Cornell University Captures First-Ever Division II Women’s National Intercollegiate Polo Championship in Ithaca

The 2025 Division II Women’s National Intercollegiate Polo Championship, hosted by Cornell Polo Club at the John T. Oxley Equestrian Center in Ithaca, New York, concluded with a thrilling title match between Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire (UNH) on Sunday, April 13.

The final featured a Northeastern Regional rematch, as both teams battled for their first-ever Division II national title. Cornell (Ava Ramachandran, Naomi Tachibana Marlough, Lara Chong, Isabelle Braden) had already bested UNH (Rebecca LaFrance, Brynn Roberts, Ariadne “Ari” Dogani, Catherine Ling) twice earlier in the season—once in a shootout and once in a tight 12-11 win at regionals. The final match continued the trend of intense competition, with Cornell pulling ahead in the second half to secure a 14-10 victory and the 2025 championship title.

Road to the Final: Quarterfinal and Semifinal Highlights

The championship began on Wednesday, April 9, with University of Kentucky (UK) (Grace Spellman, Ava Nunes, Taylor Nackers, Mila Slutzky) narrowly defeating University of California Davis (Liliana Gonzalez, Elise Pardue, Marisa Carelli, Emilynn Angie-Buss, Ashley Simpson) in a 15-14 quarterfinal thriller. UK capitalized on key penalty shots, with Taylor Nackers scoring the game-winning Penalty 2 goal with just 17 seconds remaining.

In the semifinals, University of New Hampshire beat the defending champions, Colorado State University (Sara Eggenberger, Olivia Schmidt, Willow Longerbeam, Josie Goldstein, Grace Unger) 15-11, using a strong rotation strategy and standout performances from LaFrance and Ling.

Later that day, Cornell University defeated University of Kentucky 15-9, powered by five conversions from Lara Chong. The match saw contributions from the entire Cornell squad, setting the stage for a strong championship run.

Championship Match Recap: Cornell vs. UNH

In the final, UNH struck first, with Dogani scoring back-to-back goals and the team taking a 3-2 lead in the opening period. Cornell responded in the second chukker, with Tachibana Marlough leading the offense to tie the game 6-6 at halftime.

The second half saw a dominant Cornell performance. Scoring contributions from each player helped Cornell edge ahead 10-8 by the third chukker. Although Roberts netted two goals for UNH in the final period, Cornell’s Ramachandran and Chong closed out the game with decisive goals to finish 14-10.

Championship Reflections & Award Winners

Cornell Coach Anthony Condo Jr. celebrated the team’s success:

“I’m so incredibly happy for our women’s squad for capturing the national championship this year. After last year’s stinging semifinal loss, our returning players were driven for redemption. Beating such a talented UNH team three times in one season is no small feat. I’m proud of their resilience and teamwork.”

Individual awards recognized top players and teams:

• All-Star Team:
  • Ariadne “Ari” Dogani (University of New Hampshire)
  • Lara Chong (Cornell University)
  • Taylor Nackers (University of Kentucky)
  • Naomi Tachibana Marlough (Cornell University)
• Clyde C. Waddell Jr. Sportsmanship Award:
  • Ava Ramachandran (Cornell University)
• Horsemanship Award:
  • Ariadne “Ari” Dogani (University of New Hampshire)
• Best Playing String:
  • Ola Polo – Colorado State University String
• Best Playing Pony:
  • Ola Paris (Colorado State University)
• Best Turned-Out String:
  • Kingswood – University of New Hampshire String
    
    

A Memorable Championship for Women’s Intercollegiate Polo

The 2025 Division II Women’s National Intercollegiate Polo Championship highlighted the strength, skill, and sportsmanship of emerging collegiate athletes. With Cornell University securing their first-ever Division II national title and several standout performances throughout the week, this year’s tournament will be remembered as one of the most competitive and inspiring events in recent intercollegiate polo history.