WACO, Tex. — The UC Davis equestrian team wrapped up its first ever trip to the NCEA National Championships on Wednesday afternoon, led by freshman human development major
Keely Laughlin who finished the day 2-for-2 after securing the Aggies' lone points against Texas A&M in both Equitation over Fences and Equitation on the Flat at the Extraco Events Center in Waco, Tex.
The Aggies scored three points on the day, including a 1-3 loss in Reining to this year's defending champion in the event, No. 5 Texas A&M. The Aggies also stole a point from Texas A&M in both Equitation over Fences and Equitation on the Flat, but were swept, 0-4, in Horsemanship by United Equestrian Conference colleague and No. 4 seeded SMU.
Laughlin led the Aggies in Fences, defeating Grace Boston with a team-high score, 239-209, to even things up at 1-1. But No. 5 seeded Texas A&M went on to defeat the No. 12 seeded Aggies, 3-1, with a total score of 905-864.
Senior genetics and genomics major
Laurel Jackson captured the first Reining point of the matchup for No. 12 seeded UC Davis, defeating No. 5 Texas A&M's Ashton Dunkel, 202.5-198.5, aboard "Juice". Jackson posted the highest score for UC Davis alongside sophomore animal science major
Charlize Zuraek who was edged, 202.5-205.5 by Courtney Yohey on "Cowboy". Senior political science major
Haley Fredericks also posted a close loss, falling, 201-206.5, to Kalee McCann, but the 2018 defending Reining Event Champions defeated UC Davis, 3-1, with a total score of 813-606.
Laughlin led the Aggies once again in Flat, defeating Texas A&M's Brianna Peddicord, 225-211, on "Sully". Senior animal science major
Julia Bernard was edged by a five-point margin, 177-182, but No. 3 seeded Texas A&M would go on to defeat No. 14 UC Davis, 3-1, with a total score of 828-808.
Junior animal science major
Lauren Mooney paced the Aggies with a team-high Horsemanship score of 207.5 while sophomore global disease biology major
Katie Flinn was edged by just 5.5 points, but No. 13 UC Davis would fall to No. 4 SMU, 0-4, with a total score of 819.5-869.5.
Competition continues tomorrow (Apr. 18) with the quarterfinals and semifinals for the team championship, with event quarterfinals and semifinals set to take place on Friday (Apr. 19). The four-day competition will conclude on Saturday (Apr. 20) with the team and event championships.
UC Davis equestrian closed out its inaugural year with a 1-5 regular season record, defeating No. 9 Delaware State in its first ever meet at the UC Davis Equestrian Center, 10-5, back on Jan. 31.
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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.
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