LOGAN, Utah – The Morrisville State western equestrian team advanced three to the IHSA National Championship Finals over the weekend, and will be representing the Region in team competition as they finished third at the semifinals Sunday in Logan, Utah.
With 16 riders per division across all classes, Morrisville State had seven place in the top half of the competition, with three moving on to the National Championship Finals behind their top four performance.
Kelly Castaldo (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) advanced in the beginner horsemanship class with her fourth place finish, along with teammates Elyse Scott (Averill Park, N.Y.) and Lea Inhaber-Courchesne (Westborough, Mass.) who finished second and third overall in the novice western horsemanship class.
Danielle Utterback (Weedsport, N.Y.) finished the season fifth at the semifinals in beginner horsemanship, along with Abigail Schul (Lewiston, N.Y.) who placed eighth in the intermediate class.
Alysha Hardy (Orange, Mass.) concludes the individual riding season fifth in the advanced horsemanship class, along with Mikaela Cormier (Belchertown, Mass.) who finished sixth in open horsemanship and fifth in reining.
The Mustangs finished third overall in the team competition to earn a spot in the IHSA National Finals, compiling 22 points behind the rides of Cormier, Inhaber-Courchese, Schul, Samantha Greenfield (Middleburgh, N.Y.) and Julia Anderson (Sinclairville, N.Y.).
Cormier will still compete in the high point rider competition, after finishing as the high point rider for the Region with 98 points.
Oregon State University claimed the top spot in team competition with 23 points, followed by the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
The IHSA National Championship competition will take place May 2nd – 5th at the New York State Fairground Expo Center in Syracuse, N.Y. The full schedule of events can be found here.
Morrisville State College's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2018 issue and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2018 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about Morrisville State College, visit www.morrisville.edu.
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