McConville finished third, just shy of making Nationals
Hanson finished third at Zone 1 Championships, her first appearance at Zones in her career |
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (April 7, 2018) – Three sophomores wrapped up their seasons at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Zone 1 Championships on Saturday, April 7 at the MHC Equestrian Center in South Hadley, Massachusetts, hosted by Mount Holyoke College.
Sophomores Mariah Hanson (South Burlington, Vermont/South Burlington), Emma McConville (North Attleboro, Massachusetts/Wheeler School), and Kaitlin Kotfila (Hadley, Massachusetts/Hopkins Academy) all made their first appearances at the IHSA Zone 1 Championships in their collegiate careers after qualifying for their first IHSA Zone 1, Region 4 Championships this season.
McConville earned her first third-place ribbon at the Zone 1 Championships in open flat. McConville earned her fourth blue ribbon of the season at the Regional Championships, where she earned first in the open flat division. She also earned first at the Point Show, the day before Regionals, the first show of the year at Brandeis and Northeastern and the home show in November. She also earned third and fourth twice during the season, and fifth once.
Hanson placed sixth in novice flat at the Championships. This season she earned two blue ribbons with one being at the first show, hosted by Stonehill, in novice flat and the other at the Worcester State Show in novice flat. The South Burlington native qualified for Regionals early in the season with her fifth-place finish at the Stonehill Show in November in novice fences. The sophomore posted two fourth-place marks, one fifth, and two seventh-place tallied throughout the season.
Kotfila, in her first Zone Championships, posted a 10th-place finish in intermediate flat. She qualified for regionals with her second-place finish in intermediate flat at the Point Show the Friday before the Championships. She also placed second at Regionals to qualify her for Zones. This season, the Hadley, Massachusetts native earned two blue ribbons, including one at the Boston College Show for intermediate flat. The sophomore also earned third, fourth and fifth in flat throughout the season.
The Skyhawks finished the regular season in second in the region, after totaling 32 points for first place at the Point Show on Friday, March 30, moving them up from fourth prior to the show.
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