Hunter Seat Advances to NCEA Quarterfinals

WACO, Texas-Texas A&M's hunter seat team advanced to the quarterfinals of the National Collegiate Equestrian Association Championships on Thursday afternoon with a 6-2 victory over Fresno State at the Extraco Events Center.

The seventh-seeded Aggies (8-7) were impressive in both disciplines, winning three of four rides in each against the 10^th-seeded Bulldogs to advance to the quarterfinals for the sixth consecutive season.

A&M set the tone early, with its first three riders-Haley Buchmiller, Hannah Soibleman and Maggie Earle-picking up wins on the flat and burying Fresno in an early hole. After the Bulldogs won the final ride of flat and the first over fences to pull within one, decisive victories by Lia Chafee and Maggie Earle clinched the overall team win. Leah Chenelle then bested her opponent by 13 points to give the Aggies their sixth and final point.

Texas A&M advances to now face No. 2-seed South Carolina in Friday's quarterfinals. Competition is scheduled to get underway around 8:30 a.m. (CT). The teams last met in last year's championships, with the Gamecocks squeaking out a narrow 5-3 victory.

Meanwhile, the three-time defending national champion A&M western team will begin its NCEA competition later this afternoon at about 4:30 p.m. when the top-seeded Aggies meet either Fresno State or New Mexico State in the quarterfinals.

Scoring updates throughout the weekend will be provided on aggieathletics.com and through the Aggies' official twitter feed at @AggieEquestrian. In addition, free live video will be available on collegiateequestrian.com.

(#7) Texas A&M 6, (#10) Fresno State 2

NCEA Championship - Hunter Seat, First Round

Thursday, April 12, 2012 - Extraco Events Center - Waco, Texas

Equitation on the Flat (A&M 3, Fresno 1)

Haley Buchmiller, A&M def. Lanie Madrazo, FRS, 144-130

Hannah Soibleman, A&M def. Kimberly Hewson-Budnick, FRS, 156-147

Maggie Earle, A&M def. Nicole Roworth, FRS, 141-115

Macy Wilson, FRS def. Elizabeth Solch, A&M, 153-131

Equitation over Fences (A&M 3, Fresno 1)

Chelsie Stone, FRS def. Emily Williams, A&M, 139-120

Lia Chafee, A&M def. Holly Elsbernd, FRS, 166-125

Maggie Earle, A&M def. Hillary West, FRS, 159-107

Leah Chenelle, A&M def. Kara Spicer, FRS, 144-129

NCEA CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE/RESULTS

Hunter Seat

First Round: (#7) Texas A&M 6, (#10) Fresno State 2

Quarterfinals: (#7) Texas A&M vs (#2) South Carolina, 8:30 a.m. (Friday)

Western

(#1) Texas A&M vs (#8) Fresno State/(#9) New Mexico State, approx. 4:30 p.m.