SMU equestrian routs Delaware State, 8-4, pick up first victory of year

The SMU equestrian team earned a 8-4 victory over Delaware State Friday morning at Buck Branch Farm in Dallas.

This was SMU’s first meet of the Spring term and first victory overall after going 0-6 in the Fall.

Junior Jordyn Pettersen led the Mustangs with 2 points, a score of 78 and a re-run score of 84 over fences en route to her fourth MVP honor of the year.

Pettersen’s scores solidified SMU’s 4-2 win over fences. Individually, Pettersen moves to 7-0 overall this season after going 3-3 last year as a sophomore.

Freshman Ramsay Hanson lost her first match and only tallied a score of 35 but bounced back nicely in her re-run with a 77-75 victory over Ashley Butler, which earned a point for the Mustangs.

Junior Emily Gardner also chipped in 1 point over fences for SMU with an impressive 82-65 win over Erin Engard.

On the flat, freshman Renick Townsend was named MVP after posting a score of 87 which topped Butler’s score of 83 and gave SMU an early 1-0 lead.

Sophomore Morgan Toal, sophomore Danielle Gersh, and junior Claire Wenholz all picked up wins and helped SMU to a 4-2 victory on the flat.

Wenholz handed Engard her second loss of the day, 81-68 and gave SMU momentum as the Mustangs took a 3-2 lead.

Gersh tallied the fourth and final point for the Mustangs as she defeated Frayser Tuttle, 80-69.

The Mustangs finished with a final raw score of 919 while the Hornets totaled 889.

SMU will host Fresno State in Dallas on Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. and will then travel to Waco to take on Baylor and Sacred Heart the following week.