Notre Dame equestrian wraps up strong weekend in Armada

Performance by the Irish sets them up for a competitive district starting this Saturday.

The Notre Dame equestrian team spent over 48 hours at the Armada Fairgrounds this weekend, competing against riders from Goodrich, Armada, Romeo and Bloomfield from 8 a.m. to roughly 7 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. 

According to equestrian assistant coach and NDP alum Theresa Schmid ('13), the team put their all into the competition.

“Thanks to their hard work, the team climbed from last place out of five teams on Saturday to second place for the day on Sunday,” Schmid said. “That puts them in third place overall going into their final competition this weekend, separated by only three points for second place.”

She said this will give them a great chance of taking the district reserve championship that would then take them to the regional competition.

"We're so blessed to have riders on this team who are not only talented, but have an amazing attitude to do whatever it takes for the team to succeed," said head coach Stephanie Bean. 

Check out an earlier article on what the team did to prepare for the season. 

Senior and team captain Sophia Shick was the team's high point rider for the weekend, with sophomore Maegan Fitzgerald as the runner-up. Freshmen Kendall Lance and Cara DeFelice and senior Riley Simmonds scored crucial points throughout the day, keeping the team ahead in a close race with the other teams. Senior and team captain Jane Gemellaro and sophomore Olivia Urban finished out the competitions with strong times in the speed events, including a first place win by Urban in the flag race on Sunday.

Schmid said the team is hopeful and determined for the last competition on Saturday, September 16. 

"The fight for the reserve champion title will be fierce," Schmid added. "We have four teams within striking distance of each other competing for the spot, so it'll take a combination of practice and luck for our riders to push our team ahead by those few points." 

Also, on Saturday, in honor of NDP's first equestrian team 12 years ago, a few of the riders wore their school uniform skirts over their jeans while running their speed events on Sunday.

Notre Dame’s riders welcome their fellow students — especially any interested in joining the team next year — as well as NDPMA faculty and staff to come out and cheer them on! Watch the Notre Dame equestrian team compete anytime between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Armada Fairgrounds, which is at 74280 Fair St., in Armada.

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Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org.

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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.