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| Spotlight on Youth - June 17, 2009 |
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MSU student earns national equestrian championship
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Shelby Piechorowski, Michigan State University (MSU) animal science sophomore from Lambertville, beat out a field of 18 of the country’s top riders to earn the national championship title in the individual intermediate equitation on the flat division at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) National Horse Show in Murfreesboro, Tenn., April 26-29.
MSU teammate Ashley Jabrocki, animal science sophomore from Ludington, placed eighth in the individual open horsemanship class, which positioned her against 12 of the nation’s top riders.
Coach Adrienne Woodward, MSU Department of Animal Science doctoral student and team coach, said MSU Equestrian Team members worked extremely hard all year to earn berths at the national championship.
“Competing at a national level takes a lot of dedication and motivation,” she said. “Everyone put in extra practice hours to make sure that MSU was well-represented at the IHSA National Championships, and it paid off. Not many schools can boast of having a national champion or a top 10 finisher, but MSU has both.”
As a team, MSU finished in sixth place out of the nine teams competing. The University of Findlay earned national champion honors, followed by co-reserve national champions Ohio State University and Oregon State University. Blackhawk College was third, followed by St. Andrews Presbyterian College and a fifth place tie between West Texas A&M University and Berry College. West Virginia University placed seventh.
Team MSU was led by Molly White, Lyman Briggs sophomore from Spring Lake, with her reserve national championship ride in team novice horsemanship. Charlene Kolodziej, economics junior from Williamsburg, placed sixth in team advanced horsemanship.
Other team members who competed in the team classes were Stephanie Murray, senior pre-law and French major from Traverse City, in open horsemanship and open reining; Samantha Vitous, chemical engineering sophomore from Traverse City, in intermediate horsemanship; and Rambalina Williams, pre-medical freshman from Sparta, in the beginner horsemanship division.
“Earning a berth to compete at the IHSA Nationals as a team was a goal from day one,” Woodward said. “The team not only met that goal, but they surpassed expectations by placing sixth out of an extremely tough field that included seven returning teams from the 2008 National Championship.
The MSU Equestrian Team is a self-funded student activity. Team members must pay for all the costs associated with the judging experience, including entry fees, transportation, lodging and meals, and for the coach. Fundraising events are conducted throughout the year, and team members pay for the balance out of their own pockets.
To learn more about the MSU Equestrian Team, contact Woodward by calling 517-353-2260 or sending an e-mail to woodwa46@msu.edu
Scholarship photo contest for youth to focus on rural life
OTTAWA, Ohio — The Ohio Farmers Union Family Farm Center, Inc. (OFUFFC) and the Miller-Warner Foundation, Inc. (MWF) today invite youth to enter the 2009 Photography Scholarship Contest for Young People by submitting photos that best represent country life in Ohio.
“Here’s a way for college-bound youth to literally focus on scholarship money this summer by using a camera to record everyday life in rural Ohio,” said Ohio Farmers Union President Roger Wise.
The OFUFFC/MWF 2009 Photography Scholarship Contest for Young People themed “Rural Living in Ohio” awards $300 to the winner and $50 to two runner-ups.
The contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia ages 24 and younger who are high school juniors or seniors, or enrolled full-time as a college freshman, sophomore, or junior.
Participants are to submit original, unframed photographs sized 5-inch x 7-inch or 8-inch x 10-inch on photo paper that typifies rural life in Ohio. Two entries per participant are allowed. Photographs will be judged on appropriateness to the theme (50 percent), composition (25 percent), and content (25 percent). All photographs must originate at a location in Ohio.
The award will be made payable to the winner and the winner’s choice of institution of higher learning at the time of enrollment. Photographs must be postmarked by Aug. 31.
Additional rules apply: for contest entry; for complete requirements go to www.ohfarmersunion.org or call 800.321.3671. |
| 6/17/2009 |
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