Stonehill Equestrian has Strong Weekend


Alexandra Fenner

Skyhawks win BU show on Saturday, place third at Mount Ida on Sunday
Fenner joins list of regional qualifiers for Stonehill

EASTON, Mass. (November 1, 2010) – The Stonehill College equestrian team turned in a pair of strong performances while competing in two shows over the weekend. The Skyhawks posted the first team win under first-year head coach Allegra Valberg with its first place finish at the Boston University show on Saturday, followed by a third place finish at Mount Ida College on Sunday.

Sophomore Alexandra Fenner (Rye, N.H./Portsmouth) led the way for Stonehill and became the program's most recent regional qualifier in the walk-trot equitation. She placed second for the event at BU on Saturday, before placing first at Mount Ida on Sunday.

Stonehill had five event winners in Saturday's victory at BU. Freshman Amanda Horn (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) placed first for intermediate equitation over fences, while sophomore Martina Tramontozzi (Melrose, Mass./Melrose) took first for novice fences. Junior Lexi Keller (South Burlington, Vt./Stoneleigh-Burnham School) and sophomore Samantha Lindquist (West Bridgewater, Mass./West Bridgewater) both placed first for their group in novice equitation on the flat, while senior Callie Ryan (Newtown, Conn./Newtown) took first in walk-trot-canter equitation.

In addition to Fenner's second place finish on Saturday, sophomore Hanna Pattie (Newburyport, Mass./Brewster Academy) placed second for intermediate flat.

On Sunday, Stonehill placed third behind host Mount Ida and Tufts University. In addition to Fenner's first place finish for walk-trot, two other Skyhawks won events. Senior co-captain Kayla Schneider (Vernon, Conn./Rockville) placed first for open equitation over fences, while junior Margeaux DeVirgillio (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) was first in novice fences.

Junior Alexa Riccio (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) and freshman Kristen Stachnik (Westhampton, N.Y./Westhampton) both placed second in their group for intermediate fences, while senior captain Kate Perez (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire Regional) was second for novice flat.

With its two results on the weekend, Stonehill is now tied with Tufts for second in the IHSA Zone 1, Region 4 standings behind BU.

Stonehill returns to action on Saturday when it participates in the Boston College/UMass Lowell show at Saddle Row Farm in Medway, Mass., starting at 9 a.m.