FRESNO, Calif. — Senior plant sciences major Lilly Ulrich and freshman human development major Keely Laughlin helped the Aggies to a 2-3 finish in Equitation Over Fences, while senior genetics and genomics major Laurel Jackson earned the Aggies' lone Reining point with a career-best score of 71.5. But the Aggies could not close the gap on the host Bulldogs, lifting No. 9 Fresno State to 16-3 United Equestrian Conference win over UC Davis during Saturday's regular season finale at the Student Horse Center in Fresno, Calif.

The Aggies conclude the regular season with a 1-5 overall record and a 1-3 league mark. The Bulldogs improved to 6-8 on the season with a 4-2 conference record. 

The host Bulldogs jumped out to a quick lead after posting a 5-0 sweep in Horsemanship. According to the latest NCEA event rankings, the Bulldogs pace the UEC as the No. 5 team in the country in the event.

The Aggies pulled two points back in Equitation Over Fences after Ulrich defeated Alivia Hart with the second highest score in the event, 80-73, and Laughlin downed Hailey Livingston by a 10-point margin, 75-65. Both Ulrich and Laughlin improved to an even 3-3 mark on the season. 

The Bulldogs then extended their lead with a 5-0 sweep in Equitation on the Flat, carrying a 13-2 advantage heading into the final event of the afternoon.

Jackson secured the final point of the day for UC Davis thanks to a career-best Reining mark, defeating Kara Gustafson, 71.5-67.5. Jackson currently paces the Aggies with a 3-2 individual record on the season so far. 

UC Davis will now set its sights on the National Collegiate Equestrian Association National Championships scheduled to take place on April 17-20 in Waco, Tex. The final set of event rankings by the NCEA will be released on Monday and will be used to seed teams for the event title competitions. 


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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