FINAL SCORESHEET
DAVIS, Calif. — The UC Davis equestrian team kicked of its 2018-19 campaign in a big way on Thursday afternoon, earning the program's first-ever win in its inaugural home meet against United Equestrian Conference colleague No. 9 Delaware State. The Aggies also captured a pair of Most Outstanding Player (MOP) Awards by senior
Lilly Ulrich (Equitation Over Fences) and freshman
Keely Laughlin (Equitation on the Flat) en route to a convincing 10-5 win over the Hornets in front of a home crowd at the UC Davis Equestrian Center in Davis, Calif.
The Aggies will enter their next meet at No. 4 Texas A&M on Feb. 16 with a perfect 1-0 overall record. The Hornets fell to a 3-4 season mark to go along with an even 2-2 conference record.
The Aggies jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead after Equitation Over Fences, with junior
Stephanie Don earning the first point of the day and beginning a string of four back-to-back wins for UC Davis thanks to an 88-0 victory over Gabrielle Fournier. Laughlin followed with an 83-81 win over Eva Epstein, before junior
Sabin Marquardt edged Zoe Kirsch 80-79. Ulrich then closed out the event with an 87-82 victory over Sydney Wicklund, a performance that helped the Rochester, N.Y. native earn her first career MOP nod.
The Hornets answered back in Horsemanship, scratching back from a 0-2 deficit to win 3-2 after seniors
Katrina Macalello and
Olivia Russell began the event with a pair of wins for the Aggies, defeating Elizabeth Lynch (70.5-66.5) and Blayne Bell (71.0-70.0), respectively.
But momentum would swing back in favor of the Aggies in the final event of the afternoon, with freshman
Laura Wise kicking off Equitation on the Flat with an 89-86 win over Fournier. Ulrich also notched an 87-82 win over Zoe Kirsch, while Marquardt bested Erin Gordon 83-80 and Laughlin was named the event's MOP after downing Epstein, 85-65.
The Aggies return to action with a busy February schedule comprised of a trio of road meets at No. 4 Texas A&M (Feb. 16), No. 7 TCU (Feb. 21), and No. 2 SMU (Feb. 22).
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
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