No. 1 seed SMU vs. No. 4 seed Delaware State
Ned McWherter Agricultural Pavilion – Martin, Tenn
March 26, 2021 – 9:30 a.m. CT
Tournament Central
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No. 1 seed SMU takes on No. 4 seed Delaware State in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) semifinals on Friday in Martin, Tennessee. Action is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. CT at the Ned McWherter Agricultural Pavilion.

LAST TIME OUT
SMU finished the regular season, 6-1, with both a Jumping Seat-only 5-3 win over Lynchburg and a 12-8 win over No. 9 Baylor. Five Mustangs earned MOP honors during the weekend. The win against Baylor was SMU's third top-10 win of the season.

SERIES HISTORY
The Mustangs are 10-6 when taking on Delaware State and are 3-2 when competing at a neutral site. Two of SMU's neutral site wins have been in Martin, Tennessee. The two last met in November of 2018 in Dover, where SMU defeated the Hornets, 8-6. SMU and DSU have faced off twice during the postseason – in both 2016 and 2017, when the two were members of the former United Equestrian Conference.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Delaware State ended its regular season with a 2-3 record. The Hornets earned wins at Minnesota in a Western-only meet and at home versus UT Martin while falling at South Dakota State, at UT Martin and at Sweet Briar. DSU defeated No. 5 seed UC Davis, who was 1-3 competing against only Fresno State this season, in the quarterfinal of the ECAC Championship on Thursday. The Hornets won, 9-7, thanks to a strong 6-point Jumping Seat showing. Delaware State tied one Horsemanship point and earned two Reining points.

2020-21 MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYERS
•     Aubrey Alderman – Reining: 2
•     Madigan Eppink -- Flat: 1
•     Emma Jolly – Fences: 1
•     Nya Kearns -- Horsemanship: 4
•     Dani Latimer -- Reining: 3
•     Taylor Madden – Flat: 2
•     Alex Pielet -- Flat: 1, Fences: 1
•     Devin Seek -- Fences: 2
•     Mallory Vroegh – Horsemanship: 1
•     Megan Waldron -- Horsemanship: 1
•     Olivia Woodson -- Fences: 2, Flat 1
•     Taylor Zimmerman – Reining: 1

2020-21 ECAC HONORS
•     Madigan Eppink -- Flat Rider of the Week (Feb. 2)
•     Nya Kearns – 3x Horsemanship Rider of the Week (Feb. 2, Feb. 9, March 16), Horsemanship Rider of the Month (February)
•     Dani Latimer – Reining Rider of the Week (Feb. 9)
•     Taylor Madden – Fences Rider of the Week (Feb. 9)
•     Alex Pielet – Flat Rider of the Week (Feb. 9), Fences Rider of the Week (March 9)
•     Taylor Zimmerman – Reining Rider of the Week (March 9)

2020-21 NCEA HONORS
•     Madigan Eppink -- Dover Saddlery Flat Rider of the Month (January)
•     Nya Kearns – Shorty's Horsemanship Rider of the Month (March)
•     Devin Seek – Dover Saddlery Fences Rider of the Month (January)
•     Megan Waldron – Shorty's Horsemanship Rider of the Month (January)

50 WINS FOR CAROL GWIN
Head coach Carol Gwin earned her 50^th win at SMU when the Mustangs defeated South Dakota State at home on Jan. 29. Since starting at SMU in 2014, she has led SMU to two 10-win seasons, two conference championships and a national Reining runner-up title. Gwin has coached six NCEA First Team All-Americans, an NCEA Rider and two Co-Riders of the Year and countless Conference Riders of the Year and All-Conference riders. In 2018 and 2019, she was named back-to-back UEC Coach of the Year after sharing the title as Co-Coach of the Year in 2017.

ATTENDANCE POLICY
The inaugural ECAC Equestrian Championship will be closed to fans this year with the exception of those on the complimentary team pass list. The weekend's events will be streamed via Zoom and will have live scoring to help fans follow along. For all of the links, visit SMUMustangs.com.

UP NEXT
If SMU wins, the Mustangs will face the winner of No. 2-seed South Dakota State and No. 3-seed UT Martin in the championship final on Saturday.