April 18, 2008

DALLAS (SMU) --- The SMU equestrian team elected Lauren Hester as captain and Kristen Collins as co-captain for the 2008-09 season at a team banquet on Thursday night. The event at Trinity Hall honored the 2007-08 team before head coach Ashley Schaeffer announced the co-captains for next year's squad.

"I am very proud of the results from the team's vote," states Schaeffer. "These two student-athletes are at the top of their game and are incredible examples for their teammates."

Collins, also a captain this season, finished 3-4 in fences this season as a sophomore with two losses by three or less. She went 2-5 on the flat, but won two of her last three including an MVP performance in the season finale against TCU. Collins went 9-2 in fences as a freshman and 7-4 on the flat that season.

Hester concluded her junior senior 2-1 in fences. She recorded wins against Stephen F. Austin and TCU with a three-point loss (79-76) against Fresno State. Hester also finished 1-2 on the flat. She will be the only returning rider that participated for SMU in both the 2006 and 2007 Varsity National Championships.

"Equestrian can be a very individualized sport, but Kristen and Lauren will help lead the restructuring of our program into a team model," says Schaeffer. "Part of that restructuring was the designation of positions for the first time at SMU. My goals for SMU Equestrian start with the needs of the riders; helping them focus on their goals and then teaching them to function as a team."

The Mustangs finished 2-5 in Schaeffer's first season on the Hilltop against a schedule that had five matches against the top-12 nationally in the final rankings. The wins came against No. 12 Stephen F. Austin and TCU. Following the season, Schaeffer added 2005 SMU Alum Chelsea Chapman as her assistant coach. The 2007-08 campaign was also the first for SMU at the Park Lane Equestrian Center. It was also the first season the Mustangs had more home meets (4) than road meets (3) in the program's five-year history.