in August of 2001, in time for the first home football game in early September. The museum was built without the benefit of state or university money. The Lettermen’s Association in cooperation with the 12th Man Foundation raised those funds. Each sport has its own area, which is named in honor of a team or letterwinner. Those interested in contributing to the sports museum sustaining fund are encouraged to contact the Lettermen’s Association office at 1-800-310-3272 or the 12th Man Foundation at 979-846-8892. Current tax laws make the gift of appreciated stock very attractive.

he core of the exhibit is a gallery that celebrates and reinforces tradition and achievement, which are also the core of the university itself. Concrete gray walls and columns create an arena for the display of the university’s most treasured symbols of sports success in photographs and memorabilia that recall those uniquely gifted individuals who came before. PERIMETER DISPLAYS

he perimeter displays exhibit the different sports, as well as the Aggie Band, Yell Leaders, and each of the traditions that instill Aggie Spirit. These displays capture the spirit of sport and present the vitality of the on-going programs, teams and traditions of A&M Athletics.

COMPUTER INTERACTIVES

atabase terminals and video interactives are positioned throughout the Museum. Visitors can peruse the photos of athletes or review famous films of great plays and memorable moments.

T E X A S A &M

MUSEUM AREAS

THE LEGENDS GALLERY

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PREMIER SPORTS VENUES T

exas A & M’s superior facilities have allowed

the university to serve as host for a variety of NCAA and Big 12 Championship events.

G. ROLLIE WHITE COLISEUM

KYLE FIELD

T E X A S A &M

GEORGE P. MITCHELL TENNIS CENTER

AGGIE SOCCER COMPLEX STUDENT REC CENTER NATATORIUM

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2008-09 EQUESTRIAN

2009  Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Indoor Championships  NCAA Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Indoor Championships  NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships  NCAA Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships  NCAA Women’s College Cup

2008  Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships

2007  NCAA Women’s College Cup  Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships  NCAA Softball Regional and Super Regional

REED ARENA

 NCAA Baseball Regional

2006  NCAA Women’s Golf Central Regional  NCAA Men’s Tennis First and Second Rounds

2005  NCAA Women’s Volleyball Regional

FRANK G. ANDERSON TRACK & FIELD COMPLEX

 NCAA Women’s College Cup  NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships  NCAA Softball Regional and Super Regional  Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

2004  NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships  NCAA Women’s Tennis First and Second Rounds  NCAA Midwest Regional Track and Field Championships  U.S. Junior Track and Field Championships

AGGIE SOFTBALL COMPLEX

2003  NCAA Women’s Soccer First and Second Rounds

T E X A S A &M

 NCAA Women’s Volleyball First and Second Rounds  NCAA Baseball Regional  NCAA Men’s Tennis First and Second Rounds  NCAA Women’s Tennis First and Second Rounds  National Varsity Equestrian Championships  National Indoor Target Championships

DECADE OF EXCELLENCE

OLSEN FIELD

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979-846-8892 • 12thmanfoundation.com • 888-TAM12TH In 1922, E. King Gill exchanged his street clothes for a uniform to help found one of the most extraordinary traditions in college athletics – Texas A&M’s 12th Man.

and basketball games, one of the finest sports magazines in the country, 12th Man Magazine, road-game travel arrangements, sports e-mail updates, bowl activities and more.

More than 80 years later, the organization that proudly bears the name of this storied tradition continues to stand tall in its support of all of Texas A&M’s athletic programs.

Just as E. King Gill, the original 12th Man, once came out of the stands to stand ready to help his team, our fans can still help our performances on the field by supporting the 12th Man Foundation. You won’t be asked to sweat it out on the fields or courts, but your tax-deductible financial support will propel the Aggies to greater heights.

The 12th Man Foundation is the sole fundraising organization for Texas A&M athletics, which are completely self-supporting and cannot receive state funds or public tax dollars. The 12th Man Foundation provides the funds for athletic scholarships A&M offers in 21 men’s and women’s sports. The Foundation also raises money for athletic facilities, academic tutoring for studentathletes and more. If you believe athletics are important at Texas A&M, it’s important for you to be a part of the 12th Man Foundation, which has become one of the most successful and well-respected fundraising organizations in all of college athletics. Donations over the last five decades have helped to propel A&M’s athletic programs from a regional existence into national prominence. And the 12th Man Foundation is committed to helping Texas A&M reach an elite status among the country’s college athletic programs.

T E X A S A &M

To do that, the continued growth of the 12th Man Foundation is essential. In the 1990s, the 12th Man Foundation’s donor base grew from 5,000 at the beginning of the decade to more than 23,000 by the end. And with Texas A&M now sporting one of the nation’s largest enrollments, the future has never been brighter for Texas A&M’s athletic department and the 12th Man Foundation.

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The number of former students and prospective donors to the Foundation is growing at a rate never before imaginable. In today’s highly competitive environment, it takes tremendous revenues to produce a top-flight athletic department. For as little as $150 annually, you can join fellow 12th Man donors to become the foundation of Texas A&M’s athletic success. The 12th Man Foundation also offers its donors a variety of benefits, including priority ticket options for football

2008 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Jack Little ’60 Chair

Artie McFerrin ’65 Board Member

Jim Wilson ’81 Chair Elect

George Nelson ’64 Board Member

Randy Cain ’82 Past Chair

Britt Rice Board Member

Miles Marks ’79 President Ex-Officio Board Member

Rick Rickman ’70 Board Member

Bill Byrne Director of Athletics Ex-Officio Board Member Neal Adams ’68 Board Member Fred Caldwell ’82 Board Member

Daniel Sparks ’89 Board Member Scott Taylor ’69 Board Member Jeff Toole ’80 Board Member

Bob McClaren Board Member Jerry McFarland ’64 Board Member

Funding Scholarships, Programs and Facilities in Support of Championship Athletics 2008-09 EQUESTRIAN