No. 7 SMU (10-6, 4-1 ECAC) vs. No. 2 Auburn (10-3, 4-2 SEC)
NCEA National Championship Quarterfinals
Thursday, April 14 | 1:30 p.m.
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No. 7-seed SMU, is set to open its bid for a national title at the 2022 NCEA National Championship on Thursday at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida. The Mustangs will face the No. 2-seeded Auburn Tigers at 1:30 p.m. CT. The Mustangs, named ECAC Champions for the second-consecutive year and conference champions for fourth straight season, aim to top their 2021 campaign, which ended in the championship round against Georgia in a 9-7 decision.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
SMU is seeking its first win over Auburn in program history as the Mustangs currently hold a 0-10 record when facing the Tigers. Auburn enters Thursday's contest seeking its third straight win after defeating Georgia and Texas A&M on the way to its fourth-straight SEC title. The Tigers fell 8-7 to Baylor during the quarterfinal round of the 2021 NCEA National Championships after having won the title in both 2019 and 2018.
FACING AUBURN IN 2022
No. 3 SMU was topped by No. 1 Auburn by a final score of 11-7 in the team's home opener on Oct. 16 at the Dallas Equestrian Center. Freshman
Elli Yeager led the way for SMU in Fences with an event-high 87 that earned her Most Outstanding Performer (MOP) honors. The second Mustang point came from
Emma Jolly, who totaled an 82 to defeat her Tiger opponent by one. In the Western ring, SMU tied 2-2 with Auburn in Horsemanship after
Nya Kearns tied her opponent with a 75.5. Junior
Mallory Vroegh won her third consecutive point to open the event, topping her opponent 75.5-67.5. The second Mustang point came from senior
Payton Neiberger, who scored a 71.5 to win her first point of the season. Auburn won the Flat event 3-2 courtesy of three-straight head-to-head wins. Sophomore
Katy Merchant claimed the first point with a 70.5 before
Taylor Madden closed out the event with a 77.5 as she defeated her opponent by 6.5 points. SMU won one Reining point to round out the event. Junior
Dani Latimer outscored her opponent 72-71 to claim the Mustang point. Fellow junior
Taylor Zimmerman rode to a score of 71.5, which resulted in a tie as Auburn claimed a 3-1 event win.
LAST TIME OUT
Top-seeded SMU claimed its fourth-straight conference championship, and second ECAC title, after taking down No. 2-seed UT Martin, 11-9, on March 26 at Quillen Arena in Harrington, Delaware. SMU claimed a 5-0 win in Horsemanship. Junior
Alex Pielet and Madden won the two Mustang Fences points with scores of 140 and 164, respectively. Kearns led the way in Horsemanship with an event-high score of 159, which earned her the MOP honor. Senior
Megan Waldron won the event's first point with a 145 while senior Neiberger defeated her opponent 156-153, junior
Lily Anderson won 153.5-144.5, and Vroegh completed with sweep with a 153. With a 7-3 lead at the halfway mark, SMU added two more points in the Flat event coming out of the break. Graduate student
Madi Johnson was named the event's MOP after posting a score of 161. Junior
Miranda Seade was close behind with a 160.5 to win the second Mustang point. In Reining, MOP-winning sophomore
Chalyce Head defeated her opponent 146-139.5. Zimmerman clinched the event's final point with a score of 147 to push the Mustangs ahead for the second-straight ECAC title. The winner of Thursday's meet between SMU and Auburn will advance to a quarterfinal match on Friday against the winner of No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 6 Baylor, beginning at 1 p.m. CT.
SMU AT NCEA NATIONALS
The Mustangs topped of a historic 2020-21 season with a runner-up finish at NCEA Nationals. The finish was the highest in SMU Equestrian history and capped off a campaign that saw the Mustangs finish 10-2, the best record in program history, and earn a third consecutive conference championship. SMU had two NCEA Riders of the Year, seven NCEA Ariat All-Americans, five NCEA National Championship award winners, five earn ECAC awards and six named to All-ECAC teams
2021-22 ECAC POSTSEASON HONORS
