DAVIS, Calif. — Sophomore
Sierra Gundersen set a school record with a score of 93 on the flat, while freshman teammate
Carly Sweeney tied the school record with an 88 in fences, each earning Most Outstanding Performance honors Friday afternoon and helping the UC Davis equestrian team tie with No. 5 Fresno State, but win on the tiebreaker in the final meet of the regular season.
The Aggies took home a 7-3 win in the hunt seat, while the Bulldogs finished with a 5-1 win in western to push the result to the tiebreaker, which favored UC Davis, 1606.50-1602.50, when all the numbers were added up.
Gundersen's performance was the first to top the 90-point plateau in the program's history, breaking
Laura Wise's record of 89 set in the program's debut meet against Delaware State on Jan. 31, 2019. Sweeney then followed that up two rides later with her 90 to clinch a 3-2 win on the flat for UC Davis. Freshman
Nicole Beales also tallied a point with her career-high 88, placing her fourth on the all-time list to get the Aggies started.
UC Davis opened the day with a 4-1 victory in fences, led by Sweeney's record-tying mark that matched
Stephanie Don's 88 — also against Delaware State — in 2019. Gundersen added another point with her career-high 86 that now ranks fourth in school history, while
Ella Longo's career-high 84 and
Keely Laughlin's season-high 82 were enough to score points and clinch a 4-1 win.
It marked only the second time the Aggies have scored four points in fences dating back to a 4-1 win over the Hornets in the program's debut, and improved the team to 5-0-1 in its last six meets in the event dating back to last year.
Hotly contested reining points saw the Bulldogs take a slim 2-1 victory after the teams tied a pair of head-to-head match-ups.
Macey Newkirk logged UC Davis' point with a 68 for a half-point victory, while
Kendal Scheiner posted a team-best 70.5 to finish with one of those ties, while
Charlize Zuraek posted a 68 for the other.
In horsemanship, the Aggies and Bulldogs were all tied up again as two of the events were draws, with two others decided by a half point as Fresno State took the 3-0 win to tie the meet.
Sarah Finkel's ride of 74.5 to lead-off the event is tied for the third-highest in the program's history, while
Gracie Howell and
Amber Nusser each finished with a 72.5 on their respective rides.
UC Davis now readies itself for the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships, hosted by UT-Martin on March 25-27 in Martin, Tenn.
UC DAVIS 8, #5 FRESNO STATE 8 (Tiebreaker, 1606.5-1602.5)
March 13, 2021 • UC Davis Equestrian Center • Davis, Calif.
Fences (UC Davis, 4-1)
Keely Laughlin (UCD) def. Cecily Hayes (FSU), 82-79
Carly Sweeney (UCD)* def. Hailey Livingston (FSU), 88-85
Ana Bertozzi (FSU) def.
Nicole Beales (UCD), 82-76
Sierra Gundersen (UCD) def. Lizzie Stodden (FSU), 86-68
Ella Longo (UCD) def. Grace Mathias (FSU), 84-82
Flat (UC Davis, 3-2)
Ana Bertozzi (FSU) def.
Ella Longo (UCD), 91-78
Nicole Beales (UCD) def. Sara Tuck (FSU), 88-85
Sierra Gundersen (UCD)* def. Cecily Hayes (FSU), 93-84
Lizzie Stodden (FSU) def.
Keely Laughlin (UCD), 85-84
Carly Sweeney (UCD) def. Elle Martin (FSU), 90-79
Horsemanship (Fresno State, 3-0-2)
Hannah Buijs (FSU) def.
Sarah Finkel (UCD), 75.0-74.5
Gracie Howell (UCD) tied Emily Maul (FSU), 72.5-72.5
Jordan Schween (UCD) tied Anna Wegenast (FSU), 72.0-72.0
Kameron Thorn (FSU)* def.
Maddie Gregory (UCD), 75.5-72.0
Alexis Steele (FSU) def.
Amber Nusser (UCD), 73.0-72.5
Reining (Fresno State, 2-1-2)
Charlize Zuraek (UCD) tied Lexee Padrick (FSU), 68.0-68.0
Bailey Alexander (FSU)* def.
Amber Nusser (UCD), 70.5-67.0
Kendal Scheiner (UCD) tied Hannah Hieber (FSU), 70.5-70.5
Macey Newkirk (UCD) def. Paley Capachi (FSU), 68.0-67.5
Julianne Kelley (FSU) def.
Lauren Langbaum (UCD), 68.5-66.0
* 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.
