DAVIS, Calif. — After the first meeting between the two programs went down to the final ride back on Feb. 13 in Davis, the No. 10 UC Davis women's equestrian team gets another crack at Fresno State this week, heading to the Central Valley to take on the No. 8 Bulldogs on Thursday (Feb. 25) at 1 p.m.
MEET INFO…
WHAT: No. 10 UC Davis (0-1) at No. 8 Fresno State (1-0)
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021
TIME: 1 p.m.
WHERE: Fresno, Calif.
ARENA: Student Horse Center
LIVE SCORING: GoBulldogs.com
IN THE RANKINGS…
UC Davis remained as the No. 10 team in the nation according to the latest NCEA poll released on Tuesday (Feb. 23), while Fresno State enters the week at No. 8 in the same poll. The No. 10 ranking for the Aggies is tied for the highest in the history of the program.
SERIES NOTES…
Fresno State, which had meets against Baylor and Oklahoma State postponed last week due to severe weather conditions in Texas, has won the previous five meetings with UC Davis following a narrow 10-9 victory back on Feb. 13 at the UC Davis Equestrian Center… The Bulldogs have previously posted wins of 12-4 and 16-3 in 2018-19, and 12-7 and 14-5 in 2019-20… This will be the third all-time meeting between the two programs in Fresno.
AGGIE STORYLINES…
• Junior
Keely Laughlin (fences), freshman
Carly Sweeney (flat), and sophomore
Macey Newkirk (reining) were named ECAC Riders of the Week in their respective events.
• Laughlin was honored for the second time in her career in fences.
• UC Davis saddled up a total of 12 underclassmen — including five true freshmen — in its season-opener against Fresno State
• In their first meeting of the season, UC Davis won both fences and flat against Fresno State for the second time in the last three duals.
• Thursday marks the sixth meeting all time between the Aggies and Bulldogs — the most head-to-head competitions against any single opponent in the program's short history.
• Sweeney was named MOP on the flat in her collegiate debut, posting a 76-61 win over the Bulldogs' Taylor Holstead.
•
Ella Longo's score of 86 on the flat in the first meeting between the two schools is the second-highest score in that event in school history.
•
Sierra Gundersen's 83 on the flat is tied for fifth.
• Both
Maddie Gregory and
Kayla Hickey scored a 74.5 in horsemanship against the Bulldogs, which is tied for the third-highest score in school history.
• All of the above marks are career highs in those events for those respective riders.
• Gundersen has won each of her last three rides on the flat dating back to last season.
•
Keely Laughlin, who scored a team-best 81 in fences against Fresno State, has won her last four fences rides and six of her last seven.
• Laughlin's win in fences gave her 10 in her career — the most of any Aggie — while her six wins on the flat are second only to former teammate
Sabin Marquardt (2018-20).
• The 81 marked her eighth career score of 80 points or higher in fences
• Longo's win on the flat was the first of her career and she improved to 4-1 (plus an exhibition win) in fences to double-up in the first meeting with the Bulldogs this year.
• Newkirk's reining win saw her post season team-best score of 70 — her highest since a 71.5 against then-No. 1 Auburn last year — and her fifth career reining win, which are tied for the most in school history along with current teammate
Charlize Zuraek.
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.
