| Ahern qualified for the IHSA National Championships and will compete for the Cacchione Cup. (Photo Credit Brian Foley). |
SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (April 6, 2024) – The Stonehill College equestrian team 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 College on Saturday.
Highlights
- Stonehill, a team that captured its 11th IHSA Zone 1, Region 4 Championship, its first since 2019, will send one individual to the IHSA National Championships in Mill Spring, North Carolina.
- The Skyhawks witnessed a thrilling performance by junior Madeline Ahern, who earned first place in the Cacchione Cup after securing a blue ribbon in the open fences event.
- Ahern will ride on the national stage for the second straight year and compete for the Cacchione Cup.
- The Skyhawks had eight top-five finishers, including three who placed in the top three in their respective events.
- Fellow individual zone qualifier senior Sarah Herring finished in the top five in both the team and individual open flat events.
- Junior Grace Faddoul and sophomore Rosalie Martin finished second overall in intermediate and novice flats, respectively.
- Senior captain Lindsey Simmons took home a third-place ribbon in intermediate fences.
- First-year classmates Lauren Eager and Mariah Russo rounded out the Skyhawks riders on the day.
- Eager finished fourth and fifth overall in both the limit fences and flat events, while Russo took home a fifth-place finish in the introductory flat equitation.
Up Next
Ahern will be the lone competitor at IHSA Nationals as she competes for the Cacchione Cup from Friday, May 3 to Sunday, May 5 at Tryon International in Mill Spring, North Carolina.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
