NEWS

The USPA Middle School League started this past weekend with two tournaments. NWA Polo Club, located in Bentonville, Arkansas, and Darlington Polo Club in Darlington, Pennsylvania, each hosted fun and competitive polo games with excellent playing and sportsmanship from all participants.

NWA Polo Defeats Drangonfly (8-11)

NWA Polo (Jordan Cook, Winifred Branscum and Alyx Bell) defeated Dragonfly (Marguerite Johnson, Jaden Porter, Jose Tadeo and Emma Johnson) 8-11.

Best Playing Pony went to Britain, owned and played by Jaden Porter. Porter made an impressive four goals in the final game for her team.

NWA had a great mother/daughter duo! Ann Branscum who is a 1986 Cornell Alumni traveled from St. Louis, Missouri, to compete in NWA's arena tournament while her daughter Wini competed in her first USPA tournament. This was the first time they were able to travel to a tournament and both get to play polo.

Four Players in the tournament were selected as All-Stars: Jordan Cook, Jaden Porter, Jose Tadeo and Alyx Bell.

Powers Polo School defeats Darlington Polo Club (6-5)

Dodging the raindrops in eastern Ohio, the Darlington Polo Club and Powers’ Polo School teams faced off in the first Middle School Tournament of 2016. Powers’ Polo School’s Ben Crivella had the hot stick at the beginning of the game with three goals. Phenomenal defensive work by teammates Ella Waterson and Grace Pritchard kept the Darlington team scoreless in the first chukker. Darlington’s Ethan Seikel and Seth Goehring closed the gap with a goal apiece in the second chukker to bring Darlington within one at halftime.

Crivella’s goal from the field, and a rocket shot from the penalty line, increased the Powers’ Polo School lead to three in the third chukker. Seikel snuck in a goal to bring Darlington within two before the horn. Shirley Horvath’s goal for Darlington had her team within striking distance, but Crivella put the game out of reach with a final score for Powers’ Polo School ending the game (6-5).

The Sportsmanship Award was presented to Ella Watterson and Seth Geohring. Four players were recognized as All Stars: Ben Crivella, Shirley Horvath, Grace Pritchard and Ethan Seikel.