Lorusso Places 19th in USEF/Cacchione Cup at IHSA Nationals - Stonehill

Junior Cassandra Lorusso ranked first among Zone 1 entries in the Cacchione Cup. (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

Wrentham, Mass., native rounds out competition for Skyhawks at IHSA Nationals

RALEIGH, N.C. (May 8, 2012) – Stonehill College junior Cassandra Lorusso (Wrentham, Mass./Dana Hall School) turned in a 19^th place finish in the prestigious United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)/Cacchione Cup competition at the 2012 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) National Championships at Hunt Horse Complex in Raleigh, N.C., over the weekend.

Lorusso, who was the IHSA Zone 1, Region 4, Cacchione Cup representative finished 19^th out of 36 riders in the competition for the IHSA's top rider of the year. She compiled 69.50 points in the fences portion of the competition before posting 71.00 points in the flat phase to finish with a total of 140.50 points. Lorusso ranked first among the three Zone 1 representatives in the competition.

Kels Bonham from Savannah College of Art and Design, in Georgia, won the Cacchione Cup Championship with 170 points, while Skidmore College's Kelly Campbell is reserve Cacchione Cup Champion with 168.50.

Lorusso also posted a fourth place finish in the individual open equitation over fences championship on day one of the IHSA Nationals. Junior Emily Dolan (Lacrosse, Wis./Aquinas) also earned an individual ribbon with her sixth place finish for intermediate equitation on the flat.

The Stonehill equestrian team won the IHSA Zone 1, Region 4, Championship this season by 22 points. Ten Skyhawks qualified for the individual regional championships, with seven advancing to the Zone 1 Championships and three qualifying for nationals.