SFA women's equestrian team to be selected soon

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

Near completion - SFA's new arena, located about 10 miles north of Nacogdoches at the William C. Todd Agricultural Research Center, is about three-quarters completed, according to Dr. Dale Perritt, SFA agriculture dean. The 51,000-square-foot structure will be the training facility for not only the new NCAA equestrian team but also the university's rodeo team. It will also be utilized for livestock classes, judging contests, and boarding horses. Under the roof, there are 22 stalls, calf roping and roughstock chutes, along with return lanes and catch pens. -- Staff photo by Montgomery

Feb. 10, 2005 - Walk into the Stephen F. Austin (SFA) athletic department this fall, and there is a possibility you will see girls "dressed out" in Western or English riding attire.

These young lady athletes will not be in the wrong department; they are just competitors in a new "emerging sport in the NCAA," according to Stephanie McDonald-Mitchell, assistant athletic director.

The new sport is a women's equestrian team and are subject to NCAA rules. The emerging sport is not a "full-fledge NCAA event" because "there's not a NCAA championship."

An equestrian club is not new to SFA. There has been a club for several years, which, according to the club advisor Dr. Joe Gotti, has done very well against teams from other top collegiate universities.

"As a club team, the girls finished fourth last year in Western and seventh in English against A&M, Oklahoma State and West Texas State. They finished in the top five in the nation," Gotti said.

Currently, the university is searching for a coach, with the selection process down to three individuals with two of those having "Texas ties. ... We hope to have a coach named by the end of February," McDonald-Mitchell said.

If the team can maintain this competitiveness, the assistant AD stated, "If we can be competitive, we would like to get (the team) up to 60 girls."

Current members of the equestrian club will have to vie for spots on the squad this fall and, with this being an NCAA emerging sport, scholarships will be available.

"There will be 12 scholarships available this fall," McDonald-Mitchell cited. Eventually the scholarship number will rise to 15. The recruitment process will begin once a new coach is in place.

McDonald-Mitchell is already receiving transcripts and test scores from area high school seniors and junior college transfers. She stated she would continue taking these papers, and give them to the new coach when he or she is hired.

Once the team is organized, it will be off to the arena for the new SFA Equestrian team.

(For more information, call McDonald-Mitchell at 936-468-4429.)