Fresno State Athletics
1998-99 Season Outlook
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Equestrian
FRESNO, Calif. - With 32 riders returning from last season's team, eight of which competed at the Intercollegiate Horse Association National Finals, head coach Megan McGee has nothing but high expectations for the 1998-99 Fresno State equestrian team.
This year's top returning rider is sophomore Elissa Lane. Lane walked away with the program's first national title and became only the second women's individual national champion in Fresno State history. Lane captured the American Quarter Horse Association Trophy for being the top Western rider in the nation. Lane led all Region I Western riders in points last year and captured titles in Open Reining and Open Stock Seat at the Region I and Zone 8 championships.
Another of the top returnees for the Bulldogs is senior Jennifer Jones. Jones closed out her junior season with a fourth place finish in individual Open Western Horsemanship at the national finals.
"I'm sure Elissa and Jennifer will lead the region again this season," McGee said. "I'm also sure that once again they will be neck and neck in the regional points standings. So it gives us two very good riders in team competition, with both riders having a chance to compete for the national title this year."
Also returning for the Bulldogs is junior Dina Bernardi. Bernardi was the leading English rider in Region I last season and captured first place in Open Fences in Region I and Open Flat at the Zone 8 championships. Bernardi finished the year with an eighth place finish at the IHSA National Finals in the battle for leading English riders in the country.
In terms of team competition, the Bulldogs look stronger this season after earning English reserve team honors at the Zone 8 championships a year ago.
This year, Fresno State will remain in the hunt for the regional and zone titles because of its strong group of returners and the addition of several new riders in the novice and intermediate categories.
"We have a very strong English group this season," McGee said. "Quite a few of the new riders are in the novice and intermediate categories, which is good because they are strong riders and they are eligible for the midrange categories."
The team added fewer Western riders this season in the higher levels of competition, but a lot of riders in the introductory levels. This gives McGee and the coaching staff a chance to develop the riders into quality collegiate competitors.
"Many of the freshmen who are coming in this season are going to be placed in the Intermediate Stock Seat, which is only the third of five categories they can compete in," McGee said. "On a long range plan they are going to be very strong riders for us because they will get introduced to the intercollegiate system this year and we can work them into the program slowly and look to the future."
The top newcomers to the 1998-99 team will be freshmen Kim Vardanega, Janine Hunt and Kim Goto. All three riders have had success on the open circuit prior to their enrollment at Fresno State.
Hunt was the 1996 Hawaii Quarter Horse Association all-around champion. Vardanega was in the Gold-N-Grand top five in Novice Horse Non-Pro Reining competition in 1997. Goto has competed at the North American Young Riders Championships, won the U.S. Calgary award, was the 1997 Preliminary Rider of the Year for Area VI and was first at the Del Mar Two Day Show.
"All three of these riders are the foundation for Fresno State equestrianis future," McGee said. "They will see competition this season, but probably lightly because they will be our base to build on."
This year's team also has an advantage in that many of its riders finished last season on the verge of qualifying in their respective classes, and will carry the points in those classes over into this season.
"We have plenty of riders who came close to qualifying last season in their respective categories, but didn't point-out," McGee said. "There are close to ten riders that will be qualified early in the year so they will be finished at that level of competition for the regional championships."
McGee added that this will enable many of her riders to move up to the next class and compete against much tougher competition before dropping back down to compete in postseason competition.
