Equestrian: CdM’s Kim rides to IEL medal victory

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO - Corona del Mar High freshman Nicole Kim won

the Interscholastic Equestrian League medal competition and sophomore

Julia Koetting was named overall varsity champion to highlight the club

program’s showing at the final IEL show of the season Sunday at Oaks

Blenheim Exhibition Park.

Kim, the defending champion, rode her mount, Top Flight, to victory

over 11 other championship medal contenders, who all qualified for the

final at shows earlier in the season.

The medal final consisted of two phases and a work off. The first

phase consisted of jumping varsity fences set at 31/2 feet.

The second phase included judging riders on their hand and leg

position as they performed specific tasks without jumping.

Each of these phases comprised 50% of their score and the top six

advanced to perform a complicated work off over fences.

CdM sophomore Anne Schroeder won the IEL medal in the junior varsity

classification, riding Rafiki. The junior varsity jumping course fences

were set at 2-6.

Both Kim and Schroeder received a bouquet of roses, a three-color sash

and a medal, then performed a victory gallop.

Koetting earned a third-place ribbon, while CdM teammate Sarah

Mendelson, a freshman, finished sixth.

Schroeder was the overall junior varsity champion and CdM

eighth-grader Katie Jones was the overall runner-up in the novice

division.

Freshman Elyse Avila and sophomore Sydney Fanar also competed for CdM.

The year-end IEL awards banquet is schedule April 29.