Silvestri Highlights 2023 All-Big 12 Equestrian Awards

IRVING, Texas – Following their success in the 2022-23 season, Baylor equestrian’s Madaline Callaway, Jenna Meimerstorf, Madison Mitchell, Dominika Silvestri, Annie Vorhies and Maddie Vorhies picked up a combined seven Big 12 postseason awards, as announced Saturday evening by the conference office.

Silvestri highlighted the honors as the Big 12’s Flat Rider of the Year, while the Bears placed two on the All-Big 12 Reining Team in Callaway and Meimerstorf. Mitchell, A. Vorhies and M. Vorhies joined Silvestri on the All-Big 12 Flat Team to round out this year’s accolades.

“Their overall performance was outstanding this season and that’s what got them in this award lineup that they’re getting recognized for today,” said head coach Casie Maxwell. “To have four on the All-Big 12 Flat Team and another two on the All-Big 12 Reining Team is just outstanding. They’ve been great, consistent, reliable and I’m just really happy for all of them.”

With an 11-2 record, Silvestri garnered praise as the league’s top Flat rider and earned BU’s eighth Big 12 Flat Rider of the Year award all-time. Silvestri dominated her home rides, going 6-0 in Waco, and went 5-2 away from the friendly confines of Willis Family Equestrian Center to out-score her opponents by an average of nearly 10 points on the year. The Andover, Mass., native collected two Most Outstanding Performer honors in back-to-back meets to round out the fall slate (Nov. 18 vs. Fresno State) and kick off the spring (Jan. 27 vs UT Martin), and was twice named Big 12 Flat Rider of the Month (Nov., Jan.). Additionally, Silvestri earned national recognition as the NCEA Flat Rider of the Month in January. To punctuate her outstanding season, Silvestri put down a career-high 92 against Oklahoma State on Feb. 18. This is Silvestri’s first-career All-Big 12 honor, as she becomes the 13th different Bear to be named a Big 12 Rider of the Year for a total of 17 times in program history.

Callaway and Meimerstorf tied for the team’s best record in Reining this year at 7-4-2. The duo combined to bring home five MOP honors on the year (two for Callaway, three for Meimerstorf) and were each named the Big 12 Reining Rider of the Month at one point this season (Callaway in Sept., Meimerstorf in Jan.). Callaway picks up her second-career All-Big 12 honor, while Meimerstorf is an all-conference performer for the first time in her career.

Highlighted by the program’s second-best Flat score of all-time, Mitchell closed out the regular season on a terrific run to earn her first-career All-Big 12 recognition. The junior from Clarkson, Mich., went 8-4 on the year, but rode a seven-meet winning streak into the postseason. Her 94 against Oklahoma State on Feb. 18 was not only the Bears’ highest score of the season in the event, but was just two points shy of breaking a program record. Mitchell also collected a pair of MOP awards this season against then-No. 1 TCU on Oct. 21, and against the Cowgirls with her career-best score.

The Vorhies sisters each earned their first spots as All-Big 12 Team members with solid years in the Flat ring. Annie went 6-4 with wins in six of her first eight rides, while Maddie went 7-4-2 and was recently named the NCEA Flat Rider of the Month for March. The elder of the two Vorhies, Maddie rode an eight-meet unbeaten streak into the postseason, which included four-straight wins. She scored a career-high 92 against Oklahoma State on Feb. 18, then collected her first Most Outstanding Performer award versus No. 1 SMU with a point-winning 87.

The younger of the two, Annie came out on fire to begin the season with three MOP rides in her first six contests. Her efforts earned her Big 12 Flat Rider of the Month honors for October, where she also scored a career-high 90 at Oklahoma State on Oct. 15.

Baylor finished the regular season at 5-8 and earned the No. 4 seed at the Big 12 Championship, where the Bears placed third after defeating No. 8 Fresno State in the consolation meet. BU awaits its final ranking, set to be announced on Tuesday, March 28, to see if it qualifies for the 2023 NCEA National Championship. Nationals runs from April 13-15 at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla.
To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor equestrian, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorEQ.

2022-23 BIG 12 POSTSEASON AWARDS (Baylor)

• Big 12 Flat Rider of the Year – Dominika Silvestri, Sr.
• All-Big 12 Flat Team – Madison Mitchell, Jr.
• All-Big 12 Flat Team – Dominika Silvestri, Sr.
• All-Big 12 Flat Team – Annie Vorhies, So.
• All-Big 12 Flat Team – Maddie Vorhies, Sr.
• All-Big 12 Reining Team – Madaline Callaway, 5th
• All-Big 12 Reining Team – Jenna Meimerstorf, Sr.