AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn equestrian won both of its meets this weekend, with a Friday victory over Ole Miss and a Saturday win against Delaware State.
The Tigers nearly got the complete sweep over Ole Miss, securing a 7-1 victory over the Rebels in a Jumping Seat exhibition.
The Tigers started the day off sweeping the Flat 4-0 before finishing with a 3-1 victory in Fences.
“The team rode great today, but I still admire the drive and grit of the Ole Miss team,” said head coach Greg Williams Friday.
Mary-Grace Segars posted a career-high 92 in the Flat, while Hallie Rush (88) and Helen Lohr (68.5) also won their matchups. Junior Lindsey Klein won Most Outstanding Performer with a score of 85 in her victory.
In Fences, Auburn won the first three matchups. Grace Pearson scored an 81 to open the event, which eventually garnered her MOP in Fences. Segars then won her matchup 82-66 and Jessica West won hers 84-67 before Ole Miss won the final point of the day to prevent the complete sweep.
On Saturday, Auburn completed the weekend with a 16-4 win against Delaware State. The Tigers won all four events and swept both the Flat and Horsemanship.
“It was a beautiful weekend out here and it was fun to see all the fans come out and support this team,” Williams said Saturday. “Our team was dedicated to accomplish the goals they set out for today and that’s what they did. We know we have some things to clean up and that’s what we’ll focus on as we return to SEC competition in a couple weeks."
Auburn won Fences 3-2, where Sophee Steckbeck won MOP honors for the third time this season, with her score of 85.
Meanwhile, the Tigers continued to put up high scores in Flat, sweeping Delaware State 5-0 in the event. Helen Ulrich, who scored a 91, the highest Flat score of the day, earned MOP honors. It was her second straight MOP on Flat.
Auburn also swept Horsemanship, where Olivia Tordoff's score of 76 earned her MOP honors in the event. Taylor Searles stayed unbeaten in Horsemanship, improving to 9-0-0 on the season with her win over Delaware State's Ashely Grasso by one point.
Reigning earned three points for Auburn, all by sophomores — Kate Buchanan, Isabella Tesmer and Olivia Marino. The trio edged their opponents by slim margins, with no victory being by more than four points.
The team will have a week off before welcoming No. 2 Texas A&M to town for the final home meet of the season on Feb. 26. Events are set to begin at 11 a.m. at the Auburn University Equestrian Center.
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Originally from Helena, Ala., Caleb Jones is a senior studying journalism at Auburn University. He has been on staff with The Plainsman since 2019.
You can follow him here on Twitter: @calebjsports
