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DALLAS, Texas (SMU) — Senior team captain Nora Gray clinched the Athletic Director's S.P.I.R.I.T Award, notably, the Pony Awards' most prestigious prize, at SMU's annual awards ceremony held Sunday night at the Omni Hotel in downtown Dallas.

    Student-athletes donned red carpet attire, as several earned coveted Mustang trophies for their efforts during the school year. 

    Savannah Ostner and Sara McCann have each accumulated a quartet of academic accolades in 2018-19 action. The dynamite duo earned acceptance into Tau Sigma Honor Society and Mortar Board (Ostner) and Alpha Chi Honor Society (McCann) before being named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll, by virtue of their success in the classroom this season. They both also were named All-UEC Academic honorees and to the Fall University Academic Honor Roll, too.

  Madigan Eppink won Best Dressed as voted by her peers.

   Due to her strong academic showing, leadership on the Mustangs' roster and impressive competition record, Gray exemplified SMU Athletics' values of Service, Passion, Integrity, Respect, Innovation, and Teamwork.

   This award honors a male and female student-athlete who are an inspiration to others, giving unselfishly of their time and talents for the betterment of the team.  

    Gray represents the Mustangs as the winningest rider in program history, by virtue of her 85 career wins.

    Other equestrian team members nominated for Pony Awards were Vivian Yowan (Student-Athlete of the Year), Alexandra Murphy (Sportsmanship Award), Ashley Mauney (Perseverance Award) and Devin Seek (Newcomer of the Year).

   While Eppink earned Best Dressed and Ostner and McCann clinched more academic accolades, Gray won the Athletic Director's Spirit Award. 

   She went 4-0 in UEC competition, winning her rides on the flat and over fences both in the Semifinal and Final, while going 4-0 over fences a month later at the NCEA National Championship over fences again.

   The 2019 first-team NCEA All-American and Academic All-American rose to the top of SMU's All-Time Wins list, surpassing the previous program record of 70. The Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, native is also the UEC Equitation Over Fences Rider of the Year.

   To cap off her senior season, Gray tallied four MOPs, three UEC Rider of the Week honors, two UEC Rider of the Month awards and had a record of 15-2 over fences while notching eight wins on the flat, as well.