W&L RIDER ADVANCES TO IHSA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Freshman Caitlin Lane (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) won the open flat event at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) zone competition hosted by Mary Washington on Friday afternoon. Lane’s performance qualifies her for the IHSA National Championships held May 1-4 at Middle Tennessee State University.

Lane became W&L’s first rider to qualify for the national championships since Staunton Binsted ‘02 finished third at the 2001 national championship show.

Lane also placed fifth in the open fences event, while senior Heather Lancaster (Overland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission South) finished seventh in the intermediate flat.

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SEVERAL W&L RIDERS QUALIFY FOR ZONES

LYNCHBURG -- The Washington and Lee riding team qualified two riders for zones based on their performances at the IHSA Regionals held at Randolph-Macon Woman's College on Saturday afternoon.

Freshman Caitlin Lane (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) took first place in the open over fences event and was second in the open flat to qualify for zones in both events. Senior Heather Lancaster (Overland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission South) placed third in the intermediate flat to also qualify for zones.

Junior Sarah Michaels (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Academy), senior Liza Tucker (Raleigh, N.C./St. Andrew’s) and freshman Natalia Maxwell (Plano, Texas/Plano West) also competed at regionals and narrowly missed bids to zones. Michaels placed fourth in the novice flat, while Tucker placed fifth in the same event. Maxwell placed fifth in the walk-trot-canter.

As a team, W&L finished fourth in the region, ranking behind Hollins, Bridgewater and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Lynchburg, James Madison, Virginia, Radford and Longwood rounded out the regional standings.

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* - High Point Rider

W&L RIDERS FINISH THIRD AT ODAC CHAMPIONSHIPS