SMU Equestrian No. 5 Seed In National Championship

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DALLAS (SMU) – The SMU equestrian team is the No. 5 seed in the hunter seat bracket for the 2012 National Collegiate Equestrian Championship. The Mustangs will face No. 12 Tennessee-Martin in the opening round of competition on April 12 at 8:30 a.m. at the Extraco Events Center in Waco, Texas.

“We are extremely excited and looking forward to a successful couple of days,” head coach Haley Schoolfield said. “The team has worked incredibly hard all season, and our seeding is the result of their championship effort and attitude.”

The seed is the highest rank in school history. SMU went 7-5 during the regular season and achieved a school-best No. 8 rank in the Women’s Intercollegiate Equestrian National Coaches Poll. The Mustangs had several impressive victories this season including a 6-4 upset of No. 3 Texas A&M on Feb. 3 and 6-4 victory over rival TCU in the season opener.

SMU is led by senior captain Jordyn Pettersen and standout newcomer Emma Roberts. Pettersen holds an 8-4 record in equitation over fences this season and earned two MVP honors. Roberts was a perfect 10-0 over fences this year with three MVP performances. She had a 2-1 record on the flat, picking up an MVP title against No. 1 Georgia.

The top four teams in the bracket received byes. The winner of the SMU/Tennessee-Martin match will compete against No. 4 Baylor that afternoon.