EXPECTATIONS HIGH FOR NEXT YEAR
4/17/2020 1:45:00 PM | Equestrian
Equestrian Was Trending Up Before Season Was Canceled
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
When the Baylor equestrian team gathered on March 6 for a ring distribution for last year's Big 12 Championship, and then competed against Oklahoma State the next day, head coach Casie Maxwell and the Bears had no idea that would be the last time they would all be together.
They were away on spring break when the National Collegiate Equestrian Association followed suit with the NCAA governing body and canceled the remainder of the 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 outbreak, just five days after Baylor's narrow 10-8 home loss to the second-ranked Cowgirls.
"We used (spring break) to give our athletes a break after going six weeks straight," said Maxwell, who was 5-8 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12 in her third season at the helm. "The downside of that is they weren't here, so we couldn't even pull them into a room and have a meeting with them and close things down.
"We didn't know that would be the end, but at least we were together for those two events. It was a blessing that we got to end at home for our season and got to have that (ring ceremony) and have everyone in the room. It wasn't our awards banquet, but it was something where the whole team was together. Just glad that we had those opportunities, but definitely a hard way to end it, virtually."
The year was suddenly over just when the Bears seemed to be putting all the pieces together and building steam for the Big 12 Championship and NCEA National Championship, which would have been held this week at the Extraco Events Center in Waco.
"We've had several notes back and forth with the team that we should have been playing today and what we should have been doing," Maxwell said of a potential first-round matchup. "Honestly, you lose track of time these days."
Going into the season, Maxwell and her staff weren't sure what to expect from a team that was "so young." The Bears were in something of a rebuilding mode after going 9-5 the year before, highlighted by a tiebreaker win over OSU in the Big 12 Championship final in Stillwater.
"We were kind of playing with seven to eight people per event, trying to find the right makeup and the right fit. And we just kept interchanging so much this year," Maxwell said. "The majority of the people who were playing had to go through the experiences and just learn and get their confidence and kind of shake out their nerves and get adapted to the format. Such a big majority of them being younger, it just took us a little bit longer."
With only three seniors in the lineup for most of the 13 meets, there were definitely some growing pains. The highlights of the fall included an 11th-straight Willis Invitational title with wins over Delaware State and UC Davis and a dominant 14-6 victory over then-No. 4 TCU.
In the spring, the Bears had a six-week grind that included an intrasquad scrimmage and road trips to No. 7 TCU, top-ranked Auburn and No. 8 Texas A&M.
"Our intention was just to keep putting repeated pressure on the team," Maxwell said. "We figured they were either going to bounce back and learn from it and come back hungry, or they're not. We can protect them and play at home and be safe all we want to, but we said no, we're going to put them on the road and we're going to put them against the tough teams and find our gaps."
The last few weeks of the season saw an improved team upset fourth-ranked Fresno State, dominate South Dakota State and drop down-to-the-wire nail-biters against both A&M and OSU.
"One of the best things our team did this year was that they couldn't do last year is if we were down after the first event or down at the half, we didn't really have the mentality to fight back. We kind of felt ourselves giving up," Maxwell said. "This year, we fought back so many times. They realized that you can actually still come out on top, you just can't quit fighting."
The unknown is what would have happened in those two postseason events that Baylor was hosting. In the end-of-the-year rankings, Baylor was No. 9 overall but in the top eight in each of the four disciplines – fences (4th), flat (6th), horsemanship (7th) and reining (7th).
"You never know what would have happened in the postseason, but I'd like to think we were going upwards and would have been able to find our peak at the right time," Maxwell said. "It's unfortunate for everybody, but definitely glad to have them be as strong as they have been and keep coming back and fighting back and always wanting to be better and being willing to learn. I think that was huge for this season."
Junior Rachael Davis earned first-team All-America honors and was named the Big 12 Flat Rider of the Year for the second time in three years. Senior Madison Day was a first-team All-Big 12 pick and honorable mention All-American in fences.
"It starts with confidence and mindset and trusting herself," Maxwell said of Davis, who was 11-2 in her flat rides with four MOP honors. "She doesn't get in her own head, and that's a big thing, in our sport. You can't control what horse you're on, and you can psyche yourself out really easily. There's just a lot of uncontrollables. She's got a lot of good advance and a lot of leadership that she can definitely pass on with how she's been as a student-athlete."
Madeline Vorhies, an honorable mention All-American in fences, was one of a number of freshmen who saw action in the arena this season. Gabrielle Marty (horsemanship) and Madeline Bomba (reining) were consistently in the lineup, along with Jenna Meimerstorf (reining) and Savannah Hemby (fences).
"Every single freshman we put in the area is so talented," Maxwell said. "They all started on the road, which is extremely hard to do. There's not a single one who played this year that couldn't find themselves back in the starting lineup next year."
Including the nine athletes who signed in November, Maxwell should have a stacked roster coming back for a run next year, and the expectations are definitely high.
"The big unknown is this will be the longest amount of time that any sport has not trained when they come back in the fall," Maxwell said. "So, there will be an adjustment for that, for being out of training a little bit longer. But, I think it will make them eager, too, they'll miss it. I think it will help them have a great mindset when they do come back. I think next year is going to be incredibly strong. Just a lot of unknowns, we don't know how much we're going to have to change the schedule. But, we'll cross those bridges when we get there."
Baylor Bear Insider
When the Baylor equestrian team gathered on March 6 for a ring distribution for last year's Big 12 Championship, and then competed against Oklahoma State the next day, head coach Casie Maxwell and the Bears had no idea that would be the last time they would all be together.
They were away on spring break when the National Collegiate Equestrian Association followed suit with the NCAA governing body and canceled the remainder of the 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 outbreak, just five days after Baylor's narrow 10-8 home loss to the second-ranked Cowgirls.
"We used (spring break) to give our athletes a break after going six weeks straight," said Maxwell, who was 5-8 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12 in her third season at the helm. "The downside of that is they weren't here, so we couldn't even pull them into a room and have a meeting with them and close things down.
"We didn't know that would be the end, but at least we were together for those two events. It was a blessing that we got to end at home for our season and got to have that (ring ceremony) and have everyone in the room. It wasn't our awards banquet, but it was something where the whole team was together. Just glad that we had those opportunities, but definitely a hard way to end it, virtually."
The year was suddenly over just when the Bears seemed to be putting all the pieces together and building steam for the Big 12 Championship and NCEA National Championship, which would have been held this week at the Extraco Events Center in Waco.
"We've had several notes back and forth with the team that we should have been playing today and what we should have been doing," Maxwell said of a potential first-round matchup. "Honestly, you lose track of time these days."
Going into the season, Maxwell and her staff weren't sure what to expect from a team that was "so young." The Bears were in something of a rebuilding mode after going 9-5 the year before, highlighted by a tiebreaker win over OSU in the Big 12 Championship final in Stillwater.
"We were kind of playing with seven to eight people per event, trying to find the right makeup and the right fit. And we just kept interchanging so much this year," Maxwell said. "The majority of the people who were playing had to go through the experiences and just learn and get their confidence and kind of shake out their nerves and get adapted to the format. Such a big majority of them being younger, it just took us a little bit longer."
With only three seniors in the lineup for most of the 13 meets, there were definitely some growing pains. The highlights of the fall included an 11th-straight Willis Invitational title with wins over Delaware State and UC Davis and a dominant 14-6 victory over then-No. 4 TCU.
In the spring, the Bears had a six-week grind that included an intrasquad scrimmage and road trips to No. 7 TCU, top-ranked Auburn and No. 8 Texas A&M.
"Our intention was just to keep putting repeated pressure on the team," Maxwell said. "We figured they were either going to bounce back and learn from it and come back hungry, or they're not. We can protect them and play at home and be safe all we want to, but we said no, we're going to put them on the road and we're going to put them against the tough teams and find our gaps."
The last few weeks of the season saw an improved team upset fourth-ranked Fresno State, dominate South Dakota State and drop down-to-the-wire nail-biters against both A&M and OSU.
"One of the best things our team did this year was that they couldn't do last year is if we were down after the first event or down at the half, we didn't really have the mentality to fight back. We kind of felt ourselves giving up," Maxwell said. "This year, we fought back so many times. They realized that you can actually still come out on top, you just can't quit fighting."
The unknown is what would have happened in those two postseason events that Baylor was hosting. In the end-of-the-year rankings, Baylor was No. 9 overall but in the top eight in each of the four disciplines – fences (4th), flat (6th), horsemanship (7th) and reining (7th).
"You never know what would have happened in the postseason, but I'd like to think we were going upwards and would have been able to find our peak at the right time," Maxwell said. "It's unfortunate for everybody, but definitely glad to have them be as strong as they have been and keep coming back and fighting back and always wanting to be better and being willing to learn. I think that was huge for this season."
Junior Rachael Davis earned first-team All-America honors and was named the Big 12 Flat Rider of the Year for the second time in three years. Senior Madison Day was a first-team All-Big 12 pick and honorable mention All-American in fences.
"It starts with confidence and mindset and trusting herself," Maxwell said of Davis, who was 11-2 in her flat rides with four MOP honors. "She doesn't get in her own head, and that's a big thing, in our sport. You can't control what horse you're on, and you can psyche yourself out really easily. There's just a lot of uncontrollables. She's got a lot of good advance and a lot of leadership that she can definitely pass on with how she's been as a student-athlete."
Madeline Vorhies, an honorable mention All-American in fences, was one of a number of freshmen who saw action in the arena this season. Gabrielle Marty (horsemanship) and Madeline Bomba (reining) were consistently in the lineup, along with Jenna Meimerstorf (reining) and Savannah Hemby (fences).
"Every single freshman we put in the area is so talented," Maxwell said. "They all started on the road, which is extremely hard to do. There's not a single one who played this year that couldn't find themselves back in the starting lineup next year."
Including the nine athletes who signed in November, Maxwell should have a stacked roster coming back for a run next year, and the expectations are definitely high.
"The big unknown is this will be the longest amount of time that any sport has not trained when they come back in the fall," Maxwell said. "So, there will be an adjustment for that, for being out of training a little bit longer. But, I think it will make them eager, too, they'll miss it. I think it will help them have a great mindset when they do come back. I think next year is going to be incredibly strong. Just a lot of unknowns, we don't know how much we're going to have to change the schedule. But, we'll cross those bridges when we get there."
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