Baylor’s Lauren Jorgensen (co-flat), Fresno State’s Paris Mahoney (co-flat), TCU’s Lex Lipacis (fences), Piper Keller (horsemanship), Cassie Hacking (reining), and Oklahoma State’s Bella D’Onofrio (co-horsemanship) earned Big 12 Riders of the Month accolades for the month of February.
TCU’s Lipacis earned a 4-1 record in fences, reaching a 2-1 mark against Conference opponents. The senior posted an average score of 84.4 per ride in February. The allied health sciences major earned two MOP honors for her rides against then-No. 10 South Dakota State and No. 8 Fresno State. Lipacis closed out the month with a nine-point victory of 86.5-77.5 over then-No. 8 Bulldogs, leading the Horned Frogs to a 12-8 team win.
Mahoney went undefeated in the flat discipline, recording a perfect 3-0 month. The sophomore posted her highest score of the season with an 83-point ride against then-No. 7 TCU. Mahoney helped the Bulldogs clinch their first-ever road win against Oklahoma State, earning her third win of the month with a 77.5-73.5 victory.
Baylor’s Jorgensen went 2-0 for the Bears to earn co-flat rider of the month. The senior posted a narrow victory of 78-77 to earn her point against then-No. 5 Oklahoma State. Jorgensen recorded a 13.5 point margin of victory in the Bears' upset against No. 7 TCU, where she earned the MOP distinction for her efforts. This is Jorgensen’s first conference honor this season.
In the western seat, Keller hit a 4-1 mark in February to earn co-horsemanship honors. The freshman went 3-0 against ranked opponents and 2-1 against conference opponents. She closed out the month with a score of 76.25, defeating her opponent by 6.5 points and earning the second MOP of her career.
D’Onofrio finished February with a perfect 3-0 record in the horsemanship discipline. The junior helped clinch the victory against Baylor with a 77.5-71.5 victory to earn the second MOP honor of her career. She continued to rack up the wins with narrow victories against TCU (72-71) and Fresno State (76-75.75), extending her win streak to five meets. For her efforts, D’Onofrio earned the NCEA Arion Sellers Horsemanship Rider of the Month accolade, becoming the third Cowgirl to receive recognition this season.
In the reining discipline, Hacking recorded a perfect 4-0 mark, earning her seventh win of the season. The freshman stacked up the wins against Baylor and then-No. 6 Oklahoma State, edging out her opponents by .25 points. Hacking capped off the February slate with her largest margin of victory at 71.25-70.25 in the Horned Frogs’ win over then-No. 8 Fresno State.