WACO, Texas – First-year Katherine Atherton (Montpelier, Va.) and junior Kacie Freeburg (Orlando, Fla.) were both named to the 2021-22 Ariat All-America Honorable Mention Flat Team, the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) announced yesterday, March 31.
 
To be eligible for the honor, the riders must have a 67 percent or higher winning percentage, excluding ties, competed in a minimum of 67% of the team's NCEA regular season and have an adjusted NRS score of at least an 85.
 
Atherton, who competed in seven regular-season meets for the Vixen, concluded the 2021-22 campaign with an 83.33% winning percentage and an adjusted NRS score of 86. With the highest winning percentage in flat competition on the team, the Virginia native captured various accolades from the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).
 
Most recently, Atherton was named to the ECAC-EQ All-Conference Flat Team and the ECAC Single Discipline South Region All-Tournament Team for Flat.
 
Freeburg totaled a 75% winning percentage and a team-high adjusted NRS score of 91 in the flat event during the course of the season. The Orlando native was named to both the ECAC-EQ All-Conference Flat Team and the ECAC All-Tournament Flat Team this year.
 
Both Atherton and Freeburg have earned All-American honors for the first time in their careers and are the fourth and fifth Vixens to receive the honors in program history.
 
The Vixens will be in action next at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championships on April 3 in Lexington, Va.
 
Read the NCEA's release here!