Stevens Equestrian Ready to get 2008-09 Underway

HOBOKEN, N.J. (October 4, 2008) – The Stevens Institute of Technology equestrian program will get the 2008-09 season started on Sunday when the Ducks head to the Drew University and Sarah Lawrence College Show at Briarwood Farm in Readington, N.J. Led by first-year Head Coach Katie Weatherall (Cedar Knolls, N.J.) and junior captain Rosemary Garafalo (Springfield, N.J.), Stevens will look to build upon a successful 2007-08 that saw the Ducks finish sixth in Zone II, Region 1.

Weatherall, who graduated from Stevens last year, was a four-year standout during her collegiate riding career. Her appointment to the position of head coach allowed former Stevens coach Patti Zwaan to become the head trainer for the equestrian program.

Weatherall was an Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Regional (IHSA) qualifier three different times in two different events. In 2004-05 and 2007-08 she qualified in the open flats, and in 2006-07 she reached Regional’s in open fences. She advanced to the Zone Qualifier in 2004-05 in the open flat. Weatherall also received the John A. Davis award in 2008.

Garafalo is a two-year veteran that will look to qualify for the advanced open at the Zone Regional’s.

“Rosemary is the leader of this team, and I know that she will lead on the horse, on campus, and in the classroom,” said Weatherall. “She is involved on the Stevens campus and will be a great voice for our sport.”

In November of 2006, Garofalo became the first Stevens team member to tie for champion high-point rider of the day honors. She accomplished the feat with a pair of first-place finishes in the novice flat and fences at the All-Region Show. Then, in the first show of the spring of 2007, Garofalo finished first in the novice flat as the Ducks captured high-point college honors at the Centenary Show – marking the first time in program history that Stevens won first place overall at a competition. Last season, Garafalo qualified Regional’s in novice fences and novice flat.

The lone senior on the squad is Courtney Lorah (Lewes, Del.). A three-year member of the squad, Lorah has been working her way up the novice ranks and should be in open by midseason. In March of 2007, she finished in first place in the intermediate fences during the Group Show at Briarwood Farm in Readington, N.J.

Junior Kahri Olson (Boonton Township, N.J.) is the most accomplished Duck rider as she has qualified for the Zone Regional’s twice in her career. She had an outstanding freshman season in which she became just the fourth member of the Ducks to qualify for the Zone Championships following a second-place finish in the intermediate flat at Regionals. Last season, Olson was a regional qualifier in the intermediate fences and open flat as she qualified for the IHSA Regional’s in intermediate flat as well as intermediate fences and open flat.

In 2006-07, junior Jamie Fishbein (Plainsboro, N.J.) qualified for Regionals in the walk-trot-cantor and also earned a first-place finish in the advanced walk-trot-cantor at the All-Region Show. Also returning will be juniors Kate Crane (Simsbury, Conn.) and Constance Maglaras (Queens, N.Y.). Crane was a regional qualifier in the advanced walk-trot canter, and Maglaras qualified for the same competition in the walk-trot. The Queens native also qualified for the Zone’s in the walk-trot.

Sophomores Angela Parriot (Sparta, N.J.) and Katie Rohssey (Piscataway, N.J.) will look to continue improving and make a significant impact this season.

Newcomers Joelle Rusin (Milford, N.J.) and Hayley Hatfield (Dallas, Texas) will be expected to make an early impact as Rusin will be starting in novice.

There are 13 other schools in IHSA Zone II, Region 1, and the Ducks will be looking to improve upon a sixth-place finish in 2007-08. After Sunday’s show, Stevens will return to Readington, N.J. and Briarwood farm for the All-Region Horse Show on October 12. The Ducks will host the Stevens Institute of Technology Show on November 8. The Stevens Show will be held at the Centenary College Equestrian Center in Long Valley, N.J. The final show of the fall season will be at Marist College on November 15, as Stevens will return to action in February.

The two best team finishes last season came at the Marist College Show and the SUNY New Paltz Show. In both cases the Ducks placed third.

“We have been improving as a team and program every year and clearly we want to continue that,” said Weatherall. “Last year we finished sixth in our zone so we are looking to improve upon that and possibly get back in the top three. We will also look to send several qualifiers to the national championships and take high-point honors at several shows this season.”