SPORTS
FALL 2012 | St. Lawrence University Magazine 11
St. Lawrence Individual
National Champions
2012
Emily D’Alessandro ’15
intermediate flat
2011
Jenna Gunnell ’13
walk-trot
2011
Casey Zuraitis ’13
intermediate fences
2008
Kristin Putnam ’10
walk-trot-canter
2001
Ashley Dann ’03
novice fences
2000
Jesse Lewis Caswell ’02
novice flat
2000
Allison Karkut ’00
open flat*
1999
Danielle Crowe ’99
novice flat
1998
Allison Karkut ’00
intermediate flat*
1998
Sarah Lott ’00
walk-trot
1997
Bridget Hawley Smith ’99
walk-trot-canter
1989
Christine Cognetti Fenlong ’94
high point rider-stock seat
(
western)
1988
Kim Cardinale ’90
novice flat
1987
Erin Davis Garfield ’90
open fences
1984
Sue Marchant Flagg ’87
intermediate fences
1984
Heather Collins ’86
walk-trot-canter
1983
Theresa Jane Turner ’86
walk-trot-canter
1980
Hillary Simons ’83
novice fences
1980
Nanette Wachter ’82
walk-trot
1978
Aubrey Sparre ’78
open fences
1978
Carol Schneible Lewis ’80
novice flat
1976
Lisa Ashton ’78
walk-trot-canter
1974
Jo Newhouse ’74
walk-trot
*
Karkut also excelled after graduation, winning na-
tional titles in alumni fences and alumni flat in 2002.
With the Saints’ national championship in May, Mary Drueding became the first
hunter seat team coach to win IHSA national championships for two different
colleges or universities in the Association’s 45-year history. Her first two titles
came at Colby-Sawyer College, her alma mater, in 1989 as an assistant and in
1994
as head coach.
Her accomplishments earned her IHSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012,
induction into Colby-Sawyer’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007, the IHSA’s 1997
sportsmanship award, and the utmost respect from the equestrian community.
“
What’s more rewarding than any title is seeing a rider read a horse and work
with it,” she says. “I enjoy facilitating that learning process more than any
award I might win for myself.”
A Coach’s Canter to Success
But until last year, an IHSA national
title had eluded the Saints under Drued-
ing. “We had been so close so many
times that we called ourselves, ‘The few,
the proud, the second,’” she says.
After qualifying as a team in April at
the Zone II Championships, the Saints’
presence at nationals was made known
from Day 1 as Emily D’Alessandro ’15
took the national individual champi-
onship in intermediate equitation on
the flat. Katherine Figueroa ’14 and
Tim Moore ’12 each collected wins in
the Collegiate Cup competition as the
Saints ribboned in every class to claim
the national championship.
“
It was an exciting day,” Drueding
says. “I’ve had a great school behind me
and it was easy to put together a good
group of riders. At St. Lawrence, we
have a small team of 25 that commits it-
self to the sport and sacrifices
to advance the greater good
of college horsemanship. I am
very lucky that St. Lawrence
recognizes that.”
When they returned to
campus, the Saints celebrated
at a campus-wide reception
honoring them. Later, Moore
proudly hauled the cham-
pionship trophy across the
stage when he received his
diploma.
The St. Lawrence riding
program’s successes have out-
grown the walls of the riding
halls. The secret is finally out.
St. Lawrence Co-Director of
Athletic Media Relations Wally
Johnson and the IHSA’s L.A.
Pomeroy contributed to this article.