DAVIS, Calif — In a meet that came down to the final ride of the night, the No. 10-ranked UC Davis equestrian team was edged out by the slimmest of margins, falling to No. 9 Fresno State by the score of 10-9 at the UC Davis Equestrian Center on Saturday evening.
It was the season opener for both teams, with the Aggies competing for the first time since their 2019-20 campaign was ended prematurely back in March of 2020. It also marked the debut of a number of riders for UC Davis, which started 12 underclassmen on the day — including five true freshmen and a redshirt freshman.
Tied at seven entering the final event of the meet, freshman
Lauren Langbaum broke the tie with a one-point win on Julio before the Bulldogs answered with back-to-back narrow wins by Julianne Kelley (by one-half point) and Lexee Padrick (by a single point) for a 9-8 lead.
Sophomore
Macey Newkirk brought the Aggies even thanks to her 70 on Maddox, setting up the final ride by sophomore
Kendal Scheiner, whose 63 came up just short of Fresno State Paley Capachi's 65, giving the Bulldogs the point and the 10-9 victory.
The two teams split the first two events with UC Davis claiming a 3-2 win in fences behind a team-high 81 from
Keely Laughlin, and Fresno State winning horsemanship by a 3-1 count as
Amber Nusser claimed the Aggies' lone point with a 73. Freshman
Maddie Gregory and sophomore
Kayla Hickey added team-high scores of 74.5 in horsemanship.
Trailing by a point overall, UC Davis came back with a 3-2 win on the flat, winning the final three points of the event, including a victory by freshman
Carly Sweeney, who was named Most Outstanding player with a 76. Sierra Gunderson added an 83 for the Aggies' second point, while teammate
Ella Longo finished with an 86 to clinch the event win.
UC Davis and Fresno State return to the arena to face one another on Thursday (Feb. 25) at 11 a.m. in Fresno, Calif., in a meet that was originally scheduled for Feb. 6.
#10 FRESNO STATE 10, #9 UC DAVIS 9
Feb. 13, 2021 • UC Davis Equestrian Center • Davis, Calif.
Fences (UC Davis, 3-2)
Ella Longo (UCD) def. Sara Tuck (FSU), 75-74
Sophia Calamari (UCD) def. Grace Mathias (FSU), 40-30
Ana Bertozzi (FSU) def.
Carly Sweeney (UCD), 81-73
Cecily Hayes (FSU)* def.
Sierra Gundersen (UCD), 82-40
Keely Laughlin (UCD) def. Lizzie Stodden (FSU), 81-65
Flat (UC Davis, 3-2)
Ana Bertozzi (FSU) def.
Nicole Beales (UCD), 80-72
Grace Mathias (FSU) def.
Keely Laughlin (UCD), 74-70
Carly Sweeney (UCD)* def. Taylor Holstead (FSU), 76-61
Sierra Gundersen (UCD) def. Cecily Hayes (FSU), 83-54
Ella Longo (UCD) def. Sara Tuck (FSU), 86-82
Horsemanship (Fresno State, 3-1)
Hannah Buijs (FSU) def.
Jordan Schween (UCD), 75-66.5
Maddie Gregory (UCD) tied Emily Maul (FSU), 74.5-74.5
Alexis Miller (FSU) def.
Katelyn Blake (UCD), 75-71.5
Kameron Thorn (FSU)* def.
Kayla Hickey (UCD), 76.5-74.5
Amber Nusser (UCD) def. Alexis Steele (FSU), 73-71
Reining (Fresno State, 3-2)
Lauren Langbaum (UCD) def. Ashley Jackson (FSU), 69.5-68.5
Julianne Kelley (FSU) def.
Amber Nusser (UCD), 67.5-67
Lexee Padrick (FSU)* def.
Charlize Zuraek (UCD), 70-69
Macey Newkirk (UCD) def. Bailey Alexander (FSU), 70-62
Paley Capachi (FSU) def.
Kendal Scheiner (UCD), 65-63
* denotes Most Outstanding Player
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Over 700 student-athletes across 25 intercollegiate athletics teams, following the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, represent the fifth-ranked public school in the nation.
Centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and the Napa Valley, UC Davis is known nationwide as a leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, ranks annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.
UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.
