In the 2024 NCEA Championship quarterfinals, the No. 3 seed Auburn equestrian team faced off against No. 6 seeded Oklahoma State, resulting in a narrow 10-8 defeat for the Tigers.
The intensity of the competition was evident from the outset, with both teams locked in a 5-5 tie after the Fences and Reining events. Fences saw standout performances from the Tigers, including fifth-year rider Ava Stearns, who delivered a commanding victory with a score of 87.67-83. Freshman Avery Glynn also made her mark with a score of 85, contributing to Auburn's strong start in the Jumping Seat action.
However, Oklahoma State responded with equal strength, keeping Auburn trailing shortly behind. Auburn's lone point in Reining came from sophomore Caroline Buchanan, who showcased her skill with a score of 70.83.
"I was really proud of this team today," said Auburn head coach Jessica Braswell, "It was a really close meet, and if you look at the scoresheet, you’d see that a handful of points were won by a couple of tenths of a point. I don’t think we have anything to be upset about because we rode really well. Oklahoma State was just a little better."
As the competition progressed into the second half of the day, Auburn continued to attempt to close the gap in the Flat and Horsemanship events. The afternoon included notable performances from Mary-Grace Segars and senior Ellie Ferrigno who secured crucial points for the Tigers. Segars pushed Ella Reinauer, 83-82, while Ferrigno topped Riley Hogan, 79-73. These performances kept the match tightly contested until the very end.
Despite its efforts, Auburn ultimately fell to Oklahoma State.
"Our team finished as conference champs and had a great year," Braswell said. "Today just wasn’t our day, but I’m still really happy with this season and how they finished it out."
Scores from the match are as follows:
Fences
- Riley Hogan (OSU) defeated Ellie Ferrigno (AU) 90.67-86.
- Ava Stearns (AU) defeated Sydney North (OSU) 87.67-83.
- Avery Glynn (AU) defeated Grace McReynolds (OSU) 85-84.67.
- Mary-Grace Segars (AU) defeated Bella Holway (OSU) 84.67-78.67.
- Sophee Steckbeck (AU) defeated Paige Jones (OSU) 79.67-66.67.
Flat
- Avery Glynn (AU) tied Sydney North (OSU) 73.67-73.67.
- Hannah Dodd (OSU) defeated Ava Stearns (AU) 84.67-82.33.
- Grace McReynolds (OSU) defeated Sophee Steckbeck (AU) 77.67-75.67.
- Mary-Grace Segars (AU) defeated Ella Reinauer (OSU) 83-82.
- Ellie Ferrigno (AU) defeated Riley Hogan (OSU) 79-73.
Horsemanship
- Madison Parduhn (AU) tied Alana Stanton (OSU) 73.5-73.5.
- Claire McDowall (OSU) defeated Caroline Fredenburg (AU) 74.67-73.83.
- June Roberson (OSU) defeated Alexis Potts (AU) 74.83-73.33.
- Alexia Tordoff (AU) defeated Peyton Baxter (OSU) 73.5-70.83.
- Maddie Fussell (OSU) defeated Sydney Swallom (AU) 68.67-67.5.
Reining
- Ava Bush (OSU) defeated Alexia Tordoff (AU) 71.83-71.67.
- Emma Fillatreau (OSU) defeated Kate Buchanan (AU) 70.67-68.83.
- Abby Budd (OSU) defeated Olivia Marino (AU) 71.67-71.33.
- Caroline Buchanan (AU) defeated Tristan Bagby (OSU) 70.83-67.17.
- Quincee Clark (OSU) defeated Isabella Tesmer (AU) 67.67-65.5.
The Tigers concluded the year with a 9-6 overall record after securing the program’s sixth-straight SEC title in March.
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