March 26, 2009
WACO, Texas - The No. 3 Baylor equestrian team will travel to Stillwater, Okla., for the 2009 Big 12 Championships. The shows are set to start at 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday at the Animal Science Arena.
"We're ready to go and bring home a Big 12 trophy," head coach Ellen White said. "The girls are riding well and we're going to go show them what we can do."
No. 2 seed Texas A&M and No.3 seed Oklahoma State will kick off the competition Friday. The Cowgirls are coming off an 11-9 victory over Auburn and are 7-5 on the season. The Aggies have won three straight matches and hold a 2-0 record in their previous meetings with The Cowgirls this season.
In other first round action, the top-seeded Lady Bears will face fourth-seed Kansas State. Baylor has defeated the Wildcats in both meetings this season and enters the competition with a strong 11-3 record. Kansas State is on a two-match winning streak, beating South Dakota State (14-6) and Auburn (11-9).
"Kansas State is a good team and have certainly improved, but I really feel like we are the superior team," White said. "We're ranked higher and ready to win."
Baylor Hunter Seat is 11-3 on the season and holds a 4-1 record when facing Big 12 teams. In Equitation over Fences, freshman Lisa Goldman leads with seven consecutive wins and five MVP honors. Senior Nicole Brown boasts 10 wins, while veterans Kendra Vicary and Kara Fergusson have eight and seven, respectively.
In Equitation on the Flat, senior Shelby White has eight wins with three MVP honors. Junior Mary Smitson also has eight wins with two MVP honors. Cara Wilson and Heather Healy each hold seven wins.
In Western riding, Baylor is 8-5 this season, with its most recent win over Auburn (6-4). In Horsemanship, junior Allison Orosz has garnered four MVP honors, along with a six-match winning streak to advance her to nine wins. Senior Nicole McCoy has won three consecutive matches, while Lindsay Douglas and Lindsey Tomko add with six and seven wins, respectively.
In Reigning, sophomore Katie Buss leads with nine wins, along with junior Madelyn Mooney's four MVP honors. Amber Mooney and Kim Marlowe will also ride.
