No. 2 Seed SMU (9-4) vs. No. 7 Seed South Carolina (7-8) | Apr. 18 - 1:30 PM (CT)
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SETTING THE SCENE
•    The defending national champion and 2-seeded SMU equestrian team will face 7-seeded South Carolina in the first round of the NCEA National Championships on Thursday at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida. Thursday's matchup is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. (CT).
•    The Mustangs enter the tournament with a 9-4 overall record, including seven wins over ranked opponents. 
•    SMU defeated No. 1 TCU (11-7) in its final regular season meet at the Dallas Equestrian Center.
•    15 Mustangs have earned a total of 37 MOPs through SMU's 13 meets.

IN THE RANKINGS
•    SMU finished ranked No. 2 in the NCEA's final regular season Dual Discipline poll.
•    The Mustangs spent the entire regular season ranked in the poll's top-three, including one week at No. 1 and three weeks at No. 2.

THE SERIES
•    SMU is 6-8 all-time against South Carolina, including 1-0 in the NCEA National Championships.
•    SMU faces South Carolina for the first time this season.

ALL-TME PERFORMANCES
•    Nya Kearns earned her 18th Most Outstanding Performer at No. 2 Texas A&M on Feb. 24,  passing Schaefer Raposa (17) for a new program record for career MOP honors. 
•    Jayna Lagace and Nya Kearns both earned Horsemanship scores of 81.5 at No. 7 Oklahoma State on Feb. 17, marking a new tie for the program's highest score in the event.

2023-24 ALL-AMERICANS
•    Five Mustangs were named to NCEA Ariat All-America teams for their performances in the 2023-24 season. 
    Augusta Iwasaki (First Team, Fences)
    Nya Kearns (First Team, Horsemanship)
    Taylor Zimmerman (First Team, Reining
    Lily Anderson (Second Team, Reining)
    Katy Merchant (Honorable Mention, Flat)

RIDERS OF THE MONTH
    Augusta Iwasaki (Jan. - Fences)
    Nya Kearns (Jan. - Horsemanship)
    Augusta Iwasaki (Feb. - Fences)
    Nya Kearns (Feb. - Horsemanship)
    Taylor Zimmerman (Feb. - Reining)
    Nya Kearns (Mar. - Horsemanship)

LOOKING TO REPEAT
•    SMU returns to the NCEA National Championships as defending national champions from a year ago, where the Mustangs defeated No. 2 Auburn (11-8) to take home the program's first title.
•    The Mustangs have appeared in two of the last three national championship meets, and advanced to the national semifinals in 2022.

2023-24 MOPS
Elli Yeager - Fences - at No. 3 TCU (09/22/23)
Katy Merchant - Flat - vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State (10/14/23)
Nya Kearns - Horsemanship - vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State (10/14/23)
Emma Engel - Flat - vs. No. 4 Texas A&M (10/26/23)
Nya Kearns - Horsemanship - vs. No. 4 Texas A&M (10/26/23)
Taylor Zimmerman - Reining - vs. No. 4 Texas A&M (10/26/23)
Taylor Madden - Flat - vs. No. 2 Auburn (11/11/23)
Nya Kearns - Horsemanship - vs. No. 2 Auburn (11/11/23)
Taylor Zimmerman - Reining - vs. No. 2 Auburn (11/11/23)
Hannah Hoch - Fences - at Fresno State (11/17/23)
Lily Anderson - Horsemanship - at Fresno State (11/17/23)
Shelby Clausen - Reining - at Fresno State (11/17/23)
Hannah Hoch - Fences - at No. 9 UC Davis (11/18/23)
Taylor Madden - Flat - at No. 9 UC Davis (11/18/23)
Nya Kearns - Horsemanship - at No. 9 UC Davis (11/18/23)
Augusta Iwasaki - Fences - vs. No. 8 Delaware State (1/26/24)
Elli Yeager - Flat - vs. No. 8 Delaware State (1/26/24)
Nya Kearns - Horsemanship - vs. No. 8 Delaware State (1/26/24)
Augusta Iwasaki - Fences - vs. South Dakota State (1/27/24)
Taylor Madden - Flat - vs. South Dakota State (1/27/24)
Alexa Black - Horsemanship - vs. South Dakota State (1/27/24)
Lily Anderson - Reining - vs. South Dakota State (1/27/24)
Augusta Iwasaki - Fences - vs. Fresno State (2/3/24)
Nya Kearns  - Horsemanship - vs. Fresno State (2/3/24)
Taylor Zimmerman - Reining - vs. Fresno State (2/3/24)
Jayna Lagace - Horsemanship - at No. 7 Oklahoma State (2/17/24)
Taylor Zimmerman - Reining - at No. 7 Oklahoma State (2/17/24)
Augusta Iwasaki - Fences - at No. 2 Texas A&M (2/24/24)
Katy Merchant - Flat - at No. 2 Texas A&M (2/24/24)
Nya Kearns - Horsemanship - at No. 2 Texas A&M (2/24/24)
Shelby Clausen - Reining - at No. 2 Texas A&M (2/24/24)
Elli Yeager - Fences - at No. 6 Auburn (3/2/24)
Nya Kearns - Horsemanship - at No. 6 Auburn (3/2/24)
Augusta Iwasaki - Fences - vs. No. 1 TCU (3/8/24)
Hensley Humphries - Flat - vs. No. 1 TCU (3/8/24)
Nya Kearns - Horsemanship - vs. No. 1 TCU (3/8/24)
Dani Latimer - Reining - vs. No. 1 TCU (3/8/24)