Stonehill Finishes Fourth at Zone 1 Championships, Dolan and DeVirgilio to Join Lorusso at Nationals

Lorusso	Dolan
DeVirgilio

Lorusso wins open fences, will also compete for Cacchione Cup
Dolan wins Zone Championship for intermediate flat

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (April 9, 2012) – Stonehill College saw its team season come to an end with a fourth place finish at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Zone 1 Championships, hosted by Mount Holyoke University, on Saturday.

Stonehill, who captured the IHSA Zone 1 Region 4 championship this season, will still send three individuals to the IHSA National Championships in Raleigh, N.C., May 3-6. The top two teams at the Zone Championships advance to nationals. Leading the team competition for the Skyhawks was junior Cassandra Lorusso (Wrentham, Mass./Dana Hall School), who placed second for both open fences and open flat during the team portion of the competition.

Lorusso, who has already earned the Zone 1, Region 4, Cacchione Cup competition spot at nationals, will also compete in the individual open fences competition in Raleigh after placing first for the event on Saturday. She also placed third in the individual open flat and was second among Zone 1 Cacchione Cup riders in a tune up for that prestigious competition for national rider of the year honors next month.

Junior Emily Dolan (Lacrosse, Wis./Aquinas) won the Zone 1 Championship for intermediate flat to qualify for nationals for the first time as an individual. Senior co-captain Margeaux DeVirgilio (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Our Lady of Lourdes) has also qualified for nationals for the first time as an individual with her reserve Zone 1 championship in novice fences.

Senior co-captain Brianna Bach (Windham, N.H./Salem) finished fifth for individual intermediate flat, while classmate Alexandra Keller (South Burlington, Vt./Stoneleigh-Burnham School) placed fifth for novice flat. Senior Christine Dwyer (Park City, Utah/Kentucky Country Day) rounded out the season with a sixth place finish for intermediate fences.

Bach was second for intermediate fences during the team competition. Senior Nina Crossley (Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional) placed fourth in novice flat, sophomore Caitlin Wright (Old Lyme, Conn./Mercy) was fourth in walk-trot and freshman Kayleigh McDonnell (Rutland, Vt./Rutland) finished fourth for walk-trot-canter in the team competition.