The No. 6 Fresno State equestrian team swept the weekend, grabbing wins on Friday and Saturday against No. 10 UT-Martin and UC Davis at the Student Horse Center.
It was the first time in eight years that the UT-Martin Skyhawks made a trip to Fresno State. Last time the two teams met, the Bulldogs won 8-7.
As for the UC Davis Aggies, the Bulldogs last played them in Davis earlier this season, winning 12-7.
On Friday, Fresno State was dominant in the Jumping Seat events against UT-Martin, sweeping the fences 5-0 and earning a 3-1 win in the flat. In the fences, Cecily Hayes, Annastasia Anstead, Alivia Hart, Erica Rosinski and Ana Bertozzi all earned points, and Hart had the largest margin of victory ”” winning 68-38.
Three Fresno State riders walked away with Most Outstanding Performer (MOP) honors against the Skyhawks. Hayes picked up her second fences MOP this season, and sophomores Lexee Padrick and Hannah Buijs were recognized in the Western events.
The Bulldogs took the horsemanship in the first half of the meet 3-2 as Kameron Thorn, Brooklyn Moch and Buijs earned points for the ‘Dogs. Thorn won her fifth ride of the season 67-55.5 and improved her season record to 5-1-1.
Fresno State closed the meet with a 14-4 win against UT-Martin. Bulldogs head coach Eric Hubbard was very impressed by the team’s first win in 2020.
“I am very proud of this team to bounce back from last weekend and put in a dominant performance today,” Hubbard said. “Our MOPs put in outstanding rides that led their team to the win.”
On Saturday, the tides turned as Fresno State had a huge performance in the Western events. The Bulldogs swept the horsemanship 5-0 to beat the Aggies, 14-5.
Three Fresno State riders walked away with MOP honors against the Skyhawks. Hayes picked up MOP’s in the flats and fences, and sophomores Padrick and Buijs were recognized in the Western events.
In the horsemanship, Moch, Buijs, Hannah Way, Thorn and Campbell earned points for the ‘Dogs. Moch had the highest scoring ride of the day as she won 73.5-67.5.
The Bulldogs once again won in the fences with a 3-2 victory. Bertozzi, Hayes and Hart each earned points for the ‘Dogs, and Hart remained undefeated in the weekend with an 82-75 win.
After the intermission, the Bulldogs were in a close battle in the flat and ended the event in a 2-2 tie. Hayes recorded a season-high 84, and Bertozzi earned a career-high in her 84-70 win.
In the reigning, the ‘Dogs continued their dominance in the Western events, winning 4-1 with points from Padrick, Bailey Alexander, Paige Barton and Julianne Kelly.
After the win, Hayes said she is excited and loves to be a part of this team.
“I was really proud of the team’s energy all weekend. The success I had this weekend stemmed from all of the support that they have given me,” Hayes said. “I truly am grateful to be a part of such a ground-breaking team, and I am excited to see what we accomplish the rest of the season.”
With the pair of wins, Fresno State improves to 6-4 (2-1 Big 12). Looking ahead, the Bulldogs travel on the road for a pair of games against TCU and Baylor on Feb. 21 and 22, respectively.
