(Crookston, Minn.)- The University of Minnesota, Crookston Hunt Seat and Western Equestrian teams open the 2011-2012 season on Friday, September 23 as they travel to the NCAA Head to Head Competition hosted by Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan. The competition begins at 9 a.m. and is a critical competition as the Golden Eagles are slowly integrating more NCAA meets into their schedules.

Golden Eagle Head Coach Brooke Leininger is excited to get the season started with a quality competition. “This is a very early competition in our season as we have only had three weeks of in-season practice and are coming in to this meet with a little less preparation time than we had hoped for,” says Coach Leininger. “However, I have tremendous confidence in these riders and their skills. We have been working hard towards developing consistency, confidence and fine-tuning of our skills both in and out of the practice arena.”

Participating on the Hunt Seat side will be Jessica Charles (Jr, Belgrade Lakes, Maine), Chelsea Roetman (So, Owatonna, Minn.), Angela Peterson (Jr, Detroit Lakes, Minn.), Denise Thompson (So, Rochester, N.Y.) and Addie O' Neil (Jr, Redwood Falls, Minn.). Participating on the Western side in Western Horsemanship will be Kayla Krueger (Sr, Walker, Minn.), Anna Steen (Sr, Hanover, Minn.), Amy Van Treeck (Jr, Sheboygan Falls, Wis.), Amanda Flint (Jr, Aberdeen, S.D.), Megan Kramer (Sr, Owatonna, Minn.) and Kaitlyn Weiger (Sr, Duluth, Minn.). Krueger, Steen, Van Treeck, Kramer and Weiger will also be participating in Western Reining

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics Web site at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

The University of Minnesota, Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).
    
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