HANOVER, Mass. (March 26, 2022)- The Stonehill College equestrian team saw both Ariel Goharzadeh and Haley Whittaker qualify for Zone 1 Championships being held on Saturday, April 9 with their performances at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Zone 1, Region 4 Championships at Holly Hill Farm in Hanover, Massachusetts on Saturday. 

Whittaker paced the Skyhawks Saturday when she took home first place in the novice flat event for the first time in her career. It is also Whittaker's first time qualifying for a spot in the Zone 1 Championship. Prior to today's first-place finish, Whittaker competed in the novice flat one other time during the 2019-20 season in her IHSA debut during the Tufts University Show. 

Goharzadeh punched her ticket to the IHSA Zone 1 Championship with her second-place finish in limit flat. Just like Whittaker, it is also Goharzadeh's first time qualifying for a spot in the Zone 1 Championship too. For her career, Goharzadeh has two first-place finishes in the limit flat event including recently at the Brandies/UMass Lowell Show three weeks ago. 

Finally, Hannah Lennon was Stonehill's third rider in the  IHSA Zone 1, Region 4 Championships and she finished fourth in the novice flat event. Overall for Lennon's Stonehill career, In her career, Lennon has recorded four second-place finishes all in walk-trot-canter during her freshman season. She also competed in novice for the first time in her career this season and finished fifth at the Stonehill show (Oct. 17) and third during the Bentley University show (Oct. 31). 

As for end of the season awards, Stonehill took home three awards (two individual and one team). In regards to the team award, the Skyhawks were named the Team Reserve Champion. For the individual awards, Catherine Souza was named the third-place regional highpoint rider, and Kiley Subklew was the reserve highpoint rider. 

Up Next:

Both Goharzadeh and Whittaker will have some time off before they compete in the IHSA Zone 1 Championships hosted by Mount Holyoke College on Saturday, April 9 at 9 a.m. 

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