OCALA, Fla. (SMU) – The No. 1-seeded SMU equestrian team fell to No. 7 Georgia in the NCEA National Championship 12-8 on Saturday at World Equestrian Center.
 
The Mustangs finish the season with a 12-5 record. SMU had won nine straight before Saturday's loss.
 
This was the fourth time in the last five years the Mustangs have competed for a National Championship.

Seven Mustangs were named to the All-Championship team, and Augusta Iwasaki earned a MOP in Fences while Nya Kearns picked it up in Horsemanship
 
The meet opened on the Western side, with Georgia taking a 3-2 win in Reining and SMU fighting back with a 4-1 result in Horsemanship to bring the score to 6-4 halfway through.
 
Opening up the Jumping Seat side, Georgia swept on the Flat to get on the doorstep of victory and secured three points in Fences to win its eighth National Championship in program history.
 
Georgia opened the meet by gaining a lead in Reining, taking the event 3-2. Sara Filiatreau's 69.8 and Addi Schmersal's 73.3 gave the Mustangs their first two points of the meet.
 
Entering the second event with a one-point deficit, SMU posted yet another strong performance in Horsemanship. The Mustangs claimed four points in the event to enter the half with the lead. Alexa Black, Kearns, Ava Blyth and Violet Shetler all scored above a 77 to earn Mustang points.  
 
The Bulldogs responded in a big way as the meet moved to the Jumping Seat arena, sweeping the Flat to put UGA within two points of the National Title entering the final event.
 
Iwasaki and Hannah Hoch were able to salvage points for the Mustangs, but Georgia would win three points to secure the championship.

ALL-CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
Fences
Hannah Hoch
Augusta Iwasaki

Horsemanship
Alexa Black
Nya Kearns 
Violet Shetler

Reining
Sara Filiatreau
Addi Schmersal