The 35 Women’s Intercollegiate teams and 24 Men’s Intercollegiate teams competing in USPA sanctioned regular season play have come down to the final two in each division who will play for the USPA women’s and men’s National Intercollegiate Championship title tomorrow at the University of Connecticut.
The women’s teams will compete for the National Intercollegiate Championship Katy Did Memorial Trophy, which has been played since 1976. The men’s teams will play for National Intercollegiate Championship Townsend Cup trophy, which has been played since 1922.
Playing for the women’s title will be the University of Virginia and Cornell. Virginia defeated Texas A&M in last night’s semi-final 22-10, while Cornell defeated the University of Connecticut 19-17. The finalist team rosters are:
Northeastern Regional Winner – Women: Cornell University
Devin Cox, age 21
Emma Eldredge, age 18
Elena Wicker, age 20
Anna Winslow, age 20
Southeastern Regional Winner – Women: University of Virginia
Caroline Hardie, age 18
Katie Mitcham, age 19
Mary Collins, age 19
Julia Smith, age 20
Playing for the men’s title will be Colorado State and Texas A&M. Colorado State defeated Southern Methodist 24-23 in Wednesday’s semi-final while Texas A&M defeated Cornell 20-19. The finalist team rosters are:
Central Regional Winner – Men: Colorado State University
Jered Berg, age 20
James Dodge, age 20
Alden Kokesh, age 19
Alex Kokesh, age 21
Kareem Rosser, age 22
Andrew Wildermuth, age 18
Wild Card Selection – Men: Texas A&M University
Daniel Galindo, age 21
Kyle Hamilton, age 21
Gideon Kotkowski, age 19
Casey Woodfin, age 20
Dalton Woodfin, age 20
“Last week we watched some of the best student athletes play some of the best games in recent memory during the men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments. But anyone with a pulse that watched the past two nights’ National Intercollegiate Polo Championships semi-finals at UCONN has to agree that these games were unparalleled with two shootouts- one two-goal game that went back and forth all night and another game that featured two USPA National Interscholastic Champions on the same team…..amazing,” said Duncan Huyler, Chairman of the United States Polo Association Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Committee. “The horsemanship, sportsmanship, intensity, competiveness and heart of all the competitors is unlike any other venue we have. The total spirit of cooperation from the horse providers to the hosts to the coaches and players sets an incredible example for the sport of polo.”
“The NIC tournament is one of the USPA’s most important signature events, exemplifying the talents and dedication of the young men and women in our intercollegiate polo program,” said Peter Rizzo, CEO of the United States Polo Association. “The USPA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic polo program provides skill and knowledge training and a high-level organization to grow future generations of polo players who will sustain and grow our equine sport. We are very proud of the enthusiasm and efforts expended by the players and coaches of all participating teams in the national event and we thank all the providers of the excellent horses that make our exciting and legendary intercollegiate tournament possible.”
Match Schedule and Venue:
The women’s and men’s championship games will be played on Saturday, April 11, with the women’s game at 10:00 AM EST and men’s at 1:00 PM EST. Both matches will be played at the University of Connecticut’s Horsebarn Hill Arena, Horsebarn Hill Road, Storrs, CT.
Highlights and updates will be posted on USPA’s and USPA I/I Polo’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram so be sure to follow the action.
